S-Type headlight problem cause?
#1
02-21-2011, 12:32 AM
S-Type headlight problem cause?
Hello everyone,
I've read a lot about the problems with the headlights/headlamps of the S-Type and also the fix but does anyone know what actually causes the problem? Is it just with the auto-leveling ones or on the manual ones too?
I inspected mine recently and found to my shock that the offside one was totally broken and wobbling around all over the place.
I'm surprised Jaguar didn't make a modification to these but it seems the problem is quite common.
So, if anyone knows what is causing them to break internally maybe there could be something done to prevent the problem happening in the first place?
(I was going to replace mine anyway because they are yellow from years of driving in the dusty conditions here).
I've read a lot about the problems with the headlights/headlamps of the S-Type and also the fix but does anyone know what actually causes the problem? Is it just with the auto-leveling ones or on the manual ones too?
I inspected mine recently and found to my shock that the offside one was totally broken and wobbling around all over the place.
I'm surprised Jaguar didn't make a modification to these but it seems the problem is quite common.
So, if anyone knows what is causing them to break internally maybe there could be something done to prevent the problem happening in the first place?
(I was going to replace mine anyway because they are yellow from years of driving in the dusty conditions here).
#2
02-21-2011, 01:02 AM
Senior Member
Hi
there has been a lot of repair regarding the Head light. search the forum and i m sure you will find a tread by Brutal (very very helpful)
as for the Yellowing. it is a simple fix too... in US (i spend $30 to buy a sand paper and cleaning solution to have it clean)
if you search in Youtube ... search headlight restoration and watch the video.. i m sure you can do it in your country too.....
take care
there has been a lot of repair regarding the Head light. search the forum and i m sure you will find a tread by Brutal (very very helpful)
as for the Yellowing. it is a simple fix too... in US (i spend $30 to buy a sand paper and cleaning solution to have it clean)
if you search in Youtube ... search headlight restoration and watch the video.. i m sure you can do it in your country too.....
take care
#3
02-21-2011, 02:11 AM
#4
02-21-2011, 05:19 AM
To answer your other question, it was only on the "self leveling" units. I had standard halogen lights on my S Type, and there was no issue...
#5
02-21-2011, 05:33 AM
Veteran Member
#6
02-21-2011, 08:04 AM
Unfortunately, the problem is in the design and construction of the leveling system. Jaguar never updated the design. Now that the S Type is out of production and most are drifting out of warranty, there won't be a solution. So, to be "brutal"... I'd have some screws ready, to repair the new ones when they inevitably fail.... Sorry to be negative...
To answer your other question, it was only on the "self leveling" units. I had standard halogen lights on my S Type, and there was no issue...
To answer your other question, it was only on the "self leveling" units. I had standard halogen lights on my S Type, and there was no issue...
#7
02-21-2011, 08:20 AM
If you look inside the housing you will see a chrome piece in the low and high beam side. The fault lies in that that piece is only held on at a few points and any bumps you hit or any potholes are gonna make that piece move which eventually is gonna cause it to break at the few points that mount it. There really is no way to prevent it other then dont drive it or some how redesign the mounting point within the headlight housing. Pretty much the fix Brutal came up with is really the best solution as they are already broken but the screw makes them work so you cant really break them again. Its not the leveling of the lights that breaks either as that will still work even if they are drooped. The problem is its pointed so far at the ground you dont see it auto level so you will assume thats what the problem is. If you see my video and how loose that chrome piece is and really look at it if you have the problem you will see what I'm talking about how fragile the mounting is. Its just a huge design flaw.
The halogens have a totally different internal structure which is why they dont have the problem.
The halogens have a totally different internal structure which is why they dont have the problem.
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#8
02-21-2011, 11:48 AM
Veteran Member
Or....you could beat the Christmas rush and break it renewing the low-beam bulb...
If my daughter's 03 has self-levelers, I'm unaware of it. Still broke, though
#9
02-21-2011, 01:41 PM
The self leveler isnt what breaks its the actual housing within the lens. It is the chrome peice that holds the part that levels. If it doesnt have self levelers then is still has the projector housing bolted to the chrome piece. The chrome piece is what actually breaks so anything attached to it is gonna be affected cause once it breaks the bottom part drops causing the whole chrome piece to tilt which in turn causes the headlight bolted to the chrome piece to tilt pointing the headlight at the ground. So the self levelers really have nothing to do with it breaking. People just assume since its pointing at the ground its the self levelers. I'll try and get some pics so it will make a little more sense. I am a more visual person.
#10
02-21-2011, 01:56 PM
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What causes the headlight to break internally????
(both halogen and hid's break, halogen less cause theres less internal weight) thats an easy answer .........plastic.
Seems the plastic that hella uses doesnt last as long as the plastic in landfills like 6 pack plastic holders
Its the plastic posts that break. there are about 4 inside and the ones that break first are the adjuster posts. when the rest break the whole thing really flops and at that point you can throw the light out. But once the screw repair is done it takes alot of the movement out and they last much longer than without
(both halogen and hid's break, halogen less cause theres less internal weight) thats an easy answer .........plastic.
Seems the plastic that hella uses doesnt last as long as the plastic in landfills like 6 pack plastic holders
Its the plastic posts that break. there are about 4 inside and the ones that break first are the adjuster posts. when the rest break the whole thing really flops and at that point you can throw the light out. But once the screw repair is done it takes alot of the movement out and they last much longer than without
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#11
02-21-2011, 02:51 PM
#12
02-21-2011, 03:10 PM
Veteran Member
What causes the headlight to break internally????
(both halogen and hid's break, halogen less cause theres less internal weight) thats an easy answer .........plastic.
