Bulb behind temp gauge
 

How hard is it to replace the bulb that illuminates the temp gauge? Any suggestions how to do it? Is it worth the trouble? Mine seems to be out.

You have remove the wood veneer, then fog light switches and trip odometer keyboard switch. You will see 4 screws securing to the instrument cluster to the dash. Carefully pull the cluster forward to gain access to the bulbs. It helps to have the steering wheel all the way down and out.

I think wazari is referring to the intrument cluster veneer. If you are referring to your temp display unit in the centre console, you need to remove your wood ski slope from the centre console.

To remove the wood ski slope :

Using a flathead screwdriver with tape around the end to protect the wood and leather, gently lever up the leather surround that goes round the J-gate gear selector. It just pops off but make sure you've went all the way round with the screwdriver to get it loose.

Undo the 4 bolts now exposed (8mm sockets)

Lift the wood trim from the back in an upwards direction. It is clipped into the dash just above the top row of switches in the centre console (Trac, Valet, heated seats, etc)

There are 3 screws (top, leftside, rightside) holding the AC controls inplace. Unscrew these (Use a magnetic screwdriver because if you drop them they can disappear into the console, never to be seen again) Pull the AC controls out of the console.

Working from the back of the AC controls, unscrew the back plastic cover that is behind the temp display. Once you've done that, you should hopefully be looking at something resembling the picture at the bottom of this link :

http://www.skjagtech.co.uk/support-p...nel-lamps.html

If its your temp display thats dark you need JLM11965. I would advise you to buy the bulbs first so you don't have to situation where you have the car in bits then the Jag dealer doesn't have any stock and they need to order them. As they are expensive (15USE + tax each) I tried various things to try and replace them with some other bulbs in the holders but to cut a long story short I couldn't get it to look right. Either looked too white, too bright or too dark, so I bit the bullet and bought the correct parts from the dealer. I only had one out but I bought and replaced both.

Actually
 

Upon re-reading the original post, wazari may have been right in the first place!!

Ah well, you now have the correct info to replace any temp guage light, either the one in the instrument cluster or the one in the centre console for the AC :-)

Thank you SARC
 

I just replaced the bulbs in my climate control panel. Thanks to SARC for the detailed write up which made the job much easier. Wasn't hard, but the way the routing of the wires was was a PITA. Someone had been there before me and had overtightened the screws, a bunch of mounts were broken. Doesn't affect anything that I can see (still tight no rattles, etc.)

Poor lighting on both AC temp display and radio
 

Hi,

Just bought a 97 XK8, both displays on the Temp for the AC unit and radio are so dull, I think they don't work. The AC unit and radio work fine, just can not see what channel I am on or what the temp is.

Can I buy replacement lamps? and if so, any idea's on how to change them.

Thanks in advance

You may have better luck posting in the XK8 forum. I'm not sure if the removal procedure on the XJ8/R is the same as XK8/R as the consoles are slightly different. There is a link to the bulbs for the AC display in my previous post. For the radio, I'm not sure.

man i am having one hell of a hard time finding this bulb on line...JLM11965...i need to replace it and am having the same problem...the right hand side of my temp switch is out...

Try here- http://www.jagbits.com/jaguarcontrolpanel.php although I'm confused as to which bulbs I need . My 98 XJ8 climate control display backlighting does not work. So do I need JLM20309?

@pdog2000

Unfortunately the website link I posted has died, along with the company (SKJagtech). Exactly what part of your A/C controls are not lighting up ?? If it is the display panel itself (The LCD one that shows the temperature setting) then you need JLM11965. Anything else I'm not sure about, because thats all I replaced

@avt007

If it is your temp display that is dark you need JLM11965, so it looks like you can get from Jagbits. To be honest, I would go to the dealer to make sure you get the right one. If I remember they cost 15USD at the dealer

I have done a ton of research since my Jag dealer is closed on Saturday, for parts, anyway. Here's what I found:
1. JLM11965 appears (use at your own risk) to be the same a Ford p/n E5RY-13466. No stock at my Ford deaer, but a price of $7.58 each.
2. Toyota p/n 90011-11038, same deal, but $10.88 each.
3. The base style is known as a NEO wedge. I opted to try LED lamps, rather than the incandescent bulbs from Jag. They are a fraction of the cost, so what the heck?
Superbrightleds.com carries NEO4-Bs, etc. The 4 is for 4mm, the dash numbers are for colour and brightness. I opted to buy high intensity in white and blue. They are pretty darn bright, the normal ones are probably better.

A common fault of leds is that throw their light straight out, and not to the sides like a normal lamp. Their website warns you of this, and it's true. The display is bright on both sides and a bit dimmer in the middle.
I'll wait and see how I like them, and report back. It was a bit of a gamble, but for $2.29 lamp, who cares?

Attachment 170451

Attachment 170452

Attachment 170453

What about the lights which illuminate the speedo, tach, etc. Can they be replaced with LED?

Probably. If you google this it is a common mod to change the colour of dash lighting using LEDs. But I don't know the part numbers of the speedo bulbs.

Yes, my car has a total conversion in the cabin including the speedo, centre console switches and interior lights, I'll post some pics when it's dark.

My reason was to do it once and not worry about fitting more bulbs in the future.

Instrument Cluster R&I
 

Hi
PDF files on Instrument Cluster Removal & Install:

Attachment 12314

Attachment 12315

Jim Lombardi

Today I took the blue ones out, they were too bright at night. I am now trying the white ones with the blue filters installed.

BTW Jim, good links, thanks.