I haven't seen any threads about this, so I figured I'd just post this up...

I've always sought to improve the lighting of every vehicle I've ever owned. My XKR is no exception. Having done many bixenon HID retrofits, I was expecting the Jaguar to have a light output and color temp similar to German offerings. Boy, was I disappointed. For me, the color temp of the stock bulbs was just too yellow and dim. So, I ponied up $160 and got some Osram CBI bulbs from www.theretrofitsource.com. I've spent thousands with them over the years and their customer service and shipping expediency has always been top notch, and they're one of the very few retailers in North America that sell genuine Osram products.

Installing the bulbs took about 15 minutes. Remove the three bolts per headlight, unplug the wiring harness, disconnect the washer hose and gently coerce the light from its home. Once on the bench, remove the old bulbs, give the new ones a quick rub down with some isopropyl alcohol and let it flash off before installation, and put it all back together.

The bulbs took about eight hours to break in and provide a much whiter, much brighter light than stock. I feel like the beam pattern is even a bit wider, but that could be due to a whiter color temperature. Nobody has flashed their high beams at me either, in case you were wondering. If you frequently drive at night like I do, these bulbs are well worth the money.

I'll get some pictures of the output and pattern after work tonight. If anyone wants a step by step DIY of the replacement, say so and I'll edit this post with pictures of each step, and I'll include some before/after shots of the two different bulbs in action while I'm in there.

 

I went back to Osram D1S's on mine. Huge improvement is and understatement vs. the OEM D1S bulbs that were undoubtedly 'tired'.

 

Which Osram bulbs did you get? I was torn between the CBI and the new CBH, but went with the CBI out of fear that the CBH would be too blue.

And thank you... I forgot to mention for anyone curious that the OEM bulb size is D1S.

 

 

I have had a nightmare with my Xenon lights in my 2004 XJR, first flickering, then adjustment problems, the once again flickering and now...a rock flew out of a dump tuck and smashed a big hole in the drivers side headlight, which will require a complete assembly, which brings me to the question, I am wondering, is it possible to replace both Xenon assemblies with Halogen units, is it a simple plug in replacement?
Any help wouo ld be great!

 

Mandrake, since you don't state the year (or even model) in your signature I looked at this thread but am sure won't be beneficial to my 2014.

Perhaps other members know?

 

I googled it and backed that up in the online parts lists if memory serves.

 

Depends on which bulbs the XK currently has and which you replace them with. Here's my comparison photos, unfortunately the road was tampered with a bit between the shoots.

 

Wiring is different as your Xenon's will have a ballast and halogen not, but they come from the same electrical source beyond the ballast so it should be possible with a new loom.

I had my old 96 X100 converted to OEM Xenon's, so a reversal will defo be possible, but am thinking that the 'retrograde' step is rarely done, and due to the height of the XK...say compared to an F Pace will never be as good as the XK is much lower to the ground.

Am IMO

 

OK, just checked the bulbs fitted to mine and cross checked with Jaguar.

Mine on my 2014 are D3S, same bulb for dipped as main and no front fogs.

This is why it's imperative that people state their MY in their signature and shouldn't assume that what fits theirs will fit all XK's in all countries.

As had I taken the advice of this forum I'd have ordered incorrect D1S's

 

Would love to know the step by step process for my 13 XKR

 

It's in the free service manual PDF. Pretty simple to do once you understand to remove the bird cage versus take it apart inside the housing like I did the first time.

 

I got me some D1S bulbs from Amazon. Good-er ones, so not trash. Since 'not old' they made a huge difference. I think they were like $60.

 

Is Topix shut off from us? I cannot get into it.

 

Can you give us a link to the ones you chose? So we have a reference...

 

Just be careful as my 2014 uses D3S bulbs and not D1's.

I think standardised with the launch of the F-type.

I had mine changed for me free by my local Indy and went for Isram xenarc nightbreaker lasers. The difference is phenomenal

M

 

Wow, I was WAY off, I paid $22, not $60. Regardless, my 'original' ones must have been deteriorated not a small amount because installing these new cheapos made quite a difference.
I got confused evidently..... I bought four sets of bulbs recently for some of mine and my wife's cars. F150 was $90, as I went to LEDs with inline resistors for $15. Fusion ones were $36.
Anyway, the link.....

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Personally I prefer to not have such a high color temperature for my headlights, far too much scattering, fog and dust can be very bad.

Your pupils adjust based on the total of light received rather than the average, the bright your headlights, the less you can see what is not in their beam.

There is a compromise.

What may give you comfort may impede your ability to see.

It is somewhat unfortunate that more efficient bulbs are also higher color temperature.

For headlights this high color temperature is not ideal.

There is a reason shooters wear glasses that work to block out part of the higher temperature part of the spectrum.

The blue-ish white may appear high tech; but the visibility it yields is inferior.

The higher frequencies of the visible spectrum have both greater refraction, and greater scattering.

 

Evidently my eyes differ, as I can see more ...... things. Not so much more ROAD, per Se, but things ON the road.

The first thing I did notice after the change is that the road did seem to, I guess, disappear. I was quite disappointed and thought that I'd just ruined everything. THEN, I did notice that the stuff ON the road (debris, cats, people, vehicles) were easier to spot.

Also, reflective signs lit up at an increased distance Course, also to my dismay, pieces OF the road were also not the easiest to spot, as in lifted hunks of pavement.

Giveth and taketh, I guess.

 

The higher color temperature is more efficient for a given power; you have more light available.

A compromise.

Part of the reason the higher color temperature increases the exterior ascetics of the cars that use them is not just because the higher color temperature is more recent technology, but also because of the increased haze they create.

Similar to why stages often lightly fog their environment. It creates a particular ambiance.

For interstate driving I would prefer more lumens, to have my lights reach out farther.

For my typical driving on less than urban roads, I would rather the lower color temperature and lower output of an incandescent or similar.