Having done my first proper winter driving in this baby, I'm spending more time in the dark and feeling the lack of clarity in certain conditions. Also concerns me as I'd like to apply slight tint to the windshield to reduce the crazy glare from the ridiculously modern LED lights.

Has anyone undergone an upgrade? My first instinct was to think LED lights would be a great improvement but the only thread that I could find on the topic recommended against it as the halogen designed housing won't reflect the light correctly.

 

I gather fromyour post that your car has the halogen lights, not the HIDs. I concur with the recommendation of the other post not to switch to LEDs for ow. There none that I know that have been released for the Jag we drive.

My recommendations are the following:
-check whether the bulbs in the headlights have been inserted correctly. You would not believe how many cars drive around with the bulbs inserted wrongly, and how much this affects the light emission of the headlights.
- if the bulbs are inserted correctly and the light emissionis still insufficient, I would switch to bulbs like Osram Nightbreakers, Philips RacingVision, or similar from really good brands. These bulbs make a difference in light emission, but be aware that they do not last as long as standard bulbs.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

The problem is you can swap to LED bulbs but the reflector is all wrong so it causes glare to oncoming drivers as you posted above.

Check you state laws as most don't allow windshield tinting or only allow a limited band at the top of the windshield.

Can you answer Thomas-S? If you running the Halogen lights you could get a pair of HIDS for your car. With a pair of new bulbs (I also like Osram or Phillips bulbs) you might be surprised how good the light is.
.
.
.

 

Hi Clubairth1,
The technology and design of LED bulbs to replace halogen is improving all the time. The latest LEDs have very small emissive area and produce a good beam. Some of the LED bulbs have shaped housings to prevent errant light output that can cause dazzle. The worst offenders for dazzle are aftermarket HID conversions. They produce chromatic effects that give lights a purple halo that can appear like blue police lights. We don't want that!
I have LEDs for my H7 high beams and they produce a good spread of white light. I'm not concerned about dazzling drivers, because they're high beams and are off when there is anyone in front.
I have also recently fitted HID-compatible LEDs to my low beams and they have better light output than my HID bulbs, and the beam cutoff is identical as it is produced mechanically by a shutter.. The only way to detect that they are not HIDs is to watch the startup, as they are instant, unlike the HID bulbs which take a second to strike.
Some jurisdictions are more pedantic about unauthorized changes to lighting components, but my lighting setup has never been failed or questioned during annual safety inspection here in New Zealand.

Pete M

Full LED front lights. High, low, park, fog, angel eyes and grille insert.

 

Quote:
"Some jurisdictions are more pedantic about unauthorized changes to lighting components, but my lighting setup has never been failed or questioned during annual safety inspection here in New Zealand."
Unquote

So true, I live in one. As long as the LED lights are not specifically approved for the model of your car, your car will lose it road legality and can be forcibly laid up by the authorities.
The problem with LEDs is not only the beam cutoff, but also that they heat up much more than halogen or HID bulbs and may thus deform the headlight reflectors and or headlight housing, or, in the worst case, ignite something and burn down your car.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Hi Thomas,
It seems harsh to lose road legality and be laid up for an incorrect bulb. Don't you legally have to carry spare bulbs in Germany? You could just swap out the bulb and you are legal again.
I have been upgrading headlights for decades. When quadruple 5.75 inch round lights were the fashion, you could buy a 100 watt 13 volt aircraft landing light and modify your lamp housings to fit it. They were really good! On my XJ12, I fitted 130/90 watt outer bulbs and 100 watt inners and that gives really good light. High beams consumed 460 watts!
You aren't serious in saying a 35 watt LED unit produces more heat than a 75 or 100 watt halogen bulb? LED car lights have a cooling fan and multiple cooling fins and run much cooler than a halogen bulb. The LED process is much more energy efficient than a halogen filament bulb for producing light output.
My house had 50 watt halogen downlight bulbs. The LED replacements I fitted give almost exactly the same light, and are rated at 5 watts. The halogen bulbs would be extremely hot, so that the ceiling insulation had to be protected from contact with the light fitting. With 12 downlights, my lounge would consume 600 watts with halogens, but the LED lights only consume 60 watts. These aren't car lights, but it shows the difference in the technology.

