Jaguar XJ-S. Manual - part 163

 
 

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outboard position (“tungsten”, number 4000) are 60/37.5 watt, but aren’t recommended for anybody; you only find 
them in dark corners of auto parts shelves covered with dust.  The corresponding tungsten sealed beams for the inboard 
position are number 4001, 37.5 watt, also not recommended. 

 

FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT IMPROVEMENT:  If you have the four round sealed beam halogen headlights, your 
headlights suck -- trust me on this.  Daniel Stern suggests that one quick and easy improvement might be to merely 
replace the outer high/low beam units with H5009’s instead of H5006’s.  These are 50/40W instead of the H5006’s 
35/35W.  Unfortunately, they are apparently pretty difficult to find.  “I can supply a lot of "unobtainium" bulbs, but not 
H5009's.”  Another possibility may be the 50/50W H5812, “although now we're back to the theoretical, because 
H5812's aren't in current production.” 

If you actually want to see where you’re going after dark, the sealed beams gotta go. 

 

FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT UPGRADE:  The easiest, cheapest and most effective improvement is to replace the 
sorry sealed beams in the outboard position with far superior 5¾” round E-code units using H4 halogen bulbs.  Not 
legal on US roads, but unlikely to draw the attention of Smokey.  These assemblies can be purchased from J. C. 
Whitney for less than $20 each (H4 bulb included!) and will fit right into the outer (main/dip) headlight fixture with no 
modifications and no other parts to buy. 

The standard H4 bulb is 60/55W, which is a significant boost over the 35/35W main/dip sealed beam halogens.  But the 
chief advantage of the E-code units is that they have much better focusing patterns; on low beam, you can pull the car 
up to a wall and see that the pattern provides a distinct cutoff to the upper left (on LHD cars), while still providing 
plenty of illumination down and to the right.  The result is that oncoming traffic gets blinded less on low beam, despite 
the higher power of the H4 bulbs. 

H4 bulbs produce a brilliant white light.  This is a wonderful benefit, even beyond the actual light output.  Having 
everything in front of the car lit up with white light instead of the yellowish light of conventional headlights seems to 
make everything clearer. 

With the legalization of composite headlights in the US come the “9003” and “HB2” bulbs.  These are both exactly the 
same as the standard H4 except that they are DOT approved.  All three designations are commonly available, and 
replacement bulbs can be found in the local auto parts store or Wal-Mart; H4’s are sometimes sold as “motorcycle” 
headlight bulbs, and may actually cost more than the identical 9003’s right next to them. 

Note that this author has purchased a set of 5¾” round H4 units from J. C. Whitney, and the lights that arrived are 
labelled “Maxtel™ by JF”, are made in China, and have “E3” in a circle on the lens. 

Daniel Stern says that, as with anything else, you get what you pay for when buying E-code headlamps, and suggests 
you pony up for Cibie or Hella units rather than the J. C. Whitney no-names.  “Genuine European E-code headlamps 
perform much better than the knockoff items, which often have counterfeit E-marks and actually haven't been tested or 
approved at all.”  This all may be true, but even the no-name E-code H4 units are a damn sight better than the sealed 
beams ever dreamed of being, so it all comes down to how much you’re willing to spend for how much improvement 
you want. 

 

FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT UPGRADE #2:  It may be important to some to know that, while the H4 hi/lo 
headlights fit perfectly, their external appearance may be slightly different than the original sealed beams.  Where the 
sealed beam has a domed glass lens, the Maxtel has a “squared” lens with a shoulder that protrudes straight out of the 
retaining ring perhaps a quarter inch and then a very slightly domed front, nearly flat faced.  You can take a look at 
these headlights mounted in the author’s car at 

 

 

http://www.jag-lovers.org/xj-s/book/H4Headlights.html

 

I think they’re really pretty, but if you just get two for the outer high/low positions it might not be considered an ideal 
match for standard sealed beams in the inner two positions. 

