As our X100s age, a common issue is a drooping overhead console, or what Jaguar calls the roof console. Sometimes, simply re-tensioning the spring clips is all that is required to re-secure the console. But often, the problem is due to cracks in the plastic mounting bracket.




Repairing the console begins with removing it. You can use a flat-blade screwdriver, but a wide plastic trim tool will be kinder to your console and headliner:




Start by inserting the tool above the rearward edge of the console and carefully pry downward to release the rear spring clip:




Now, carefully grasp the console with both hands, one on each side, extending your fingers about two inches past the edges of the console. I was only able to show one hand in my photo, but use both hands. Gently pull straight down, and the console will release.




Here’s the console detached. The black rectangular box marked LJB2290AA is the garage door opener module:




Here’s the rearward spring clip:




And the two central clips:




For now, you can leave the console hanging by its wiring harnesses. There is no need to remove it if the mounting bracket is your problem.

The mounting plate, or bracket as Jaguar calls it, is affixed to the coupe roof or convertible windshield header rail. The coupes have three screws, and the convertibles have two. The screws typically require a T30 Torx bit. (This photo was taken post-repair).




Remove the screws and the bracket will drop down. Detach the electrical connectors by sliding a small flat-blade screwdriver between the plastic connector and the metal tab and the connector will slide off of the tab.




Now we can see the problem: cracks in the edges of the rectangular slots in the mounting bracket where the spring clips fit. The cracks allow the slots to spread apart when the clips are inserted, negating the spring tension necessary to secure the console in place. If your bracket is not too badly deteriorated, it can be repaired.




The failure mode varies. Here’s the other slot, also cracked but in a different place:




Various methods can be employed to repair these cracks or reinforce the mounting bracket. The simple method I’ve been using involves an inexpensive plastic repair staple gun and a plastic welding iron, tools that come in handy for repairing all sorts of plastic parts, from structural components, to interior trim pieces and bumper covers. Here is the staple gun I have:




Various staple shapes are available. Since the plastic sections alongside the cracked slot in this mounting plate are narrow, I selected narrow wave-pattern staples. The wave pattern helps prevent the crack from pulling apart after the repair.




When you squeeze the trigger on the gun, the staple is quickly heated to red-hot. Here I've mounted a wider staple for dramatic effect:




While holding the cracked slot together, position the staple across the crack and insert about halfway into the plastic. Release the trigger and hold the staple steady while it cools. Once the plastic has re-hardened, you can pull the gun off of the staple. Repeat the process to reinforce the plastic as necessary:




The long ends of the staples are easily cut off with flush wire cutters. If you don’t have flush cutters, you may need to file the ends of the staples flush with the plastic to prevent the short wire ends from interfering with the fit of the console to the mounting bracket.

The hot staple raises a plastic ridge along the edges of the recess it creates. You could smooth the ridges with a file, but I don’t like to lose any plastic. And in some cases we may need to add some extra plastic. For this I use a plastic welding iron. I have a few different designs and several tips to choose from. For this repair, I used an iron with a large triangular tip and a black plastic repair rod to add more plastic in weak areas. This Jounjip iron gets a little hotter than the other irons I have, which helps to blend the new plastic with the old for a good bond:




Here’s a view of the mounting bracket after both slots were repaired:




If your mounting bracket is too badly deteriorated, or if, as in this convertible, the bracket broke off and a previous owner tried to adhere the console with large blobs of silicone and glue, the mounting bracket must be replaced:



For convertibles, inexpensive replacement brackets made of aluminum are available from various ebay sellers. The part number is HJA2057AB.




Here's an aluminum replacement convertible bracket installed:




Before reinstalling the console, it can help to re-tension the central spring clips. Use a flat-bladed screwdriver and just gently pry the bent tips apart slightly. Don’t spread the clip too wide or you’ll risk breaking the slots you repaired in the mounting bracket. And don’t break a spring clip because they are no longer available new from Jaguar.




The console looks much better secured in its proper place:




Cheers,

Don

 

Well done....

 

I just Z bend some sheet aluminum with 4 holes and it will never break again.
A drill, file or dremel and a bench vise to bend the aluminum is all you need.

I have half a dozen broken plastic ones if anybody wants them. (if I did not throw them away)

 

I had a similar problem and as my mounting plater was wel beyond repair I sourced one through eBay. The replacement was made of aluminum and about USD $14.

Search for: Convertible Roof Console Mount Bracket Aluminum For 97-06 JAGUAR XK8 #HJA2057AB

And a link good in Oct 2025 : https://www.ebay.com/itm/297444884523

 

Hey Don great description of the problem and even better crystal clear close-up photos!

 

Did not know someone was selling the replacements?
Still took less than an hour to bend/drill the ones I made.

 

Thanks, Don.

Another example of miserably under-engineered plastic tat. The coupe one is just as bad. Plasticrap, yet secured by three bolts that would lift the Titanic.

I do like the idea of the Z-bend metal.

 

This was very timely, my overhead console started coming down this week because of the plastic bracket deteriorating.

I went this $13 aluminum bracket from ebay route. It's a very solid piece of kit that only took a minute to fit and is _great_ value for the cost.

 

Yep, multiple sellers on eBay at the $12.50 price point. Why wait, or worse yet, suffer from this inevitable failure of decades-old plastic?

 

Received and installed ours — 5 minute job. Great quality and perfect fit. Doesn’t make sense to me to attempt repair of the original plastic part just to have it break again.

 

I have 2 spares I bent out of aluminum but I still bought the ebay one and discovered I installed my LAST new one from Jaguar in one of my XKRs so I removed the new plastic one and installed the ebay aluminum one I bought.

It is probably only 6 months old but the plastic will likely fail eventually.

 

I am hoping the folks who are making the aluminum brackets for convertibles will also offer the coupe version. If anyone has seen the coupe versions for sale, please let us know.

Cheers,

Don

 

MikeGriese posted a supplier in the UK that has the bracket.

https://octoclassic.com/product/jagu...lack-hja2058ab