08 XKR with very poor headlight vision looking to replace the low beams with DS! 6000K replacment any brand suggestion, or preference will be helpful.

 

First of all 6000K's a colour temp, NOT a measurement of lumens (brightness) and the higher the Kelvins, the lower the actual light output. DOT/MOT actually regulate what's legally acceptable colour temp for safety and visibility reasons. OEM for almost all cars is 4300K, though going up to but not exceeding 6000K's generally allowed.

If you're having visibility issues, it could be the HID bulbs have exceeded their rated life or it could be the way they're aimed. Also low/high are the same bulbs, like most headlamps, a shutter controls the beam. If you replace the bulbs stick with a major brand like Osram, cheap import knockoffs can fail and destroy your nearly irreplaceable assemblies.

 

Do you have the headlight height where you want it? Most cars are lower than what is allowed. I make sure to have adjusted at the dealership.

 

Decided to order the Osram DS1 6000k bulbs they were a little pricey, prefer the look of the 6000K to the 4300K, no worries as far as DOT or NYS inspection. More than likely they have outlived their usefulness and one headlight being lower than the other didn't help. Please refrain from saying dealership as I try to avoid like Covid lol.

 

Each headlamp assembly has 2 hex screws for adjustment, discussed on this forum many times. For something this simple a trip to the main dealer’s not needed

 

Check your low beam height. If it's quite low, you may have a problem with your Bi-xenon controller. Some automatic headlights have a failure mode that re-aims the automatic direction very low when in failure mode to avoid blinding oncoming drivers. If your lowbeams seem to be pointing very low, check the aiming function. This can be tested with certain JLR capable OBD testers, like the Autel AP200. When you trigger the test, the lights will do a little dance and should settle at correct lowbeam aiming height.

 

Do you have the adaptive headlights? If so, the motors may not be operating correctly. Often, on my car, the lights are aimed "cross-eyed" straight at the ground, and I can't see anything at night. You might want to stand in front of the car with the lights on at night and see where they're aimed.

 

I installed these bulbs a while back. Honestly I'm really disappointed with the end results. I have aimed them to various target heights and angles and they simply are not bright (enough for me). I know it is a jaguar thing, my old xk8's lights were terrible and I eventually installed aftermarket xenon into both the low beam projector and the high beam reflector housings. I used 4300k bulbs and 85watt ballasts. They are better than the xk150 but not nearly as good as my ancient 1973 MB 450 with 100 watt halogens.
Too many other things to worry about but if I find myself driving more at night with the XK I will need to explore this more.
I would love to see what effect removing the raised vein area would do to the output.
wj

 

Yes, they are adaptive headlights. The lights arrived today if they are not bright enough will look into going with aftermarket ballast/lights?. Has anyone replaced the ballast with aftermarket as wymjym did in his X100?

 

Problem with many LED replacements for the Xenon's is that the LED aren't designed to put the chips at the focus points for the xenon bulbs in the projectors. If you find ones that focus they can be good replacements for the 35W bulbs.

 

The main beam housings on these cars can get very cloudy on the inside. You can tell if it needs help by just looking at it from the outside. Are they a cloudy silver or a totally transparent crystal in appearance? They should look like crystal.

 

I think they are pretty clean/clear. When apart I cleaned the inside of the lens, it was not really dirty or dusty…there is either a coating applied to or etched on the inside helping to disperse the light, the lens is not water clear.

If I lived and drove primarily in an urban setting I would add the LEDs since distance viewing wouldn’t be as critical to me but in my long, curvy, unlit country roads distance lighting is king.

The following really summarizes my impression, taken from https://ledlightscentral.com

‘While LEDs remain unchallenged in the brightness arena, they are largely criticized for their inability to illuminate long distances. An LED headlight will illuminate its foreground with an intense beam but will struggle to project further away, resulting in safety concerns.

At high speeds, LEDs will not provide optimal lighting conditions, this lack of projection means that LEDs can have potentially fatal consequences. ‘



wj

 

My lenses definitely don't look that clear... more like cataracts .. Has anyone cleaned them ? What is the process ? Assuming you have to remove the headlight assembly from the car , unscrew the round black cover/ring and remove the Xenon bulb... do you just use something like a large q tip or something to wipe down the inside of the lens ??

 

I used 'Stoners' glass cleaner, sprayed into clean dish and then really long swabs.
https://www.harborfreight.com/cotton...ece-57577.html

be careful! When I pulled the bulbs the wiring sheathing fell apart into 4 million 300 hundred thousand pieces. I then had to add heat shrink to the wiring for fear of a short. This insulation failure is documented and I assure you that it is not a fun project to make repair.
wj

 

thanks !! the biggest thing holding me back is that I only use the xk on weekends here an there in the summer, and typically during the day. Rarely take it out at night quite honestly, and hate to get into a can of worms or go down a rabbit hole when taking it apart lol...

I'm afraid of possibly popping the lens or damaging something poking at it, but might give it a try. The wire sheathing being one of the worms involved too...

 

Well… just clean them. I have to do the same. I added LED bulbs to mine and there is more light output, but I have to still clean the cataracts

Fat better than before

 

would you be so kind as to take a photo where the car is pointing down a street or driveway...maybe say 100 feet or more. Once with low beams and once with highs?
thanks if you can...
wj

 

What brand of LED did you purchase?

 

I used a cheap Ebay brand, but Id look into buying a set of Lucas units which are about $200 for a set. I just wanted something that would plug right into the existing ballasts. No splicing or messing with any of the factory wiring.