Seems the plastic that hella uses doesnt last as long as the plastic in landfills like 6 pack plastic holders
Its the plastic posts that break. there are about 4 inside and the ones that break first are the adjuster posts. when the rest break the whole thing really flops and at that point you can throw the light out. But once the screw repairs is dont it takes alot of the movement out and they last much longer that without
(both halogen and hid's break, halogen less cause theres less internal weight) thats an easy answer .........plastic.
Seems the plastic that hella uses doesnt last as long as the plastic in landfills like 6 pack plastic holders
Its the plastic posts that break. there are about 4 inside and the ones that break first are the adjuster posts. when the rest break the whole thing really flops and at that point you can throw the light out. But once the screw repairs is dont it takes alot of the movement out and they last much longer that without
Is there an operational diagram of these things somewhere? It's hard to tell what's going on when you're just looking at the front.
#13
02-21-2011, 08:26 PM
Hello everyone,
I've read a lot about the problems with the headlights/headlamps of the S-Type and also the fix but does anyone know what actually causes the problem? Is it just with the auto-leveling ones or on the manual ones too?
I inspected mine recently and found to my shock that the offside one was totally broken and wobbling around all over the place.
I'm surprised Jaguar didn't make a modification to these but it seems the problem is quite common.
So, if anyone knows what is causing them to break internally maybe there could be something done to prevent the problem happening in the first place?
(I was going to replace mine anyway because they are yellow from years of driving in the dusty conditions here).
I've read a lot about the problems with the headlights/headlamps of the S-Type and also the fix but does anyone know what actually causes the problem? Is it just with the auto-leveling ones or on the manual ones too?
I inspected mine recently and found to my shock that the offside one was totally broken and wobbling around all over the place.
I'm surprised Jaguar didn't make a modification to these but it seems the problem is quite common.
So, if anyone knows what is causing them to break internally maybe there could be something done to prevent the problem happening in the first place?
(I was going to replace mine anyway because they are yellow from years of driving in the dusty conditions here).
Don't buy new headlight housings, they are EXPENSIVE!!!!
Do this:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=42119
#14
02-21-2011, 08:34 PM
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Yes I am saying to screw the light before it breaks. It provides support for the front and less strain on the actual plastic post inside.
Ide do a tutorial but after fixing the assemblies with screws I no longer have reason to take the Stypes apart. You dont even have to take off the car to fix. I have salvaged totally broken ones by using really long screws in the corners to pin the whole light asembly to the back of the housing. But like I said, when people have let them go to that point theyre pretty much junk. I can tell you that all the ones I ve ever repaired have never broken again, and ones I refurb and repair that arent broken, I screw those too so they wont break. Just remeber 2 things.
1. If its broken, the screw is you horizontal leveler now, screw in to raise the beam, screw out to lower
2. If your preemptive and you light is not broken, then adjust with the factory horizontal leveler, then screw the screw in till it just touches the head light assembly inside to provide forward support. If you ever need to adjust again, unscrew the screw to allow the factory adjuster to move the headlight, adjut and retighten the screw
Ide do a tutorial but after fixing the assemblies with screws I no longer have reason to take the Stypes apart. You dont even have to take off the car to fix. I have salvaged totally broken ones by using really long screws in the corners to pin the whole light asembly to the back of the housing. But like I said, when people have let them go to that point theyre pretty much junk. I can tell you that all the ones I ve ever repaired have never broken again, and ones I refurb and repair that arent broken, I screw those too so they wont break. Just remeber 2 things.
1. If its broken, the screw is you horizontal leveler now, screw in to raise the beam, screw out to lower
2. If your preemptive and you light is not broken, then adjust with the factory horizontal leveler, then screw the screw in till it just touches the head light assembly inside to provide forward support. If you ever need to adjust again, unscrew the screw to allow the factory adjuster to move the headlight, adjut and retighten the screw
#15
02-21-2011, 08:48 PM
#16
02-22-2011, 08:04 AM
Yes I am saying to screw the light before it breaks. It provides support for the front and less strain on the actual plastic post inside.
Ide do a tutorial but after fixing the assemblies with screws I no longer have reason to take the Stypes apart. You dont even have to take off the car to fix. I have salvaged totally broken ones by using really long screws in the corners to pin the whole light asembly to the back of the housing. But like I said, when people have let them go to that point theyre pretty much junk. I can tell you that all the ones I ve ever repaired have never broken again, and ones I refurb and repair that arent broken, I screw those too so they wont break. Just remeber 2 things.
1. If its broken, the screw is you horizontal leveler now, screw in to raise the beam, screw out to lower
2. If your preemptive and you light is not broken, then adjust with the factory horizontal leveler, then screw the screw in till it just touches the head light assembly inside to provide forward support. If you ever need to adjust again, unscrew the screw to allow the factory adjuster to move the headlight, adjut and retighten the screw
Ide do a tutorial but after fixing the assemblies with screws I no longer have reason to take the Stypes apart. You dont even have to take off the car to fix. I have salvaged totally broken ones by using really long screws in the corners to pin the whole light asembly to the back of the housing. But like I said, when people have let them go to that point theyre pretty much junk. I can tell you that all the ones I ve ever repaired have never broken again, and ones I refurb and repair that arent broken, I screw those too so they wont break. Just remeber 2 things.
1. If its broken, the screw is you horizontal leveler now, screw in to raise the beam, screw out to lower
2. If your preemptive and you light is not broken, then adjust with the factory horizontal leveler, then screw the screw in till it just touches the head light assembly inside to provide forward support. If you ever need to adjust again, unscrew the screw to allow the factory adjuster to move the headlight, adjut and retighten the screw
I'm going to screw my non broken headlight when I get home!.......If you see what I mean....
#17
02-22-2011, 09:44 AM
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#18
02-23-2011, 12:39 AM
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#19
02-23-2011, 07:50 AM
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