XK8 '97 Rear Light Problems
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Junior Member
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From: Northern VA
XK8 '97 Rear Light Problems
97 XK8 Rear Light Problems
2nd Owner- we’ve had this car since 2000 (always garaged and turning 100K miles)
Not working:
All Rear Brakes,(except boot), Back Up lights, Turn Signal,
Hazard lights all continuously malfunctioning!
Please help with diagnosis!
2nd Owner- we’ve had this car since 2000 (always garaged and turning 100K miles)
Not working:
All Rear Brakes,(except boot), Back Up lights, Turn Signal,
Hazard lights all continuously malfunctioning!
Please help with diagnosis!
Veteran Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,933
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From: Spencer, NC
Have you added the ground wire to the housing that holds the bulbs. Know problem, so most add a larger ground wire, drilling a hole in the aluminum housing and then going to the screw that holes it to the body. A 14 AWG is fine with soldered connects of the ends.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 517
Likes: 157
From: Maryland
Hopefully all you will need is to ground the lamp housing as documented here and on a number of other posts. But if not, look for larger than required bulbs and damage to the lamp control module.
Does the car even have a Lamp Control Module? It's a small black box that lives in the big fusebox in back - not to be confused with the larger theft control box that lives in the bottom of the fusebox. When I bought mine - also '97 - a previous owner had soldered all the connections in the module together and thrown away the box. I think it sort of worked for a while, but not 100%.
With the replacement of the lamp module, my lights worked for about five minutes before the replacement module shorted out. Turns out the turn signal bulbs (or maybe it's the second small brake lights (you will have to consult the electrical manual for specifics) in the '97 are 5 watt. Putting in higher power bulbs will blow the lamp control module. Most of your lights won't work without the lamp control module. By the way, the CHMSL seems to work on another circuit. If that light is out, my experience doesn't apply.
My advice, in this order then is:
1) Ground the light housings as documented in many threads here. If that doesn't work,
2) Inspect lamp control module. You can smell it to see if it has burned. Replacements are about 20 bucks used on eBay. (If I didn't buy up the whole supply in the last few years.) If you like to replace resistors and solder, you can see the blown circuits easily, because they will be blackened. eBay is easier and more reliable.
3) After replacing the module, do not turn on taillights initially. Inspect for high wattage bulbs. Replace with 5 watt bulbs if necessary.
This advice does not apply to later model cars, which use more powerful bulbs. I don't know when the changes were made.
Does the car even have a Lamp Control Module? It's a small black box that lives in the big fusebox in back - not to be confused with the larger theft control box that lives in the bottom of the fusebox. When I bought mine - also '97 - a previous owner had soldered all the connections in the module together and thrown away the box. I think it sort of worked for a while, but not 100%.
With the replacement of the lamp module, my lights worked for about five minutes before the replacement module shorted out. Turns out the turn signal bulbs (or maybe it's the second small brake lights (you will have to consult the electrical manual for specifics) in the '97 are 5 watt. Putting in higher power bulbs will blow the lamp control module. Most of your lights won't work without the lamp control module. By the way, the CHMSL seems to work on another circuit. If that light is out, my experience doesn't apply.
My advice, in this order then is:
1) Ground the light housings as documented in many threads here. If that doesn't work,
2) Inspect lamp control module. You can smell it to see if it has burned. Replacements are about 20 bucks used on eBay. (If I didn't buy up the whole supply in the last few years.) If you like to replace resistors and solder, you can see the blown circuits easily, because they will be blackened. eBay is easier and more reliable.
3) After replacing the module, do not turn on taillights initially. Inspect for high wattage bulbs. Replace with 5 watt bulbs if necessary.
This advice does not apply to later model cars, which use more powerful bulbs. I don't know when the changes were made.
Last edited by Truck Graphics; Mar 22, 2023 at 03:43 PM.
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From: Northern VA
Thank you, Truck Graphics....We have tried to determine the problem but did not succeed and it did not seem to be a grounding issue. Due to our "senior" status, we are not as adapt to fixing my car as we have done in the past. We took XK8 to Black Wolf Restoration, Woodbridge, VA. Will let you know how things turned out.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 517
Likes: 157
From: Maryland
Good luck.
I see you are in Northern VA.
As it happens, I'm a neighbor, living in suburban Maryland and traveling to Northern, VA regularly.
If you have any questions that are best solved by hashing out over the phone/text/email or visit, please send me a direct message with your number/email (or I can do likewise). I try not to work on my car too much now, preferring to drive it, but took quite a bit of it apart and put it back together well enough so that I can enjoy it.
But in re-reading your post, I see you have had your Jaguar way longer than mine, so probably could teach me a thing or two.
