Anyone replace exterior lights with LEDs? Any feedback on their brightness and or issues?

I just ordered some LED bulbs for my reverse lights. I couldn't find a store that carried that standard 6476 bulb that is stock on the '90 XJS. Check on ebay and found some LEDs that are interchangeable with the 6476.

Anyone know how to pop out the cover/bulb for the lights that are located right around your outside knee on driver and passenger side and open when car door open? Is that the map light? I'd like to change these to LED too. These seem to work when they want. they both turn on when the passenger door opens, but only the left one turns on when the driver door opens. Any experience with his?

 

These 'courtesy lights' are also the same units as used in the back C post trim and in the boot (trunk). They take 'festoon' (sausage shaped) bulbs. Of course the top centre light can be set to come on with the doors by pushing the lens towards the front or back (ie rotating it a bit on an axis across the car).

You have to gently prise out the whole unit, putting a wide bladed screwdriver behind one end. They are just held in by a spring.

Greg

 

Hey Greg - the issue on the courtesy lights is that when the driver door opens, nothing turns on. When the passenger door opens, both lights turn on. Its really wacky. Any ideas?

 

Actually, I have had a senior moment in my last post, (the shame of which has been edited out) and I got my ideas confused with the operation of the courtesy lights by the dashboard switches.

If you operate the dashboard switch for the front courtesy light, only the passenger side one comes on. When either door is opened they should both come on. Many apologies.

Sorry I misunderstood your problem, anyway. As to diagnosis for why nothing comes on when the driver's door is opened, it is very likely to be the switch set into the A pillar, which is actuated by the little chrome plate on the door. Give this switch a good joggle in and out and a shot of WD40 down the plunger and see if that helps. If not, unscrew the switch and jump the contacts with a piece of wire and see if that does it. If it does, duff switch. If not, post again.

Does the centre top light come on with the doors?

Greg

 

Got my LED bulbs for reverse lights in the mail today. Ripped them open and installed them right away. Funny thing happened next...the left reverse light was missing a bulb....the right reverse light had a build and was working. When I dropped on the LED festoon bulbs, the left one worked and the right one (which previously worked) now doesn't work. I had to pull and mold the metal springs holding the bulbs in place to accommodate the slightly smaller LED bulb....could I have down something to it....but then why would the left one work. Thoughts.....?

 

Are they plain LED bulbs or do they have added polarity circuitry ?

If not, they have to be inserted the correct way. There is a 50/50 chance to get it right, and sounds like you got them 50% right. For the one thats not working, take it out and turn it over end to end and reconnect it.

I have LED lights in all of the interior lights, which helps prevent the light unit getting hot and eventually yellowing the plastic from the heat. I also have additional LED lighting strips down the sides of the centre console, all of which come on when the doors open.

I also have LED lights for my rear license plate lights which have that LED whiteness about them which looks a bit better than the old yellow glow from the standard bulbs

PS : Have you bought any documentation for the car yet..... ?

 

I flipped the bulb around and that did the trick. Both reverse lights are working now. May have to also replace the license plate bulbs since i had just bought standard bulbs for that so it matches.

Sarc, you mentioned you have LED lights in all of your interior....did you also do your gauges? How did you get the hazards/map light buttons to light up. my whole dash is dark except for the trip computer and stereo.

What do you mean by documentation?

 

Sorry, I meant my interior lights as in the ones by your knee and the two in the back beside the cubby box.

My gauges are standard bulbs. There is an LED replacement kit I saw somewhere but it was very expensive.

Not sure how your 90 car compares to my facelift, but I have lighting for the foglight switches and the 4 buttons, 2 at either side of the trip computer. My trip computer also lights up. My heater controls also light up, although not very brightly because it's a weird fiber optic system. My indicator and headlight stalks also light up, which is kind of cool, but again it's done by fiber optics so it's faint. I'm pretty sure this last part wasn't on 90 cars.

"documentation" means a good factory manual or the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust CD :-)

 

I was also going to replace the map lights and backseat panel lights too....as soon as i figure out how to actually get in there to access both lights! I bought a bunch of the LEDs on ebay since I got a great deal.

Met someone else on here that did his dash with LEDs. Look amazing! The vendor is v12s - Official Website. They sell various packages depending on what you're replacing. I'm going to order the instrument cluster kit for $56 (5 bulbs). These also don't require adding resistors which is great.

Yeah, my '90 doesn't have all that fancy stuff. I'm still hunting for ROMs. This '90 XJS is like the one car is the history of cars that doesn't have much literature out there.

 

This is a good start...

Jaguar Heritage. XJS 5.3 Litre (JHM 1146)

Then download the free circuit diagrams here..... http://captainjaguarscathouse.com/El...ec%20Guide.pdf (That way you don't have to keep asking where the fuse is for X and Y)

 

Yeah I have the Electrical Guide....might as well be in Russian. I'm still trying to figure out how to read and understand wiring diagrams.

Do you have the Jaguar Heritage DVD? Worth the money? Having this Forum has been the best thing about owning the Jag so far....I'm sure you all are better than most of these books!

 

I have everything, the CD, the ROM, etc

I prefer to do a lot of reading first..... that way I learn more about the car

 

The DVDs are worth every penny.