 
 

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Good solution: get four, and use the exact same lights in the inner position by using only the high beam filament of the 
H4 bulb.  The author did this, so you can see how it looks on the site above.  If you are the type of person to keep spare 
light bulbs handy, you will only need to carry one type of H4 bulb to fit all four lights.  And if a low beam filament 
burns out, you can just trade bulbs around and use that one for a high beam only. 

Installing a high/low unit into the high beam (inboard) position will require cutting a relocated notch in the support ring 
behind the headlight.  As you look into the hole where the headlight goes, the notch at the upper left is in the wrong 
place and a new one needs to be cut about a half inch clockwise.  You can hold the new high/low headlight up to the 
fixture, fit the other two feet into the appropriate notches, and mark where you need to cut a new notch.  Alternatively, 
you could just buy a couple new mount fixtures originally intended for the outer positions and mount them in the 
inners.  The electrical plug will work fine as is; the two-connector plug will fit directly onto the three-connector H4 
bulb and operate the correct filament. 

 

FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT UPGRADE #3:  Instead of installing H4 hi/lo headlights in the inboard positions and 
using only the high beam filaments, you can replace the inboard sealed beam units with E-code high beam assemblies 
that use H1 halogen bulbs.  H1 bulbs are also available anywhere that sells auto parts.  H1 high beams have the 
advantage that, since the reflectors and lenses don’t need to be designed to facilitate both high and low beam operation, 
they can be fully optimized for truly excellent high beam operation.  Daniel Stern recommends this method:  “H4 high 
beam: Lots of midrange fill light.  Dedicated high beam: Long-range throw.  It's best to have both types.”  Since the 
only advantages of using four H4’s are minor (fewer spare bulbs required, perfect appearance match), he has a point; if 
you’d like more “midrange fill light”, you can just upgrade the H4 bulbs in the outboard headlights (see page 653) 
rather than installing additional H4’s in the inboard headlights.  Plus, you don’t have to modify the notch in the support 
ring to install the H1’s. 

Unfortunately, J. C. Whitney doesn’t carry H1 high beam 5¾” round units, so you’ll need to look elsewhere.  Stern 
describes E-code 5¾” round units from Cibie and Hella:  “The Cibie lamps are convex (dome) face lamps, like the 
original sealed beams. The Hella lamps are flat-faced.”  H4 high/low and H1 high beams are available from both 
companies.  Stern goes on to note that the Hella H1 is truly flat-faced while the Hella H4 has an extending lip around 
the edge (similar to the Maxtels described above) so the two Hellas don’t really match each other perfectly.  “The 
difference in lens technique between the Hella H4 and the Hella H1 creates a difference in installed appearance 
between the two adjacent units.  The Cibie H4 and H1 both use convex lenses of the same curvature.  Whether this is of 
concern to you is a matter of individual taste. 

“The Cibie H4 high/low units are equipped with city lights.”  Hey, there’s an interesting possibility for modification of 
US-spec cars: disconnect the parking light filaments in the front turn signal bulbs and wire up pilot lights within the 
headlights instead.  The pilot lights would be perfectly legal, but unfortunately they’d draw attention to the E-code H4 
headlights which aren’t. 

The various nuances of the Cibie and Hella headlights are discussed in great detail on Stern’s web site at 

 

 

http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/info/headlights/

 

“There is a potential design compromise in the Cibie lamps.  The Cibie H4 weathershield can be installed in any clock 
position, so one must pay careful attention to putting it on such that the moulded-in word "TOP" is at the top, else risk 
water entrapment and shortened reflector life.” 

 

FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT UPGRADE #4:  John Goodman:  “I would prefer the outer lamps to be the permanent 
dipped beam units as in the BMW’s, i.e.  The H1 single filament bulbs, because the reflector shape is different being 
solely designed for dipped use only, gives a better light pattern.  This arrangement needs mods to the headlamp relays 
so they stay on when the inner main beam units are activated.”  No problem; a jumper between terminals 56 and 56b on 
the main/dip relay will do it. 

