NHTSA Complaint #10150338 — 1998 JAGUAR XJ8L

1998 JAGUAR XJ8L CAR WOULD STALL WHILE DRIVING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD STOP AND START,HEAD LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF,INTERMITTENTLY. THIS MADE THE CAR UNSAFE TOP DRIVE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED I THOUGHT IT WAS A COMPUTER BOOT PROBLEM SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THE PROBLEMS SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR. I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD COME AND GO AND WAS SO INTERMITTENT IT COULD NOT BE PICKED UP WHILE AT THE CAR SHOP, DOWNTOWN JAGUAR IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN. I AM A CONTROLS ENGINEER AND THOUGHT THAT I WOULD TROUBLE SHOOT THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED FROM THE INTERNET THE ELECTRICAL SCHEMATICS FOR THIS CAR. I FOUND THAT ALL OF THE SYSTEMS HAD A COMMON SOURCE. THIS SOURCE WAS A COMPUTER LOCATED UNDER THE DASH BEHIND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENTED WAS CALLED BODY PROCESSOR MODULE OR BPM. IT WAS SEALED AND KNOT OPENED. IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN SOUTH AMERICA BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. I FOUND ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD, SOLDER FLASHING WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE BLOWN OFF AT THE END OF ITS SOLDER BATH. THIS BOARD SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEANED AS WELL BUT IT STILL HAD LARGE AMOUNTS OF SOLDER FLUX WHICH ACTED LIKE GLUE AND KEPT THE SOLDER BALLS IN A SEMI STABLE CONDITION. I CLEANED THE CIRCUIT BOARD WITH A APPROVED CIRCUIT BOARD CLEANER, THEN USED A SOFT BRUSH TO REMOVE ANY ADDITIONAL SOLDER BALLS. I HAD FOUND AN ESTIMATED FIVE HUNDRED TO A THOUSAND SMALL SOLDER BALLS SOME SO SMALL THAT THEY WERE .005 INCHES IN SIZE TO .125 INCHES. WHEN I REMOVED THESE SOLDER BALLS I HAD KNOW FURTHER OCCURRENCES OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I REPORTED THIS TO JAGUAR OVER THE INTERNET AND THEY REPLIED WITH AN ANSWER THAT IT WAS KNOT THEIR PROBLEM DO TO THE FACT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I FOUND THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM WHEN I DID A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND IT IS A MANUFACTURE??S DEFECT. IF YOU FIND THIS TO BE THE CASE FOR OTHER JAGUARS. PLEASE LET EVERYONE KNOW SO THEY DON'T HAVE A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT.*JB