If you look at the photo of mine it has the H bulbs, 2 on dip(low) 4 on main beam (high) From the outside its not so easy to see the difference on a photo. Close up you might see the difference in the bulbs inside. Changing the sealed beam or the H4 / h1 is the same operation though, you have to remove the chrome front piece and remove the whole headlight. Sealed beam you throw away, the H you change the bulb.
On the ROW car and the Facelift cars like yours, there is an access panel in the wheel arch / fender to change the bulb.

 

While on the subject, I wonder if there's any owner who's happy with LED headlights on his/hers XJS, particularly in regards to the issue of excessive heat that they generate, to the point that they come with cooling fans. However, I see a set that comes with a built-in heat sink, so no fans are needed, although the XJS car does not have much room to accommodate the bulky heat sink behind the bulb. The good thing about LED headlights is similar to standard LED bulbs, meaning bright white light that consumes far less energy, plus a long life to offset the high initial cost. This particular set is only $69.95 but I'm not sure whether I can mention the source name here. The ad has a comparison picture that indicates that the LED has a wider field of illumination (left to right) than an HID does, but in regards to intensity, HID has a small edge, but they're both far brighter than any halogen bulb. If I hear somebody's happy with XJS LED headlights I will be trying them on mine.

 

 

Ah, the old "sealed beam discussion". Daniel Stern covers this in detail, and Kirby Palm doesn't do a bad job, either.

The reason for the US sealed beams goes "back to the day" when there were all types of lighting systems, and none of them very good. Think of the different headlights on cars from the 20s and 30s. So the US DoT weighed in. Sealed beams were actually an improvement. Then technology happened, but like most rules, they weren't "updated" to keep up with the times. Then the 80s came. The need for better aerodynamics changed the lighting requirements.

We tend to focus on the Jag styles, because they are what we know. But if you want to really see "changes", check out the differences between European 911s and US Spec 911s, up to the mid 80's. You can easily spot the differences between the sealed beams and the H4s. Then, you'll notice (certainly in 1989, perhaps earlier) they all "look" the same... but in fact the US Specs use H7s instead of H4s for illumination. Like the XJS, the body style didn't change much over time... until it did in the early 90s...

Kirby Palm well details the differences in the glass and plastic "lozenge" lights. Several manufacturers (Cibie, Hella) make "plug in" round lights that have H1 and H4 bulbs, but also have the "aiming" cuts in the glass lenses. They are a marked improvement. They are not inexpensive. Higher wattage can be had, with appropriate relays/wire sizes (and maybe a better alternator).

 

Can someone confirm for me whether the screw I have circled in the picture is how you align the headlights? XJS 1992.
Bill

 

I thought LED of any kind put out LESS heat than any other type of bulb. That's one of the claimed benefits - greater efficiency. More energy goes towards producing light and not wasted as heat. Modern cars are moving towards LED because of this and other factors. So please help me understand how LED headlights generate excessive heat? Especially as compared to whatever they replaced.

 

This is the first thing Google pulled up. Start reading about half way down.

https://blog.headlightrevolution.com...und%20at%20all.

 

Thanks but just because Google pulls it up first doesn't make it the authority. Perhaps our argument logic is flawed and we are actually discussing INEFFICIENT LED LIGHTS?

https://sewelldirect.com/blogs/learn...nt-light-bulbs

Incandescent and CFL bulbs get so hot because most of their energy is being released as heat, not light, making them much more inefficient. Proprietary tests show 100W incandescent lights burning at 335.4 F, CFL lights burning at 179.2 F and LED bulbs burning at 87.2 F. Any appliance that uses electricity will generate heat, so all types of bulbs produce heat. However, LED bulbs consume far less energy compared to other kinds of bulbs, so they generate far less heat.

 

Oh.

I was addressing your question on excessive heat. I don't think anyone could say that an LED bulb would get as hot as an equally bright halogen or incandescent. LEDs put out enough heat that without coming up with a plan to get rid of that heat, will cause the LED to fail....that would be excessive to me. The temperature itself is irrelevant. Filament bulbs are happy being hotter than LEDs....doesn't make it excessive.

Are LEDs more efficient than filament bulbs? Absolutely.

