I just purchased a 1990 XJS Convertible. The rear quarter panel windows and the top will not go up / down via the switch. I can manually move the top. I can hear the pump when I hit the switch but nothing happens.

Any advise would be helpful, we could start with how to access the pump? :0) Sorry I'm a newbie.

Also the fog lights and the radio are not working, hopfully its just a fuse. Can any one tell me where the fuse panel is?

Submitted by stevejag@sbcgl… on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 08:58

Yes, just fill 'til the fluid is between the two lines on the reservoir, but closer to the top one. Operate the top a couple of times and let it set for a couple of hours, then recheck the level is still in the range.

Cheers,

Submitted by joshualong72@y… on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 08:25

I spoke to the guy i got it from, they said they put it in the manual position because it didn't work. They didn't know the parking break had to be on, and I don't see any leaks. However it is very low on fluid, so can I just add the 5606H to the existing fluid thats in there?

Submitted by stevejag@sbcgl… on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 13:37

STOP!

The hydraulic oil in your system is red. So don't fret about the color. It's the XK8's that the fluid is gold or green.

Just look it over for leaks, in case the prior owner opened that valve for a reason that you don't know about.

Cheers,

Submitted by joshualong72@y… on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 12:39

good news, changed the switch on the pump and the top and windows work now. looks like theres transmission fluid in the pump, how can I drain that out and replace it with the hydrolic fluid thats recommended?

Submitted by joshualong72@y… on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 15:33

Yes, I did have the parking brake engagued. I read about that online, I sure was hoping that was it. :0/

On a side note, I was wondering what the going value is on these cars? I paid $2500 and the body is in great condition, engine is clean and runs great, only 60k miles. Other than the issues I mentioned overall pretty clean car. I'm assuming I got a good deal, but don't know how good it really is.

Submitted by joshualong72@y… on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 15:07

Yes, I did have the parking brake engagued. I read about that online, I sure was hoping that was it. :0/

On a side note, I was wondering what the going value is on these cars? I paid $2500 and the body is in great condition, engine is clean and runs great, only 60k miles. Other than the issues I mentioned overall pretty clean car. I'm assuming I got a good deal, but don't know how good it really is.

Submitted by joshualong72@y… on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 14:56

Yes, I did have the parking brake engagued. I read about that online, I sure was hoping that was it. :0/

On a side note, I was wondering what the going value is on these cars? I paid $2500 and the body is in great condition, engine is clean and runs great, only 60k miles. Other than the issues I mentioned overall pretty clean car. I'm assuming I got a good deal, but don't know how good it really is.

Submitted by jcpim@cogeco.ca on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 14:37

Josh: Re your convertible pump concern.
Mine is a 1989 model which is configured as Mr. Petry describes. Should your top still not cycle properly after repositioning the valve, the pump reservoir may be low on fluid due to previous leakage. That is probably why a previous owner put the valve in the Manual position. The Jaguar recommended replacement hydraulic fluid (Spec. Mil-H-5606A) is not available from Jaguar and can be very costly unless you shop around. I understand that this spec has been obsoleted to a 5606H oil that I found to be available for $5.35 per pint from a local aircraft lubricant supplier. That will at least allow you to inexpensively confirm pump effectiveness and, whether or not you have system leakage to contend with. Use your ingenuity to determine how best to fill, without spill!

Submitted by stevejag@sbcgl… on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 13:21

Jim,

Josh has a different setup than your '95. Your Top Pump is in the boot, his is in the luggage locker behind the seats, inside the car.

If you are moving your top manually, that means the manual valve on the top pump is open for manual operation. In the locker behind the seats, on the RH side there is a cover over the pump. Remove that and you should see a black, sort of arrow shaped knob. Turn that perpendicular to the pipe it's on and try the top again. With that valve open, the pump just pumps in a circle and never moves the top; that's how it's moved if there is a failure.

Fog lights, make sure the dip beam headlights are on. That's required for the fogs to work.

Radio has three fuses. A 20 amp in-line near the radio behind the fascia, a 2 amp in-line in the console in the vicinity of the shifter, and fuse #7, 5 amp, in the fuse box above the driver's knee.

Good luck!

Submitted by sodium@captain… on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 13:00

The pump is in the trunk above the battery.
There's a fuse panel on the driver's side of the engine bay above the wheel.
There's another small panel on the passenger side of the engine bay above the wheel.
There's panel in the driver's footwell.
There's another panel in the passenger footwell.
There's some relays in the trunk too some easy to find but others, like the fuel pump, on the passenger side out of sight in the quarter panel.

At least, my '95 is arranged that way.

Send me a private email at jimatsylvana.us and I'll forward a diagram.