XJ XJ8 / XJR ( X308 ) 1997 - 2003

Upgraded headlights to LED

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Old 07-01-2019, 03:26 PM
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Default Upgraded headlights to LED

Has anyone upgraded their headlights to LED on an X308? I'd like to do this, but not sure which one to use. The standard H7s are OK, but brighter is better!
Thanks
 
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Old 07-01-2019, 08:45 PM
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I just ordered some low beam led’s today from amazon. I got the lowest lumen ones I could find at 7200. I’m not wanting to blind oncoming drivers I just want to get rid of the yellowish look. I suspect they’ll have to be zip tied in place because there’s a heat sink on the back with a little fan and the factory headlight bulb lock will not go over a larger than stock bulb. I don’t like to rig anything but the yellow has got to go. There is one stock size H7 bulb out there that’s a led but they stress that it’s only for fog light use. Why? I suspect that because there’s no heat sink at all that it’ll likely not last long due to the excessive heat. If I get my set on tomorrow, I’ll post pictures. I would really want projector headlights but they don’t make them to replace our large lenses. You would have to make your own and it would take some time, money and re-engineering to make it look and work right imho. Check one such projector headlamps for our car.

http://hidillusionz.blogspot.com/201...p-hid.html?m=1
 

Last edited by Addicted2boost; 07-01-2019 at 08:49 PM.
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Old 07-01-2019, 10:03 PM
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All LED headlight-type bulbs are currently marketed as either "off-road only" or "fog light use only." This is due to our arcane Federal standards not having been updated to allow LED headlights (US lighting standards were last updated in 1985, before widespread use of LEDs)
I upgraded my headlights, foglights, and brake lights to LEDs from Superbrightleds. The fog and brake light bulbs were direct plug-n-play. The headlights are not....
As previously stated, the cooling element on the H7 bulb, whether a fan housing or heat sink strips, will interfere with the ability of the bulb to seat fully in the housing. In this case, a means of attachment is the lesser problem -- if the bulb won't seat all the way to its base in the headlight housing, the light won't be in the right place to reflect properly and it will actually perform worse than the OEM light...
The SBL bulbs come with a ring that the bulb twist-locks into and is intended to be secured by the factory attachment method, which is normally a wire clip, but Jaguar did it differently.
For my installation, I found that the cylindrical mounting area on the back of the housing was too tall for the bulbs to seat properly. I ended up cutting it shorter so the bulbs could seat all the way flat against the mounting surface. I then epoxied the supplied mounting ring in place in the housing (make sure it's right side up!), and further bedded it in epoxy to ensure a permanent bond. Once the epoxy cured, the bulbs go in with a simple twist and lock securely in place. The wiring is completely plug-n-play.
Obviously, doing this the way I did is not reversible -- there is no going back to halogen bulbs. For me, it doesn't matter because the bright, pure white light I get totally transforms night driving.
If you end up doing this, don't forget to upgrade the little pilot lights in the high beam housings to LED as well. Those are 194s. If you do it, you will find that they continue to glow for up to an hour after you turn the car off at night. It's not a problem -- the 194s are so efficient they remain lit from the small amount of residual energy in the system...
-Steve-
 

Last edited by SteveXJ8L; 07-01-2019 at 10:10 PM.
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Old 07-02-2019, 01:22 AM
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Can I Use HID Bulbs In My Halogen Car?

https://www.powerbulbs.com/blog/2018...my-halogen-car
 
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Highhorse (07-02-2019)
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Old 07-02-2019, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by dalegphilips1
The standard H7s are OK, but brighter is better!

This is an incorrect assumption...blinding the other person coming at you is as much of a hazard as driving with no lights on at night.

Here's an article to review... https://www.powerbulbs.com/blog/2017...hts-road-legal

Although you can purchase brighter bulbs, that doesn't make them street legal. No different than radar detectors are legal for sale in the state of Virginia, they are illegal to use. Its up to you to know the law.
You are also required by law to maintain proper adjustment of your headlights, all user manuals have directions on how to do such. I wish this law was better enforced, I drive around 50k a year and grandma thinks its ok to drive with the brights during the day (and seemingly at night)....along with some truckers.

Issues with lights that are too bright other than legal is trying to drive in fog or snow with them. The reflection will create a white wall and make conditions blind you and not allow much to little foresight. Those Jeeps you see with the LED bar lights are illegal if run on the streets. Even during the day, they can be blinding and cause an accident.
 
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Old 07-02-2019, 08:44 PM
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Originally Posted by SteveXJ8L
All LED headlight-type bulbs are currently marketed as either "off-road only" or "fog light use only." This is due to our arcane Federal standards not having been updated to allow LED headlights (US lighting standards were last updated in 1985, before widespread use of LEDs)-Steve-
You may think they are arcane, but they have a purpose, especially with the increase in on road automobile population. The issue with the lack of updated standards is there has been no standards developed for LED's. One manufacturer's standard can vary greatly from anothers and until this has been determined and enforced, you won't see LED's legalized.
 
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Old 07-02-2019, 08:54 PM
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Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

TLDR: no, buy some higher-end halogens and your headlights will look whiter without messing with the optics, or spending too much (high-end halogens go for maybe $30 a set online)
 
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Old 07-03-2019, 06:07 PM
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Oops!
I posted the wrong link.

I intended to post this:

"Thinking of converting your halogen headlamps to HID or LED?"

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
 
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nilanium (07-03-2019)
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Old 08-22-2019, 01:00 PM
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Go for it, you'll be fine.

Just takes dedication - it will be a lot of back and forth getting things adjusted/proper/non-blinding/etc.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...cement-208949/
 
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Old 02-17-2020, 12:40 PM
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<Delete wrong forum>
 
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