Hi all

Here is my first post.

I recently bought a 2004 XJ8 and I love it. The only thing with it was that the passenger side low-beam flickered, particularly during the first 5 minutes after start-up. Today it stopped flickering, it went totally dark. So I extracted what I conclude is a HID bulb. The base of the bulb is inside a square aluminum shield that is easy to open. Once the shield is out the bulb appears mounted on a square plastic base. It is not clear that one can twist off the bulb from that base; it appears to be a single piece. I applied beyond a reasonable torque and the socket stays put. I have the pictures with the shield, without, and a closeup of the socket here. Now, I surf the web, Amazon and such, and I see the .

I'd appreciate any advise on how to proceed. Should I try harder? Is it a single, inseparable assembly (lamp and square base)? And if it is, where do I order it?

Thank you very much

 

There are different types of xenon bulbs. I believe yours is D1S. The Amazon link you provided is for a D2S bulb. I use the D1S in my 04 VDP. I recently replaced both bulbs and purchased them here:
D1S D1C D1R AC 6000K HID Xenon Diamond White Bulb Headlight Replacement 35W | eBay

You can also pay different amounts for these bulbs, depending on brand name and whether they are made very cheaply in China. These are on the lower end and have more low quality and low life issues, but I don't mind paying the lower cost. These came in a set of two. One was faulty out of the box, but the merchant replaced it. You can also purchase different colors. I prefer this 6000k variety that is considered diamond white.

You did the hardest part in getting the bulb out! You can shop on eBay for many different prices and qualities of the D1S. I suggest you make up your own mind about price vs. quality. Good luck.

 

Thank you for responding. Yup; those are identical to my bulbs. And yes, you are right; my fingers still hurt. And I did it twice. In order to test whether bulb or ballast I exchanged the bulbs. The result is the passenger side is still dark. The bulb works fine on the driver's side. So, now to change the ballast.

But where is the ballast?

Thanks

 

Hopefully this will help.