Driving on the continent - Xenon headlamps

[bdt]

My 220 CDI has Xenon headlamps - so you can't use a beam deflector. There is a way apparently, of switching them to dip left, but this is not covered in the handbook. Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks

Bryn

 

[calum]

My 220 CDI has Xenon headlamps - so you can't use a beam deflector. There is a way apparently, of switching them to dip left, but this is not covered in the handbook. Anyone know how to do this?

If you do a "search", you'll find numerous threads on this topic, and a few very recent ones, I think.

Officially, this is a dealer-swap issue. It's a simple task though, involving moving a small lever within the Xenon housing. Other posts give more detail (I can't remember precisely).

I assume MB insist on this being a dealer job owing to the large voltages potentially present within the Xenon system, even after the car is switched off. Irritating, I agree.

One final note is that the lever switches from the default RHD-asymmetrical dipping to symmetrical dipping, so that it doesn't make things unbearable whilst you're still in this country (e.g. driving from the dealers to the ferry, and back). It doesn't switch to LHD-asymmetrical dipping (as continental cars would have).

 

[timlofts]

Beam convertors

I had this problem back in March when going to France. My local spares shop had some beam convertors that were a lense style as opposed to blanking out style. However, it did say on the packaging to remove them as soon a finished with as the plastic could damage the head lamp lense. However, I didn't bother using them in the end. We were not planning on doing too much driving at night, and I was with a large crowd who make a skiing 'pilgrimage' every year to the Alps, seemed they hadn't worried about it for years.