Hi Guys new to the Jag owning but love a challenge!!! Here's my problem I bought a 86 XJ6 sovereign the car has 136000 kms and has sat for 10 yrs I have played with this car for 2 weeks now and have been unsuccessfull I have signals running lights and reverse lights but cannot get brake lights working all bulbbs have been replaced but no luck please help!!!!

 

Have you looked at the brake light switch, that is mounted on the rear side of the brake pedal?
You should be able to connect the two wires leading into the switch, which should illuminate the brake lights...
If it does, then you likely need another brake light switch...

Cheers
David
Everyday XJ

 

if the brake lights switch behind the pedal is fine, then go to the trunk and find the two fuse holders for the brake lights. Actually I would check those fuses first.

they are shown in my "Hidden XJ-6 Fuses" post.

 

Hi guys thanks for the quick responses here's what I've done I did test switch at brake pedal it's fine but to be sure I took wires off and connected together still nada also I have checked the 3 glass fuses which are in the trunk in line and when I unhook fuses the first is left hand the second is right hand and the third is marker lights on rear still no brake lights.any other ideas? Thanks in advance

 

Here's the 3 fuses for tailights I tried are these the ones your referring to?

 

Those fuses are for the tail/license/side marker lamps.

Brake lights are on fuse #11 in the LH fuse box.

If the fuse is OK and the switch is OK then you have a wiring/connector problem or the brake light failure unit has packed in.

The BLFU is in the trunk on the forward bulkhead. Jump all the green/purple wire together and see what happens

Cheers
DD

 

TY Doug is this the board your referring to? And when you say jump all the purple and green wires together just run jumpers and connect them all together? Is this because if one of the green wires has no power it will get it from the others that are live? Thanks David

 

Looks like the brake light failure unit is the one on the lower left.

One of the green/purple wires will be 12v from the brake light switch (with the pedal pressed, of course). The other green/purple wires go to the actual brake lights. There will be a grand toal of 3 or 4 green/purple wires....depending if you do/don't have an upper center brake light

Yes, jump/connect them all togther. Remove them from the posts; keep track of which goes where so your bulb failure warning light will still work correctly when you put 'em back

Or, if you have a test light, see if at least one of them has 12v "+" with the pedal pressed. If 'yes', but there is no voltage coming out of the unit on any of the other green/purple wires, then you know the unit is bad

Cheers
DD

 

Is there a way to bypass this unit so I still have brake lights or am I looking at finding a new unit I think I just answered my own question but..... lol Thanks for the help on this project.while were talking the alternator was also seized so I bout a new one now to get the belt on and over the other pulleys it looks like I have to remove fan and belt and we'll as power steering belt Yikes!!!! Lol am I looking at this wrong? Thanks again for the help also I have disconnected and taken out Air conditioning pump it was also seized figuring out which wire with the eyelid also has mme wondering which one goes to the alternator,i should have marked them when I told off alternator and AC pump ughhhh I'm learning lol tks again.

 

noooo! don't bypass or butcher any wiring. Bad idea! Are you sure you are checking the brake lights switch and not the cruise control pedal switch?

 

Positive Jose the brake pedal switch is 2 yellow wires going to it.

 

Nope! That's the cruise control switch.

The brake light switch has green and green/purple wires.

Might as well hold off on the other checks until you've confirmed the brake light switch is OK


Cheers
DD

 

No need to *remove* the fan to replace blets. Just slip the belts over/around it




The small wire to the alternator is brown/black.

The wires to the a/c compressor will be green (or green/brown) and black

Cheers
DD

 

Muskoka & Jose:


I did the "nooo" thing recently. A friendly motorist pulled alongside and told me both brake lights were out!


I did a lot of circuit checking. Interrupted by two messes. One, the battery went kaput. So, my volts read low or non existant and my test light merely glowed when t should've shone brightly.


Two flaws. Bum switch. Fixed by swapping out the pair with good used ones from David Boger. Thanks again, David. Bum fuse holder. The one mentioned by Doug on the bulkhead. I did the "noooo". I piled in switched 12v.


Those fixes plus a new battery and all is well, sorta. Well, I fixed the TC lockout interrupt while there. My car is a lump. better job of soldering and covering with shrink tubing.


But, whamo! I had the car on ramps. Easier for this old guy to get under the scuttle. It is really tight in there. Flipped the gear shift to see if the backups came on. Hand brake on, no help. and very contrary to my usual, I omitted the chocks!!! it rolled off the ramp, door open and whacked me. Fortunately, the Jeep stopped it. No damage to me or the Jeep. But, the Jaguar door badly overextended. Now fixed, but that is another tale for another day.


PS;


Getting and using the S57 wire schematics is must.


Carl

 

Ok Guys SUCCESS!!!! May I first thank David,Doug ,and Jose here's what was going on somebody has played around with this before I.the yellow wire I was telling you about went to a replacement switch to the brake pedal it didn't and doesn't work,i then followed the yelllow wires to the green wires you guys were referring to I then spliced into the green wires and connected the replacement switch and Whammo we got brake lights LOL here are a few pics to explain what was taking place thanks again Guys!!!! Tom from Canada

 

Another

 

And another

 

Is this the stock brake switch?

 

Sure looks like it, yes !


Cheers
DD