Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum. I have read a lot of posts regarding drooping Xenon headlights on the S types. I just bought a 2003 S type 4.2 with only 8,600 miles. The car is like brand new and used as a "sunday" car by the previous owner which explains the low mileage.
When I turn on the dipped headlights they only light up a few feet in front of the car and I cannot see the road ahead. When I push the light control lever forward it turns on the main lights and the road is lit OK.
I would expect that when the dipped lights are only on this should be the normal "low beams" position and with the lever pushed forward this would turn on the "high" beams. So the problem is that the dipped beams by themselves are useless and when I turn on the Main beams it looks like any car with just the low beams turned on. I feel that the headlights are adjusted way too low since with the Main beam ON they do not act as HIGH beams that would normally light up road signs. The manual calls them MAIN and not HIGH beams.
So my question is: Is this normal for the S-type or does it look to you that the lights are drooping and I need to do the screw fix as outlined in this forum.
I am ready to go to the dealer today to have this checked out.
The car did just pass PA inspection by the previous owner although I do not know if they check the adjustment of headlights.
Thank you for your help.

 

Sounds like you need the screw fix.

 

"take the radiator cover off to expose the back of the headlights, grab the connector for the hi beams and wiggle, if it [the whole internal light assembly] flops around its broken, then yes it [this fix] will work "

This quote is from the link below from Brutal's great fix.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ype-faq-10745/

 

I took the car to Jaguar of Monmouth in NJ today. Sure enough the housings were broken. They wanted $3,800 for the repair!!
I call the dealer in PA where I bought the car on Saturday. They refused to pay for the repair. They also said that the Jag dealer near them quoted around $2,400 for the repair. Maybe they were going to use used parts. I do not know. Anyway I returned the car for a refund. Not sure if I made the right move considering the condition of this car. Only 8,700 miles and was in perfect new condition. There was not a single mark, ding or blemish inside or out. It looked like a brand new car. The previous owner must have kept it under glass. I doubt that I will ever find another with this low mileage and condition. I did pay a lot over book value. I paid $10,800 out the door and still would have to pay 7% NJ sales tax. It just bothered me to spend this much on a certified car and then have to jury rig the headlights with screws. I also thought if the headlights failed with less than 9K miles (who really knows what mileage they failed) then what else could fail. I wanted a low mileage car in order to prevent trips to the repair shop. The headlight failure at low mileage really left a bad taste with this car but it was sure beautiful black on black 4.2 with Nav and heated seats.
Do you think I made the right move in giving back the car?
Would any of you have kept it, done the screw repair and called it a day?

 

BTW it was a 2003 S-type 4.2

 

1

 

If you must rely on a dealer for your maintenance and repairs, an 11-year-old Jaguar is certainly not the right car for you. The only way for most of us to afford to own these cars is to DIY as much of the maintenance and repairs as possible. So if you cannot DIY, an older Jaguar is not a good idea unless you are looking to empty your checking account rather quickly....

Good luck with your replacement vehicle....

 

I can do a lot of repairs myself. I just could not see spending almost 11K on a car that had very low mileage and broken headlight housings. The sticker on the car from the dealer stated that any worn or damaged parts were replaced. I feel that the dealer is responsible for the repair. They refused and I returned the car. The dealer also refused to pay the $138 that I paid the Jag dealer to check out the headlights. Whoever inspected the headlights at the dealer that I bought the car from did not check the alignment. They let me drive off as the sun was going down with an un safe car that had no low beams and mis aligned high beams. The dealer that I bought the car from is not reputable. I wish it had worked out better because I doubt that I will ever find another used S Type in such pristine condition and under 10K mileage.
The car really looked like it rolled off the showroom.

 

Where did you get it from? I'm really thinking about checking out this S Type. I bought one for my wife and now I want one. I would do the screw fix instead of $3800 repair in a heart beat. If I can get it, I might even use the repairs are needed thing and get it for less. Thanks.

 

Well I understand what you are saying but yes the screw fix will work and it will last.

Also there are different levels of damage to the headlights. If not broken too bad then all you need is the screw fix. But sometimes the internal plastic parts are broken and the headlight will need to be baked to open it and replace those parts.

We are a bit lucky because there are now aftermarket repair kits that use steel in place of the cheap *** plastic Hella used to build them with!

Another vote for DIY only. I would not be able to keep it going if the dealer was doing the repairs.
.
.
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I heard back from the dealer that I bought the car from. They are taking it to their local Jag dealer. The general manager told me that they are doing a dealer to dealer cost on this. This jag dealer will charge only $1,100 for the headlight housings and about 3-4 hours labor so we are looking at around $1,500. This is a big difference from the quote that I got from my local jag dealer of $3,800.
At this much lower rate it looks like I can make a deal and keep this car. I will know more by the weekend after they evaluate the headlights.

 

hmmm... $50 adjuster fix that will last a long time vs. $1,500 replacement housings with crappy plastic adjusters that will break again???

