New member, hello everyone. 1989 XJS, Lucas ignition. Mice have attacked the wiring. First question, then I need about a week to digest it. There is a wire on the passenger fender that comes from a bundle that goes to a bunch of relays... It shows up coming straight down the fender, heading toward the alternator. Then, mine was totally eaten by mice. Does it connect to the positive terminal on the alternator? There is a wire (or two, or 3) attached to that terminal, encased in rubber, so I can't tell how many wires are there. Or, does this wire go somewhere else? Oh, I looked at someone's 1986 XJS, and, it looks like it goes to the alternator. Any help is appreciated, I cannot decipher the wiring diagrams available in Haynes manual, or online. Thanks.

 

Impossible to tell from a description there are a lot of wires in the XJS engine bay, take a photo and post with the wire colour.

 

Sounds like it might be the alternator wire. One way to tell for certain is in how it is secured to the fender well. The alternator wire has two points where it is secured to the fender-well AFTER it begins it's vertical descent from the top of the fender to the alternator. The upper point is secured with a small bolt which passes through to the outer fender-well area, where it is threaded to a nut. The lower point is secured by a rivet.

 

Thanks, Jagzilla, I am waiting for my pick-up coil, then I will go up to the garage, install it, and check that wire. If it is the alternator wire, does it attach to the bundle of 2 already on the alt? I'm thinking it attaches BEHIND the bundle, that's why I can't see a nub of chewed wire left over from the mice. By the way, I ordered a new pick-up coil wire, it came, the wiring was too short for the grommet to reach the distributor body. I was told to splice and dice, no way, so I ordered another one from a Jaguar dealer. The other vendor called me back, too late, and then told me the grommet moves on the wires. Well, if it does, it must be forced, because I tried moving it, but not aggressively. Just sayin', in case someone else gets a "short-wired" one.

 

I replaced the stock alternator (as well as the connector for a suitable GM style connector) on my '84 with a 180 amp GM alternator 10 years ago, and I haven't had to do anything concerning the alternator on my '88 since I've owned it. However, I just looked at the back of the stock alternator (yeah, I've kept it on a garage shelf all these years), and it appears that wire terminates in a single female spade connector. Hopefully, someone else will chime in here to either confirm this, or to say that I'm full of beans.

 

Thanks again. So, there should be a male connector still on my alternator that the mice didn't get. I'm going to have to jack up the car and see if it is on there. On the same post as the other positive wires? I want to get the car started, but, I have to drag the job out until January 1, at which time I'll get an antique plate and collector car insurance. It is safe and warm in my buddy's garage. Oh, yeah, when I'm finished, I might come up with a wiring diagram that actually LOOKS like the underhood of a Jaguar V12, the parts will look like what they are, like a distributor will look like a distributor, not a box, and, the wires will actually go where they go. JUST TRY reading a wiring diagram, I could better use my time studying Mandarin Chinese.

 

If you're lucky the spade connector is still connected to the back with part of the chewed up wire, and all you'll have to do is splice it back together. I doubt the mice were able to eat the spade, nor, pull it off the alternator. Yes, it is a separate connection from the multi-spade terminal, and is located slightly above and to the right of the multi connection terminal. That said, the alternator I'm referring to is the Lucas 75 amp alt, which was installed on engines up to engine number 8S57571. Beginning with engine number 8S57572 they used a Bosch 115 amp alternator, and I'm not sure what type of connectors were used on it. Regardless, unless the mice are on steroids, I'd bet the connectors are still attached to the back of your alternator, awaiting a decent splice job. Let us know what you find when you get to look into it.

 

That's exactly the info I need! I am awaiting my pick-up coil from a dealer. I'm going after it this weekend. I'll let you know what happens.

 

SHE STARTED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, Jagzilla, that wire was just as you described it, the alternator wire! I replaced the coil pick-up, then noticed the carbon brush was low in the distributor, well OK, my cousin David noticed it. We switched caps to another I had on hand, and BANG, it backfired, a couple mice nest shot up in the air, and, all 11 cylinders fired up! (We took one wire off, the mice chewed it in half). a tune up is in order, certainly one more spark plug wire, brakes and, a power steering leak. Thanks Jagzilla, thanks, David. I am elated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

OK, well, good for you gthawk!!!!!!!!!!! I told my wife every man should have a 12 cylinder car. Every real man, that is. I said that Ernest Hemmingway would drive an XJS if he were still around. That got me to thinking, what did Hemmingway drive? I looked it up....an XJS!!!!!!!!! No, not really, but a similar car. Eerily similar to my XJS convertible. His last car was a 1955 Chrysler New Yorker convertible, with the early hemi, the first incarnation of a man's engine, the hemi. It was found in Cuba, in deplorable condition, and, someone might be taking on the job of restoring it. Good luck to them.

 

I'm glad to hear that you got it started. It sounds like you have plenty of work ahead of you. You can almost always find someone here, and on the Jag-lovers - the Jaguar Enthusiasts' premier Internet site XJS forums, who has run across just about any issue you'll encounter, and can offer advice.

If you don't already have it, I strongly suggest that you download and read Kirby Palms free book about the many problems of the XJS, and the solutions people have found for those problems.

Here's the link to download it: Kirby Palm's Jaguar XJ-S Help Book

 

Just bought a 1987 XJ12 independent rear suspension. If anyone is reading this, what is a 4 door '87 XJ12, I thought they only made XJ6's and XJS's in '87. Anyway, the guy asked me how I was going to get it home, and, I answered, in my car. HUH? That will never fit in your car. (A 1998 Buick Regal) I then proceeded to use his hoist to throw it in the trunk, hanging out over the bumper, and, drove it 35 miles home. It must weigh all of 300 pounds because the front of the car was way higher than the rear. Now, I question WHY I bought it. I know I'm going to do my brakes, maybe I can use some parts, or, maybe just look at it to see how it is built.

 

Jag Made XJ12s up through 96, and upgraded the motor to 6.0L just like they did for the XJS. You'll want to do some research to find out if that's a limited slip diff. All XJS diffs are limited slip, but, the XJ6 diffs are not. I'm not sure if an XJ12 would be or not.