The Auto Enginuity reader works if you add the enhancement. I was not able to get mine to even connect without it. The enhancement was an additional $279 on top of the $279 purchase price. I still had to call tech support and try a bunch of things to connect to the car.
If you have additional symptoms such as cruise control not working and the steering wheel
radio volume not working, then the clock spring is likely bad. I had no luck with the used ebay ones. Try moving the seat a little and then restart the car. I have been able to get the light to stay out doing that. It isn't a fix, but it helps isolate the problem.

 

UPDATE: I checked my battery with my multimeter -- 12.48. I cleaned off the negative connector and post and did a hard reset (held neg to pos for a minute), reconnected the neg and started her up. The light came back on, but after adjusting my seat and steering wheel and re-memorizing the settings (by pushing the memory button followed by #1), and driving about 1/2 mile with the light on, and parking for about two minutes (ran into the cigar shop!), and restarting the car -- the light came on during the initial test and turned off like it should. I drove home "the long way" and the light didn't come back on. It's sitting in the garage, the sky is full of lightning, lots of thunder storms coming my way, so that's where it'll sit the rest of the day!

For now, IT'S FIXED! (or at least the light isn't on!)

I did notice (before doing the hard reset) that when I moved my seat I heard some "noise" from underneath as if something was moving down there -- hate to venture a guess as to what it was, but it sounded like something was stuck (candy wrapper?). The noise is now gone. I will, of course, take a closer look when I get a chance.

When the light comes back on (and I would expect it will), I will re-ignite this thread! For now, thanks for all the tips.

Mike

 

Glad you are now light free, at least for the moment.

 

Tell me, is you seat belt light working as it should as well? Light on with the seat belt unclipped?

 

So, the light is back on as I expected.

Unhooking/hooking the seat belt (driver's) does nothing to the light.

 

Time to get the seat out and check those connections and wiring. You should also be able to test the seat buckle switch with a meter to see if it is working correctly.

 

It's doubtful that I will have time to look at this issue this week, and then I'll be driving to Wisconsin for an extended vacation -- I'll have to take a look at it when I get up there.

 

My airbag light comes on when the seat is full down and aft. If I move it a little and restart the car, it will stay out for the entire trip. I still need to remove the seat and find the real problem. I get a code B1993 Drivers Side mount air bag short to ground, but I can "fix" is by moving the seat slightly. Auto Enginuity with the Jaguar enhancement works, just wish it could remove the seat and repair the wiring by itself too. I do not have to do a hard reset,
move the seat, turn the key off and then back on and it goes away.

 

I've tried moving the seat, will try again. Thanks.

 

Question -- if your seatbelt is unclipped, do you get the same icon but without the little airbag in the guy's lap? Also, is there an audible tone that reminds you to buckle up? I wouldn't know if mine is working as it should because, well I don't know how it's supposed to be working! LOL Right now, however, is not a good time for me to check since the light is on all the time.

It's just as it was before -- I start the engine (seatbelt clipped or not, doesn't matter), the light comes on during the self-check, then goes off for a couple seconds and comes back on, and stays on. No tones, no flashing, just the icon (looks like a little guy with a bag in his lap!).

 

Mike,
The seatbelt light should be red and the air bag light orange. Have a look in your handbook if you are unsure.

The red seatbelt light should be on until such time as you buckle up. Not sure whether you should have a tone or not. Again, the handbook should tell you.

It will take you no longer than 1 hour to get the seat out and check.

 

Yes, you're right about the red icon. My manual also says "Lights up for six seconds when the ignition is switched ON and the driver's seat belt is not fastened. An audible warning sounds for six seconds. "

I don't remember seeing the red icon or hearing the audible warning, EVER. I've had this car for 16 months, and can't swear that I've seen/heard the seatbelt warning. I can say now, though, that it's not happening.

 

Try this Mike, 10 minutes only. Raise the seat as far as it will go, look underneath and disconnect the seat module, give the connectors a quick clean and reconnect.

