Has anybody upgraded their standard interior and number plate festoon bulbs to LEDS? I'm thinking of adding a few aftermarket door / puddle lamps I got from ebay to the existing floor lamps bypassing the GEM by changing to LEDS, this should allow more bulbs to run from the same current without any changes, I think.!!!!

I'm looking at standard non canbus bulbs as Ive a basic sport x type that doesn't have bulb warning as far as Im aware, and I believe its the resistor that gets very hot on those bulbs, so hoping to not have the problem of over heating the fitments.

Has anybody done anything similar and did you have any problems?

 

All my interior including vanity mirrors which were the hardest to source and exterior (except turn bulbs which require an added module so they don't blink like having a stroke) plus a bunch of additional LED "strip lighting". They draw so little current that it's a benefit (IMHO) for the picky X type electronics. Headlights are HID, fogs LED.


Added trunk LED strip

Added Hood LED strip

Added LED strip and bulbs to under dash dim out connection

Added rear LED strip from front under dash dim out connection



Rear LED back up lights

Rear brake/running lights to LED

Added LED vanity lights

Side marker lights, license plate lights also changed to LED as well as a bumper/trunk mounted LED strip that is cool white with lights on/driving, red when braking, strobe left/right when turning, white when backing up, strobe center to left and right when emergency flashers on.

 

I did a decent enough LED conversion on my wagon, with bulbs from superbrightleds and DDM Tuning. I went canbus where I could, just to be safe. I also got LED Fog Light assemblies from Adamesh.
Turn Signals don't hyperflash externally but do in the interior, I'm just used to it by now. superbrightleds ships is shipped from US. DDMTuning is from China but their quality is rather good.

Exterior:
- 6k Running Lights (canbus from superbrightleds)
- 6k HID Low Beam (kensun kit via amazon)
- Fog Lights (adamesh - https://www.adamesh.co.uk/jaguar-x-t...mps-3373-p.asp)
- Turn Signals (Front canbus from superbrightleds, rear projectors from DDMTuning)
- Marker lights, from and rear (from superbrightleds)
- Strobe brake lights (DDMTuning, strobe for 5 seconds and then goes solid)
- Projector Rear Fog Lights (DDMTuning)
- Projector Reverse Lights (DDMTuning)
- Rear Markers in the tail light (superbrightleds)
- License plate lights (superbrightleds)

Interior:
- Pretty much everything except the vanity mirrors and, puddle lights (mine just has the red cap, no wiring that I can see)
combination of superbrightleds festoon bulbs and 194s from amazon.
- Haven't done the cluster as of yet, don't plan to right now.

I do want to the vanity mirrors, want to find the right bulb and the time.

 

Sent u a private message brother

 

WOW that looks awesome, Ive been looking at the strip lights and was going to ask for ideas as to where to fit ect, that's given me some fabulous ideas. Im just going to work on the interior lighting LEDs to start with and maybe do the exterior after. Not sure about US but think it will effect the MOT required to put the car on the road over here. Do you find if using canbus bulbs the resistor became very hot?

 

Did your Cambus bulbs get hot? Ive read the resistors get very, very hot when controlling the return current to the circuit and I want to avoid that, as my jag is 2006 I dont think it will affect the instruments if I can balance the draw on the load to similar as a normal festoon bulb by adding a number of additional LED bulbs to compensate. Are the strobe brake lights legal?

 

Here in the US they are. There are a number of newer cars, like my daughter's VW Passat that have them as standard factory equipment. Seen a new Audi the other day with them, as well as Honda, Tesla, and others.

 

Yes the new cars over here have them also, but our MOT is pretty stringent and the cars have to abide by certain targets and laws, emissions, amount of rust, otherwise they are not allowed on the road. They even have their lights checked for which way the beam is projecting and alignment etc, so Im not sure I could just upgrade. Ill ask the mechanic when I take mine in over the next week or two.

I like what you have done with your interior lighting very much, working on the alloys now though that's first project along with a service before I do anything else.!

 

As I recall, s13 of Part II of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations require most lights to be steady, and that includes a brake (stop) lamp.

 

details of BMW’s ‘Dynamic Brake Light’ – a system that flashes during heavy braking to warn others you’re hard on the anchors – there’s been some discussion in the comments on whether or not it can be legal in the UK. So we thought we'd clear it up. The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that it is legal. In fact similar systems have been in use on cars for a few years. While not something that’s detailed in the UK’s own vehicle lighting regulations, the rules around the system are laid out in detail in European regulations that apply in the UK.

