Just driving my 2010 XF SC and noticed the front right headlight is a deep pink/purple colour... other one looks normal

Any guidance? I'm assuming the lamp is failing. Not quite sure what it has - xenon? HID? Something else? And is it just a 'bulb' or a ballast?

Any guidance welcome. I would ask about 'upgrades' too but I've been very happy with the light quality and brightness

 

Yep, time for new bulbs. Best to change both sides since they change color over time and won't match if you just do one.

Must be Xenon bulbs on your car because Halogen doesn't turn pink over time, they just blow out completely.

 

Yes - looks like a Xenon and failing bulb. Thanks

So - two questions for guidance. What colour temp to use - I really liked the colour and brightness of the existing ones - does anyone know what jag oem color temp is?
And - jag replacement part is $300. For a bulb... I can find osram and Philips ones for about $60 and no-name ones for $20. What's the deal?
Seems like an osram or Philips should be fine - any preference?

 

Phillips, but don't order online because there's a ton of fakes. Go somewhere like Pep Boys to buy them off the shelf.

 

Done. Thanks for the fast response! Will report back once fitted.

 

The stock globes will be Osram Zenarc D1S 4600K but Philips are also good.
Make sure you get D1S, not D2S or D3S.
You can pay a bit more and upgrade to 5000K or even 6000K, but I have found that 5000 is the "sweet spot".
I put a pair of Chinese eBay cheapies in the old 2010 XFS and they worked perfectly for many months, so maybe worth taking a chance on seeing as they are so cheap and fairly easy to replace.

 

i think the car comes with 4300k stock, which is a little too yellow for my taste. 5k adds more of a hint of blue.

 

Hi - tried to change the headlight xenon bulb earlier. Instructions are easy - remove the two screws on the top and one in the wheel arch. Done and the headlight unit is loose. But can't see how to get it out. Think the headlight washer hose is catching at the bottom (the instructions and videos show models without this feature and that looks easy)

Any suggestions? What did I miss??

 

First, have you unplugged the large round lighting multi-plug from the back of each headlight assembly?
It sounds like you might be struggling to get the headlight assembly clear of the bumper/grille, there is a knack to it.
You need to wiggle the inner side (by the grille) out first, and usually it helps to gently pull the edge of the grille/bumper away from the car a cm or two to make juuust enough room to get it to clear. Keep wiggling and pulling, you will get there eventually.
Be very careful with the top outer mounting bracket on the headlight assembly, don't force it or bend it much, otherwise it is prone to snap off.
Then you need to disconnect the headlight washer hoses.
The headlight unit will pull out from the bumper a few inches with the hose still attached (there is a fair amount of slack/play in the hose) which will give you enough room to access the bottom end of the washer hose. Then you lever/slide a small black three-quarter circle clip off the end of the hose to disconnect it from the headlight. The hose will now leak washer fluid, so either have a bucket ready to catch it or a clamp for the hose. Be careful removing the little black clips, easy to drop them into the bowels of the bumper!

 

Thanks. There is no space to unplug the power cord at the back of the headlight from behind so I have to pull it out first. It seems to be the washer hose that's getting caught. Maybe I just didn't find the right angle to wiggle it - will try again

 

Ok - tried the headlights again today with better luck. It was as you described Oz - thanks! Just a lot more wiggly on the SC models with the extra cooling radiator and hoses right below the headlight unit
Undo the 3 bolts (two in engine bay on the top, one inside the wheel arch). Then a lot of wiggling to get the tabs out past the grill with limited clearance and without scratching any paintwork. Once it comes out far enough then unplug the electrical connector and disconnect the washer jet. Those without washer jet will come out much more easily

Two other observations - my right headlight still had those plastic tabs fully intact (lots of posts about them breaking). They look fragile but if you tighten gently 5Nm according to manual they should be ok
The other side had one quite broken and the headlight was actually pretty loose. It turned out that the wheel arch screw had fallen completely out and I suspect the movement of the heavy headlight unit had broken the plastic tab. I superglued it back together but also put a stainless steel washer on top of the tab so the screw pressure was more evenly distributed. Seemed to do up very tight and no more wobble. And in a piece of luck I found the third screw trapped inside the wheel arch and got it fully back in too

All working again and no more pink eye!

 

Good to see you got it sorted.
Yep, on both my old XFS and XFR I added large SS washers under the headlight assembly bolts to spread the load, although I never broke any of the tabs.
And as you discovered the wheel arch bolts fall out fairly easily and can fall down inside the bumper if you slip when trying to put them back in again, my solution was to use a magnetised socket.

 

Thanks again. Very helpful!!