While waiting from my mirror to come back from the mirror doctor, I have one issue that's puzzling. The steering column memory acts like the Cuckoo clock in hell, works fine for some indeterminate length of time (extends and drops the column to the location selected), then, later, randomly puts the column in some other location. It can work fine once, then randomize locations for many times after that, or work properly many times, interspersed by the 'randomizer'.

It seems a number of people might have this issue, but I see no resolution. Any thoughts?

 

Dale, may I assume you are referring to the auto function that should move the wheel in and up when ignition key removed? It should return to same user preferred position next ignition cycle on.

Yes many of us have seen what you described. IME, a binding (no, that's a strong word, probably should say "high friction ") transmission mechanism inside the motor causes internal fail safe / overload monitor mechanism to interrupt the movement. I can remember opening the mechanism and refreshing with new grease once or twice to alleviate this.

We've had numerous discussions about this. Despite cleaning and adjusting, the problem seems to come back after a while.

One of us, can't remember the name or I'd give credit, identified the wire at the motor that is responsible for all this oversensitive motion monitoring. He found that just cutting this wire pretty much eliminated the problem you described. Many have done this and love it. By then I'd bypassed much of the circuit and installed 4 micro switches on the dash to move the steering wheel as desired when desired so it didn't apply to me.

Memory tells me it is the Lt Blue wire but it's been too long since I've read about it. Like I said, this is common. I'm sure someone will jump in and point you to the instructions in no time.

OTOH, if you were really referring to "Memory" when you push the 1 or 2 Memory Button let us know. That is probably a different discussion.

John

 

Yes, the auto function, not particularly the memory button.

 

John,

Based on your description, found it

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lution-145376/

Appreciate it.

 

I think the thread John was referring to is: different tilt motor solution

I see you found it while I was searching

 

Here we go again!
Jaguar addressed this decades ago. Please find and read EVERY SINGLE TSB you can to understand your car. Most of the answers to questions can be found in Jaguar literature. I have uploaded all this info to this site and to GUS's site for review.

I guess the problem with everybody reading all the TSBs would be that discussion on this forum would fall to very low levels?

bob

 

Bob,

Appreciate it, but 501-51 is pretty nonspecific, at least to me. Alternatively, it's very specific about many many things. I was hoping, as with many other issues with the XK8, that there was a typical problem and a typical fix that had been worked out long before I arrived. Turns out this appears to be true, thankfully.

So, really the 'problem' is that I (and probably many many others) was looking for a shortcut. As noted, I tried looking myself, but found nothing that appeared to be completely successful. For example, removing and cleaning the innards five times did not appear to be appealing if there was another solution, no matter how fast one got at doing that. As another example, if I had to go through the procedure in 501-51, I'd probably live with the random behavior for now, maybe forever. I'd convince myself that that the quirk was charming and fix something else on the list.

Since I would never have thought that 'cut a wire' was a solution to anything but disarming explosives, it was less likely I would find it myself. The fact that someone immediately gave direction is the beauty of this forum to me. And, that direction led directly to me finding the elegant(?) solution of astromorg as suggested by John above that emphatically does not appear in the TSB.

As always, appreciate the help from everyone.

Dale