E Class 211 Facelift Xenon Beam Pattern?

[Willber]

Thanks, Martin.

This is the sort of information i was really looking for! I have read conflicting info online with some people saying they cant find the levers and that you need Star to change to continental on the facelift.

I'll have a look when I get chance next week and will also check the bulbs are seated properly too!

Do you notice much difference with the beam pattern when switching to continental for your drive to Portugal?

 

[MJJ]

Do you notice much difference with the beam pattern when switching to continental for your drive to Portugal?

I did not notice much difference to be honest, no. However, most of the night time driving I did tended to be on street lit roads. Nobody flashed us, which I see as a good sign the beam adjustment worked.

Martin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LostKiwi]

The biggest difference is when back in the UK before you reset the levers. There is no illumination of the left verge.
That said I last went to the continent in August and still haven't reset the lights to UK. As we will probably go again in December it's unlikely I'll bother.

 

[Willber]

I also have a 2009 facelift estate with xenons. Mine definitely has the manual levers to switch between UK and continental - I have done this recently when I drove down to Portugal.

I would be checking the RH lamp specifically based on what you are experiencing - is the bulb seated correctly in its housing? A small offset of the bulb would cause quite significant beam pattern changes. The W/S211 lights also quite commonly break at the top mounting point (obvious when you open the bonnet, and look at the plastic top mount for the headlamp assembly), and this allows them to twist vertically as they are not correctly secured - I have to re-glue mine every couple of years or so.

Martin.

Where about are the levers exactly? Struggling to find them!

 

[Wighty]

I’ve spent a couple of hours looking on my facelift 211 and never found them .

 

[Willber]

The plot thickens !

Its been in for MOT today and upon further inspection I think the headlamos are actually LHD ones. I think I'll order t new RHD ones at some point, can be picked up for about £700 for the pair and genuine Hella. Not ideal, but its a keeper so worth doing and will be able to see where I'm going properly!

 

[MJJ]

Where about are the levers exactly? Struggling to find them!

Sorry for the delayed reply, I only get chance to read the forum at the weekend.

Attached picture shows (not very well, admittedly) where the levers are from Mercedes' service documentation. In practice, I found it easy to find the levers by feel once the bulb covers are removed. The levers only require a tiny amount of force to move, so it is obvious that you are moving the correct piece.

Martin.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Apologies to keep banging on about this.... Drove to train station in the fog this morning and its easier to see the beams / aims. Feels like the lights might be bog eyed causing the dip I am seeing in the centre

In the picture i posted above, should the centre / hot spot of the beam not be pointed to more of the centre of the vertical and horizontal lines on the beam setter, or even to to left so as not to dazzle drivers if its the driver / RH headlight?

Ive attached a new pic with orange dot to show what i mean. In this regard it might be the horizontal aim is off?

The image in this post is of the beam pattern of a LHD car, with the kick up to the right, in the UK the kick is up to the left.

Yours is

_____/--------

Should be

- - - - - - \________

The levers also only flatten the pattern making it a flat line

 

[Willber]

Thanks guys, appreciate your replies!

I have purchased a set of used headlights off Ebay which were very good value. They need the lenses polishing but I will get a 3m kit for that.

They are off a 2008 car so very close to mine.

Interestingly they have the levers as per Martins post above.

The current headlights on my car are dated 2013 and 2016 respectively so are not a matching pair, and I cannot seem to find and levers to switch the beam however access is very tight. I'll know more when I take them off.

Hopefully I'll have spent about £135 and have the correct lights, with new ballasts and some spare bulbs etc. I can sell on the current ones too, if I can find any part numbers on them to make sure I am listing them correctly as LHD or RHD

Will report back when I have got around to fitting.

Will I need to set them up on Star or anything? Or can I just fit them and align them on the MOT machine if required?

Thanks

 

[Willber]

Just to update on this...

I finally fitted the replacement units from the 2008 car. Long story short, the beam pattern has a clear kick up to the left and they are far better than previous and thats without having them properly aligned on the beam setter yet.

Interestingly, the 2008 one have a lever to cut off the top of the beam when driving abroad but the newer ones on the car before do not have this.

The newer ones have a date code of 2012 so are replacement Hella ones with Merc stamping. I can only assume they changed the beam pattern on the replacement models (as there is no lever to adjust for driving abroad, so the beam is flatter in general) and I had one RHD and one LHD fitted as they were clearly wrong.

Glad to have them sorted, just need to work out what to do with the other ones now. There's no part numbers on them anywhere...