Tell them give you a $1,500 discount, buy the $50 kit and drive up to N. Jersey and I'll install them for you...

 

Thank you for your offer but the dealer will not do this. I already offered a lower amount than what I had paid to get the car back as is.
They are taking the car to the Jag dealer today. Hopefully it will not be more than a $1,500 fix. I already had to pay $138 to have the headlights evaluated at my local Jag dealer so I am thinking to offer an additional $500 towards the fix and see if the dealer will pay the remaining $1,000. Since the amount is a lot lower than the quote that I had gotten maybe the dealer will pay the whole amount. They would still make a profit considering the mark up on used cars.
I use to sell for Toyota in FL and every used car was marked up 3K.
I should know by tomorrow what the deal is. If this car wasn't so mint I would have passed on it but even the inside smells brand new.

 

If you like the car in every other way, do the brutal screw fix and be done with it. period. end of story. Move on.


I fixed mine headlights using this method 5 years ago and they work perfectly to this day.



The screw fix is not a jury rig. It is a legitimate fix that restores full functionality of your headlights. It takes about 15 minutes total to accomplish and costs no more that a dollar.

 

Just a word in on this also, i just replaced my headlights and ddi the job my self and it only cost me $700 for new headlights and a couple hours of time. All the adjustments where broke on the inside and the screw fix did help it pass MD state inspection, plus the fact that they needed the 3M coating fix. It was really easy and the DIY's really did help alot. You can find the whole headlight assembly on Ebay, mine came straight from a JAG dealer in NC. So now have bright shiny new headlights and they came with the bulbs already in place. So it was easy to do.

 

Danny - Please don't take this the wrong way, but you cannot be serious?

As stated above the headlight fix / repair ( link given to you ) is as applied by a Jaguar MasterTech, used by many here and does what it says on the tin,

I appreciate your comments about expenditure on the one hand, but on the other looks like you're willing to stump up for $1500 for something that can be repaired fairly easily for much much less and as a DIY?

If this is the case, with the best will in the world this car will cost you lots & lots of money and may not be for you?

Please believe me when I say I'm coming from a good place with these comments and only have your best interest at heart.

Good luck
Jim

 

Don't forget that in the UK, high beams are called main beams. Low beams are called dipped. The present issue with the dipped beams does not affect the main beams.

I'd push the issue with the seller to give you a discount on the price of the car as-is and do the screw fix yourself. You'll end up doing it anyway further down the road.

 

Miley,
Thanks for clearing up that "dipped beam" terminology. I always assumed that's what it was but also wondered if maybe it didn't mean what we in the states call "parking lights" ...so glad to have that sorted.


Now on to disagreeing with you! Since the main and dipped beam bulbs are mounted to a single-piece housing, the issue does affect both. However, the main do tend to light further down the road while the dipped are illuminating the first 3 feet in front of the car. I have Halogen in both S-Types so if xenon lights got separate housings between main and dipped I'll pre-apologize for being wrong.... but I've had the Halogen version disassembled and both bulbs are mounted in a single plastic molded reflector with a chrome finish. Depending how many mounting points are broken the main must droop a "little" to one side up to "alot" and all the way across.


For the OP; It is your money, your choice. We all come here to apprise you how we would proceed or how we believe you should based on what you have thus far revealed about yourself and the situation. I would offer you a somewhat contrarian view of the extremely low mileage. Pristine interior and flawless exterior paint is goodness; those items being difficult to repair DIY and expensive regardless whether you DIY or farm it out. My opinion, informed by ownership of 3 Jags acquired since 2008, accruing nearly a quarter million miles amongst them, is that these cars need to be driven. The low-mile benefits end with interior and exterior appearance. Leave 'em sit too many days between jaunts and you'll be presented a fresh problem/plea for attention on almost every drive!


For my own purposes, I'd go above market for an X300 b/c I love em and pristine copies are increasingly rare. I'd never go high on an S-Type. I would've griped the headlights, the likelihood it hasn't had an oil change in 11 years and certainly not a gearbox oil change and any other minor flaw I could find to support a below market offer...... but in your case that ship has sailed. I can nearly guarantee that you will incur a leaking coolant expansion tank and/ or upper Rad hose assembly within your first year of ownership and I'd put your chances of needing a new DCCV in the same timeframe at least 50%. Not to be a negative Nelly, just make sure your eyes are fully open. Have you checked out both heat and cool functions of the climate control? You get two keys/FOBs + a Valet key? These are significant expenses that surprise most new-to-Stype buyers. Read the buyer's guide in the stickies for a good primer. Best of luck.

 

Right you are. My apologies. I helped a friend fix his xenon equipped car using the screw trick and somehow thought the main.high beams were on their own shafts.

Thanks.

 

I think that you really screwed up by returning that car. Using the screws would have made the car fine and it cannot be seen after finished. If you don't want high repairs consider a dodge neon or Ford Taurus