The key document is E/ECE/324 E/ECE/TRANS/505, Addendum 47, Regulation No. 48, Revision 6, dated June 2010.

 

Ah, but I understand a modification by the maker, such as flashing, requires type approval, whereas that in this thread would not be (and could not be, being by an individual owner) type approved.

There's at least a rev 7, BTW.

 

Think ill stick with modifying the interior fist to give me time to cover off UK legislation, hick ups and learning curve. I tend to sit back and see what options and styles are out there for a while before doing the work and want just nice subtle tweaks that enhance the look and feel of the vehicle.
The main reason I was considering LEDS was to be able to add additional lights (load) on to the existing circuits without having to modify or change the basic components, by using LEDS should allow me to make some styling internally and not pull more from the GEM or other circuits Im going to tap into. That's why I was asking if the modifications done by others caused the canbus resistors to get hot, as most of the current will be trying to send a warning back, but if I use 5 LEDS to one standard filament bulb I think it should be around the same load???
Also getting a cable from the car into the door seems to be an issue to find an entry, from what Ive read on forums some have found spare pins to connect to in the door block others seem to find a way for the cable to get through, that's another area to look at.

 

Sorry fellas I know you mean well but it's a Jaguar. Built with pride.
Why turn it into a tarts bedroom.
Just my slant on mods.

 

Blimey, its not the ex missus on here is it... lol

 

I really like the safety benefits of the intense red CREE 50W lamps on the rear lamp clusters in my XJS and E type. The E type has low rear lights that can barely be seen at night and the XJS has the 80’s blacked out rear light cluster. Now both are extraordinary bright and visible. On the more “modern” X type, I think they may be overkill as the standard bulbs work well.....as far as replacing front or even interior lights in any of my cars with LED’s, I would, but I would have to find warm-white coloured LED-bulbs. I do not personally care for the cool white color that LED’s emit.

 

I agree with Spikepaga, I prefer the warm white traditional looking just feels warmer. I think this post has been slightly taken down a leafy lane as my intention to use LEDs inside the cockpit rather than outside was the original post. I wanted to know if there was any benefit to using cambus LEDs than standard without the return resistor and still haven't got an answer on that point yet... lol

For now Im simply adding the puddle lights and using LEDs to reduce the extra load that will be required to power the additional standard festoon bulbs, by using LEDs it should in theory allow more bulbs to run on the same circuit without changing any other components, but need to use sufficient to make the circuit think the original bulbs are still there. Just a query if anybody has used non canbus LEDs has this caused any problems? if you have used Canbus LEDs have they become hot or caused any other problems? Cheers guys

 

My interior are all non CANBUS, the marker lights, plate lights on the exterior, hood and trunk lights are non CANBUS. I did use CANBUS on the rear running lights, brake lights, rear fog and back up lights. I never noticed them heating up and believe me, I've spent hours playing with them trying to get the added LED trunk/bumper strip to work the brake lights (a failure). I've decided the only way to get that portion working is run a dedicated line from the brake pedal relay all the way to the rear strip. The other option is running it from the third brake light, but that necessitates a bunch of disassembly and dropping down the head liner.

And as an aside, the interior are available in warm white. I just prefer the cool white and it matches my HID's in front.

After getting the brake lights to work, my next project is cutting the plinth like some members have done. I have all the parts including the 2 part clear epoxy to fill in the cut outs. I'm going to add red LED for driving and 1 or 2 extra led strips hooked to the soon to be added brake pedal line. Red while running, brighten red with braking.

 

When you say cutting the plinth, are you referring to the boot / trunk plinth?
I ended up having to cut the old chrome one off as the nuts had rusted on and got a brand new primed one from Ebay £30. I've painted it black to match the wheels and front grill, will put photos up shortly when Ive finished the last wheel. Looking for subtle enhancements that make the car look just that little more dangerous without to much alteration from the classic design. Got to tweak the engine soon, not sure if I'm going to re map see what I can get out of the 2.2 diesel but want to keep the economy I get from it.
Upgraded the brakes and they are now shiny red with grooved and vented disks, used EBC racing pads, just need more hours in the day at the moment.

 

Plinth = no, going to do this with the lighting option mentioned above. This is the older type plinth with the button in the middle whereas mine is underneath.

 

Like this, but with red LEDs and brake brightening. The above mentioned 2 part epoxy was not quite correct. It's a 2 part clear CASTING RESIN =