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Hi all, im new to the site and new to the jaguar world.
i purchased a 1990 xj6 with a bad engine. i found a good used 4.0 and installed. car runs great, drives great ,no problems with the drive train.
i am having problems with the dash cluster. all gauges are pegged to the left, speedo not working, rpm not working, some warning lights are on.
i checked all fuses,none bad. alternator is charging. i removed the dash cluster fuse (in the center armrest fuse holder) , gauges did fluctuate slightly, but didnt fix the problem. also removed the battery cables, and reattached.
does the computer need to be reset, and if so, how??
thanks.
I've moved your question from General Tech Help to XJ40 forum. Members here with the same model will be able to help.
Please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some info about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see. In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.
Welcome to the Jaguar Forums. It's great to have you with us!
First of all, can you tell us if the instrument cluster (IC) was working prior to the engine swap?
My first guess would be a problem with the large black 24-pin electrical connector on the back side of the IC. The speedometer and tachometer, plus the gauges for oil pressure, battery voltage, coolant temperature and fuel level all receive their signals via that connector.
This is a photo of the IC from our '93 but I believe yours will be similar. I believe the connector in question is the smaller black one on the right in the photo (ignore the red arrows):
If you remove the driver's side knee bolster / underscuttle, you may be able to reach up behind the IC and confirm that the connectors are all fully seated. Worst case, you can remove the four screws that secure the IC and move it forward for access. The photos of our '93 at the links below may be helpful:
You could check the schematics for any other possible common points that could cause all your instruments to malfunction. You can download the 1990 XJ Electrical Guide at the link below, courtesy of our forum member Gus:
I need to put a couple of questions out for you. Did the instruments work when you bought it/ do you know if they did? If you don't know, was the dash taken apart by the previous owner and why? If it wasn't could there simply be (f'rinstance) an alternator wire hooked backwards when installing the motor?
Not being critical, just food for thought. Good luck.
I have no history on the car, i dont know if the IC worked prior to the purchase. body is in great shape, interior also. undercarriage is real clean. the engine also looked clean. valve cover, distributor,wires,plugs,etc were all removed and in the trunk when i purchased it, looks like the car sat in storage. i put everything back in, on,etc and tried to start it only to find absolutely no compression. no water in the oil, oil in the water, timing chain was on and turning.
i found a good used engine, installed new main seals, water pump, and swapped it in. car runs great, shifts smooth, a/c ice cold,(installed new condensor also),windows,radio,lights,seats, all fine. only issue is the IC.
i am going to start by checking the alternator wires. (good advice) i may have a wire on incorrect. this is my first experience with a jag,owning and working on.
ill update monday night on any advancement with the problem.
intro, photos, long list of cars owned, etc. coming monday also
thanks.
Not to disagree with Jerry - his suggestion may be valid on other vehicles. But on the XJ40 the two threaded studs on the alternator are of different diameters. If I recall correctly, to prevent improper connection the ring terminal that fits on the smaller stud will not fit on the larger stud. So unless the wiring of your car has been modified, it is highly unlikely that you connected the alternator incorrectly.
I also think it is highly unlikely if not impossible that the engine would run or the transmission would shift or many of the other systems would work at all if the alternator was supplying power of reversed polarity, and I think the battery might be very unhappy too.
I borrowed this image of an XJ40 alternator from AutoZone, which shows the two studs of differing diameters:
I still think the first thing to check is the connector on the back of the IC, since all the various signal circuits for the gauges come together at that point.
ok, thanks. on monday, prior to putting the hood, i mean bonnet, back on, its going on the lift one more time to check all the connectors, wires, grounds, etc.
everything plugged in correctly, when i dropped the engine,nothing was cut or "southern engineered". after that ill check the connectors on that wire harness for the IC.
is it a known problem for all the gauges to quit at the same time? could the entire IC be bad/defective ?
...is it a known problem for all the gauges to quit at the same time?
The only reasons I can think of for all the gauges to quit at the same time would be failure of the instrument pack fuse (which I think you said you checked), or a problem at that connector on the IC. The gauges all receive their signals from different sensors on different harness circuits.
