Hi Jaggers!
I just drove 5 hours yesterday to purchase a 2003 XKR convertible in great condition with 79k miles on it. It has a broken (seemingly unattached) emergency brake. The red brake warning light was on which I assumed was for the hand brake. I drove it and it had astounding power! It seemed to brake quite normally on a curvy back road. I have to go back down there next week to drive it home. I'm now worried about a 5 hour drive and what the red light actually represents. The car was recently sitting in an outdoor impoundment for 6 months.
Is it unsafe to drive?

Thanks
Scott

 

Without knowing what codes are set, we can only guess, and a generic code reader is probably not going to read brake system codes. If it were mine, I would find a shop near the car to read the codes and assess the problem.

 

When you say 'seemingly unattached' is that because when you pull the handle up, it falls back down again? If so, a brief review of the owners manual might be in order! You may have driven home with the handbrake on.

 

I agree. It could be that simple. Pull up on the lever hard to set the parking brake and let it fall to the sill, then pull up again and push its release button. The red warning light should turn off. Good luck!

 

Let me amplify what blade runner said. Most hand brakes remain up when set, but due to the outboard location of the handle in the Jaguar, if it did that it would hinder entry and exit from the driver seat. So it is designed to return to the lowered position when set and no tension is felt in the handle. To release the brake, the handle must be raised to place tension on it, the button must be pressed and the handle lowered. Tension can be felt reducing when the handle is lowered with the brake being released. The warning should then extinguish.

Edit: I see I cross posted with gran torino who offers the same advice.

 

Mine had that same problem when I got it because it also had been sitting. The problem was simple. There is a cable from the hand brake to a pivot. Then 2 cables come from the pivot that go to the rear brakes. What happened was the pivot had seized and allowed slack in the cable from the handle. This causes the micro switch to not engage and turn the light off. You can test this by unplugging the connector on the switch by the handle (hidden by carpet near handle). If the light goes out the pivot is likely the cause. All you need to do is soak it in penatrating oil and then remove the pivot and clean it and re-grease it.






Dave

 

I'd bet it is as other have said, you just need to know how to release the parking brake. The parking brakes on a XK8/R are less than adaquet in the first place but now that it's been driven with them engaged the shoes are likely shot. The parking brake is actually brake shoes inside the rear disc brake hub. There are several adjustments, on the cable under the car and inside the brake hub for the shoes. Do a search and you will find a lot of info.

 

Also on mine parts number 4 and 20 eventually failed (threads rusted off the adjustment) but were easily and cheaply replaced.


Dave

 

I don't think Scott's driven it home yet - that's next week - just the test drive and so probably no damage done.
I did the same thing when I test drove mine at purchase last month. Used the parking brake from habit at some point in the drive but "released it" as a regular car. Floored it at one point and just noticed how powerful it was - nothing I felt told me the parking brake was still on (I didn't notice the warning light until the end of the test drive). The owner, who'd only owned herself it a few months, had never been able to work out how it operated - she said she never used it. At the end of the test drive, we were puzzled about the floppiness of the lever, but worked it out fairly quickly after consulting the owner's manual.

 

My Ferrari has the same hand brake system. Its really annoying. At least I got used to it for the Jag :-)

 

My Pontiac Fiero has the same hand brake system. It's really annoying!

 

If it was fast with the brake on, He should really have a blast with it off

 

Thank you all! With all of this information I feel much better about the light and what it represents. I can't wait to go back down to MD to retrieve it.

The possibility that I may be able to disengage the brake is promising. And understanding that the light coupled with the beep pretty much seals the thought that it is the hand brake not other issues makes me much calmer.
I will check the fluid levels to be sure before I move it.

Even though I had an 1996 XJ6 for four years which threw out codes that would disappear as fast as they showed up and scared me to death at the outset, a bit of research and the good nature of those that have gone before us as newbies sharing their combined knowledge helps keep us on an even keel. These cars are not for worriers.

Thank you ever so much!

In 1967 I went on a 6 day cruise with my classmates (senior trip) to the Bahamas on the Queen Elizabeth (the second largest cruise ship in the world at the time). I was 17. On one of the 7 decks was a brand new yellow XKE convertible with a black top. It was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. I was immediately hooked on Jaguars. Later, I had a girlfriend that had a green XKE coupe and got to drive it around a bit. It was an unbelievable experience. The car and the girl.

I went 35 days without a Jaguar and it was hard trying not to look for a replacement for my XJ. I'll probably never own an XKE, but this XKR will most likely more than fulfill my Jaguar obsession.

I'm glad you are all here. I only wish I had some expertise to share with others as you have with me. Thank you again!

 

was wondering if anything else was related on mine I get the brake light occoasionally along with no speedometer and an abs warning I believe it is charging system related... after awhile it all goes away but am just guessing and with it sitting for 6 months or more I am sure the battery is at best weak and at worst shot bring a new battery with and see what happens .

 

Just picked up the 2003 XKR from MD yesterday. It sure is pretty! Your posts allowed me to shut off the brake light in less than a minute. However, the beep, beep continued for 4.5 hours on the ride home. It sounds every 5 seconds.I also had a red light go crazy (like R2D2 when danger is near) at the base of the tachometer. It happened several times and I couldn't stop. I made it home but still can't find info on what I have ruined or what needs to be fixed. The car performed extremely well. It's an amazing machine. On a back road I seemingly bottomed out twice on routine dips. This morning I noticed the height of the fender over the front tires and think the "bottoming out" was the tires making contact with the wheel well. I believe I need new shocks. There are dash indicators of issues and no message lights.
The radio didn't work and I followed a post for a reset on the radio. When I got to CODE I was stuck until I found radio code cards in the glove compartment! I plugged the code in and had radio and tape player immediately. The cd changer would not eject the cartridge though.
I will keep looking for answers. Thanks for your help again!
Scott

 

You need to buy a code reader so we can help sort out the warnings. Do a search here or look in the Sticky's.

You probably don't need shocks, but the upper shock mounts do need replacing. Measure center of wheel to fender lip, should be 15.75" new, but spring sag will result in more like 15.25- 15.5. You are probably more like 14.5 or less.

 

Now I have put a scanner on the car and it produced a p1000 code. I erased it and a yellow transmission code appeared. Not a nice code to see on your second day of ownership.
I'm going to take a short drive and see if I notice anything different. The car seemed to operate normally on the way home.

 

Just returned to the car and upon start up no codes or warnings are observed. On the 2 mile check up the Jag was definitely not in limp mode. I feel a bit better. Have to get it inspected this week. I also measured the distance center of wheel to fender lip. 14" tells me the shocks definitely need replacement. Maybe that is the source of the 5 second beeping I'm hearing or the frantic red lights on the return home from, Maryland. I don't really have enough knowledge to speculate on problems so I hope you will all put up with me. Being a worrier and a Jag owner is not a good combination.
Thanks!
Scott

 

Read post 16 again. You need upper shock mounts not shocks. How old is the battery? A coded out radio leads me to wonder about the battery condition. You say you had a red warning light on plus the chime. You should have seen a message in the odometer window as well.

 

P1000 is not a engine fault code. It says emission system testing not complete and will change to P1111 when complete.

Have the battery load tested at one of the auto supply stores, that may well be the problem.

As I mentioned before, you need upper shock mounts, not shocks. Check the price on XKR shocks and you won't be in a hurry to replace them.