Hello all,

I was thinking of putting in the 30w equivalent CREE LEDs 1156's and 1157 on the rear lights of my XJS. I am not big into unnecessarily converting things to LED, but with the smoked tail lights I thought it would be a good idea..:


Anyone running these type of Leds ?

 

Just be sure the output is the same. Technically the LEDs can come on faster, which is safer and a reason LED third brake lights became a requirement in places. I have replaced a lot of interior lamps with LEDs with great success, but the bigger bulbs seem to be a bit more of a pain. If you know it will be bright enough then you should be fine, I have used several 1156 and 1157 equivalents that were REALLY dim and lame. I put a cheap red one off amazon that didn't list the output in my GF's discovery and its super dim.

are they red? If not I would check out the ones at moss. I haven't bought any, but if they put them in their cars then I don't think you will have any output or color issues, I know theirs are available in clear, red, and orange.

MossMotors.com - Restoration Parts And Accessories For British Cars

Not sure what the updated XJS has in terms of light checks or idiot lights, some cars notice the lack of resistance and think the lamps are out. Pretty sure you can just throw in a resistor somewhere to get rid of this issue

 

If anyone could add to this, please

I got the red cree 30w 1157's for the dual filament bulbs:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=380514578684

No resistors needed for those, and great visibility improvement on the facelift XJS tinted tail-lamps. In fact, I like them so much, that I have ordered even brighter Red 1157 cree bulbs for the XJS and will move the ones I already bought to the E:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=310821670460

Now, I am also ordering Amber 1156 50w Crees for the XJS turn signals:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=221337215332

And this is where I need help because I am **very**confused.

The OEM 1156 turn signal bulb is 21 watts.

My LED operates at 10 watts with maximum 50 watt capacity (?)

What type of resistor do I need? There are some 50watt resistors, but why would I get that if the LED uses 10watts and the car is expecting 21watts? Shouldn't my resistor be 10 -20 watts only to compensate??? What about the so called LED flasher relays?

Help !!

 

In my neck o' the woods...and likely most everywhere else, I reckon....these lighting upgrades are all the rage.

Increased visibilty can certainly be a good thing. Or not.

I'm a bit weary....no, very weary.... of having my eyes dazzled by over-bright bulbs. My eyes often assaulted by the ^*^*--cking laser beam style brake lights and signal lights of the car front of me....doubly painful when sitting behind said car at the traffic light !

Now MY eyes are dazzled and MY visibility has been seriously reduced. This reduces MY safety and the safety of others on the road.

Thanks a lot !

Just make sure that the new bulbs are not TOO bright! Sometimes 'bigger' isn't better !



Cheers
DD

 

Well there is nothing to do but get used to it. New cars are coming of the assembly line this way.


I typically agree with you, Only in this case brighter is better. The E type has very dim rear lights at a very low possition,and the facelift XJS rear cluster is very tinted and has poor visibility as well. So those cars are getting the cree leds as red and bright and vulgar as my ill gotten money can buy.

On the X type that would probably be overkill and blinding to the driver behind me, so that car will stick to regular bulbs for now.

 

I hear ya on the E-type and some older cars that really *could* stand being upgraded. And, yes, the smoked XJS tail lights will blunt the brightness, I reckon.

I haven't seen any new cars will obnoxiously bright stop/signal lights but if you say they're out there, I have no reason to doubt you. I'm really a bit surpised, though, that the dazzle-effect is apparently not taken into consideration....? Or pehaps taken into consideration and then deemed inconsequential?

Cheers
DD

 

Well for anyone interested I replaced the entire rear cluster on the XJS with CREE leds. Except for the backup lights. I am very pleased as there has been an improvement in brightness and colour. There is no such thing as too bright bulbs on the facelift rear cluster of the facelift XJS, as the tint is quite heavy.

For the rear Foglights 1156 bulbs I used these simple red cree leds:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=291285156259



9 dollars for the pair.

For the 1157 stop lights I used these red cree bulbs

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=310821670460



76.00 for the pair

And for the 1156 turn signals I used these Amber cree bulbs

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=221337215332



76.00 for the pair as well

The flashers did hyper flash but I did not install any resistors in the wiringto cure it, instead replacing the OEM flasher with this; so no need to splice in resistors just drop in this Led flasher to cure hyper flashing

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=400665089678



And for the high mounted stop lamp, I used this

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=190927045178

 

all I have to say is THANK YOU,


I will forward this to my wife so she can have some stocking stuffers for me for Christmas

 

I put a COB LED on back fogs and brake lights, and normal LED bulbs for the back lamp (shown in the second picture), for I like them to be cheaper and to consume less current.

The first picture shows how they look like... The left lights are normal bulbs, the right are LEDs. Even those cheaper LEDs are bit brighter than the normal bulbs.

I threw away the bulb of the instrument bulb failure warning lamp. I decided to ignore it, for if I put on resistors it means the resistors and the LEDs consumes the same current as the older bulbs, which isn't interesting to me. In addition I don't like the heat resistors or bulbs make. It will make weakened plastics weaker.

 

The only reason to use resistors for me, would have been to prevent hyper flashing of the turn signals, but since like you I don't like the thought of the hot resistors or cutting into the wiring, the LED flasher is perfect. No modifications required, just switch the flasher