Okay, thanks. So I’m going to assume they come on when the parking lights and or headlights are turned on.
Joe
**
I sort of think that the pilot light is a back-up for the main headlight, Joe - to avoid being taken for a motorbike…
…or simply parking lights…
Frank
xj6 8 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
**
Hi Frank, you’re probably right. I could see there use as a parking light. When I was a 15 year old many moons ago, I had a Benelli 125cc motorcycle and I think it had a pilot light if I’m not mistaken.
Joe
Joe,
with the stock setup there is no need to assume: every switch available for our cars that I’ve heard of has three basic positions: off - sidelights - headlights on (or if Lucas: off - flicker - dim, as they say …). Day time running lights have come into existence in the 1990s, maybe earlier in Scandinavia or other places. Sidelights, by contrast, always need to be turned on deliberately, if switched independently (switch position “Side” on earlier cars), but will come on always with the headlights (switch position “Head”).
They are called “sidelights”, but David has pointed out correctly that they will be useful only for keeping the car visible over short stops. Leaving the parking lights on over night will have you grounded by the next morning. To reduce this problem somewhat for roadside parking a different way of switching the sidelights was invented turning on the front and rear light only on one side of the car. Such lights are called “parking lights” in this part of the world. In my SII car such parking lights do exist and they come on if you turn on the indicator for the direction you want and turn off the engine.
So the most important function of sidelights is to serve as a redundant system for the case of a main headlight bulb failure. Then the sidelights make visible the size of the car in the dark for oncoming traffic. Hence, also the term “pilot light” which is also the more specific expression it seems for sidelights that are included in the main headlight reflector.
If you have your sidelights in the bumper it doesn’t seem to make much sense to buy 7" outer headlights with pilot light sockets included in the reflector. With only sidelights on it will look strange, it will never light up the road, but will drain your battery even quicker. And why would you relocate the sidelights from the bumper to the headlight? True, Euro spec cars had the pilot lights included in the headlight, but then again they didn’t have sidelights in the bumper.
Good luck
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
2 Likes
Thanks Jochen, you make a lot of valid points. I know the pilot lights aren’t necessary but the headlight set I purchased has them. I may not connect them, I’m still pondering the idea. I may even choose to install sealed beams at a later date. I just thought it might be a novel thing to have them working. Thanks again for your input and I need good luck,lol.
Joe
Joe,
well, now that you’ve got them you can just as well migrate the side lights as in the Euro set up. Even if you do not connect them, take the effort to put some bulbs in and pull the rubber cover over the opening. Otherwise humidity will enter the light housing and eventually destroy the reflector, as I wrote in my first posting - ask me where I know …
Best
Jochen
75 XJ6L 4.2 auto (UK spec)
Jochen, I’m just waiting the for the H4 bulbs to arrive. I may start working on the install tomorrow if the weather is decent. The pilot light bulbs and sockets were included and the rubber covers you mentioned. Thanks for the tip and all your help, I definitely will install them both regardless.
Regards,
Joe
Ah, pilot lights…just like mid-50s DKWs/VWs/Porkers had…
I finished the installation of the 7" headlights with the pilot lights. There is a red wire that’s by the headlights I believe for the pilot lights. You just have to connect it on the passenger side along the inner fender to have power to that wire. Mine had a taped red wire with a male bullet connector that just needed to be connected to the female connector in the same area. It’s where the headlight socket wiring harness(ends) connects too with bullet connectors. I installed amber fog lights where the inner lights were. I connected the blue/white wire from the light to the fog light red/yellow wire. That worked out nice so no additional wiring was necessary for those. I just had to run a wire to the 7" light for the pilot light to the red wire mentioned and tap into the black ground wire. The pilot lights turn on when the parking, headlights, or fog lights are on. I think that’s how they’re supposed to work. I have them wired right now to turn on when you turn on the ignition, so they’re always on like daytime running lights. I’m not sure if I’ll leave it like that. I need to take some more pictures, I only have this one that’s not very good, this one’s with the pilot lights lit. Thanks for all the help, it’s not a bad job once you know what you’re doing, lol.
Joe
1 Like
**
Jaguar wired all cars for various market differences, Joe - leaving unused wires taped and dangling.
The trick is to find them. Good work!
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
**
1 Like
Thanks Frank, I was glad to find the wiring already there, it made the job a lot easier.
Joe