
Test the brakes at various speeds with both
light and heavy pedal pressure. The vehicle
should stop evenly without pulling to one side
or the other. Avoid locking the brakes,
because this slides the tyres and diminishes
braking efficiency and control of the vehicle.
Tyres, vehicle load and wheel alignment are
factors which also affect braking performance.
2 Anti-lock Brake system
(ABS)- general information
The Anti-lock Brake System is designed to
maintain vehicle steerability, directional stability
and optimum deceleration under severe
braking conditions on most road surfaces. It
does so by monitoring the rotational speed of
each wheel and controlling the brake line
pressure to each wheel during braking. This
prevents the wheels from locking up.
The ABS system has three main units - the
wheel speed sensors, the electronic control unit
and the modulator (hydraulic control unit). The
sensors - one at each wheel - send a variable
voltage signal to the electronic control unit,
which monitors these signals, compares them
to its program and determines whether a wheel
is about to lock up. When a wheel is about to
lock up, the control unit signals the hydraulic
unit to reduce hydraulic pressure (or not
increase it further) at that wheel’s brake caliper.
Pressure modulation is handled by three
electrically-operated solenoid valves - one for
each front wheel and one for the rear wheels -
inside the modulator.
If a problem develops within the system, an
“ABS” warning light will glow on the dashboard.
Sometimes, a visual inspection of the ABS
system can help you locate the problem.
Carefully inspect the ABS wiring harness. Pay
particularly close attention to the harness and
connections near each wheel. Look for signs of
chafing and other damage caused by
incorrectly routed wires. If a wheel sensor
harness is damaged, the sensor should be
replaced (the harness and sensor are integral).
Warning: Do NOT try to repair an
ABS wiring harness. The ABS
system is sensitive to even thesmallest changes in resistance. Repairing
the harness could alter resistance values
and cause the system to malfunction. If the
ABS wiring harness is damaged in any way,
it must be replaced.
Caution: Make sure the ignition is turned
off before unplugging or reattaching any
electrical connections.
Diagnosis and repair
If a dashboard warning light comes on and
stays on while the vehicle is in operation, the
ABS system requires attention. Although
special electronic ABS diagnostic testing tools
are necessary to properly diagnose the system,
you can perform a few preliminary checks
before taking the vehicle to a dealer service
department or other qualified repair workshop.
a) Check the brake fluid level in the master
cylinder reservoir.
b) Verify that all ABS system electrical
connectors in the engine compartment
are plugged in.
c) Check the fuses.
d) Follow the wiring harness to each front
wheel and to the differential sensor and
verify that all connections are secure and
that the wiring is undamaged.
If the above preliminary checks do not
rectify the problem, the vehicle should be
diagnosed by a dealer service department.
Due to the complex nature of this system, all
actual repair work must be done by a dealer
service department or other qualified repair
workshop.
3 Disc brake pads- renewal
2
Warning: Disc brake pads must
be replaced on both front wheels
or both rear wheels at the same
time - never renew the pads on
only one wheel. Also, the dust created by
the brake system may contain asbestos,
which is harmful to your health. Never blow
it out with compressed air and don’t inhale
any of it. An approved filtering mask should
be worn when working on the brakes. Do
not, under any circumstances, use
petroleum-based solvents to clean brake
parts. Use brake system cleaner only!
Note:The following procedure applies to both
the front and rear brake pads.
1Remove the cap from the brake fluid
reservoir and siphon off about two-thirds of
the fluid from the reservoir. Failing to do this
could result in fluid overflowing when the
caliper pistons are pressed into their bores.
2Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the front of the
vehicle and support it securely on axle stands.
3Remove the front wheels. Work on one
brake assembly at a time, using the
assembled brake for reference if necessary.
4Inspect the brake disc (see Section 5).
5Follow the accompanying photos,
beginning with illustration 3.5a, for the pad
removal procedure. Be sure to stay in order
and read the caption under each illustration.
