I thought my front reading and interior courtesy lights in the roof headliner console were coming on without being activated, which I found perplexing . Turns out these lamps are operated by proximity sensors, and you don't have to actually touch them but just get near them (such as when adjusting the interior rear view mirror), just like the glove release button. Yes this is covered in the Owner's Handbook in a separate paragraph from that explaining the location of these lights, a paragraph I apparently missed. Another little idiosyncrasy of the XJ that adds to it's charm.

 

Well mine was not coming on at all when I open the door. Found out while I was adjusting my mirror I accidentally deactivated them ( my hand was on the light for several seconds). Luckily I searched the problem on this site, realized what had happen and was able to reactivate them.

 

Except there really is a problem with the driver map light turning itself on and off as you go down the road with nothing near it. My XF did it and we just put up with it; called it our ghost - named 'Lucas' of coarse. Our XJ started doing it and my wife freaked; thought it really was a ghost following us. Turns out it's a known problem, fixed with a small wiring harness replacement in the headliner.