Crazy Lights
 

I have replaced relay, fuses, and master switch, checked all circuitry, cleaned connections.
Sometimes my lights work when I turn on the master switch.
If not, low beams will come on when I pull on the high beam switch, but only when pulled.
Sometimes only the right side lights come on when the high beam switch is pulled.
When the master switch is off, the high beams flash as per normal.
Running lights always come on as normal.
Ideas? or ammunition?

Including the rats nest of connectors underneath the headlight fuse box? And the headlight grounds on either side of the radiator opening?

Do you have a test light or meter?


Cheers
DD

I had quite a few headlight issues when I first got my car, the right ground wire was nearly broken off(1 or 2 strands holding), the other was corroded.
No issues since. I would be looking there.

when you pull on the high beam switch, the HIGH BEAMS should come ON, not the low beams, understanding that the LOW BEAMS are the two OUTER HEADLAMPS, and the HIGH BEAMS are the two INNER HEADLAMPS.

sounds like the wiring at the HEADLAMPS RELAY might be CROSSED.

if no LOW BEAMS at all, check the FUSES at the healights fuse box next to the Coolant overflow tank.

Mine has done something like that in the past. Two things seem to work:


1. Merely roll the fuses in their cradles. I call this "the finger roll" after a basket ball shot made famous by former NBA star, Wilt Chamberlain.


2. I slipped the block out of it's mount so as to access the bundle of snakes that Doug refers to. I scrubbed it with an old tooth brush and some handy cleaner, carb or brake.


3. In the past, one lamp went dark. So, as I've done in countless other cars, I merely changed the seal beam. Uh,uh, Jaguars are different. The new one remained dark!!! Looked around a bit. Found a grungy looking black ground. Fixed that. Lights on!!!
The one new unit is just a tad brighter than the remainng three. I saved the original as a spare.


I named this stuff, "electrickery".


Carl

The outboard head lamps ("low beams") have TWO filaments. A low filament and a high filament.

The inboard headlamps are single filament.

When you flip to 'high beam' all four lighting positions should light up: the inboard lamps AND the high beam filament of the outboard lamps

If you flip to high beam and the ourboard headlamps go totally dark then the 'high' filamants are burned out or are not getting powered up

Cheers
DD

Thanks
 

only thing I missed is indeed the connectors underneath the fuse box.Hmmm, we shall see.
Thanks everyone

The fuse box is held down with just a single little bolt. Remove the bolts and the whole shebang can be lifted away a bit for EZ access to all the connections


Cheers
DD