If the red seatbelt light does not come on, then you will probably need a new seatbelt buckle.

10 minutes only, try it.

 

Wait, you are going TO Wisconsin FROM Florida for VACATION?

I lived in Wisconsin and have visited Florida- I am confused.

 

I'll see what I can do, but I need to set the record straight -- I was wrong about the red light not coming on! I was looking in the wrong place. It DOES come on during the self-test, but turns off when all the other lights go off, even with the belt unbuckled. The only light that stays on is the amber airbag light (well, and sometimes my ABS light, but that's another topic!).

DSNYDER -- yes, FL to WI for vacation -- gotta get out of this heat!!! I own a small place in Madison, go up there 5 or 6 times a year. Bought my XJ8 because it's such a great land yacht! Best car I've ever driven on the highway!


EDIT: I looked under the driver's seat. Put it all the way up, down, front, back, every which way. I could see a lot of wires down there and wouldn't know which one/ones to disconnect. However, I did find some interesting things, not the least of which was an old fry from McDonalds (?) and some crumbs from my favorite driving food -- granola bars! I also found several dimes and quarters -- I'm now rich, rich, rich! The two most interesting things were (1) a few pieces of black plastic that looks like parts from a broken connector, but I couldn't find a broken connector, and (2) a wire that looked like it has once been crimped onto something (I'll try to take a photo) and now is loose. I couldn't find anything within reach of the end of the wire for it to connect to, so maybe it's not being used? This wire can be seen from the rear, not the front of the seat.

After poking around under the seat and removing the coins (short?), the airbag light now is off again, but the seatbelt light is just the same -- turns on during the self-test and off after that even with the seatbelt unbuckled and with me sitting in the driver's seat.

Ok, back to the garage to see if I can get a photo of the wire.

 

It will definitely be cooler there.. spent 9 years of my life there drinking from "bubblers"

I don't miss the mosquitoes.

 

Here are the photos. One of them shows the black plastic pieces, the other one clearly shows the pink end on the wire that is not connected.

 

I go up there every August, and usually hit at least one heat spell with temps in the 90s, but at least it cools off at night!

I grew up in Minneapolis where we had drinking fountains, never understood what my Wisconsin relatives meant by "bubbler!"

Back to my photos --

I was thinking that maybe the black pieces are from a cable tie, you can see one tie in the other photo, so maybe it's just another cable tie. If it broke, maybe there's too much tension on some wire/wires under there.

In any event, there's something wrong because the red seatbelt light isn't illuminating when the seatbelt is unbuckled.

 

Hi Mike,
Interesting. Jaguar certainly do not use in line crimps like that pink one so someone has done something.

The main harness you have photographed, any connector from that harness is what you need to disconnect. They should go to the seat module.

Taking the seat out (4 bolts and disconnecting the wiring) will really make things a lot clearer and it will take about an hour.

If you don't feel confident in doing this yourself ask a friend to give you a hand.

 

I don't have any problem taking the seat out myself. My name is "Old" Mike, not "Elderly and decrepit" Mike! LOL

The funny thing is that there doesn't seem to be ANY oddities in this car -- everything is apparently original, so if someone installed something, they "uninstalled" it before getting rid of the car. Or, maybe someone has already "dealt" with this airbag issue and did something down there, who knows!

For now, I'm going to drive it (again) until the light comes back on! I'm working against the clock this week, so even an hour is too much time to spare on this issue.

Thanks for all the support and suggestions. I'll be taking the seat out one of these days soon -- probably when I get to the great state of Wisconsin. I have plans to bond with my Jaguar in the next few weeks -- projects include new brake pads and rotors, oil change, checking/cleaning wheel speed sensors and taking out the ABS unit if need be to re-solder the connections inside the box. If I have time and the inclination, I'm going to replace the upper shock mount bushings. While I'm at it, I'll pop out the front seat and give it a look-see.

Mike