Can anybody help last week I started having a problem with my 89 sovereign every time I go to pull off the revs keep dying down to the point of nearly cutting out so I have to lift off then down again this only happens when its warm . Now an orange light has come on top left of my dash looks like a gearbox with a cross though it please help !!!!

 

Hi robbie,

Welcome to the Jaguar Forums!

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with your Jag. That orange light that looks like a gearbox is the transmission fault warning lamp. It is usually accompanied by the transmission being locked in 3rd gear in a status called "Limp Home Mode," or LHM.

The first thing I would recommend is checking the level of your transmission fluid. You can check it cold to see if it's obviously low, but the most accurate check is with the transmission hot from a good 15- 20-minute drive. Park on a level surface, apply the foot brake and move the gearshift lever through all the gear positions, pausing a few seconds in each position to allow the gear to fully engage. Put the selector in Park and with the engine still running, check the level and condition of the fluid on the dipstick. The level should be exactly at the HOT line and it should be a nice bright, clear red, with no burnt smell. If the level is low or the fluid smells burnt, either top it up or replace the fluid as necessary.

The most common cause of LHM on our '93 has been oil contamination of the electrical connector for the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS), a potentiomenter in a red plastic housing mounted on the underside of the throttle body (TB). On our '93, the electrical connector for the TPS is mounted on the intake manifold just to the left of the TB. I'm not sure if it's the same on your '89, but you should be able to trace the wire from the TPS to the electrical connector. With the ignition off and the negative battery cable disconnected, carefully separate the two halves of the plastic TPS connector and flush them out with zero-residue electrical contact cleaner spray. Let the fluid dry, then reconnect and start your engine to see if the warning lamp extinguishes.

If the lamp remains on, let us know and we'll go from there.

Also, since we're a friendly group, please visit the New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum and post an introduction so we can give you a proper welcome and learn something about you and your Jag.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks don will look it to it been out for a drive in the car this morning and the light has gone off and stayed off and all seems ok but I'm getting someone to look at it to be sure thanks again for all your help rob