I just hope you're not the guy in Virginia who sold me my XK8! (Just kidding. It required a lot of work to make roadworthy, but really is an enjoyable car.)
Again, good luck solving your lighting issue.
I see you are in Northern VA.
As it happens, I'm a neighbor, living in suburban Maryland and traveling to Northern, VA regularly.
If you have any questions that are best solved by hashing out over the phone/text/email or visit, please send me a direct message with your number/email (or I can do likewise). I try not to work on my car too much now, preferring to drive it, but took quite a bit of it apart and put it back together well enough so that I can enjoy it.
But in re-reading your post, I see you have had your Jaguar way longer than mine, so probably could teach me a thing or two.
I just hope you're not the guy in Virginia who sold me my XK8! (Just kidding. It required a lot of work to make roadworthy, but really is an enjoyable car.)
Again, good luck solving your lighting issue.
Last edited by Truck Graphics; Mar 31, 2023 at 01:42 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2023
Posts: 3
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Hopefully all you will need is to ground the lamp housing as documented here and on a number of other posts. But if not, look for larger than required bulbs and damage to the lamp control module.
Does the car even have a Lamp Control Module? It's a small black box that lives in the big fusebox in back - not to be confused with the larger theft control box that lives in the bottom of the fusebox. When I bought mine - also '97 - a previous owner had soldered all the connections in the module together and thrown away the box. I think it sort of worked for a while, but not 100%.
With the replacement of the lamp module, my lights worked for about five minutes before the replacement module shorted out. Turns out the turn signal bulbs (or maybe it's the second small brake lights (you will have to consult the electrical manual for specifics) in the '97 are 5 watt. Putting in higher power bulbs will blow the lamp control module. Most of your lights won't work without the lamp control module. By the way, the CHMSL seems to work on another circuit. If that light is out, my experience doesn't apply.
My advice, in this order then is:
1) Ground the light housings as documented in many threads here. If that doesn't work,
2) Inspect lamp control module. You can smell it to see if it has burned. Replacements are about 20 bucks used on eBay. (If I didn't buy up the whole supply in the last few years.) If you like to replace resistors and solder, you can see the blown circuits easily, because they will be blackened. eBay is easier and more reliable.
3) After replacing the module, do not turn on taillights initially. Inspect for high wattage bulbs. Replace with 5 watt bulbs if necessary.
This advice does not apply to later model cars, which use more powerful bulbs. I don't know when the changes were made.
Does the car even have a Lamp Control Module? It's a small black box that lives in the big fusebox in back - not to be confused with the larger theft control box that lives in the bottom of the fusebox. When I bought mine - also '97 - a previous owner had soldered all the connections in the module together and thrown away the box. I think it sort of worked for a while, but not 100%.
With the replacement of the lamp module, my lights worked for about five minutes before the replacement module shorted out. Turns out the turn signal bulbs (or maybe it's the second small brake lights (you will have to consult the electrical manual for specifics) in the '97 are 5 watt. Putting in higher power bulbs will blow the lamp control module. Most of your lights won't work without the lamp control module. By the way, the CHMSL seems to work on another circuit. If that light is out, my experience doesn't apply.
My advice, in this order then is:
1) Ground the light housings as documented in many threads here. If that doesn't work,
2) Inspect lamp control module. You can smell it to see if it has burned. Replacements are about 20 bucks used on eBay. (If I didn't buy up the whole supply in the last few years.) If you like to replace resistors and solder, you can see the blown circuits easily, because they will be blackened. eBay is easier and more reliable.
3) After replacing the module, do not turn on taillights initially. Inspect for high wattage bulbs. Replace with 5 watt bulbs if necessary.
This advice does not apply to later model cars, which use more powerful bulbs. I don't know when the changes were made.
I too am having the same problem with my '98 xk8. The more I search for help the more I am realising that it is a fairly common problem... haha
Do you by any chance have a photographs or diagrams of what you are describing here? I am kinda making sense of what you are suggesting but feel that a couple of pictures would really help! haha
Thanks
Nathan
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Joined: Sep 2023
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Thank you, Truck Graphics....We have tried to determine the problem but did not succeed and it did not seem to be a grounding issue. Due to our "senior" status, we are not as adapt to fixing my car as we have done in the past. We took XK8 to Black Wolf Restoration, Woodbridge, VA. Will let you know how things turned out.
Did your mechanic find a solution to the problem at all? If so did they tell you what they did to remedy it?
I am having the same issue with my '98 xk8 and a little mechanical knowledge and would like to have a go at fixing it myself before I bite the bullet and send her into a garage...
Thanks
Nathan
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