High Beam Help Please!
 

Have an 85 XJ6 Vanden Plas. Recently my high beams started acting up and wouldnt engage right away, would have to keep flicking it until it came on, and would be a B**** to turn off. Right now they wont turn on. I have no idea what i could do to fix it. Help please? :icon_doh:

Might be a bad headlight relay. The relay is a silver box mounted on the left front inner fender.

Read this checklist: http://www.jag-lovers.org/newbies/se...s_iii_xj6.html

Click here for diagrams

Click here for more diagrams

Good luck!

Also check your fuses. I recently replaced a "bad" bulb only to find out the fuse and clips were to dirty to get power to the bulb.

Reading it over again today, if you have to fiddle with the switch that much, it might well be the switch itself. The contacts may be dirty inside the switch.

Also, found some more info about things that can go wrong inside the relay:
http://www.jag-lovers.org/lumps/tech...s/relays2b.htm

Now my new problem with this, I can't seem to disassemble the steering column. :icon_smash:

A headlamp ballast? On a 80s vintage Jag? No.

Cheers
DD

Do you mean the black plastic shrouds/covers? If so.....

There are three external screws to remove to lower cover. Once that's off, lokk *inside* the upper cover and you'll see two or three more holding the upper cover to the bracketry of the switches. Once all the screws are removed it's best to lower the column a bit to ease the job of wriggling the upper cover out. To lower the column simply loosen (don't remove) the two big nuts on the column bracket....you'll see 'em.

If you look closely at the dimmer switch you'll see a thin spring metal blade that completes a ground circuit when the lever is pulled back. Hard to explain but you'll see it. Anyhow, give it a few squirts of electrical contact cleaner.

I've fixed a couple of wonked-out high beams circuits this way.

Cheers
DD

These guys are on the right track. I had to replace my headlight relay recently because it like to stick in the "on" position after the switch was moved.

In my experience, moving parts fail first, so please don't rule out the switch as a culprit.

Jeff

I just switched the relay to solve this same problem. Very quick easy fix (in my case at least)

So i have just got in from tinkering with the switch. Was quite a pain in the rump dealing with the steering column bolts, but in the end, sprayed it down with electrical cleaner, so far not working. Will let it sit for a while and try while driving.

Is the relay in the engine bay inner right fender ? Or do i have to take the fender body panel off to get to it....I bet it is the relay

Relay is on the left front inner fender, just ahead of the brake master cylinder.

http://12.153.160.115/images/catalog/full/C038616.jpg

Thanks so much bbarcher

I have a similar problem in that sometimes only the high beams will work, and when I use the stick to flick back to low beams there is no beams. I'll flick the stick back and forth numerous times and about the time I'm getting a little strobe sick the low beams will come on. Thanks Doug for steering column info, I'll have to do this too. Have one other problem (horn) also in steering column... another post.

I think ellen/victorking is talking about a HID conversion kit that your car does not have. It is a good idea to check for loose connections, that is basic. Make sure all bullet connectors are fitting tight, and use a wire brush to clean them when they are disconnected so the contact surfaces are nice metal on metal with no corrosion. Also, it is good to add a little dielectric grease to the terminals to protect them from oxidation. This applies to the headlamp bulb connection as well.

Once you take apart the column and the switch, it is pretty easy to see the contact surfaces and renew them by using something mildly abrasive to make the metal shiny again, use a bit of dielectric grease here too.

The HID person seems to think that we are talking about HID conversion, but I believe the people asking for help all have stock headlight systems.

There are now a couple of posters who have been removed from this thread. Thanks for your vigilance guys, we rely on everyone to help keep this forum clean.

If you have a doubt about a potential spammer use the report button and we will look closely.

Thanks again.

I wonder if the OP ever got things sorted?

Sadly my beams are still not working, they are worse than before. I know its the switch, so i may end up replacing the whole turn signal/beam control.

XJ6Jagz please let us know how you resolve your headlight issue. I'm having the same issue. Downloaded and read several time the "check list" the guys are steering you to, but what do I know, I'm just a 245 pound gorilla, LOL

Hi John

You may not have noticed but the thread was 6 years old, you will be lucky if the OP resurfaces after all that time.

What is your problem? no high beam? if no high beam please check if they work when you flash the headlights with the headlights off (daytime flash).

Let us know and we can help step you through finding it.


Just some basics about the headlight system:

The high beam/low beam switch does nothing more than send a short duration earth pulse to the headlight relay. All switching of power is done at the relay (power via the rotary dash switch for low beam, from hard wired sources for high beam). If you operate the lever and hear the relay clicking your problem is in the engine bay.

High beam and low beam are fused separately

Headlight fuse panel is notorious for poor connections. A good starting point is to remove all fuses, check them with a multimeter (they often can look good but be blown), clean the fuse retainers and add a little inward tension on them, clean or replace the fuses before reinstallation.

Another common problem is the earths near the headlights. They are also a candidate for cleaning up.

One of my first lessons in Jaguar electrics was replacing the right out board seal beam when it went dark. Normaly works in other critters. Not here!!


Agree on the fuse and fuse box cleanup and electrical continuity verification. I removed mine from it's cage and cleaned the contacts behind. Grungy is an understatement. Much better response to lighting commands. At times they had been random combinations!!!


Side tracked on dash light fix. Band saw blade parted. I've new ones
but resist staying on the drive and idle wheels. Location n ot ultimate.... access limited...


Installed a CO detector and serviced the smoke detector. Simple tasks no longer simple... But, tested and done....


Carl