9•2 Braking system
3.5a Before starting, wash down the
caliper and disc with brake cleaner
3.5b Attach a hose to the bleed screw,
open the bleed screw slightly and depress
the piston into the caliper. Tighten the
bleed screw when the piston bottoms
3.5c Remove the caliper mounting bolts
(upper bolt arrowed); use another spanner
to hold the flats of the caliper guide pins
while you back out the caliper bolts3.5d Remove the caliper . . .3.5e . . . and suspend it out of the way
with a piece of wire
3261 Jaguar XJ6

6Be sure to buy new pads with wear
sensors. Pattern pads may not have wear
sensors; refitting pads without wear sensors
will cause the dash warning light to come on.
7To refit the new pads, reverse the removal
procedure. When refitting the caliper, be sure
to tighten the mounting bolts to the torque
listed in this Chapter’s Specifications.
8After the job is completed, depress the
brake pedal a few times to bring the pads into
contact with the discs. The pedal should be at
normal height above the floorpan and firm.
Check the brake fluid level and add enough to
top it up (see Chapter 1). Inspect carefully for
leaks and check the operation of the brakes
before placing the vehicle into normal service.
9Tighten the wheel nuts to the specified
torque.
4 Disc brake caliper- removal,
overhaul and refitting
3
Warning: Dust created by the
brake system may contain
asbestos, which is harmful to
your health. Never blow it out
with compressed air and don’t inhale any
of it. An approved filtering mask should be
worn when working on the brakes. Do not,
under any circumstances, use petroleum-
based solvents to clean brake parts. Use
brake system cleaner only!
Note 1:The following procedure applies to
both front and rear calipers.
Note 2:If an overhaul is indicated, explore all
options before beginning the job. New andfactory rebuilt calipers are available on an
exchange basis, which makes this job quite
easy. If you decide to rebuild the calipers,
make sure a rebuild kit is available before
proceeding. Always rebuild the calipers in
pairs - never rebuild just one of them.
Removal
1Loosen the wheel nuts, raise the front or
rear of the vehicle and place it securely on
axle stands. Remove the wheel.
2If you’re just removing the caliper for
access to other components, it isn’t
Braking system 9•3
9
3.5f Remove the outer brake pad3.5g Remove the inner brake pad
3.5h Pull out the wear sensor, trace the
sensor lead back to its plug, detach the
lead from the suspension, and discard it
3.5i Remove the caliper guide pins and
boots (lower pin and boot shown) . . .
3.5j . . . clean them off, inspect the pin and
boot for damage, renew as necessary,
then lubricate the pins with brake grease
and refit them in the caliper bracket
3.5k Apply anti-squeal compound to the
new brake pads
3261 Jaguar XJ6
3.5l Insert the new wear sensor into the
inner pad as shown . . .
3.5n Refit the outer pad
3.5m . . . then refit the inner pad onto the
caliper bracket
3.5o Refit the caliper, then tighten the
mounting bolts to the specified torque

None of these three angles are adjustable on
the rear wheels. Even the non-adjustable
angles should be checked to determine if any
of the suspension components are bent.
Getting the proper wheel alignment is a
very exacting process, one in which
complicated and expensive machines are
necessary to perform the job properly.
Because of this, you should have a technician
with the proper equipment perform these
tasks. We will, however, use this space to give
you a basic idea of what is involved with a
wheel alignment so you can better understand
the process and deal intelligently with the
workshop that does the work.Toe-in is the turning in of the wheels. The
purpose of a toe specification is to ensure
parallel rolling of the wheels. In a vehicle with
zero toe-in, the distance between the front
edges of the wheels will be the same as the
distance between the rear edges of the
wheels. The actual amount of toe-in is
normally only a fraction of an inch. Toe-in is
controlled by the tie-rod end position on the
tie-rod. Incorrect toe-in will cause the tyres to
wear improperly by making them scrub
against the road surface.
