If you still have to keep pressing down on the switch to get the tilt down and it just steps down rather than smoothly going down into place, then I suggest you try just removing the black plastic housing from the motor, reinstall the motor and see if it now moves down smoothly without stepping down. I bet it will. With the removal, all you lose us the "auto" tilt back into memory position upon key insertion. At least if this works you know it is the gear housing. Like I said in my previous post, these gears either jam up or don't mesh well which I thinks is causing the issue.

 

I had not thought about this problem in a long time, but Steve's write-up refreshed my memory, particularly the part about it running fine without the gearbox connected.

I agree there is probably some binding in the gearbox. However, I think the core problem may be that there is a current sense circuit in the electronic motor drive from the BPM that is just a bit too sensitive. If it senses a higher motor current due to a bit of mechanical wear, age, etc, it immediately stops the drive to protect the electronics.

I need to spend some time to prove this theory and maybe find a solution.

 

None of this explains why the system in my car works perfectly when the engine has warmed up. See my post #59

 

The heat in the cabin might be effecting the friction in the gearbox. As it warms up, the lubricant allows for easier movement therefore less resistance to turning. Less resistance to turning means less current drawn, so the overcurrent threshold is never reached.

Like I said, it is my theory, yet to be proven, but I have a fair amount of confidence in it from the evidence we have. These types of electronic drive circuits are typically current limited for safety.

 

White XKR- I totally agree temperature has an effect on how lilt motor works in my '98 XK conv.. I believe once there is a change in resistance (lube gets thicker or thinner) within in the little gears the motor stops. This sets a new dropdown point on the Poteniometer. As we keep trying to make it work, pushing the button, a bunch more points get set. Now the memory on the Poteniometer is all screwed up. The only thing that clears it is to disconnect current. Mine works fine until the next major change in outside temperature then it screws up all over again. I recently bought a unit that came out of a newer XJ. Same part number. After holidays I'll install and let you know if I through my money away. Jack

 

Something different:

Since I bought the car last July the column would only go about 1/3 of the way up on its own, but could be "bumped" up further, one click at a time.

Before I took the column apart, I wanted to try one last thing. I exercised the the column up and down its full length of travel every time I drove her. Within a week the column was rising to its full height on its own when I exited the car and returning to program height upon reentering. It's been good for about a month now and it has only hung-up a few times.

It's takes a little patience, but you might want to give it a try.

Ciao! - Jim M

 

I have been planning on taking apart the tilt motor as recommended in many posts but here is a new twist. My car is a 2001 XK8 and the tilt motor had to be "bumped" down into position when the key was inserted.
Well, last week my battery died. I replaced it with an Autozone battery. Guess what? The tilt motor now works perfectly both manually and in the auto mode! Go figure! Any thoughts as to why that happened?
Tim

 

Spend significant time reading various posts here on the forum and you'll learn that fresh batteries resolve many, many electronic quirks on these cars. Any time an electronic issue pops up, the battery is nearly always the first component to check....

 

Well,......

The last update got the column working by exercising it through its full range. Now, I realize that I'd put a new battery in the car just a month or two prior. That "may" have been the real reason the column started working.

Not to deflate any (all?) of your hopes, but it's back to "bumping" again - exactly as before. So if the battery made a difference, it was short lived.

Per chance, will just replacing the motor assembly with a new one solve the problem? And if so, for how how many years do they usually function normally?

Thanks guys!

 

My 05 is starting to act up a little more. At 55-60 degrees ambient, the tilt usually works fine. When it drops below 45 degrees ambient, it can take 5 or 6 attempts for the tilt to drop to the lowest position.

After the car has warmed up to operating temperature, it's a non-issue until the car cools to ambient or whatever you want to call a cold car... whatever. If it's warm out, it always works.

 

I installed the XJ tilt motor @ the end of Dec. Of course it worked perfectly as did the other 5 times I reinstalled the motors. The first time temps. dropped into the teens the wheel telescoped but would not drop down. Instead of "bumping" down I removed then reinserted key and everything worked fine. I think "bumping" down sets new stop points. Which screws everything up. Removing power erases these points. All the work everyone has done to fix these motors might have been saved by just removing the fuse for a second. Next time try just removing the key. I don't think we will ever find the cause for these motors messing up, so the easiest fix is second best. What do you think. Jack

 

I don't think it is the motor every time, I think it is whatever senses key insertion.
I get no movement on putting the key in about 1 in 3 times but simply pulling it out + putting it back always fixes things.

 

As I mentioned in a recent post, my tilt motor works fine after replacing the battery. At least so far. If it starts "bumping" again I would like to try unpowering the tilt motor via the fuse. Can anyone tell me what fuse to pull and where is it located?
Thanks!

 

It was suggested that I exercise the motor by running it up and down several times every so often. I had been doing that with some success and have had little trouble with the auto-mode.

Then it started balking again more often than not. I read this thread, but forgot to try the pull key in/out trick yesterday. Today, it began to work well again (whiskey tango foxtrot?).

I reread the thread and found the temperature sensitive reply. Yesterday, and for the time I have been having the problem, it has been below 55 during the day and as low as 30's at night. Today it is 72 F and it works again. Supposed to get colder again later in the week, so I'll see what that does.

Update: yep it seems to be temperature sensitive. Got colder and started to hang up again.

 

Don't you just love these intermittent electronic issues?

Back in the late 1970s, the windshield wiper motor on my 1974 Datsun 260Z suddenly quit working whenever the outside temperature dropped below 40 degrees or so. No problems with it when the weather was warm. Turned out to be a cracked electrical contact inside the motor. Below 40 degrees, it contracted enough to break electrical conductivity. Took me at least a month to figure it out and find it, long before the days of car forums and the Internet. I wound up knowing that wiper motor assembly like the back of my hand. Replaced the 50-cent electrical contact with a similar one from Radio Shack and presto, problem permanently solved. Perhaps your tilt motor has the same issue....

 

To keep my sanity I've started doing the following. Put key in ignition. While wheel is telescoping put on seat belt. If drop down was successful start car. If not successful, take out key and reinsert. Wheel should now drop down to memorised position. Start car. DO NOT TRY TO START CAR UNTIL WHEEL IS IN PROPER POSITION!!!. For some reason turning the key while the wheel is telescoping can screw up the tilt down. Works for me every time Jack

 

When it is cold and offers more resistance and therefore takes more juice, it sticks more readily. It follows that if you start the car while the potentiometer is working, there would be a temp drop in available current causing the potentiometer to cut out. Your routine could be avoiding that. Just a thought.

 

For me I bent the spring clip rather than removing it. I tried removing that didnt work. My guess is as the spring washer wears the gear dont engage and so it sticks. After bending I did re grease everything and needed to run the motor a few times before the sticking went away.

All good now been 4 weeks no problems.

 

Simon,

What type of grease did you use? I've experienced varying results when lubricating plastic parts.

Thanks - Jim M

 

There is a tilt motor on ebay now and I was wondering if anyone knows if all XK8s up to the new shape have the same motor or if it differs by year and model.


Mine is a 2004 4.2


Ebay Link:


97 98 99 Jaguar XK8 Steering Wheel Column Tilt Down Adjuster Motor Genuine | eBay


Thanks in advance


Chas