Daniel Stern reports that Cibie produces a low-beam-only H1 E-code unit that will fit in the outboard position on the 
four-headlight XJ-S. 

 
 

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HEADLIGHT AIMING -- FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT SYSTEM:  A nifty feature of having four separate 
headlights is that you can get creative aiming them.  The outer high/low units probably should be aimed pretty much as 
normally specified to ensure that oncoming drivers are not blinded.  If E-code units are installed, this becomes both 
more important and more acceptable, since the E-code lights have a very sharp cutoff indeed; a little too high and 
you’re blinding people, a little too low and you’re not lighting the road very far ahead, but just right and you get 
excellent visibility for low beams.  Unfortunately, aiming the low beams accordingly will determine where the high 
beams end up, so you have limited options there.  Fortunately, E-code high/low units seem to provide excellent high 
beam patterns when low beams are aimed properly -- as opposed to some US-spec sealed beams where you aim the low 
beams and the high beams are shining up into the trees or some such so you have to pick a compromise somewhere. 

The inner high beam units have more flexibility.  If it is presumed that they are never on when there are cars out there 
that may be blinded, you can aim them pretty much whichever direction you wish. 

Of course, once again there are legal issues.  Even though the high beams are only used when nobody is around but 
you, the US DOT still requires you to aim them the way they think they should be aimed.  Again, this probably won’t 
pose a problem in most areas; cops generally only issue tickets for poorly aimed headlights where someone is driving a 
car that’s been crashed and one of the lights is aiming at the ground or off at 45º or some such.  If you have vehicle 
inspections, though, headlight aiming is one of the things they typically check so you would have to aim the headlights 
the specified way before an inspection and put them back the way you want afterward. 

 

FOUR ROUND HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT:  You can replace the four headlights with one or the other of the 
Cibie oblong headlight designs used in Europe.  Not legal in most US states, but will provide better lighting -- although 
not as much better as installing E-code H4 round units as described above.  Hence, the only real justification for going 
this route is if you happen to prefer the appearance of the Cibie oblong headlights. 

Since the body panels are the same between US and Euro cars, this will be a bolt-in replacement -- but you will 
probably have to buy quite a few parts, including the mounting brackets that hold the headlights within the 
compartments and the trim pieces at the front. 

Note that, if you get the Euro lights, you can also opt for the wiper/washer system for them, and even a heated 
wiper/washer system to prevent freezing of the washer fluid. 

 

By replacing the four round sealed beams with far better headlights, we have vastly improved the lighting without 
having significantly changed the outward appearance of the car.  If you still want better visibility you can add driving 
lights, but it’s a better idea to opt for non-standard H4 or H1 bulbs -- see pages 650 and 653. 

 

Cibies with two H1 bulbs -- non-US through 1980 

 

The early non-US XJ-S has Cibie headlights with glass lenses and metal reflectors and uses two H1 halogen bulbs plus 
one “pilot” bulb on each side.  This is the assembly shown in the Haynes manual, but John Goodman points out “The 
drawing of the XJ-S headlight bulb on page 198 (actually 197 in my book) looks like it was taken from a 1980 <UK> 
owner’s handbook.  But it’s been edited to fit the page and you only have half the picture!!!  What you are looking at 
here is a 1980 or earlier headlight, the bulb shown is a main beam single filament H1.  What is not shown is an identical 
bulb which installs in an identical hole immediately underneath for the dipped beam.” 

Mike Morrin calls this early unit a “biode”:  “It is the term (probably trademark of Cibie) for headlight units with 
separate reflectors and bulbs for high and low beams.  I think it is a condensation of "bi-reflector iodine".  The term was 
widely used in europe back in the 70s, but I suppose not in the US as they were illegal there then.  Back in the 70s, the 
British always called Quartz Halogen "Quartz Iodine".” 

