I have a 1999 xk8 with built in car phone. The unit is installed in armrest but dead to the world and cabled to the trunk mounted antenna, but missing the physical antenna.

I have tried to remove the trunk mounted antenna, but have run into a small issue. That being, not able to remove the antenna unit from inside the trunk mounted brake light housing. I can remove the 2 screws that hold the housing to the lid, but can not proceed any further. It appears that the gasket and bottom plastic plate are fused together and will not separate, short of breaking them, from the visible brake unit housing.

Is there some trick to separating them, so that I can remove the antenna plug and cover the hole with a painted hole plug.


Any help much appreciated.

This kind of curious as the phone antenna is normally attached to the rear bumper on the lefthand side....... Roughly 6" x 4" in size it clips onto the side mounting

I am a new Jaguar owner, but as the picture shows this where my antenna is at.

The wiring under the headliner has Jaguar labeled cables and Jag part no. And steering wheel mounted controls for the phone.

Do you think this may have been a dealer installed phone due to unique antenna location?

Any help appreciated, still can't figure out how to get the brake housing apart.
Reviewed online 1997 & 1999 Jag manuals an not see anything in the body panels or wiring diagrams.

I am pretty sure there are 3 bolts from inside the trunk lid, the brake light then just lifts off and the plastic cover clips on

The covers are a 'snap-fit' and were prone to becoming detached so Jaguar offered an updated replacement.

Here is a TSB of the replacement procedure. It only describes reattaching the cover as............

Align and install the newly painted CHMSL cover on the revised CHMSL.

Once the cover is removed it will be obvious how it re-attaches.

I guess it might break during removal when the plastic becomes old and brittle.

bob gauff