Improving the Jaguar XK8 Instrument Panel Lighting

[@deanshull4063]

Such a well made and thoughtful video. I may never do this, but enjoyed your detailed stories.

[@richardastley2517]

Thanks Dean. Your encouraging feedback is much appreciated.

[@richardgarrison284]

Very good info !!!! I really liked the tip about the polarity check and marking the LED.

[@ghostcar]

Excellent instructions sir. Thank you.

[@Mr.Preston3991]

Never gonna give you up!

[@richardastley2517]

Never gonna let you down

[@akhyder]

@@richardastley2517 Glad you're a good sport--you must get that all the time!

[@mtanizaki4859]

Thank you for very informative video. Please make one for shift gate backlighting replacement! They are all burn out in my XK8 and it is not easily replaceable.

[@doublebasserrazzmuss2408]

Hello. I have a 2001 XKR. Dumb question, I just recently found out that the door window switches are suppose to be Illuminated. So is there a bulb(s) for the shifter plate? Also bulbs for the steering wheel, turn/headlights? I've had my Jag for about 5 years, everything works but nothing lights up.

[@flyurway]

In situations such as the hi-beam indicator for example, there's nothing saying you can't take a white LED and paint it any color you like to both get the right color and to tone it down a bit if it's too bright. A little model paint or whatever works fine. Also, I recently bought a bunch of T-10's (3 different styles) on ebay that are no longer polarity sensitive.

[@lesliesmall7968]

What would be the best bulbs for the instrument panel T5 or T 10 green lights? 13:53

[@georgewebb3805]

Great help and much appreciated!

[@kevino2495]

I put leds in instrument panel and having issues with battery going dead any suggestions thanks kevin o

[@jinwooklee3120]

Hi, I would like to replace my T5 bulb with non-LED ones. which bulb can replace the original non-LED bulb (T5)? I found Sylvania 74, which is 1.4W. can you help me find non-LED bulbs? Thanks!

[@richardastley2517]

Sorry Jin, I am unable to help. Maybe a company that specializes in Jaguar parts can help.

[@tomporter2164]

i changed mine to led lamps - it made such a differance

[@patromer0126]

so, what color did you use ? blue ? clear, or red

[@richardastley2517]

Of the bulbs shown about 9 minutes into the video I used the 9 mm bulb shown at bottom right in all but one position. It needed to be shaved by 0.25 mm (that's 10 thousands of an inch) around the diameter because the hole in the back of the panel is 8.5mm. For the high beam I used the blue lamp (top right), but have since swapped it back for the original bulb because I found all the LEDs too bright for that lamp position when driving at night, when of course high beam is used. I use high beam for such a small proportion of my driving I regard the risk of an original filament going out as minimal.

[@danizvernariu9209]

Hello Richard from Madrid. Please I want to ask you to help me with some opinion. General light (ilumination inside cluster dash) not working. Check : electrical fuses passanger box - OK exterior position lights ok all dasboard panel function , all warning bulbs. all OK light intensity adjustment potentiometer OK green light to air and radio panel OK interior lights all function OK electronic steering wheel functions OK all circuits are OK , but : NO ILLUMINATION INTERIOR CLUSTER. What would be the reason? Thank you!

[@richardastley2517]

Hi Dan. Sorry for the late response but I am not sure I can help you. You seem to have checked everything. Looking at the circuit, all the illumination for the major instrument cluster goes through a dimmer module, located it seems, according to the manual, by the fascia / adjacent to righthand side fuse box. The connector is a 12-way black and may be worth checking. Sorry I could not be of more help.

[@danizvernariu9209]

@@richardastley2517 Thank U Richard anyway! The troouble is about motherboard where I have faill.

[@gf4353]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[@doublebasserrazzmuss2408]

Wow. I already knew I am Horrible at electrical issues, now I feel extra stupid. So, I would Love to upgrade my dash lamps to LED's but first I need to address my current bulb issue. I have a 2001 XKR. I realized my power window switches, steering wheel, turn/lights armature, and floor shifter are not Illuminating. I purchased LED bulbs from Ebay before I found out my car requires canbus error-free bulbs. I installed one bulb in my window switch, didn't light up, now All my night time Dash lights do not light up. But the daylight dash lights still work. If my key is Off, the night time lights do work, but as soon as I turn my key to On, the lights go out. Do you think maybe I damaged my Body Processor Module? ANY help would be much appreciated. Still looking for factory bulbs for the switches, shifter, ect, twist-in with a small flat screwdriver. Thank you for your Time.

[@richardastley2517]

Now you’ll think I’m accusing you of being “extra stupid”, but in fact it’s a common mistake - is your instrument dimmer control perhaps turned all the way down? It only works when the lights are on so the behavior you describe jibes with that. I think it’s unintuitive, but full counter clockwise makes the instrument lamps brighter. Besides all the lamps you describe not working, the dimmer also controls the HVAC and radio illumination. See:www.rastley.com/XK8-Dimmer-Control.jpg If the dimmer control doesn’t brighten the instruments and switches, with all the lamps you describe not working, I would reinstall the lamp you swapped out in the window switch and suspect the dimmer control itself, its connections (did it get tugged sometime when someone was removing the cowl below the steering wheel?) or the dimmer module. That’s located by the right hand facia fuse block and its connector may be loose. You don’t need so-called Canbus-free bulbs in this function in your year of XKR. If you blew any module it would be the dimmer module, but it’s pretty robust, so reinstalling the old switch LED should fix it.

[@doublebasserrazzmuss2408]

Well I figured it out, (really embarrising) The 1st thing I checked was my brake lights. My wife stood behind the car while I hit the brakes, turn signals,ect. She said the brakes were fine, so I took her word for it. I rechecked then with a stick crammed on the pedal/seat last night. The THIRD brake light was out. Apparently she didn't see that it wasn't working.

[@richardastley2517]

Unclear why that would affect your instrument lamps. I've had a problem with the 3rd brake lamp too. All that flexing when the trunk is raised a lowered broke wires in the convoluted tubing.

[@lorenengrav8901]

Hi. Nice. I called dealer for LED info who said "can't put in LED, computer will find wrong voltage etc and issue warnings." But you have them in. So no computer warnings? Thanks

[@richardastley2517]

Some of the bulb functions throw up a warning if they're burned out or an unexpected bulb is inserted, but for XK8s built up to 2005, and possibly after (I don't have data on later cars) panel lighting isn't one of them. The dealer may be thinking of some later models. Anyway, the warnings are usually for lights outside your field of view as a driver. There seems little point in warning you about something that's right in front of your face.

[@lorenengrav8901]

@@richardastley2517 ah so dealer ignore; do you have a current supplier of LEDs; cannot find the ones you posted

[@richardastley2517]

Try a search for the following on eBay. AUXITO T10 LED License Plate Light Car Interior Bulbs White