Kind regards
Pete M

 

Hi Pete,

quote
"It seems harsh to lose road legality and be laid up for an incorrect bulb. Don't you legally have to carry spare bulbs in Germany? You could just swap out the bulb and you are legal again."
unquote

That's the way it is, and no, we do not have the legal obligation of carrying spare bulbs in the car. Actually, if you would have spare bulbs in your car so that you could replace the bulbs in case of a police check, this would worsen your situation because it would demonstrate to the police that you knowingly modified your car in an illegal way... a heavy fine would be the result.
Also, in the case of HIDs, it is generally not recommended to replace the bulbs by yourself because of the high voltages involved. That's the official explanation, anyway...

quote
"You aren't serious in saying a 35 watt LED unit produces more heat than a 75 or 100 watt halogen bulb? LED car lights have a cooling fan and multiple cooling fins and run much cooler than a halogen bulb"
unquote

Well, I am serious, and you actually confirm my statement. Why do LEDs have the cooling fan and the cooling fins you mention? Because it seems that in the case car car bulbs they produce more heat that the HIDs or the halogens, which do not have fans and fins.
And the heat has to go somewhere, which is why the compatibility with the headlights of your car has to be approved to be road legal.

I concur that with household bulbs you do not have the issue with too much heat, it is more the contrary, but it seems that in the case of car bulbs the situation is different.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Thank you Thomas, I bought the car from the first and sole owner at 58k miles so she's probably still on her stock lights. Is it safe to assume those were halogen? Is it true that it takes removing the entire front bumper to access them?

 

Pete these look great and exactly what I was thinking of. How did you source the right ones for the car? Are all 4 of the low beams of the same bulb type? Lastly did you swap them out yourself?

 

Hi JagNYC,
The outer headlights can be of two types. In some countries and on some models they were H7 Halogen, the same as the inner (High Beam) lights. These look very similar to the inner lights. In other countries and on some models, the outer (Low or Dip Beam) are HID, with projector lights. The HID lights are what is on my car.
The HID lights are very good and don't really need to be improved. The inner (High Beam) lights were H7 halogen on all models. If the HID low beams are fitted, the halogen high beams look yellow in comparison.
Depending on how strict the compliance regime is in NYC, there are a number of improvements. Sticking with the standard halogen bulbs, some people have recommended Osram Night Breakers, and there are a number of threads about alternative H7 halogen bulbs.
If you're up for a bit of rule-breaking, there are lots of LED alternatives for H7 bulbs (Sorry Thomas!). I have tried a few from China, but at the moment I have a set from Narva which are the best so far. It is really important to check the alignment of your headlights, especially if you fit a LED alternative. Mine don't seem to generate any negative attention from oncoming drivers. A few years back, before LEDs, aftermarket HID kits were the thing, and they usually had really bad fringing effects with purple halo rainbow flashes. They seem to have been mostly superseded by LEDs which are now fitted to most new cars, and don't seem to exhibit any fringes or halos.
I have changed all my headlight bulbs myself, and it is certainly a fiddly job. A small mirror and a head torch really helps to see what you are doing. Note that it is possible to fit an H7 bulb upside down, but you can usually see in from the front if it is correctly fitted.
As a last resort, the headlight unit can be removed from the car. It isn't necessary to completely remove the front bumper. This can be done one side at a time too. Remove the grille and disconnect the push fitting between the headlights. Pull the bumper side outwards where it joins the fender on the side. A spray of WD-40 into the join can make it easier to remove. There are three formed loops that click into a plastic fitting. Then the bumper will sag down at the front, and you can access the two 10mm bolts at the bottom and one at the top to remove the light unit. Getting the light out of the wing is a bit of a puzzle, but just keep trying different angles until it comes out. There is an electrical connector with a red locking tab that you pull first.
The light units, if they are halogen/halogen, could benefit from cleaning any dust or haze from the inside of the glass with a soft cloth. I wouldn't touch the reflectors. If you have HID/halogen units, the HID projector is removable with 4 screws. The projector lens can be cleaned on both sides, but again, don't touch the reflector.

Regards
Pete M

 

quote
"If you're up for a bit of rule-breaking, there are lots of LED alternatives for H7 bulbs (Sorry Thomas!)"
unquote

No need to apologize. In the end, everyone is responsible for his own actions
As they are quite strict here in Germany, and a fine (depending on the amount) can also have repercussions on your driving licence (I'm not kidding), apart from insurance issues in case the car is not road legal anymore, etc., I prefer to stick to keeping my cars within the legal boundries.
In the case of the headlight bulbs, you could try to get a specific certification for your car, but it would cost you several thousands of EUR, so not really worth the effort.


