2006 XK8 with 121,650 miles....

We have owned this car for 9 years. At no time during our ownership has either of the two front amber side oval-shaped reflectors (located directly behind the headlamps) illuminated. I learned today that in my wife's car, these reflector assemblies do indeed have a bulb behind them and a wiring harness attached to them, so in certain parts of the world these reflectors are obviously required to light up whenever the headlamps are on....

What hardware or firmware is my wife's car missing that prevents these two reflector assemblies from lighting up when the headlamps are on?

 

Hi Jon, I just checked mine and the drivers side doesn't work, but it did when I replaced the bumper cover after painting. I think the sockets are questionable, but I assume you checked to see if the wire was not hot with the parking lights on.

 

I have not checked the wiring. We did pull the drivers side bulb and it looks brand new, probably because it has never illuminated. My assumption is that these reflector assemblies are not required to do so here in the U.S. Just looking for confirmation on that subject because during the car's annual safety inspection yesterday, the new guy who performed the inspection gave me grief about it. I have been utilizing this same inspection station for the past decade and they have never had an issue with it before....

 

Normal behavior is for all 4 corners to light when the headlamps are on, amber in front, red in back. I am not aware of any setting in the dealer software that will disable them and I believe that the behavior in Europe and the US is the same.

 

Thanks for your input. Anyone else?

 

Mine light up and I also moved the turn signals into those as well. More about that here with some good pics of that area.

 

Thanks for the additional information....

Sure makes me wonder why my wife's XK8's front side lenses have never illuminated....

 

My Australian 2000 XKR function as reflectors only. They are not pieced for nor fitted with globe holders.

 

...as were mine. I think that's true for all non-US/Canada/Mexico cars.

However, I modified the reflectors and fitted bulbholders. The wiring for all four is present and functional, and is powered whenever the sidelamps are on.

 

they have to light up. federal is orange front and red rear

the rest of world cars are just orange reflectors all around.

 

Jon89,

These lights are called Side Marker Lights (Amber in Front and Red in the Rear).. They light-up when you turn-on the Parking Lights and stay on until the Lights are turned off....In the US they are required to have bulbs so that they operate at Night. Since you have pulled the Light from the Fender you need to check the Bulb and the Wiring and make sure the wiring is connected properly to the Electrical system or if the Bulb is still good....if not, it could be the Fuse....Also, look in your Manual to find the fuse number.....All this is worthless if someone has cut the wiring....What about the other Marker lights? Do they light-up?

Now you have something to do Saturday! Let me know what you find....

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

In the UK ands Europe they don't light up. In fact I have a vague idea that in some European countries it is illegal to have them illuminated. I added bulbs to my rear markers and changed the lens from orange to red, and they light up with the side lights. All the wiring was in place, but just blanked up. No coding required.

 

Thanks to all for the additional information. The consensus here on the forum appears to be that these two amber side markers should indeed illuminate here in the U.S. But neither of them ever has during our 9-year ownership. Looks like I have some investigating to do. My only concern is the car being able to successfully pass its required safety inspection every February. This has never been an issue until a couple of days ago. Fortunately for me, the new guy at the inspection station finally passed it after I managed to convince him that here in the U.S. these assemblies are simply reflectors and are not required to light up. I called the local Jaguar dealership and spoke with their parts department. They confirmed that even though the assembly may contain a bulb and wiring harness due to being a global part, it is considered just a reflector here in our neck of the woods....

 

Additional question:

Do these amber side lights illuminate only when the parking lights are on, or do they also illuminate when the main headlamps are on?

 

Both.

 

^^ Same here.

Odd the dealership claims that they are global parts:- US and ROW items have different part #s, and the ROW ones won't accept the bulbholder without modification.

The only difference with the front markers is that they're fed separately from the BPM, whereas the rears are tapped off the sidelamps. So maybe it could be a programmable option, although I haven't seen it listed as such anywhere...

 

Michael,

The local Jaguar dealership's parts guy is the one who told me that these front amber side markers do not light up. So I just now called a service advisor from that same dealership and asked him. He put me on hold, spoke with a tech, then came back and told me that the tech said these side markers should indeed light up. He was not aware of any programming that needs to be done. When the parking lights or headlamps are turned on, these front amber side markers should also illuminate. I will check the owners manual to see if they are controlled by their own separate fuse but I would venture a guess that they are not....

 

The owners manual states that Fuse 21 in the trunk's fuse box controls the left-hand tail lights as well as the left-hand and right-hand side marker lights. Because the tail lights and rear red side marker lights are all working normally, this fuse is not the issue....

 

Hi Jon,
That makes more sense.

You are correct that there is no fuse between the BPM and the front markers, so whatever protects them will be protecting other things too. Since you're not missing any other functions, I doubt that's an issue.

As RJ suggested, is the wiring 'live' with the sidelamps turned on?

 

My front side amber lights flash with the signal indicator, but don't come on with the parking lights or head lights. In the my manual they are called "side repeater flasher". The rear side red ones do not come on at all. The manual calls these "side marker light (where fitted)".