Interior led lights missing?!??
 

Hi guys,

I can’t figure out how to turn on my interior led lights which would normally light up blue around the instrument panel. My sister and I have 2017 premium models, yet her leds light up, while mine do not. I didn’t notice until just now. Can someone please explain!?! Please see attached pictures.

I have a 2017 model.

Check this carefully, since what you’re describing could be a safety-related glitch in YOUR car. Not HERS, since hers seems to be working properly,… but it wouldn’t hurt to run this check on her car too anyway.

Do this check just after sundown, or on a very cloudy day (because the car has auto-sensors that will try to countermand what you’re trying to accomplish here):

One person in the Driver’s seat, watching the interior and dashboard.

One person stand out in front of the car, and looking at the headlamps.

Only the Lefthand control stalk (it's the stem you use for turn signals) operates interior and exterior lamps.

1—Start the engine, but leave the shift-dial in Park:
Outside, the white DRLs (daytime running lights) will NOT be

2—Turn the shift-dial to ‘Drive’, but leave Parking Brake ON (so the wheels can’t move forward):
The DRLs should now be ON. On the premium model, one or the other DRL will go independently go out to allow you signal a left or right turn, but the DRLs stay on as the shift dial is in ‘D’.

3— Put the shift-dial back in Park (P). Twist the very end of the left stalk AWAY from you (counterclockwise) ONE notch:
A green icon should come on under your speedometer dial in your instrument cluster.
ALL your interior lights should come ON, dashboard, center console, door leather, even a tiny white LED over the rear seats,… all. There's no special menu option to separately turn off one area of your cabin---they all go ON or OFF together. If any portion isn't lit with the others, something's glitched.
The DRLs should now be ON permanently. No matter whether you signal a turn or set the shift dial any way at all, both DRLs stay constantly ON.

4—Twist the end of the stalk one additional notch (2nd postion):
The green icon under you speedometer dial shouldn’t change or do anything new. Interior LEDs should not change or dim at all.
But your headlights should now be ON.
On the premium model, your DRLs may go OUT. (on the prestige model the headlights are Xenon, and they let the DRLs stay ON, but your premium has halogen headlights and may handle the DRLs differently).

5—Twist the end of the stalk one final notch (3rd position):
NOTHING in your cabin should change or dim, all interior LEDs should stay ON.
Outside, the headlamps and DRLs remain ON exactly the way they operate for halogen headlamps on the premium model. No change at all.
But… A new green icon will show up right above the first green icon under you speedometer. This tells you that the car’s brain now has control over when and when not to turn your headlights and interior LEDs ON, and it will automatically turn everything off “when it’s bright enough outside to drive without them”.

My car’s brain doesn’t always agree with me about what “bright enough to drive” means. So I usually don't drive with the stalk set to the 3rd position.
If your sister’s car has the stalk set on position-3 when you’re riding in her car, you may find her interior LEDs ON (because the car has chosen to turn on its headlights on overcast days when you and I know it's nowhere near dark enough to put any headlights on.

Thank you!
 

Thank you so much for your thorough reply. I have tried this a few different times under different lighting conditions and it has not worked. Is it possible that there is a glitch in the software that is preventing certain lights in my interior from turning on?

Did you do the entire test? As long as the OUTSIDE lights and DRLs are functioning the right way, this is not a panic problem. In some states the police are really strict about giving you moving violation tickets because your headlights and DRLS aren’t functioning when you think they are.

As for the interior LEDs, there is only ONE small control on the car that influences them (a small pop-out knob on the dashboard, right near the trunk release button). And this button ONLY adjust the brightness of ALL the LEDs at the same time.
No part of the cabin LEDs is supposed to be OUT while the rest of the interior LEDs are on.

So it could be a software glitch, yes that’s possible.

But I suspect it may be a simple wiring harness that’s popped loose. The new Jaguars have been famous for using very short wire lengths (which means occasionally one can pop loose at the slightest extra strain).

It sounds like you’ll need a trip to the dealership to have it corrected. And you’ll be out there drag-racing with your sister again in no time at all. (...I can just picture it now---police being driven out of their minds, trying to catch a brother-n-sister pair of daredevil drivers using matching XEs, tearing through the streets... untouchable, uncatchable!)

So as an update to this thread, I brought my car into the dealership for service and we looked at a bunch of XE examples. Some of them had these blue LED interior accent lights and some did not. It seems that most of the cars on the original line of production in the 2017 were without these lights. The service department looked into this and stated that my car was simply "not equipped" with the lights. Oh well.

