Jaguar XF problem -Xenon lights

BlastRadius · 16 Mar 2010 at 11:25

Hi,

Manager at work has just purchased a Jaguar XF (premium luxury?) 3 litre diesel s. It was the showroom display model and he appears to have got a good deal, end of year/quarter and all that.

However as part of the sale he asked for Xenon headlights to be fitted; his contract states "retrofit Xenon headlamps". They gave him the original bulbs (which got my mind whirring) and said he could use them as spares - just in case his bulbs go. I didn't think they would fit? He does appear to have Xenon bulbs on dipped beam but yellow light on his main beam.

Also there is no headlight wash, which I thought was a legal requirement for Xenons?

Does this sound like they have put some Xenon bulbs in to normal a normal unit? (unit wasn't changed either), in the hope he wouldn't notice and they wouldn't have to pay? On his contract it is priced at £310.

Garage is harwoods Chichester.

Participant · 16 Mar 2010 at 11:47

Sounds like he didn't get bi-xenons fitted.

rdraper · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:01

Should think they have just fitted some HID's?

Participant · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:10

rdraper said:
Should think they have just fitted some HID's?

WTF?

stoofa · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:16

Guidelines state that HID's should have a washer system and also auto-levelling.
I am guessing that as you don't have the washers you also don't have the self-levelling in there.

From a legality point of view, HID's on their own "could" get you an MOT fail.
Not heard of any yet.
However how many people 2 years ago heard of a car failing an MOT on a number plate not displaying a postcode and BSU mark?

Retro-fitting a complete HID setup is usually cost prohibative.
The auto-levelling and washer system retro-fit usually means it's cheaper to sell your car and spec a new one with these items

Sounds like a cheap & cheerful low-beam only HID set has been installed.
Not something I'd expect from a dealership.
It should either be the full kit or buyer should be told not possible.

[TW]Fox · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:19

stoofa said:
Guidelines state that HID's should have a washer system and also auto-levelling.

For type approval as a brand new car.

I am guessing that as you don't have the washers you also don't have the self-levelling in there.

Self levelling simply replaces the manual electronic adjustment to take into account morons who dont adjust the beam angle when loading up the car. It is not quick enough to react on the fly to changes in road elevation so has negligable practical safety benefits on the road.

Suprised even non Xenon XF's dont have headlight washers as standard, though?

Moeks · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:20

Well he doesn't have bi-xenons that's for sure, to find out for sure weather they just stuck some xenon filled bulbs in his halogen projectors or weather they have actually fitted proper xenon lights you'll have to have a look under the bonnet to see weather there are some xenon ballasts fitted, these are small control boxes that connect the xenon bulbs and are used to control the flow or xenon gas in the bulbs. If they have just fitted xenon filled bulbs as replacements for regular halogens then the ballasts wont be present, there should be one for each light.

Oh are you sure the XF doesn't have hidden headlamp washers? ...that appear from somewhere under the headlight when activated and spray and then retract, my E46 had washers like that.

jamief · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:27

Moeks said:
Well he doesn't have bi-xenons that's for sure, to find out for sure weather they just stuck some xenon filled bulbs in his halogen projectors or weather they have actually fitted proper xenon lights you'll have to have a look under the bonnet to see weather there are some xenon ballasts fitted, these are small control boxes that connect the xenon bulbs and are used to control the flow or xenon gas in the bulbs. If they have just fitted xenon filled bulbs as replacements for regular halogens then the ballasts wont be present, there should be one for each light.

Oh are you sure the XF doesn't have hidden headlamp washers? ...that appear from somewhere under the headlight when activated and spray and then retract, my E46 had washers like that.

AFAIK the ballast doesn't "control the flow of xenon gas", it simply controls the current going into the bulbs themselves...

Moeks · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:28

jamief said:
AFAIK the ballast doesn't "control the flow of xenon gas", it simply controls the current going into the bulbs themselves...

You may be right, I'll look it up in a bit, but none the less a true xenon light will have a ballast.

[TW]Fox · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:31

Moeks said:
You may be right, I'll look it up in a bit, but none the less a true xenon light will have a ballast.

He's right, a ballast provides current.

BlastRadius · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:31

On the XF the headlight wash is activated with screen wash, have tried this and nothing happens.

Although it was a dealer display car it hadn't been registered and my manager is the first keeper; received with delivery miles only.

Are there any pics of what the ballast should look like? I will nab his keyless entry thing and go and have a look. I really think they have tried to pull the wool over an old mans already failing eyes.

killsta · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:36

Does anybody else find it strange that Jaguar don't put Xenons on the XF as standard?

Moeks · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:36

It should look something like this that's a Mercedes OEM ballast, but I expect it will look similar. Here are a couple more pictured.

killsta said:
Does anybody else find it strange that Jaguar don't put Xenons on the XF as standard?

A little yea, but then again not everyone likes xenon lights so I suppose it's understandably an option.

[TW]Fox · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:37

BlastRadius said:
Are there any pics of what the ballast should look like? I will nab his keyless entry thing and go and have a look. I really think they have tried to pull the wool over an old mans already failing eyes.

Have a look around the headlights. It's a small metal box and will almost certainly have some danger high voltage stickers on it. There will be one for each headlight.

Many cars do not have Xenon for high beam, only normal beam.

BlastRadius · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:40

Right have had a look and each headlight has a Bosch glow control unit attached. Nothing that says ballast.

UKDTweak · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:45

Even my 7 year old Base model X-Type has Xenons for Main beam, I can't believe they don't have them as standard on the XF, cost cutting perhaps???

Sin_Chase · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:47

Turn the lights on at night and watch them warm up, halogens are "instant on", HIDs are not. It should be rather apparent if he has HIDs or not.

Also HIDs are not best placed for main-beam applications with high on/off sequences (Flashing people out f.ex). Lowers the lifetime of the bulb. Some manufacturers have halogens in the system specifically for flashing only.

Ironically my S2000 turns on the dipped HIDs when I use main beam to flash -_-

[TW]Fox · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:47

BlastRadius said:
Right have had a look and each headlight has a Bosch glow control unit attached. Nothing that says ballast.

It wont say ballast on it - if its got something that claims to be a 'Bosch Glow Control Unit' its almost certainly a Xenon ballast which suggests the car has Xenons fitted.

BlastRadius · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:48

The XF offers two types of headlamp, Halogen projector or Bi-Xenon. The optional Bi-Xenon headlamps incorporate headlamp washers, which operates with the ´screen wash-wipe´ function, and cornering lamps - which illuminate the areas to the side of the car at low speeds when also using the turn indicators, or at large steering angles.

Pasted from here: http://www.jaguar.ie/ie/en/xf_new/models/optional_features/introduction.htm#

Edit: Thanks Fox. So he has Xenons but no lightwash? Still illegal?

Moeks · 16 Mar 2010 at 12:49

Yea sounds like it's a ballast to me, if it says anything it'll probably be something like Bosch 'electronic control unit for xenon lights' or similar.