Originally Posted by bobby stef
...could the entire IC be bad/defective?
Yes, but it seems unlikely. The earlier cars, '87-'89, had known problems with poor solder joints in the IC. That isn't as common on the '90 and later cars, but I suppose a remote possibility might be that a solder joint in a ground circuit could affect all of the gauges, assuming all the gauges share the same ground circuit.
ok, thanks. on monday, prior to putting the hood, i mean bonnet, back on, its going on the lift one more time to check all the connectors, wires, grounds, etc.
everything plugged in correctly, when i dropped the engine,nothing was cut or "southern engineered". after that ill check the connectors on that wire harness for the IC.
is it a known problem for all the gauges to quit at the same time? could the entire IC be bad/defective ?
This is what I was wondering- If wires had been cut and "Jerry Rigged" which would become problematic.
OK. I Must put this out there to be seen. Its just too weird. I have been chasing a fuel fail 69 code with service engine light on in my 92 for about a month now. I have determined that it is not in fact the neutral safety switch. As I found in another forum- xj40.com I think- it can also be triggered by low battery voltage. OK, great. much easier. In the meantime I read and commented on this thread. Saturday I checked battery voltage and found 11.2. A bit low, but car has been sitting 3 days. Started it, checked voltage with and without lights, alternator working, 14 volts. Turned off, battery went back to 11.5 almost instantly. Ok, failing battery or dirty terminals. Put trickle charger on and went away for a while. came back later, Battery at 12.25 with car off. Started it, no light. Good, battery was just low. Went to store, came back. No problem- Ammeter showing 14v. Went to leave for work Monday, light back on but ammeter still showing 14v. This afternoon I cleaned the terminals and in the process of unhooking battery cleared code. Hooked battery up and started. No instrument panel. Nothing. No check lights, no tach, no ammeter. Nothing. Motor ran fine, went to drive and reverse as well. I said out loud "Damn Me for reading that thread!" Counted to 10, took several breaths. Motor still running fine. Turned off. Unhooked battery negative cable. Counted to 30. hooked up, started. ALL GOOD! WTH?!?!?!? Not the first time I have had a problem Very Soon after reading a thread about that problem! Gotta stop reading! So, Bobby, Did you try unhooking the battery for a bit and trying a do- over?
You have entered the Twilight Zone! That is just too weird!
What in the world could cause that to happen? An intermittent electrical connection or ground or a lazy relay? Cold solder joints in a fuse box or relay module?
just got back to the car today, life got in the way of my plans during the week.
anyway, looking at some wire diagrams, and the alternator itself, i think i did not reconnect the wires on the alternator correct.
i had 2 wires on the alt. connected. 1 brown wire with black bands on 1 small stud. and the main wire on the large stud. i found 1 loose,disconnected black wire that i think also goes on the main large stud. im going to recheck the diagram and reinstall the alt. tomorrow. (hopefully). thanks to all for advice.
ill update the results. hopefully good results.
cant be, never touched it. I'm thinking of putting up a target in my garage. A large one with high point values painted on it. Then, when I get Very Frustrated I have a place to throw things and the high point values would help make me feel better.
Maybe it could be marketed through Harbor Freight (R)?
UPDATE.
i purchased a used dash cluster, installed today, EVERYTHING IS NOW WORKING.
running, driving, a/c ice cold, lights ,radio, windows,etc. etc. all perfect. except for the big oil leak.
now i get to replace the leaking front crankshaft seal due to improper install by my "helper" before i installed the engine. (i did the rear main seal myself). everything removed today, just waiting for a new seal, so i can put it all back together, again.
fun times.
hopefully (praying, knocking on wood, fingers crossed,etc.) i will actually will be driving it soon! (and my "helper" should be able to eat ,without the feeding tube, soon)
09-08-2016, 08:07 PM
1990 xj6 dash cluster problem
I'm thinking of putting up a target in my garage. A large one with high point values painted on it. Then, when I get Very Frustrated I have a place to throw things and the high point values would help make me feel better. 