 
 

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Morrin describes the early unit in more detail:  “Low beam uses the back of the headlight shell (as per the later units).  
The high beam reflector is in front of this in the lower half of the unit.  There is actually an adjusting screw which 
allows the vertical angle of high beam to be adjusted relative to low beam.  The glass has CIBIE IODE in the centre of 
the casting.  Most of the bottom half of the lense is clear, with fluting only directly in front of the high beam bulb.  It is 
interesting that Cibie used Iode in the trademark on the lamp.  I am sure that their after-market dual-reflector lamps of 
the same vintage were known as Biodes.” 

“The high beam has quite a narrow vertical spread, and really needs the low beam to be simultaneously lit up for close-
in lighting.  The early cars came already wired this way.  The wiring diagram in my manual shows a dotted link across 
the low beam contacts on the relay. 

“These are actually very good lights, except that they are very prone to oxidising of the reflectors.” 

H1 bulbs are typically 55W and have a small circular metal base with one straight side at a 45º angle to the single spade 
terminal pointing straight off the bottom.  The headlight housing must have a suitable ground connection, since there is 
none on the bulb itself.  H1 bulbs are readily available in auto parts stores.  In Europe, the bulb number is 411.  Note 
that the illustrations in the manuals seem to indicate that H1 bulbs have an external conductor around the outside of the 
capsule itself and entering in the front of the glass, but the bulbs actually for sale in the stores don’t have this; all 
conductors are inside the glass. 

 

HIGH-WATTAGE H1’S:  The standard H1 is 55W, but 100W versions are available in most auto parts stores and J. C. 
Whitney sells 100W and 130W versions.  A 130W H1 bulb is available at Wal-Mart for five bucks -- but not in the 
automotive section.  It’s sold in the sporting goods department.  It’s called “Night Blaster” A-709 and is described as a 
12V spotlight bulb; only on the back of the card does it casually mention that it will fit any application calling for an H1 
bulb. 

 

CIBIE REFLECTOR DETERIORATION:  The Cibie oblong headlights reportedly suffer from deterioration of the 
reflector, especially the early dual-H1 units.  This deterioration kills the headlight effectiveness.  Considering the cost of 
replacement units, many owners seek methods of renovating the reflectors in their otherwise operable headlights.  It is 
possible to separate the lens from the reflector; there is a glue joint that can be cut through without too much trouble.  
However, Daniel Stern suggests that it’d be a better idea to just go ahead and spring for the replacement headlights:  
“Anyone who gets the notion that chrome plating will do the trick ought to know the reflectivity of the very finest 
quality chrome is 62 percent.  Headlamp reflectors done properly have a reflectivity of 98-99 percent.”  Obviously, 
stuffing aluminum foil or aluminum tape in there isn’t gonna cut the mustard, either!  Stern also points out that doing a 
proper reflective coating application on a one-off repair of old units will usually cost more than just buying new units. 

 

EARLY CIBIE REPLACEMENT:  If you have the early dual-H1 units and need replacements, you probably should 
consider the later single-H4 units.  A couple of owners have reported finding out that their cars had the dual-H1 on one 
side and the single-H4 on the other, indicating that a PO must have replaced one.  Obviously, it can’t be too difficult to 
replace one type with the other. 

Another option is to replace the Cibies with the four headlight scheme as described on page 651. 

 

Cibies with one H4 bulb -- non-US 1981-91 

 

From 1981-91, non-US cars used Cibie headlights with a single H4 bulb and two pilot light bulbs on each side.  Allan 
Charlton says the lights on his ’78 have the circle-E symbol indicating E-code specification (see page 645).  “It's E2 in a 
circle.  The E2 also appears in a smaller circle with an A above, and in a small square with an A above (Actually, the A 
is so small that, in the poor light in my garage, it could be an R, but I think it's an A).”