This is completely off subject, but has anyone else noticed that there's a difference in the roof antenna (shark fin) on the XJ/351's before the refresh and after the refresh. Old.
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Xdave what a great modification!

Can anyone post part numbers of the correct LED headlights for US cars?
I find FW93-13W029-BB
as well as FW93-13W030-DD.

I know I need RH and LH USA lights.
Don't want to get the wrong ones.
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The DRL looks alone makes this mod totally worth it. The new lights DRL are crazy bright too, they light up the garage like my head lights are on. I actually bought mine plug and play from a U.K. company. Not sure if cornering lights work as I haven't installed yet. I'll update once I know.

 

FW93-13W029-BB (RH) and FW93-13W030-BB (LH) are US spec with AFS.
FW93-13W029-CB (RH) and FW93-13W030-CB (LH) are UK spec with AFS.
FW93-13W029-DB (RH) and FW93-13W030-DB (LH) are UK spec without AFS.
I am unsure about other markets.

 

Thanks again Xdave!

ABice-Were the lights you purchased from Sam in the UK correct for the US? In that we need the LHD version. I have seen and read about his service on EBay.

Note Xdave's part numbers above and that the UK and US are different?
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The ones I bought from Sam in the U.K. Are not the us version. He did have a new set of US spec lights available for 100 more euros. But I did not want the orange reflectors so I went with the euro version.

 

AFAIK (based on observation only) the NAS lamps are the same as the EU LHD lamps, except the blanked outer chevron is replaced by an orange reflector. The moulding for the bracket has space for a dedicated LED module as well, and the electrical schematics show extra LEDs fitted, but photos never seem illuminated so I don't know if it was ever fitted or maybe only when the parking lamps are left on and the vehicle ignition is off*? I am unsure if they are available in non-adaptive version in the US in LED form as my parts catalogue only just covers the launch of the 2016 MY.

*I believe the requirement is for orange reflectors or a minimum size visible from the side of the vehicle, so they do not need to be illuminated.

Whether you need to keep the orange markers or not depends on your vehicle inspection regime. e.g. MOTs in the UK. Logically it seems highly unlikely you would ever get pulled up for not having them unless you were also pulled for more serious defects.

 

I didn't purchase my front headlights from Sam. I purchased the updated rear tail lights from him. Sam sells the UK version headlights w/ AFS. I have part numbers FW93-13W029-BB and FW93-13W030-BB. Both US. The part numbers that Dave listed are correct. I searched ebay UK a few days ago, and they're were several headlights for sale. Both UK and US versions, and cheaper than what I paid for mine.

 

Thanks I will look on the UK EBay too. Wonder why there would be US lights for sale in the UK? Interesting.
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The headlights appear for various reasons, but typically they are grey parts that have been taken out of the supply chain as defective. i.e. dropped units (either from the production line/supplier or where replaced under warranty). The parts are sold at auction rather than writing them off. Sometimes entire cases/shipments of identical parts are bought up which is why some sellers show dozens of units in stock.

You can tell when you are buying the headlamps because new OEM will come in large boxes, protected internally with foam, have a film over the front and sport a Jaguar part number label on the box. It is extremely rare to find new OEM headlamps on eBay - almost all car parts sold on eBay as "new with slight handling marks" or "removed from vehicle with delivery miles only" are grey parts.

In most cases buying a dropped unit doesn't mean you are buying a damaged unit, but as they are sealed it is impossible to tell which is why they are not used in the factory. Smaller items like the rear parking cameras for almost any car are available on eBay straight out of the production line trays which is a sure sign they were dropped. ABS modules and some sealed units like differentials are also moved on when dropped.

Having said that, I buy grey parts all the time if it saves me 50% or more off the new OEM cost. Most eBay sellers will offer returns if an item is faulty, so you can get some bargains for a fairly low risk. With the headlamps, assuming no cracks to the outer shell, it is usually the projector assembly adjustment clips that pop out, or the acrylic light tubes (the signature J blades) that break at the PCB end. Both are easily spotted the first time you use the lamp so if you have a 30 day warranty you should be ok.

 

Kudos again to xdave the ultimate tinkerer and of the great sources of knowledge of x351. Sir I solute you and may you not tire of the x351 until i eventually move on to the next big Jag.

 

Xdave I need some help?