…..:icon_neutral: ….:icon_saywhat:

That sounds awfully incorrect for them to tell you this.

Every car maker provides cabin lights in their cars, to light up the switches and important buttons.
Jaguar marketed the XE base model to have a slightly dark-neon blue lighting in the cabin of all (ALL) its XE cars, from base model to Premium model.
That means the center console should light up, like your sister's car does.

If you purchased the "Prestige" model, or the even higher model versions that the XE comes in, you then get a "lighter" shade of blue lighting in the cabin, (or a choice of colors in the cabin), but you ALWAYS get interior lighting in those areas you point to in your photos.

…If the lighting package or wires are "missing" from your car, it's a factory mistake that Jaguar made, and you should ask (insist) that your service dealer report it to Jaguar as that. Jaguar should send out a wiring set, so your console lights up the way Jaguar intended.

…I am worried that your dealer may not know entirely what he's talking about… but there is no sense in challenging him about his explanation, since you need him to report to Jaguar about the missing lights.

By the way, I didn't ask you:

Did you have to order your XE brand new and wait for it, or did you buy one that the dealer already had in his lot/showroom?

Though I wish I could agree, both base model XE loaners I have received did not have the blue colored LED lights in the center console. But this lighting does not seem to be included in a specific package so I am really not sure.

The car I bought was one that was already on the lot.

What does your window sticker say for interior lighting features? If the window sticker and what you have are at odds; Jaguar needs to fix or replace your car.

Hi Moses,

The following is what the sticker read. Please let me know if there is an item I may be missing:

Interior
Manual Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column Power Rear Windows
5 Person Seating Capacity
Front Cupholder
Rear Cupholder
Valet Function
Cruise Control w/Steering Wheel Controls
Dual Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning
Full Cloth Headliner
Front Map Lights
Fade-To-Off Interior Lighting
Full Carpet Floor Covering -inc: Carpet Front And Rear Floor Mats
Carpet Floor Trim and Carpet Trunk Lid/Rear Cargo Door Trim
Cargo Space Lights
Delayed Accessory Power
Power Door Locks w/Autolock Feature
Systems Monitor
Outside Temp Gauge
Trip Computer
Perimeter Alarm
Engine Immobilizer
Air Filtration
Gauges -inc: Speedometer, Odometer, Engine Coolant Temp, Tachometer, Trip Odometer and Trip Computer
HVAC -inc: Underseat Ducts and Console Ducts
Analog Display
Remote Keyless Entry w/Integrated Key Transmitter, Illuminated Entry and Panic Button
Driver And Passenger Visor Vanity Mirrors
Day-Night Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror
Illuminated Locking Glove Box
Leatherette Door Trim Insert
Power 1st Row Windows w/Front And Rear 1-Touch Up/Down
Seats w/Leatherette Back Material
4 12V DC Power Outlets
Leather/Metal-Look Steering Wheel
Proximity Key For Push Button Start Only
Front Cigar Lighter(s)
Ashtray
Homelink Garage Door Transmitter
Front Center Armrest w/Storage and Rear Center Armrest
Driver / Passenger And Rear Door Bins
Chrome Gear Shift Knob
InControl Protect Tracker System
FOB Controls -inc: Trunk/Hatch/Tailgate, Windows and Remote Engine Start
40-20-40 Folding Split-Bench Front Facing Fold Forward Seatback Rear Seat
Full Floor Console w/Storage, Mini Overhead Console w/Storage and 4 12V DC Power Outlets
Remote Releases -Inc: Power Cargo Access and Power Fuel
Adjustable Front Head Restraints and Manual Adjustable Rear Head Restraints
Interior Trim -inc: Piano Black Instrument Panel Insert, Piano Black Door Panel Insert, Piano Black Console Insert and Chrome Interior Accents
Front Bucket Seats -inc: 10x10 way front seats w/8x8 electric movement - fore/aft (2), cushion height (2), tilt (2), squab recline (2), manual headrest height (2) and memory function w/2 settings for drivers seat

My build sheet from TOPIX shows the following, and I think this may correspond to the interior lighting: "AMBIENT LIGHTING- HIGH LINE"

Does yours show anything of this nature?

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, make an account here: https://topix.jaguar.jlrext.com/

Type in your VIN, click FIND, and then click the Printer icon at the top right of the vehicle summary box. It'll pull up a printable build sheet with all of the items that were supposedly included at the factory.

