How difficult is it to replace the backup lights in a 2007 XK convertible? Only one is working on mine.

 

That may be all there is.

 

Thanks. I wasn't sure and didn't want to start taking things apart to find that out.

 

Yup, one backup and one rear fog on the 2007-2009 cars (4.2L).

 

Lol ... Anytime I have to backup , I can be pretty sure if someone is around that they're going to say 'hey - one of your lights is out '. When I tell them that's how it was designed , they give me that strange ' really ?? ' look.

 

Thanks for the info. And yes, I get the same comments every time I back up.

 

For a mere £794 you can upgrade the rear tail lamp assemblies to the 2010 - 2015 version that has fog and reversing lamps on both sides.

They're available from Adamesh in the UK.

 

For that kind of $, I think I'll languish in 2007.

 

Yikes!! Thanks for the info, but I'll just get used to the questions/comments about only 1 back up light.

 

But it's, like, sooo last decade...

 

The updated lights do look good though...



Word of warning about the installation, the wiring changes, resistors and relays is very time consuming, and not exactly as the instructions say.

The basic installation is about 4-5hrs, and I ended up having to try four different resistor units until I found a combination that worked, this took several weeks while I waited for the different resistors to be delivered.

And paying top dollar for a kit that keeps the incandescent bulbs in there as well as the LEDs, is not cool,

 

You should have looked at the step by step instructions in the PDF posted by George Kale. Just uses resistors, no bulbs. Had mine for 2 years now, no problems.

 

Those are the instructions I was referring to as "not exact", resistors solved mine, but they aren't the same values he used.

There were also some "kits" being sold that used the bulbs instead of resistors, not naming names...

 

I read the thread(s) where bulbs were used, and thought that was really dumb, faking out the 'lamp out' condition by using a bulb hidden in the trunk/boot.

Back the George's instructions... I used the exact resistor values he specified, and it works fine for me. The only issue I had with his instructions was the labeling of the pin-out differences between the LED units and the pre-LED units. I don't recall if he was wrong about one of them, or it was just confusing. Think I posted later in that thread a clarification to make it easier to make the wiring changes.

 

Yeah the pinout differences was explained in a very confusing way, I worked it out my own way using the wiring diagrams from both models, no biggie.

Maybe my car is a bit odd or something, but I had to do it differently with the resistors.

For the turn signals he says 2x 25ohm in paralell = 12.5ohm, which didn't work for me.
My left side would only put out the errors with 2x 6ohm in series, = 12ohm
My right side would only put out the warning with a single 6ohm, the errors remained with the 2x 6ohm series or 2x 25ohm paralell.

For the brake lights he said 1x 25ohm & 1x 10ohm in paralell = 7.14ohm on each side. Again this didn't work. I got some 8ohm ones (which actually measured ~8.2ohm) and that fixed it.

Was lots of fun to solve, not...

 

Somewhere in the rear there's a plug I'll jumper out and feed both rear lamps from the same power source. More than once while rooting for the fog lights I've turned the rear one on. Dang steering wheel blocks those switches perfectly for me.

 

But there are different rear lamps for RHD and LHD, one side being red, the other white, the colours are on different sides depending on which side the steering wheel is on.

In theory you could get a left side lamp from a RHD car and wire it in, then you would have two reversing lights, but no fog lights...

 

Argh. I thought they were both white...

Maybe I'll just get some projectors and mount them in the diffuser.

 

Well, it just so happens, I have a full set of RHD rear lights here that are gathering dust...

This one will probably go cheap https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/jaguar-xk...e/263331828530

 

I wouldn't expect such a large difference between the left and right side. Maybe there's a problem with your replacement wiring loom?
A small, but apparently significant, difference. Pretty fussy electronics in there.