I got a set of LED headlights and they are in beautiful shape! Hoping to make the external harness and NOT cut open the headlights on my 2014 XJR.

It's a real shame that Jaguar changed the glue because I have baked several S Type headlights to open and rebuild them. That technique works fantastic and you can repair almost anything inside those lights.

But making the external adapter harness requires all the little bits be sourced from SimTek in the UK.

Can any of this stuff be purchased in the US? I have contacted SimTek and they can sell to the US but with the added cost of shipping.

Also the 1.5mm wire looks to be just 16ga. wire? Do I have to use the special wire listed? That brand Lapp Kabel is again only available in the UK?

Your help/suggestions are very much valued!
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On cutting lamp housing. Most of the time you don't need to do it to open it. Epoxy that holds clear lens softens with heat allowing you to open headlight. You can stick headlight in the oven at 200F and then open it. Take care to not touch clear shield to anything metal while doing this.

"however the melting point of the PP plastic is lower than that of the sealant used, so that is not an option with these headlamps."

Are you 100% sure that JLR used epoxy that can't be baked open? You don't have to completely melt epoxy, just heat it up to soften it up. Last time I had to do it on a headlight I warmed up headlight in the oven, then used heat gun, taking care not to melt plastic, to warm up stubborn spots. With a lot of plying, the light came apart. To close it, again, I re-heated it in the oven, closed it, made a pass along the edge with a heat gun. Because I am paranoid of getting water into lights, I also applied epoxy layer on top of the seam at the top edge of the light.

 

No I am not 100% sure - I'm happy to proven wrong on the sealant front (it would make it so much simpler), but in my testing the base plastic started to melt and the sealant was still solid to pick at with no give or flex. As mentioned the last gen lamps (X-Type, S-Type, X350) are a doddle to open with just 15 minutes in the oven at a medium temperature and the sealant becomes elastic again.

Jaguar don't make their lamps (I doubt any car manufacturers do anymore) - they are made by Valeo in France who probably make lamps for most European car brands, and so may use the same sealing methods throughout. Widening your search to more commonly modded makes like BMW might turn up some suggestions for getting into the lamps non-destructively. If you don't want the cornering lamps to function then I would always opt for the external adapter harness as it is much simpler.

Cubairth1, you can source parts wherever is convenient for you. They should all be available off the shelf in most regions. The only bits that you shouldn't skimp on is using auto/vehicle-rated relays (tested to withstand vibrations and extreme temperature swings) and an oil-resistant wire (suitable gauge/csa silicon wire used for RC models is a good choice and you can probably buy it off the reel if you have a model shop locally). 1.5mm2 is 16awg. I uprated the CSA slightly as the lamps are on for long periods in a hot environment and I wanted them to dissipate some of the heat from the diodes.

 

I'm sure there's a company here in the US that has the same parts. However if you order the parts from SIMTEK, they'll be the exact same connectors and parts that you currently have on your XJR. So compatibility wont be an issue. And they ship extremely fast too! I had the parts in 2 days. If you go with SIMTEK, you can't go wrong. The additional cost is probably worth the piece of mind. And yes, you're correct on the wiring. I just purchased the wiring from AutoZone. Lol. I purchased wiring from SIMTEK initially, but I didn't purchase enough of it.

 

Thanks for the helpful replies!

I think I will just use Simtek so all the connectors match the factory. That is a very good point that I did not think of.

I will keep a look out just in case someone does figure out how to open the lights without cutting. I would rather do it that way but losing the static cornering light is not a big deal. Plus if I keep the LED lights stock and need to sell them it would be simple.

Xdave I am confused on the use of the REL-07U mini relay box? It has 7 slots and we are using 3 relays per side. So is this box used for both lights?
Or do I need to order 2 of them and just leave the other 4 slots empty?
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It is up to you. You can use one to save cost (you can easily route the cables over, and there is a neat space for the box behind and to the right of the RH headlamp where it can be cable tied to the chassis), or you could place one on each side.

 

I like that idea as I value a clean install if possible. I will check out that space before I order from SimTek.
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...FW93-13W029-BB (RH) and FW93-13W030-BB (LH) are US spec with AFS.


So these will be a straight forward connection with 2012 U.S. Super Sport?

 

Read the thread. All the answers are in there.

Xdave has done all the work and I am following his instructions right now.
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