Thanks for this! Do you have a picture you could post up?

 

Can anybody tell me what the wattage is for the high beams on my car? Is there any danger in upgrading to a higher wattage. I am not messing with the fog lights.

http://www.minagallery.com/jagxp/Jag...s-upgrades.htm

 

High beams are just 55w h7 halogens

I wouldn't do anything higher. Jaguar uses 18 gauge wires to the bulb. You may hurt the wiring, or blow a fuse, but more likely you're going to burn out bulbs quickly.

Take care,

George

 

Thanks George, you are an asset to this site.

 

Pushing_Tin;
Sorry no pictures of mine installed but the web site I posted does have some pictures. The HIR bulbs are are just the standard 55W power consumption.
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Is there any difference between the Toshiba or Phillips models?

 

So I ordered a set of the HIR for the high beams. If anybody is interested I'll post some before and after and thoughts once I use them.

 

Does anyone know by trial and error what an accurate kelvin temp number the factory HIDs are? Thinking about having my local custom shop put a pair of fogs in my 05 STR.

 

Factory HID's are 4300k 35w.

Take care,

George

 

Got them installed tonight. Somehow I managed not to break anything. I'll report back when I've driven with them a bit and see how I feel. I did find another place to buy them.

http://store.candlepower.com/ph3rdge90h.html

 

Those look to be 55W, aren't they too hot?
Also, there's wording about needing a bulb shield - is there one?

 

Thanks Pushing_Tin!
That looks like an improved HIR bulb. Even more light output!!
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These still pale in comparison to 35w HID's.

Here's a comparison of Bulbs to lumens (light output);

Standard OEM halogen 55W H7 = 1100lm (lumens)
(this is what the s-type comes with stock)

These new and improved HIR Bulbs:

This 55-watt bulb is US DOT certified, with a nominal output of 1875 lumens at 13.2 volts. ECE type approval (E-code mark) pending.

A definite improvement over halogen, but read on...

Now HID's based on color temp:

4300k HID 35w = 3200lm (lumens) (stock automaker HID's)

5800k HID 35w = 2400 (lumens) (these are sold as 6k)

8000k HID 35w = 1180lm (lumens) (almost stock just blue / purple). Notice that all the filters used to create that "blue" light have basically left an 8k HID bulb with the same light output as a stock halogen bulb.

If you really want to be visible from space, you can get 55w HID's that will increase these light outputs by 50%.

I don't think people should be driving around with their high beams on, much less with amped up ones, but if you live somewhere rural enough where you can do this, and your concern is maximum lighting on the road, just go HID.

Take care,

George

 

Very true George but don't forget reflector design!! You will have great light output and it will be aimed incorrectly. That's why you see a lot very glaring aftermarket HID installs. You just don't get the light to the proper spot. What we really need is a properly designed Bi-Xenon setup. So just installing HID's in the high beams is not the answer. It has to be designed as a package.

Does the XF come with Bi-Xenon or only HID's in the low beams?
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The HID capsule is longer than the halogen filament, in a headlight or high beam design such as the S-Types, it actually doesn't glare because of the bulb cap. (The focal point is actually further forwards). High beams are basically the stylized equivalent of off road flood lights bolted the to the bumper. The light really isn't focused. HID, or HIR is just gonna put more light everywhere, either way it's not going to be pleasant to oncoming traffic.

Whats completely atrocious is hid's in 9006/9004 setups that use the headlight glass as the focusing mechanism.

Regardless, this thread started out with using different bulbs to color match the fog lights for aesthetic reasons. No halogen bulb is gonna do that. Now we've moved onto high beams, if you just want to match them for aesthetic purposes, or put the most possible light on the road, HID is the way to go.

Whether you should be driving around with HID, HIR, or even halogen high beams on is a different story LOL.

Take care,

George

 

It would have been nice if the lows were close to the highs in color, but at first glance that's not the case. That said I do have a 15 mile rural commute so if these work better for my frequent night driving that's great too.

 

It was super foggy as usual last night, so I wasn't really able to test out the new high beams, they did seem to put out a bit more light but I can't say for sure yet.

 

Okay was able to drive home tonight without much fog and there is a substantial improvement in illumination down the road. I'd say about 30-40% more. Is it worth almost $60? Not sure, but I've wasted far more money on dumber things!

 

Oh no doubt they are brighter. They put out almost 80% more light than stock halogens. HID's are 2x the light of these though... If you really want to be seen from space LOL...

Take care,

George