Camber is the tilting of the wheels from
vertical when viewed from one end of the
vehicle. When the wheels tilt out at the top, the camber is said to be positive (+). When
the wheels tilt in at the top the camber is
negative (-). The amount of tilt is measured in
degrees from vertical and this measurement is
called the camber angle. This angle affects the
amount of tyre tread which contacts the road
and compensates for changes in the suspension
geometry when the vehicle is cornering or
travelling over an undulating surface.
Caster is the tilting of the front steering axis
from the vertical. A tilt toward the rear is
positive caster and a tilt toward the front is
negative caster. Caster is adjusted by moving
shims from one side of the upper control arm
balljoint to the other.
10•12 Suspension and steering systems
3261 Jaguar XJ6

3261 Jaguar XJ6
Use of EnglishREF•3
As the main part of this book has been written in the US, it uses the appropriate US component names, phrases, and spelling. Some of these
differ from those used in the UK. Normally, these cause no difficulty, but to make sure, a glossary is printed below. When ordering spare parts,
remember the parts list may use some of these words:
AMERICAN ENGLISH
Aluminum Aluminium
Antenna Aerial
Authorized Authorised
Auto parts stores Motor factors
Axleshaft Halfshaft
Back-up Reverse
Barrel Choke/venturi
Block Chock
Box-end wrench Ring spanner
Bushing Bush
Carburetor Carburettor
Center Centre
Coast Freewheel
Color Colour
Convertible Drop head coupe
Cotter pin Split pin
Counterclockwise Anti-clockwise
Countershaft (of gearbox) Layshaft
Dashboard Facia
Denatured alcohol Methylated spirit
Dome lamp Interior light
Driveaxle Driveshaft
Driveshaft Propeller shaft
Fender Wing/mudguard
Firewall Bulkhead
Flashlight Torch
Float bowl Float chamber
Floor jack Trolley jack
Freeway, turnpike etc Motorway
Freeze plug Core plug
Frozen Seized
Gas tank Petrol tank
Gasoline (gas) Petrol
Gearshift Gearchange
Generator (DC) Dynamo
Ground (electrical) Earth
Header Exhaust manifold
Heat riser Hot spot
High Top gear
Hood (engine cover) Bonnet
Installation Refitting
Intake Inlet
Jackstands Axle stands
Jumper cable Jump lead
Keeper Collet
Kerosene Paraffin
Knock pin Roll pin
Lash Clearance
Lash Free-play
Latch Catch
Latches Locks
License plate Number plate
Light Lamp
Lock (for valve spring retainer) Split cotter (for valve spring cap)
Lopes Hunts
Lug nut/bolt Wheel nut/bolt
Metal chips or debris Swarf
Misses Misfires
AMERICAN ENGLISH
Muffler Silencer
Odor Odour
Oil pan Sump
Open flame Naked flame
Panel wagon/van Van
Parking brake Handbrake
Parking light Sidelight
Pinging Pinking
Piston pin or wrist pin Gudgeon pin
Piston pin or wrist pin Small end, little end
Pitman arm Drop arm
Power brake booster Servo unit
Primary shoe (of brake) Leading shoe (of brake)
Prussian blue Engineer’s blue
Pry Prise (force apart)
Prybar Lever
Prying Levering
Quarter window Quarterlight
Recap Retread
Release cylinder Slave cylinder
Repair shop Garage
Replacement Renewal
Ring gear (of differential) Crownwheel
Rocker panel (beneath doors) Sill panel (beneath doors)
Rod bearing Big-end bearing
Rotor/disk Disc (brake)
Secondary shoe (of brake) Trailing shoe (of brake)
Sedan Saloon
Setscrew, Allen screw Grub screw
Shock absorber, shock Damper
Snap-ring Circlip
Soft top Hood
Spacer Distance piece
Spare tire Spare wheel
Spark plug wires HT leads
Spindle arm Steering arm
Stabilizer or sway bar Anti-roll bar
Station wagon Estate car
Stumbles Hesitates
Tang or lock Tab washer
Throw-out bearing Thrust bearing
Tie-rod or connecting rod (of steering) Trackrod
Tire Tyre
Transmission Gearbox
Troubleshooting Fault finding/diagnosis
Trunk Boot (luggage compartment)
Turn signal Indicator
TV (throttle valve) cable Kickdown cable
Unpublicized Unpublicised
Valve cover Rocker cover
Valve lifter Tappet
Valve lifter or tappet Cam follower or tappet
Vapor Vapour
Vise Vice
Wheel cover Roadwheel trim
Whole drive line Transmission
Windshield Windscreen
Wrench Spanner

3261 Jaguar XJ6
REF•4Buying spare parts
Spare parts are available from many
sources, including maker’s appointed
garages, accessory shops, and motor factors.
