Fitting New Xenon Headlight Bulbs

[BAZZER1]

Does anyone know what to look out for when fitting new Xenon Bulbs to Headlights ?? 2002 w210 e320cdi Avantgarde Estate
I understand there is a Ballast unit which has to be either disconnected or removed to fit the new Zenon Bulbs, I have never replaced Zenon Bulbs before. How easy it to remove this Ballast Unit and what should I be aware of when fitting new Headlight Xenon Bulbs, If anyone has any advice or a step by step pdf or information on this I would be very grateful
Many Thanks
BAZZER1

 

[_Taz_]

quite simple really bud...

you don't need to touch the ballast ( this just jumps the voltage to a H-V level )

all you do is disconnect the plug to the end of the lamp, remove it, fit the new one into the holder & reconnect the lead.

of course, even though it's not a halogen type lamp, don't touch the glass.

should take about 15 mins per side ( from memory when one of mine blew )

 

[BAZZER1]

Fitting Zenon Bulbs

Hi Taz
What a pig of a job, had to undo the 3 star small bolts holding the plastic Ring Retaining case in order to remove the zenon bulb from the fitting, no room at all to get your hands in, plenty of scratched knuckles doing this, this was on the Drivers side, The Passenger side Headlight, absolutely no room at all to get to the Star Bolts to undo them and be able to remove the plastic Retaining Ring fitting and to release the bulb, took out the small washer bottle which didnt really help !.
Have decided to refit my original 4300k Osram Xenon Bulb on Drivers Side and have another go at this when I have more time and more patience and my knuckles have healed up.
Word of wisdom, this job looks easy, but unless you have fingers as thin as matchsticks it is a very frustrating job to do.
Oh well back to the drawing board.
Best regards
BAZZER1

 

[Naraic]

I agree with the above.

I tried this on Sunday (by way of research). The drivers side was easy...the other side looked like it would be very difficult. I also removed the plastic retainer...I think you should be able to loosen the screws and then turn it...but not in practice.

 

[_Taz_]

soz to hear that Baz, from memory, when I had my W210, you just had to force the retainer 90 deg to undo it from the screwed pegs, then the lamp just pulls out.

I don't recall having to undo any torx screws ( unless the previous owner / dealer has adjusted these ).

Tis' a shame you aren't local, else I'd help you. I've got quite large hands & found the job awkward, but not that difficult, more tricky & requiring patience I'd guess.

I do now adays wear cut proof gloves when working on cars, as I seem to attract cuts, blood loss & skin loss !

I'll have a look at the workshop manual, but in all honesty, you just have to take it at your own pace

 

[BAZZER1]

Fitting Xenon Bulbs

Hi Naraic
I suppose the saying Practice makes perfect is appropriate for this job, but how many times would you do this I wonder ??, not many I hope.
I would like to know for myself and also for the benefit of others who might be attempting this, if there is a way to make it easier to change the Headlight bulb on the Passenger side, there has got to be a way to give more access to the fitting without removing too much that is in the way.
If anyone has an answer to this I am sure a lot of owners would appreciate it and save a lot of frustration, grief and skinned knuckles when simply changing a light bulb, it can't be rocket science.
Hope someone has a positive answer please, at the moment I have given up,
but will have another go tomorrow
BAZZER1

 

[_Taz_]

just remembering, can you not just lift up the aux washer bottle on the p/s ? I recall it lifts up & there is just enough flex in the hosing to move it out of the way to get to the rear headlight cover....

tight it is, but possible pal

 

[BAZZER1]

Fitting Xenon Bulbs

Hi Taz
Have tried that, it does give a little more room but not nearly enough to be able to get at the torx screws, if these were hand tight I could, with a bit of effort, probably turn the plastic retainer and then get the bulb out, but there just does'nt seem enough room to do it, I did notice that the top torx screw is actually missing, so who knows perhaps the previous owner had the same problem if they tried to change a bulb. Would you happen to know where if I can get a torx screw to replace the missing one ?
Anyway Taz, Many thanks and I do appreciate your advice and coming back to me on this, anyone else who can offer assistance, I would appreciate your help with this problem.
Thanks All
BAZZER1

 

[W4SIM]

Not saying this is specific to your car (but from your experiences i would say it is) but a lot of the so called modern cars that are supposed to make living easier are actually in fact designed to make even the simplest of jobs harder, so you have to take it back to the dealer for poxy jobs like this.

To give you an example, my brothers 2002 VW Golf TDi requires the headlight to be removed (or moved forwards) in order to gain access to the bulbs. To make it even more fun . . . . to move, or remove, the headlights the front bumper has to come off!!!! First time this took me nearly an hour and a half. Now i can pretty much do it in about 15 minutes. Practice makes perfect i guess.

As another example its pretty much the same story on my 2001 Vectra.

Havnt really paid much attention to the newly acquired S55 but i can only imagine.

So another words, rather than chafing your hands everywhere, you might want to look at a way of moving the headlights forward.

 

[AMGeed]

I replaced the bulbs on my E280 without having to undo any torx screws?
Admittedly its a pig to do, but the rubber waterproofing seal pulls off the back of the bulb, undo the holding clips and the bulbs are easily removed.
Lifting the water bottle clear on the n/s gives a bit more room.
I think it took around 20 mins to do both.

 

[Naraic]

I replaced the bulbs on my E280 without having to undo any torx screws?
Admittedly its a pig to do, but the rubber waterproofing seal pulls off the back of the bulb, undo the holding clips and the bulbs are easily removed.
Lifting the water bottle clear on the n/s gives a bit more room.
I think it took around 20 mins to do both.

...but you don't have Xenons...and they are a totally different story. There are no clips holding the bulb in.

 

[BAZZER1]

Fitting new Xenon Bulbs

Thanks for your reply
I believe that the w210 e320cdi must have a different kind of fitting to be able to remove the Xenon Bulbs as I am sure that I have to undo the torx screws to allow the retaining ring to be turned and then removed to take out the existing bulb.
Best Regards
BAZZER1

 

[Andrew ThorpeAndrew]

Just been reading these posts. A lot to do with what I had to do on my 2001 E320 cdi Avantgarde.
Problem is I lost one of the plastic retainers, one minute it was there next it was gone.
Can anyone tell me what work is required to change the ballast as in cold weather they seem to not want to start the lights up on first turn. maybe after 3 or 4 turns and they come on. oh and where can I get a plastic retainer?
Andy

 

[Andrew ThorpeAndrew]

Just been reading these posts. A lot to do with what I had to do on my 2001 E320 cdi Avantgarde.
Problem is I lost one of the plastic retainers, one minute it was there next it was gone.
Can anyone tell me what work is required to change the ballast as in cold weather they seem to not want to start the lights up on first turn. maybe after 3 or 4 turns and they come on. oh and where can I get a plastic retainer?
Andy

 

[Submariner1]

Depends on the car, whilst my Indy upgraded my sidelights to bluer brighter ones, he looked at what was involved in changing the Xenons to the new Gen 2 D1S bulbs [60% brighter] , particularly the passenger side looked impossible.
His conclusion (and I totally agree .. he is a great engineer) was it would be simpler to take out the whole headlamp unit. Bumper off etc.
[the WIS recommendation was to move the washer bottle, er that has a heat exchanger under it and coolant pipes going to it, and the ABC reservoir, and the Power steering reservoir ...... effing nightmare .. and you would still be really cramped].