So I came across the US 2004 X-type 3.0 used two different lamps and was wondering if they are interchangeable... My choices were H1 or DS2 (HID)

First off what is the difference (my understanding is the HID is High Intensity something or other) and second can I use either one?

TX!

 

H1 HID aftermarket conversion may be cheaper...

 

They are interchangeable as HID was a factory option.

HID (high intensity discharge) give a much brighter light.

 

joec, the two bulbs are completely different and operate on completely different principles. it is kinda like comparing a Geo Metro to your Jag. They are both cars, they both drive down the road, but how they do it and how well they do it is completely different. How does this relate to your question about headlight bulbs, this is how:

- an H1 bulb is an incandescent bulb. It operates on 12VDC that when you pass the 12 VDC across the filament, it gets heated up and once it gets hot enough, it starts glowing and emitting light. The halogen gas that is inside the bulb is only there to prevent the filament from burning up like a log in a firepit. The halogen gas has removed all the oxygen from inside the bulb and allows the metal filament to get really hot without having the metal burn (oxidize).

- the D2S bulb. This is your classic HID bulb. This has 2 metal plates inside it with xenon gas filling the glass container. When you apply 12 VDC directly to this bulb, it will do nothing. 12 VDC is not enough voltage to jump the gap between the 2 metal posts. An HID bulb requires an additional component between the bulb and the 12 VDC. This item is called a "ballast" (think florescent lights, same idea). The ballast takes the 12 VDC and steps it up to around 23,000 VDC (yes, 23,000). This causes a spark to jump from one post to another. This spark then excites the xenon gas and after a very short period of time, the xenon gas looses its excitement and releases light. Once the xenon gas starts warming up and some of the gas remains excited, it doesn't take as much voltage to jump from post to post. So, the voltage drops to around 85 VDC (this is sufficient to keep the arc going). This is a very similar principle to a standard florescent bulb. You can see the excitation happening in a florescent bulb when it gets old as you will see bands that move in the bulb where there is some light being made and other spots where there is not light being made. The big difference between HID and florescent bulbs is that HID bulbs create visable light directly where the florescents create infrared light which then strikes a phosphorous coating inside the tube which then gets excited by the infrared light and when it looses its excitation, it emits visable light.

As you can see, they are two different monsters for your car. If you look in the driver's door jam, between the hinges, you may see a sticker there talking about you car being equipped with HIDs. If so, you need the D2S bulb. No sticker, you need the H1 bulb.

With all this being said, can you upgrade from H1 to HID bulbs. Of course. But, it is not a simple "unplug one bulb and slap in another". You need to have the correct ballast installed for the style of bulb that you are trying to add. If you are looking to upgrade to HIDs, let me know. I can step you though everything. Granted, there are some recent posts about this and those will have all the info you need for selecting the HID parts you need.

 

Perfect! Thanks Thermo.

 

Uh oh... maybe other issue... replaced the bulb but it is still out... all other bulbs work fine.

 

Joec, before you start fretting, we have a few other things to check out first. The easiest being your fuses. If you access the engine bay fuse box, I want you to swap fuses F29 and F30. Did the light out change sides? If so, replace both of those fuses (should be 20 amp fuses). Normally this will fix your issue.

The next check would be to access the plug on the headlight assembly and see how the connections look there. Some members have found corroded pins there and that has resulted in a high resistance connection. If you need help with this, let me know.

Please keep in mind that these fuses are based on having a later 04 model car. If you have an early 04 vehicle, then you need to look at fuses F16 and F17 (both 20 amp fuses).

 

Fuses look good. I'll change them for good measure... swotched them but the same light stayed out... soon as all the snow stops here I'll get back in and check the connections and how they look. The lamp I replaced was blown... it was black inside the bulb.

Just need to have some no snow and above 20 degree F weather... Jag or not the wife's car has the garage! :-\

 

Just a friendly note: Replacing OEM non-HIDs lights with aftermarket HIDs is Illegal in all 50 States. It is not being enforced by most Law Enforcement and Inspection Stations soooooo, a lot of vehicles have them. I personally know 2 past coworkers that had to purchase new sets of headlight assemblies after the Inspection Station noticed what they did. If the OEM headlight assy has the "Glare Shields" installed, you can get away with it(the X-Type has them). It is legally wise to use HIDs that are within the white light range, not into the blue ranges which is why my co-workers got caught. Also, it is Illegal for a non-emergency vehicle to display blue lights. If you find the retailers small print and read it, they will indicate: For Off Road Use Only.

 

The requirement is that HID's must meet OEM and DOT approved "form, fit and function" criteria. Clearly, we can purchase an HID bulb of the proper color. Purple won't cut it. Then, we can address the minimum and maximum brightness allowed. Believe it or not, there are only a few maximum brightness data points. Mostly dealing with light up too high. There are detailed minimum criteria though, and the HID will easily provide enough light. Aftermarket HID's are not specifically illegal. Installing an aftermarket HID 35W, 4300K bulb in a Jaguar X-Type's halogen projector headlight may in fact be 100% legal. As the headlight assembly meets all of the requirements already. It has a sharp cutoff provided by internal baffle, the ability to adjust the beam pattern to match the HID equipped X-Type also exists. In in the case of the X-Type halogen headlight assy, only 1/2 of the bulbs output is physically reflected out the front. When accounting for losses, the actual number is likely to be closer to 25% due to the poor design internal mirror. Auto leveling and auto washing is not mandatory here in the states, only the EU.

In fact, the halogen X-Type low beams are downright unsafe. I upgraded mine with the 4300K HID H1 kit (low beams only) and they are worlds better.

Let's put this another way, the 3300 Lumen HID bulb, installed in an X-Type, at 100% reflective efficiency (not possible) will only put out 1650 lumens out the front. Well within normal criteria. And, with the mechanical cutoff inside the assy, there is no way too much light is going to be too high, unless it's improperly adjusted.

 

NHTSA & FMVSS:

Under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) part 108 there is no legal way to install an HID headlamp system on any vehicle not factory equipped with the HID headlamp system.

Let's get this clear: There is no such thing as a street legal aftermarket HID system in the UnitedStates. No state laws can supersede or contradict FMVSS 108.

Many of the aftermarket HID suppliers do use Dot approved bulbs. This means that the bulb is DOT approved for a specific application. This does not mean the bulb or headlamp system is approved for any other application. The suppliers often supply cards or letters which aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

This is the absolute truth: There is no such thing as a street legal aftermarket HID headlamp system in the United States. The FMVSS & NHTSA does not care what a website tells you, or what card or letter you hold unless it's an approval letter for your specific application from NHTSA (which none have ever been issued).


Signing Out.....

 

Well, getting this thread back on topic and directed toward the OP:

When I bought my car I had a similar issue where one headlight bulb was out and still did not function after replacement. Still under warranty, I took it to the dealer who basically cleaned out the socket and installed an official Jag H1 bulb. This would have amounted to roughly a $125 service bill.

My advice: clean out the socket really well or remove it and splice a new socket into the wiring.

 

Question: Can you give me the US Constitutional authority for applying this (part 108) to individual owner/operators?

Answer: You can't. As these statutes apply only (via the so-called interstate commerce clause) to OEM's, (and possibly companies selling kits) selling a product in commerce. The federal government does not have the authority to regulate individual owners. Regulation of individual owners occurs at the state level.

Furthermore, some state laws simply state that you may not have such products that "modify an approved design" for sale (commerce once again) .