I'm getting ready to upgrade the halogens in my 03 XK8 with a set of 6000K HID's and wanted some input on the parking lamps. I'd like to swap these out with LED's to more closely match the color of the headlights but have read about issues with reliability due to heat/etc.. Has anyone had any luck running LED parking lights?

I haven't spent much time exploring under the hood on how to remove these yet. From what I can see it looks like the low beam headlights will be fairly accessible for the HID swap once the panel is removed from the inner fenderwell, while I'm in there will I be able to get the parking lights out or is there a better way?

 

I've seen more marketing for those LED lamps that are 'low heat' or 'suitable for enclosed fixtures', but I have yet to hear of anyone successfully finding a longterm solution for that particular bulb.

I actually like the halogen parking light next to the HID lamps. I'm surprised your 03 isn't HID equipped already, that was a standard model upgrade. Maybe it was a very early 03? If you want to match the OEM intensity and color, go with 5000k instead...just a suggestion.

We've got the HID thread over here for your browsing pleasure...you'll see what I mean.

 

I haven't pulled the original headlights yet so I can't say with 100% certainty that they are halogens but there's nothing that leads me to believe they are HID. I still have the original window sticker from the car and there's nothing on it mentioning the HID upgrade. I've also read on the forum that HID equipped cars should have a sticker on the driver's side B pillar indicating so, mine does not. Also, the headlights are definitely not self leveling.

I've seen the HID thread, definitely a good read. I'm a fan of the 6000K bulbs, have used them before and believe they are a good balance between looks and usable light output. I've got a kit from DDM tuning, and have used them with excellent results on several vehicles.

I've also got an extra set of 55W ballasts which I'm planning to experiment with. Has anyone run 55W HID's in the factory projectors without blinding other drivers or melting projector housings?

 

Some of the x-type guys have tried them, with poor results.

 

Here's a thought: Does the HID headlamp assembly fit exactly the same as the halogen assembly? If so, why not just find an XK8 in a junk yard and swap out the entire assembly? It's my understanding that HIDs don't work very well with the standard halogen reflectors. Plus, there is lots of glare for oncoming traffic. And you're talking about doing 55 watt HIDs rather than the standard 35 watt. Have some mercy on your fellow drivers, please.

I upgraded my high-beams to some brighter than normal bulbs, but I turn them off when cars are coming towards me. You can't do that with the low beams.

 

I agree with you 100% on putting HID's into halogen reflector housings. My car has what appear to be the same projector housings as the HID equipped cars came with so i'm hoping this shouldn't be an issue. It just seems from all the reasons mentioned above that the light inside is a halogen bulb.

This has got me wondering. Hopefully I'll have the time to open it up and see for sure this weekend. Can anyone confirm if the HID option should be listed on the window sticker?

 

gearhead, if you don't see the HID sticker on the door frame, or stickers near the bulb (or around the housing about high voltage) and the color of your bulbs are a little 'off white' (no hint of purple or blue) you've got regular halogens, but luckily...you do have the projectors, I guarantee that The setup is identical to the HIDs, just need to get the replacement kit for the ballast and bulbs. You won't have auto levelling, so be aware you may have to do that manually - if needed.

 

Thanks Matt, That's exactly what I was thinking. Once I get these installed I'll try to get some pics up on the forum of color, cutoff lines..etc. Thanks again for all the help!

 

An Update on this thread: I installed a set of SMD LEDs for the parking lights from www.superbrightleds.com. They've survived a week and a half so far with temps in the high 90's, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The light output is much better than the stock 2825's and the color complements the HID's perfectly.

For the most part the HID install was a simple plug and play job. There were two small issues, first, the opening for the stock H1 bulb the projector housing was too narrow to allow clearance for the HID bulb. The mount for the bulb is just thin sheet metal and after a few minutes taking the edges down with a small file the new bulb fit with no clearance issues. The opening also remained tight enough to allow the stock bulb to be re-installed without any fitment issues in case I ever need to go back to stock.

The second minor issue was the stock headlights are grounded directly to the projector housings. The ground tab on the projector is thicker than a standard spade connector so the negative lead from the HID ballest did not fit the connector tightly. One gentle squeeze with a pair of lineman's pliers on the jaguar female spade connector and the two fit perfectly.

You have to drill a 3/4" hole through the plastic headlight cover to allow the HID wiring to go through but everything else about the DDM kit is plug and play. The kit comes with grommets to seal the cables inside this new hole and if you ever want to go back to stock a 3/4" plug can be purchased easily from the local auto parts store.

After getting this all back together all I can say is WOW! The light output on these are amazing and focused exactly where you want it. If you have an '03 and up XK with halogens from the factory this is the best money you'll ever spend on the car. The projectors on the car are perfect for the upgrade and the factory aiming was already very good. With the 55W ballasts I've gotten no bulb out warnings, or HID flickering on start-up. The auto headlight setting is also working seamlessly as is should.

A couple pics are attached. My camera was having serious problems with overexposure to the light but it lets you get a good idea of the 6000K color. From the second picture it looks like these glare like crazy but in reality when looking at these from an oncoming vehicle there is none. The cutoff lines are very crisp and all the light is where it needs to be. I've yet to be flashed and standing 50 yards in front of the car you can look directly at them without a problem. I'll work on some better pics in the next few days.

 

Nice project result. I think your passenger side lamp can go up a bit as well, it doesn't have to be on the same plane as your driver...if you want to. Mine has a 'stairstep' pattern to them.



I'd also like to see a closeup (from the side obviously) with your new LED parking lamp next to the active projector.

 

I'll try to get a better camera and snap some more pics tonight. I think the LED's I used are actually the same ones I saw you are running for your plate lights in another thread.

One thing I have noticed is that even after the car is shut down there is still enough voltage somewhere in the circuit to keep the driver's side LED lit very dimly for up to 15 minutes after the car is shut off. Its not bright enough to bother me but it might annoy others.

 

To prevent that small circuit draw, you could install a small resistor in the line...if it ever becomes an issue. It'll create some heat, so installation location will be important.

 

Went out this evening with a decent camera and took some better pictures. Here's a couple of shots with the LED's and the HID's. Please excuse the water spots!

 

Thanks, you can definitely see the color diff in that last thumb.

Maybe not a big deal, but I would check the bulb on the driver's side. It looks just askew compared to the pass side. See the bleed out from the edges? Not much, but maybe could be aligned a bit better.

I know I mentioned it before, but you could bring that pass side up a bit, so the cutoff of the driver right is aligned with the cutoff of the passenger's left side. make sense? You'll get more light on those signs on the shoulder that are higher up, and there won't be any trouble with oncoming drivers.

 

I see what you're saying about bringing the passenger side up a little bit. I'll spend a little time tweaking it this weekend to see if I can make the beam pattern a little more uniform.