Hey folks. Again, me, looking for some direction...

1990 V12 XJS Convertible...
I haven't put many miles on this car. Feeling it out, taking it easy, just around the block, short highway spins near the neighborhood and back home. Playing it safe a while.

Yesterday I got in to take her for a drive. Driving along and the brake light comes on at the dash. Light on this drive around was on and off during. On much more than off. Never happened before. Reservoir reads MAX. Light doesnt coincide depressing pedal. And I can't spot anything obvious. During drive, I pulled to the side, popped hood, got out to see if anything was amiss. Placed hand on accumulator ball which was hot to the touch to the tune of not being able to hold my hand on it for more than a few seconds. What's that all about?

Brakes felt/feel normal, proper, fine at the pedal. New front rotors, discs and pads. Rear needs attention although they respond when rear wheels are elevated and spinning,,, if I push the brake both stop well and dead with slight pedal press. Still, plan to drop the IRS soon and change out rotors discs and pads and add speed bleeders.

I'm nervous. This car sat for several years.

If you need more info, ask away, and if I can I will answer. Open to being sent in directions good people. Just point.

 

Okay, how long does the pump run for, when you turn the key to 'II'?

How many times can you press the brake pedal with engine off until it gets really hard?

How many times can you press the brake pedal with ignition on 'II' before the pump kick in?

 

I'll run all those checks tomorrow. The pump, once it kicks with key to ll is/was for no more than 45secs to 1min (if memory serves) the last time I needed to know when bleeding all four corners. That was a while ago. Why. W hats your thinking if it's looooong short or - God forbid - not at all?

be gentle lol

 

I'll be with her today, Diam... Any thoughts on the issues described?

 

Make sure the handbrake is properly seated. If not the light will come on.

 

Thanks B... There are two lights. One for the hand brake and one warning light, I think. My light, the one im concerned about, is the warning (something wrong with the braking system) light. Here is a shot of the cluster face I have,,, off the car.

 

Ok... Come up to her cold after sitting a couple of days ... Key in and on II... Pump pedal and after five pumps, accumulator pump kicks on and runs 20-25 seconds, car on II... I repeat this 5 times, car not started. 4-5 pumps, accumulator pump kicks on and runs for 4 - 7 seconds. Stops. Seems right.

Start car,,, basically the exact same pattern while running. My brake fluid seems low today. I am going to top it off and see what happens.

 

Ok. So, accumulator and pump work (as they are supposed to).

 

Seems that way. It was a hot day, and I had the car running, idling and driving, a while and THAT could account for the hot globe??? It was pretty damn hot..

Ok, so don't hate me. I added fluid wrll above the MAX line and light went OFF. A good thing. But, I'm leaking fluid, somewhere. Search and chase- continues.

brother,,,, thank you very very much for your attention... I'll be back, lol

 

Hi Jay

There are 3 Brake Lights Not Two Brake Lights

(1) The ABS Light

(2) The Brake Light

(3) The Park Brake Light

(4) Plus the oblong bar shaped lights at the Top, which let you know you've got a major problem

(is this the light you are talking about or one of the others?)

 

Good question OB, Which light you are talking about JJJ?
If it is the red one with BRAKE written on it, then that is the low fluid warning light. If it went off after you over-filled the reservoir, then the switch incorporated into the reservoir might be playing up (eg the float, if it has one on your system, being not floating enough).

 

Hi Jay

'Greg' has just kicked off another idea in my head

When you take the Lid off the Reservoir and look into the hole you will see that the Reservoir

Has a small dividing piece of plastic sticking up

When you Fill or Top up the Brake Fluid, make sure that you pour it BOTH SIDES of that divider

That could be your problem right there

 

Thankfully it went OFF. It was the BRAKE brake light for fluid I am pretty sure. I am losing fluid and I think I know where. A zillion years ago when I changed the rotors, calipers and pads I ended up trying to fab one of the S shaped brake lines right at/on the caliper on the LH side. It was no fun and I could find a premade anywhere. I did a crap job and it's leaking - I am pretty sure.

I'm going to do and ask something here AND post it I another string I have going about the speedO...

I ended up being to get the Speedo sensor at the diff out in 5 min. I went thru the holes in the boot under the fuel taken shelf. It was Beautifully easy that way,,, I might add. Anyways, the photos is what I got,,, since I have you here... Nothing seems amiss but I have NO idea how to run tests. I do have a cheap multimeter, btw...

I don't know what else to do here. On to change my crank position sensor and to install my basic steering rack bushings. Nothing is simple with this beast! CRACKED but i cant believe that means the while thi g is toast.
The frayed looking wire (ya get a little peak between the green and red there) is a ground i am sure... I thi k that is ok.
Two plug sets. These are the male and female all

 

Hi Jay

Did you have the Fuel Tank out to get to the Speedo Sensor or did you do it with the Fuel Tank still in place?

 

Hi OB...

still in place. There is a shelf that the tank sits on, tucks up under and is pushed in. Directly under that area, below that shelf, is a wall. In that wall there are 4 glued in sealed holes. Body holes. Thru them you can see the rotors, the sprungharness for the Speedo sensor.

If you pry those very lite steel (they are like paint can covers) off of the 'wall',,, the two inner most covers,,, you can kinda lay jnto the trunk, knees on ground,,, reach in with your left and right hands pretty easily and get to the bolts for the sensor feeling around the back cover of the diff. Just be ready to caulk the covers back.... Its 2 10mm bolts. I have big hands but skinny arms, which helped, but I could get my hands thru.... Mine came out right easy. But then,,, I didn't know what to do. As I said, I was at a loss and have no $$$$ to get another sensor. Don't even know if that is my problem. I don't know WHAT is. So, i just put everything back...

anyway,,, that's all I got.

 

Hi Jay

Cheers! it must be these round covers in this Photo but could you see what you were doing or were you working blind?

So Tempting to cut a great big long hole in that Firewall, which could be resealed with a Baffle Plate and then I would imagine, that things like changing the 'Rotors' would be a breeze

It looks to me like the removable Fire Wall baffle plate from a 94on Facelift would go straight back in there so you wouldn't even know

Thanks for your Help Jay

Getting that Speedo Sensor out would be the 'job from hell' without your fix



Is that the round cover you mean Jay?

 

Exactly... There are 4 of them.

I was thinking the same thing about enlarging holes but there are a few things I know I don't know. Like Rumsfeld said, the known unknowns, lol. I don't know structurally IF and how much load that area carries. I'd bet its substantial... Then, I don't know enough about removing the rotors, calipers, pads and then, the ER brake to know if it would be possible with more room....? Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind... Actually I thought I had seen, heard, watched something where someone did something similar, but coming in thru the other side. Like the wall behind the seat,,, maybe in and thru that little storage area. Anywho.

It is blind work,,, but not as bad as all that. 3 - 4inches inward from the right hand hole facing into the trunk is where the sensor sits. So, easily for envisioning what you WOULD be looking at and certainly easy to feel with both hands wrapping around and meeting up back there. Super doable assuming hands fit... cheers and good luck

 

Hi Jay

Cheers!

Removing that Speedo Sensor would have been the biggest problem at least for me

Access through the 'Cubby Box' (Storage Area) would be ideal, if only Jag had thought to make a part of it accessible or removable

But probably not a good idea to go cutting it about as it could weaken the structure