Coming back to the general topic, and to whether the car has halogen or HID lights: apart from Pete's explanation about how the headlights look in one case and the other, you can look on the headlightd from the front of the car. In case of HID lights, you will see a "D1S" engraved on the outer side of transparent plastic, and in case of halogens, it should read "H7". On the inner side, towards the radiator grill, you will always see "H7" engraved, as the high beams are always halogen, as stated by Pete.

Here's pictures of the different types of Headlights, you can clearly see the difference:

HID:


Halogen:


You can see that the halogen lights do not have the focussing lense of the HID lights.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Do what you want but LED bulb's put in a non-LED reflector will not have the correct beam pattern. This is why government regulators have the rules they do. In the US we have the same legislation but it's rarely checked by the inspectors.

Now the correct way to add DOT approved LED headlights is to replace the entire unit. Many of these are out now and for us classic car guys this a great mod!



What the problem we have is all the modern cars have different head light designs so no standards like years ago with 5" or 7" round and eventually rectangular head lights. These sealed beam LED's are made correctly and make a wonderful difference compared to the old dim Halogen setups. Plus only $100 for a pair!

Do check as Thomas-S advised above to determine which setup your car has.
.
.
.

 

I hear ya, and what you're saying is logical. I primarily want to improve low light visibility and in asking for LEDs I was thinking of the same transition made in household lighting that made lighting so much better at a low wattage.

If the LED lights end up reflecting in the wrong direction then it fails the purpose. Crazy to hear the radical contrast from Thomas' reality where here its become the norm to run red lights, remove mufflers, and even use fake plates (though that's beginning to be policed now). Non compliant lights would be at the lowest of concern here.

I'll have to give her a proper look next time and hope that I have the weaker halogens as I'd like to keep her close to the original look where practical. How did you confirm those lights are compatible by the way? They doesn't seem to mention Jaguar anywhere.
​​​​

 

Even the lights shown by clubairth1 are definitely not an option here, as sealed beams are not allowed in Germany, I would be curious about how you would technically fit such lights to our cars, as the headlight units in the Jag comprie low beam, high beam, position light, and indicator, and you would have to dismantle and reassemble them completely.

I would have thought that they would only be a replacement for cars with the round lights that were standard once upon a time.

Independantly on whether your car has halogens or HIDs, my suggestion would be to first replace the bulbs with new quality ones and to check the correct alignment of the headlights, as it is easy to accomplish and not so costly and sometimes the difference is amazing.
Only if that does not bring the desired result, I would think about the other options.

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Thomas-S is right. What I posted won't work on a modern Jaguar. But in the US many old cars came with 5" or 7" round sealed beam head lights. I am sure older Jaguars as well. So these modern LED sealed beams are DOT approved as a replacement for OEM. Plus they do work very well and it's real easy to swap a sealed beam unit.
.
.
.

 

Hi clubairth1, thanks for the clarification!

The problem that I see with our cars is that they were produced in small numbers only, and that probably it will not make sense economically for manufacturers to produce approved LED replacements (DOT, ECE or whatever is needed for the different countries) for them. It's different for thhe round lights because, as you say, they were fittd to literally millions of cars.

I hope that I am wrong, but I do not believe it...

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Several months later but you all might appreciate that I not only replaced these lights, but I was able to do so without touching the bumper! I used Rockautos recommendations for brighter options on this car and the Philips Xenon do not disappoint, I can finally see at night especially when fighting off everyone's bright LEDs in oncoming traffic.

Disclaimer that I had some help from a buddy but that was more so for testing the lights.
I'm surprised that it wasn't significantly harder so

I'm inclined to believe that either the X358 has slightly more room for the procedure or it being a base model naturally aspirated has less crowding in the way.


Nonetheless, it is tight and takes some careful rotation of the lights to get them in and pop the covers back on.

It wasn't without sacrifice as I had removed the grounding cables on the passenger side of the car and when putting it back on the stupid bolt snapped.


Luckily I was able to just barely stretch the cables over to the nearby stud but let that serve as a lesson to anyone that these studs are of very soft metal and you're better off just finger tightening (the stud broke off just as I got it tight with a wrench)

 

Less than a year later and I'm back to shopping for new lights. Not because the news ones have failed to work but because they've failed to compete. The lumen output from all of these new cars is ludicrous, might as well strap stadium lights to the front.

Anyway has anyone used the H7NGP LED alternatives? I see a dozen brands on Amazon with high variance in prices, curious if anyone confirmed a specific model fits and works well.