XJ8 rear lights stay on - why?

[timolloyd]

Can anyone help?
Parked up last night and the tail lights on my 2000 x308 stayed on, after I had turned off the lights and ignition. The 'check rear lights' message appeared on the dashboard just before I parked.
I've disconnected the lights for now, to save the battery. But does anyone know what the cause might be?

[Jaguar steve]

Tail lights or brake lights?

If tail are the fronts on too? Try another lighting switch.

Brake lights? - probrably the brake light switch. If you have cruise control and that packs up at the same time than almost certainly that's the problem. There are two microswiches inside the switch assembley, if either fails to make good contact it messes with the cars tiny little brain and usually throws up restricted performance or check rear lights messages along with the amber warning light which you can clear by swiching off and on again as well as random brake light illumination.

The switch is an utter PITA to get off and they are not cheap, you could try a shot of WD40 or swich cleaner in situ instead.

[timolloyd]

Thanks Steve. It's just the rear lights, so will try your suggestion.

[timolloyd]

Thanks again Steve. I eventually took it to my local indie (Surrey Jag) and it turned out to be the security module, mounted at the far end of the boot. No reconditioned units available so it turned out to be quite an expensive gremlin!