My old-new Daimler '87

Hello everybody!! I write from Italy (Sardinia Island in middle Mediterraneo)…I made a big jump and I bought my first Jag. The car (Daimler 3.6 1987) is fantastic, with 130.000km works all and well. I drove for 600km and I flew in business class. But…there are some but:

  • I read in display “antilock failure”…extra voltage relais? Where is it?
  • I read in display “bulb failure”…all external lights are good…some different voltage?
  • I read in display for some minutes “brake pression low” ???
  • the air condition works but does not make many cold… is it normal?
  • I see an allarm system, two sensors at the sides of the windscreen, my key has two buttons and a little red led under the steering wheel…how works all this?
  • someone told me to wait a few minutes with the power switch on before starting the engine to give time to computer…is it true?

Thanks in advance…

Max - see above responses

Max …

Bryan was right on the money (and when isn’t he !) with his diagnosis of your various problems. Perhaps I can elaborate a bit more for you:

  1. The “over voltage relay” that Bryan is talking about is located behind the left side of the carpet in the trunk, in close vicinity to the fuel filler pipe. This relay is usually the cause of the warning light but in my case it was actually the ABS control module (number 1 in the diagram). It may also be one of the four wheel sensors.

  2. The “bulb failure” warning light is a a notorious problem on these cars. All the lights (*head, tail, stop, etc) that this system monitored may be working just fine but a slight different in resistance may actually trigger the warning light. More commonly a bad solder joint in one of the four modules (item no. 1) that monitor these lights is the cause, and usually its either the left or right REAR modules. The fix is either replacing the modules with a used unit that may have the same problem, or taking the old modules apart and trying to find the bad solder joints. Or you can eliminate the system entirely like several of us have done with a simple electrical work around (hack).

08 PM

  1. Bryan is on the money with the accumulator sphere having failed (item Number 1). The problem is that these spheres cost about $250 each. Unfortunately the later brake systems using the “Teves” accumulator (around $100) is not interchangeably with your early car.

  2. Ah yes the air condition system. First you need to determine if the system is PRODUCING cold air, and if it is if it’s DISTRIBUTING it to the dash vents.
    a… Look at the air condition compressor. With the system turned on Is the clutch engaged and turning the compressor?
    b…If the compressor is turning check the sight gauge on your receiver/drier. Is it clear or do you see foam or bubbles.
    c…Feel the low pressure (suction) pipe where it goes into the expansion valve at the fire wall. It’s the bottom pipe with the charge fitting. It should be COLD !
    31 PM

Almost certainly your system needs to be recharged with refrigerant. You’ll need to know if it’s still original and charged with R12 Freon or if it’s been converted to R 134a. Do not make the mistake of mixing the two.

  1. As far as the alarm system I have no Idea.

  2. For a true gentleman like Bryan to use a word as strong as “nonsense”, it leaves no room for doubt !!

BIG THANKS! Now I print all and translate for my mechanic…this 25 september put his hands in my JAG. If we have some other problem we ask again a help :smiley:

p.s. for allarm can I have that K19 I found in some guide in this place?

Friends…relays of antilock working, we tested and it’s all ok, maybe can be this abs control module I mus t understand only where it is! And we think maybe the problem could be the changed suspension, the car has spring suspension, not more self-healing. For the bulb the only lamp with different watt is that rear left tail with 10 and not 5 watt…But if i don’t resolve how can I make that hack for bulb sensor? And Can I make the same for antilock?

Max,

ABS fault.

Refer back to my post #2 in this thread in which I suggested that the ABS problem may be a failed accumulator. Coupled with the ‘brake pressure’ warning you have is a good indication that is where the problem lies.

The fact that you no longer have the ‘self-leveling suspension’ (SLS) does not directly affect the ABS. However the same system which powered the SLS, the ‘Power Hydraulics’ system, is still required to be operational on your model to provide the brake boost (servo assistance) and the ABS accumulator pressure. Have you checked if you still have brake boost when applying the brakes?

If not, try this test.

  • With the ignition off, pump the brake pedal 20 times to dissipate any pressure in the accumulator
  • Start the engine and run for 5 minutes
  • Switch off the ignition and count the number of brake applications you can achieve before the brake pedal ‘goes hard’ - i.e you no longer have brake boost (servo assistance)
  • You should get 15 + applications before the pedal ‘goes hard’ - the fewer applications the worse the state of the brake accumulator.

Note, it is often easier to apply the brake by hand to detect when it ‘goes hard’ rather than using your foot.

Bulb Fail module

Read this thread for information on how to ‘hack’ the BFM warning system

thanks…i control the brake and try with these bulbs :wink:

Years ago i’ve found thread on this forum about replacing accumulator sphere with the bmw unit, tried that and it lasted for almost 10 years, recently went for my second sphere and cannot be more happy, car brakes as hell and i get no low brake pressure warning in the morning. Spheres goes for some 60£ on ebay need thread down from m18 to m16 and mounting bracket screw extension, definitely worth a hassle
J.

Which allarm do you listen when having this low pression?
And do you remeber which BMW sphere did you buy? :wink:

Boys I want upgrade my situation:

  • antilock failure/low brake pression: The extra voltage is right, but that sphere has some little lost of oil and we are chchecking about this. But I thought my car are not using this system because token away automatic suspension…or is not so?
  • Bulb failure: we checked all (relais, contact, bulb…all) but nothing there is something invisible we don’t see, for this maybe I will make that hack to ignore this alarm
  • this week end we must control air condition

best regards and thanks for help

Max,

Read my reply #6 in this thread

I read Bryan … the brake seems to be really harsh, for the first We try to check the oil loss from sphere, then the accumulator … but if we did not solve this alarm, there is a hack like for bulb failure?

Max,

Again, read my reply #6 in this thread and the link to the BFM ‘hack’ I gave you.

Maxpil, the sphere is charged with nitrogen so should NOT be leaking fluid. If it is then the ‘O’ ring might be damaged. There is NO hack for the ABS system.

Whoops! So there isn’t - I misread his question! DOH!

Around this sphere we see idràulic oil (you see with that special glass the Green color)…so we must understand from where cinese that oil…

I take it you have cleaned off the area and run the car to see if the green blood reservoir is leaking? On the ‘87 the sphere sits below that item if I recall correctly.

Wich item?..i don’ understand

The green blood reservoir.

It’s true…what is that reservoir?