Sorry folks, it has been a few years. First the car would not start for a year despite all of the advice from Kirby, Doc, and others and weeks of trying every fix possible… After a year of just sitting, I got in it one day and it just started on its own. I had replaced all of the sensors and spent days working on it. That is another story. I could never get the new computer with the new Jag Lovers site to work. Tried many times. JL just kept asking me to join but I could not even get on board. There was no way to contact the web master. Then, today it worked. Mystery.
As for brakes. many years ago I advised that the brake pedal on my 90 XJS would go straight to the floor. Some laughed at me until Kirby set them right. Then it was suggested that I pull the fuse on the box and I drove this way for yearswith just the back brakes. Then, the brakes failed completely again. The car sat around for a another year. I know nothing about abs or brake systems other than fluid and replacing the ball. So This past early spring in the back yard, I removed the power system brake and opened most pipes.
Very watery fluid ran out. I hooked up the compressor and blew out everything I could get my hands on. Then I sprayed brake cleaner and fluid in the pipes and ABS system. All the while wondering if the brake cleaner would eat up rubber and such. I washed and flooded everything in brake cleaner… Put everything back together and bled all of the pipes. Surprise Surprise…Gomer would say. The brakes worked. It has been several months and all is well and the brake system is perfect. It only took a full day and a half. Wash out all cross pipes and such. remove the motor assembly and wash with regular spray brake cleaner. I have always felt that the spray cleaners were for exterior washing but having nothing else …I never got the blue switch off…tried everything on a shop vice. Only thing left on it to do was break the casting so I just re installed the casting and put the motor and ball and pipes back on.
So, for you home mechanics, just dive in and work on it…you can not hurt anything if it is not working.
Be sure to get pipe wrenches with multi sides as you will strip the fittings on a few with regular open end wrenches. Also, I had to use a vise grip on a few. This after I had the proper wrenches and soaked the threads for hours in solvent. .I never removed the calipers and have not worked on them yet… This is the first time in 10 or 12 years that I have great brakes.
I just stopped at the pipes and pump. I have a couple of pressure balls that I bought from an import site on ebay for less than a hundred dollars each. Nice people, not the greedy folks that bought all of their inventory and then offered for resale at exorbitant prices. Capitalism is great but not for club members. If you need a ball, keep looking for german importers…these balls are still made. In fact, the ball on the care is old and came from a Pull-a-Part sedan.
Harry Simmons
Charlotte 48 3.5liter Saloon and 90 XJ-S