Do they produce excessive heat, absolutely. Anything that generates enough heat that would cause it to fail is excessive. LED headlights require a good design to dissipate that heat. Ignoring that part of your decision on buying an LED headlight could lead to owning a very short lived bulb.

 

My concern with LED bulbs in an electrical system designed for incandescents is the reliability factor. Now throw in the Jaguar Factor and you're asking for trouble. For example, my electrician told me that you can't just put LED bulbs on a dimmer switch designed for incandescents - it has to be one designed for LEDs, otherwise the LED will eventually fail (or have problems). I'm not an electrician or expert by any means.. I know just enough to be dangerous (and annoying). Sorry.

 

I'm still learning about LEDs but that explains why they seem to be more prone to failure (at least seem to be more finicky). Or maybe I just get unlucky with a bad egg every once in a while. The thing is these bulbs are made all over (mostly China I bet) and quality control is questionable. I've tried all brands. I'm speaking of floodlights here (household) and ceiling can lights of which I have at least 50 inside and another 20 or more outside. As for automotive LED lights I do not have any experience with them - but perhaps my wife's 2015 ML350 has them? Haven't had it long enough to know yet.

 

I have no experience with headlight LEDs, but in terms of household bulbs, I have learned that sticking to name brands carries good results. I have stuck with Philips, in particular, because I liked the temperature of their lights from awhile back. They were the first big name brand (that I was aware of) that had a nice 2700K light, which I like. Their PAR20/PAR30 bulbs have lasted me 7 years in the kitchen, the most often used area in the house for lighting. (It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between the one incandescent bulb I leave in the kitchen....until you start to dim them) The bulbs installed about 15 years ago are still working in my basement! They look funky because they hadn't figured out how to diffuse the lights as well as they do now.

It was tough to find dimmable LEDs a while back, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore, except for these small specialty bulbs that you might have looked at for your dashboard or interior lights. Another nice brand is Cree.

 

Any one who wants to learn about LED headlight bulbs should go to either the website for "Headlight Revolution", or put "Headlight Revolution" into a You Tube search. All the information you could ask for, and head to head comparisons of the many styles and offerings, They will tell you the best based on their tests. The best ones are not cheap, but they carry a good warranty, and offer excellent performance. I bought a set of the higher end LED headlight bulbs and will never go back to incandescent or Halogen.. Never thought that the XJS Euro style headlights could perform that good - similar the the HID's on my BMW. Anyway, take a look at the information and decide for yourself.

 

Boe37Lock, THAT's the website I provided a link to! Wow.

And there you have it, bigcatrescue!

 

I know I sound like the dumb blonde that just entered the chat room BUT,

all I want is some 9004 LED BULBS that are:

-super bright
-warm white
-super cool running
-plug and play

Is this too much to ask in 2021 when cars have become vulgar spaceships packed with technology from sci-fi films? Am I reaching for the stars here?

 

Take some time to study the information available at HR - they demonstrate the beam patterns, the Lumens, the Lux,(nearly all the LED headlight bulbs are 6000K) and the quality of construction. You can't get it all in a quick 15-20 minute scan, it will take an hour or so to go through all the information and the comparisons. Then, you can make your own informed decision on what you want to do. A quality, great performing LED headlight bulb does not come cheap - it is the product of good engineering, design, materials, and accurate / reliable production. The good ones carry a good warranty..

 

Here is the difference between a standard 9004 bulb and the LED

I run LED headlamps and its been a good investment. I can see, others can see me, and It looks more exotic. No issues and not hard to do.

 

Im running plug n play LED’s made by Lucas lighting😆 $200 for the set. I picked them up at my local independent Lamborghini shop. Didnt want to run a cheap set because I want quality.
They sell them in different temperatures.

 

i like the brightness. I just want a little more warmth to mimic the halogen.

 

After much consideration, I ordered a set of LED headlights and reverse lights from Gil Keane at Better Car Lighting in the UK. All my questions were answered promptly and professionally, with a good dose of humor thrown in as well.

Currently running Sylvania 9004 SilverStar Ultra Halogens, as reviews indicated they were the best/brightest I could get in halogens (that were available locally). I've driven with these at night only a few times, and they are quite good. However, my local roads are almost uniformly well lit. Want the LEDs because I sometimes travel at night to somewhat more remote areas with little to no road lighting.

More as it happens.