I’m planning on doing the 7" headlight conversion. I haven’t gotten the parts yet but the parts I bought from a member on this forum(thank you) have pilot lights. I was wondering how those should be wired? I would like to have them functioning if possible. I ordered some new headlight connectors that have wires for the pilot lights. I could have used the original connectors I guess and wired the pilot lights separately. If it’s not feasible or to much work to wire them I won’t bother with them. I could then also use a 7" sealed beam too. Any advice or help would be appreciated. I probably won’t be doing this for about a week or so.
The european set up is that the small 5(?)W bulb is on the same wiring as the rear lamps and the instrument panel. No relay involved. The colour I am not sure about but it is on all the positions of the light switch.
Thanks David, that definitely helps. I was hoping to use them as daytime running lamps, but I guess they won’t work unless my parking lights are on. It’s good to know that no relay is involved, and you are correct the small bulb I believe can be anywhere from a 2-5 watt bulb.
Joe
I tap into the red wires at the side marker and/or park lamps
Cheers
DD
They’re not very bright for that, but you can get them brighter by substituting LEDs. Some US “tuners” use coloured bulbs to give their headlights a nifty daytime hue. To power them as daytime lamps you simply connect them to the “on” position of the ignition switch, e.g. from the ignition coil/AB14 + terminal.
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Not legal over here but I guess per Doug is the best and easiest solution.
Thanks Doug, that would make sense and probably an easy connection.
Cheers,
Joe
Not surprised. It seems that most US cars now sport them, supposedly for visibility by others, and very few can be switched off. They are not legally required, at least not yet.
I remember when Paris required lights off/ only city lights at night. Not sure what the laws in various European cities are now in that regard.
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Hi Robert, you’re right they wouldn’t be bright enough for daytime running lights. That would be a good way to connect them though, so they would come on when the ignition is on.
Thanks,
Joe
London taxis seem to sport these pilot lights until it gets really dark. Switzerland (and others?) require full lights night and day. All new cars have daytime running lights and I think these are mandatory.
Illegal is regarding coloured lamps and such. The earlier Jags had something bright enough to pass as daytime lights, but those city/parking lights are hardly visible. They are better for when parking in dark areas so some visibility lasts (I wonder if the battery lasts over night - with LEDs, sure!).
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If a fellow wanted to get imaginative, with his imagination backed by willingness and availability of time, the DRLs could be wired so they don’t come on if the gear selector is in “P” or “N”, or if the parking brake was on.
For that matter, inexpensive photocells are out there… so a guy could convert to automatic headlights, and rig the circuits so the DRL circuit is defeated when the auto headlights come on.
Lots of options out there these days with respect to lighting.
I’d like to have simple DRLs. Other schemes and products momentarily pique my interest…but as the years go by I have less enthusiasm for modifications and add-ons. 
Cheers
DD
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XJ6SOVEREIGN,
simple names have kept conversations fluent during the last 20000 years not without a reason - as you don’t specify I don’t know what model you’re converting to 7" outer headlights.
SII cars don’t have pilot lights included in th the outer headlights. The parking lights are combined with the front indicators instead.
It is no problem to find 7" buckets either with or without pilot lights (e.g. https://www.autoteiledirekt.de/hella-928816.html) included. That being said - if you have the parking lights in the indicator assembly, don’t buy headlights with pilot lights as humidity will enter and make the reflector corrode within a few years. A closed headlight unit will survive 30+ years easily.
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
Joe has a federal 1986 S3, but it does make sense to put the name where the e-mail address is.
I assume the S2 has them wired to the 1st position of the light switch as well? Do the US cars have the same switch function, a position light before full driving lights?
David
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You’re right, David - sorry, Joe, I missed your signature under your following postings!
And yes, from the switch icons I’d be pretty sure that federal cars as well have the first position to light parking lights only. From that point on it’s rather a question of country-specific bumpers and light units to find out where those are located …
My point was that the conversion from 5" to 7" headlights also brings the possibility to include the parking lights, as most 7" headlights allow the installation of pilot lights. As US sealed beams don’t have it, there is a chance that a 7" light headlight is installed with a “hole” left for a pilot light which doesn’t exist as the parking light is located somewhere in or underneath the bumper.
Best
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
Thanks David and Jochen, I should have mentioned it’s a 86 XJ6. I may just go with a 7" sealed beam headlight, it would be less of a hassle. I’m still thinking about it, but thanks for all the help.
Joe
Very nice! How did you wire the pilot lights?
Joe
Being a federal model it had the pilot / flasher combo lights at the bumper, so I canceled that and extended the cable to reach the headlights.
Passing it through the fender grommet was a bit of a pain…
Thanks for the reply! Maybe mine is wired like that also, I’ll have to take a look. So do the pilot lights come on with the headlights or when you turn the ignition on?
Joe
They come on when you turn on the pilot lights from the headlight switch.
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