Several times in the past couple of weeks, while I'm driving, the "Check rear lights/Cruise not available" message came up. Don't know if the lights truly were not working, but the cruise was not. If I restart the car a few times the message goes away. It's never been there on initial startup; only appears while driving. (I have also been getting an intermittent "DSC not working" message for a couple of years.) I replaced the brake switch about 10,000 miles ago and hate the thought of having to do it again. I think my battery is the original and has 118,000 miles (2005) on it. Appreciate any opinions. Thanks!

 

OK, won't say it. But it is probably the switch under the brake that acts on the stopping lights and the automatic speed control thingy<g>.

 

You're silly not replacing that battery, you're asking to be left stranded one cold, dark night in the middle of nowhere. Even if it doesn't fix your problem it'll have to be changed at some point.

 

We have had to replace the brake pedal switch in my wife's 2006 XK8 twice. The first time was in October 2012 with a brand new one, and the second time was in November 2016 using the original one completely re-soldered by an EE friend. The re-soldered one continues to function normally. I hope my EE friend's expertise at re-soldering holds up much better than the factory unit so we never have to do this circus contorsionist-requiring job again. Only time will tell....

I did have him re-solder the second failed switch so I will have a spare on hand if needed. No point in wasting that assembly....

 

All you have to do is activate the switch a few times with your foot. No need to jam it, just press and release a few times. In a quiet environment, you should hear the switches clicking. If you do this slowly enough, you might even hear the two switches clicking separately (which is probably not a good thing).

Separately from the switches, there is that funky trigger adjustment: the trigger has a ratchet mechanism built in, I assume to adapt to the relative position differences between the switch bracket and the actual pedal side arm. I have never been too sure how to deal with this ratchet, and I do not remember seeing an actual procedure for it. It probably needs to be extended all the way out, and then the pedal arm might adjust it when it hits it at rest (my best guess).

I realize this adjustment involves getting in that cramped space upside down again, so it is not a quick and easy fix, but might be worth a try. These switches have proven both unreliable and not entirely cheap. The best is probably to start getting defensive and fix these with cheap parts by keeping a spare around (replace with a new one, and repair the old one). The switches have been identified and are readily available for a few $. Then it is a matter of learning or locating basic soldering skills...

There is detail here: check-rear-lights-cruise-not-available-warning-63241/page2/#post1575929

Look for these Omron D2HW-A211D

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

I presume you've checked the rear lights and they ALL work? even the rear side marker lights. The day I bought my 05 I had this message displayed and it was a corroded side marker light socket. When I did my switch a year later, I removed the switch from the bracket, bent the bracket to the left and replaced the switch only. I then bent it back while pressing on the pedal car running. Took about an hour.

 

When my brake switch went out it was the ratchet part that failed, it was worn and wouldn't hold its position.

 

It may be the brake switch, quite common with XK's and early XJ's ( 308 ).


However I've come across some cases where the tail light is faulty. The bit where the bulbs plug in to, the grounds go bad which is an easy fix without having to buy a new one.


But since you say you're getting a cruise control not available, most likely it will be in the brake switch.


They can be tricky installing, but I've found that having someone stand outside looking down from engine compartment, navigating you to where the holes are helps a lot.


Always best to check codes first just to be sure - I believe its a P1571 code.

 

It might not be the brake switch. And that Christmas sweater looks good on you.

 

You're absolutely right, but the gambler in me just wants to see how long it will last. So far, it's still measuring a solid 12 volts. I will be picking up a replacement in the next week or so, but I don't plan to install it until it's absolutely necessary.

 

"... I realize this adjustment involves getting in that cramped space upside down again, so it is not a quick and easy fix, but might be worth a try."

Yes, working upside-down and backwards is awful. But making matters much worse now is the winter weather in Connecticut and my having no garage. I'm planning to ask a friend if I can make use of their garage to install a new one, but definitely not looking forward to it.

It is odd how restarting the car once or twice or three times gets it working again. Went all day today with no outages.

 

"However I've come across some cases where the tail light is faulty. The bit where the bulbs plug in to, the grounds go bad which is an easy fix without having to buy a new one."


So far, whenever I've parked, the message has cleared and all is well. But I'll be checking all the sockets before I commit to replacing the switch again – not very hopeful, though.

 

There's a virtual fruitcake on its way to you!