Hi All The automatic lights on my newly acquired 2001 XK8 don't seem to work. Not exactly devastating news but I'm just curious as to why they won't play ball. The switch is in the Auto position and I've tried setting it in the dark and even blanking off the sensor which I assume is the oval hole in the rear view mirror but still no joy.
Is there any way to test the sensor or the module which I believe lives above the glove compartment?
Many Thanks

Pete

 

Blanking off the sensor should make the lights come on in daylight.

I would first suspect a faulty stalk or harness connection from stalk to sensor before the module or sensor.

The rotary collar is not the most robust of designs.

Graham

 

Pete, You may also want to check the connection of the mirror wiring harness in the small overhead console. On my 1998 XK8 one of the pins had backed out of the connector and I had no map lights until I found the problem. Easy fix, just pushed the pin back into the connector. I found the problem by wiggling the wires and the map lights would flicker on as I narrowed it down to the bad connection. Good Luck, Dave B.

 

I have had this on a few XKs........ The normal culprit is the rear view mirror, what I have found is...... The mirror is a common fault item where the gel leaks, the owner then buys a secondhand item and unless it is specific type, there are both white and yellow plugs with different wire connections, you could have the right plug but wrong wires, of course the owner has a working rear view mirror and ignores the functions.

You should have one with the compass installed, hell of a job to find one like that!

 

Thanks for the info Guys. I'll give it a good looking at in the next few days and if unsuccessful I'm sure I can live with having to switch the lights on manually. She's such a thing of beauty that I make allowances for minor failings.
Thanks again
Pete