To be sure of obtaining the correct parts, it
will sometimes be necessary to quote the
vehicle identification number. If possible, it
can also be useful to take the old parts along
for positive identification. Items such as
starter motors and alternators may be
available under a service exchange scheme -
any parts returned should be clean.
Our advice regarding spare parts is as
follows.
Officially appointed garages
This is the best source of parts which are
peculiar to your car, and which are not
otherwise generally available (eg, badges,
interior trim, certain body panels, etc). It is
also the only place at which you should buy
parts if the vehicle is still under warranty.
Accessory shops
These are very good places to buy
materials and components needed for themaintenance of your car (oil, air and fuel
filters, light bulbs, drivebelts, greases, brake
pads, touch-up paint, etc). Components of
this nature sold by a reputable shop are
usually of the same standard as those used
by the car manufacturer.
Besides components, these shops also sell
tools and general accessories, usually have
convenient opening hours, charge lower
prices, and can often be found close to home.
Some accessory shops have parts counters
where components needed for almost any
repair job can be purchased or ordered.
Motor factors
Good factors will stock all the more
important components which wear out
comparatively quickly, and can sometimes
supply individual components needed for the
overhaul of a larger assembly (eg, brake seals
and hydraulic parts, bearing shells, pistons,
valves). They may also handle work such as
cylinder block reboring, crankshaft regrinding,
etc.
Tyre and exhaust specialists
These outlets may be independent, or
members of a local or national chain. They
frequently offer competitive prices when
compared with a main dealer or local garage,
but it will pay to obtain several quotes before
making a decision. When researching prices,
also ask what “extras” may be added - for
instance fitting a new valve and balancing the
wheel are both commonly charged on top of
the price of a new tyre.
Other sources
Beware of parts or materials obtained from
market stalls, car boot sales or similar outlets.
Such items are not invariably sub-standard,
but there is little chance of compensation if
they do prove unsatisfactory. In the case of
safety-critical components such as brake
pads, there is the risk of financial loss, and
also of an accident causing injury or death.
Second-hand parts or assemblies obtained
from a car breaker can be a good buy in some
circumstances, but this sort of purchase is
best made by the experienced DIY mechanic.
Vehicle identification
Modifications are a continuing and
unpublicised process in vehicle manufacture,
quite apart from major model changes. Spare
parts manuals and lists are compiled upon a
numerical basis, the individual vehicle
identification numbers being essential to
correct identification of the part concerned.
When ordering spare parts, always give as
much information as possible. Quote the car
model, year of manufacture and registration,
chassis and engine numbers as appropriate.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
plate is attached to the base of the driver’s
door pillar left-hand wing valance and is
visible once the bonnet has been opened. The
vehicle identification (chassis) number is also
stamped onto a plate located inside the
windscreen and may also be stamped onto
the right-hand inner wing panel in the engine
compartment (see illustrations).
The trim code and paint codeare also
stamped onto the VIN plate.
The engine numberis stamped onto the
right-hand side of the cylinder block, next to
the distributor (see illustration).
The automatic transmission numberis
stamped onto a metal label attached to the
left-hand side of the transmission housing,
just above the sump (see illustration).The VIN is stamped on the right inner wing
panel of the engine compartment
The engine identification number is
stamped on the right side of the engine
block just behind the distributorThe transmission identification number is
located on the left side of the transmission
housing just above the sump
The VIN is also present on the left side of
the dashboard