Hi Alpha,

Mine only says "Ambient Lighting". Ultimately, this isn't the end of the world but I would just like to understand why two Jaguar XE Premium 2017 models don't have the same interior lighting. It doesn't really make sense to me.

The only thing I can fathom is that either A. My car is an earlier production model in the 2017 year when that wasn't a factory installed feature or B. My car is supposed to have the feature and does not due to a wiring/electrical flaw.

:icon_neutral::confused:

It's very strange.

Are the plastic bars where the lights would be clear, as if they are meant to have light coming through them?

Yes, they are clear! Your eyes are not playing tricks on you LOL.

Try telling the dealer that they came on for a second, but won't anymore. That may prompt them to investigate...

As a result, many drivers "re-highlight" buttons and scales at their discretion.

This means that the choice of certain solutions is dictated by certain laws of ergonomics, psychology, and industrial design.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->As a result, many drivers "re-highlight" buttons and scales at their discretion. But cars aren't designed by garage hobbyists, right? This means that the choice of certain solutions is dictated by certain laws of ergonomics, psychology, and industrial design. Yes, even if it is marketing, but somehow it has some well-established scientific basis. Which one? Think about that. You can purchase with the help of special sites that will definitely not let you down. This will be a great solution for you.

Same problem blue ambient lights won’t work
 

So I’m late to this but I have a 2016 xf premium I just purchased and it’s doing the same thing as pictured for the area around the climates plus the inside cubby of my doors are not lighting up anymore (the aqua colored lights) all of my inside some lights and driving lights work as they should. Was curious if the dealer was able to fix this? or if there was a fuse for them I should replace? Or if there is some type of trick to turning them on and off? The small knob by the trunk release will only brighten up the dash board still doesn’t turn on the blue ambient lights, but the aqua light on the dashboard saying Jaguar is working, I only purchased it about 2 weeks ago and they were working then I noticed they weren’t yesterday. If anyone has any ideas would be great before I take it in.

Yes, if it's anything like my 2017 XE, that little knob in the cubby is only for the dashboard lights. It's got no connection to the "ambient lights" around the cabin.

The only other ambient light control the XE has is in the touchscreen menu, I believe under General Settings, and the submenu 'Display'. Look for an option called "Stealth Mode". This, in the XE, dims down all ambient lighting to practically non-detectable (and shuts the touchscreen off completely). It's an option XE drivers can choose, to make the cabin feel like a mechanical car again, and not a high-tech electronic car.

Are the lights that aren't functioning in your cabin---visible to you? Meaning, can you crank you head under and spot the light, to confirm the lamps are actually OFF or just very very dim?

Lights OFF usually mean a circuit breaker blown to the unit controlling the cabin lights. Lights just super-dim, may mean a faulty "Stealth Mode" (if your XF has that), or the previous owner inserting a replacement lamp somewhere in the car that is "sapping" current from being routed correctly to your ambient lighting. Again, it MAY mean that, and only because another owner in one of the British XE forums had his mechanic diagnose his and determine that.

The lights are not on at all only light on is the that’s ambient is the Jaguar on the dash. I’m thinking it’s probably something electrical my menu doesn’t have an ambient light setting that I’m aware of

Yep, sound more and more like a problem with electrical power simply not reaching those lights. If you're getting the single "ambient" light above the dashboard to come on, then it's definitely not a problem with your switch on the steering yoke arm.

An XE owner's manual goes into some detail about circuit fuses, letting you know a rough idea of which fuses where, control which areas of the car electrically. You may choose to check your XF manual and experiment with pulling fuses and looking for a blown one.

Otherwise,... the mechanic will have to probe for the problem.
Did you XF have a previous owner before you? Sometimes owners who do their own maintenance overconfidently swap out a small bulb or fuse, not realizing how oddball-sensitive the electrical system of the Jaguar is. It makes weird decisions to rob various areas of electrical power, just because an owner fitted a non-compatible tail lamp somewhere. (Ridiculous sounding, but reportedly true story).

Problem solved
 

So an update I forgot to post awhile back but if anyone is having this problem check the alternator before checking the battery turns out I had a bad alternator and I guess with these newer vehicles it helps with a majority of the electronics and as it fails the cars electrical it doesn’t really need will slowly shut off soon after I lost my ambient/mood lighting my steering wheel would only extend sometimes would never move up or down, finally broke down and took it in they checked the battery and fuses (which were good) and then replaced the alternator and now the vehicle is back to normal as if I just purchased it! I know it could be different in other cases but it’s definitely worth looking into! Hope it helps someone else down the road.