Headlights

[sonic]

The wife SLK200K has been off the road for 4 months, so I have been using my E350CDI all the time.
Last night I went out in the SLK & I couldn't believe how poor the halogen headlight were.
Its only then you realise just how much better xenon headlights are.
My first car 51 years ago was a 6 volt VW Beetle with tungsten bulbs, they really were poor.

 

[EmilysDad]

.....
My first car 51 years ago was a 6 volt VW Beetle with tungsten bulbs, they really were poor.

But a 30 odd bhp Beetle didn't go very fast

I was very disappointed when I went from HIDs in my Vauxhall Omega to standard tungsten H7s when I bought my R Class ... the R Class's IMHO were particularly poor even compared with my Smarts that also have standard H7s.
My 'new' ML though has ILS on HIDs ..... I'm very impressed so far

 

[Chrishazle]

I was disappointed with the standard halogens in my S203, so changed to Nightbreakers - much better. When I got the S204 I had the same problem, so again changed the standard halogens to NB's - have Unlimiteds in dips and Lasers in mains, reckon the Lasers are not worth the extra money - but the improvement over standard bulbs is excellent.

 

[sonic]

But a 30 odd bhp Beetle didn't go very fast

I was very disappointed when I went from HIDs in my Vauxhall Omega to standard tungsten H7s when I bought my R Class ... the R Class's IMHO were particularly poor even compared with my Smarts that also have standard H7s.
My 'new' ML though has ILS on HIDs ..... I'm very impressed so far

34BHP! it was a 1300CC. It would sit on the autobahn at 120KPH all day, top was about 130KPH.
The E350 headlights are very good, possibly the best I have driven with.

 

[sonic]

I was disappointed with the standard halogens in my S203, so changed to Nightbreakers - much better. When I got the S204 I had the same problem, so again changed the standard halogens to NB's - have Unlimiteds in dips and Lasers in mains, reckon the Lasers are not worth the extra money - but the improvement over standard bulbs is excellent.

I have been waiting for one of the original bulbs to fail, & I will fit Nightbreakers. They always get a good report.

 

[EmilysDad]

34BHP! it was a 1300CC. .....

A lad I used to work with bough a Beetle in Cadbury Purple and brought in to work some VW magazines ..... I'd no idea they had so few horses in the boot.

 

[grayb]

34BHP! it was a 1300CC. It would sit on the autobahn at 120KPH all day, top was about 130KPH.
The E350 headlights are very good, possibly the best I have driven with.

The Beetle lights got brighter if you changed down to 3rd, surely?
I like the active parts of the ILS, but I think the beam pattern on the HIDs on our CLK55AMG was better (and that was back in 2003).

 

[sonic]

The Beetle lights got brighter if you changed down to 3rd, surely?
I like the active parts of the ILS, but I think the beam pattern on the HIDs on our CLK55AMG was better (and that was back in 2003).

Yes in the days of dynamos, but you only needed a few revs to get full power out of the lights!
Never knew of a dynamo to fail, but changed a few brushes.

 

[EmilysDad]

....
Never knew of a dynamo to fail, ....

Dynamos & regulators .... can't beat them. Fortunately I've never had a car with either

 

[grayb]

Dynamos & regulators .... can't beat them. Fortunately I've never had a car with either

I still have a car with a dynamo...
I experienced my brothers first Beetle with 6V electrics - on a dark snowy night the only way to keep the electrics going was to stay in third!

 

[Chrishazle]

I have been waiting for one of the original bulbs to fail, & I will fit Nightbreakers. They always get a good report.

Why not just replace them now and put the current ones in the boot as spares? That way you not only get better lights now, you also have a spare in the boot for the wet and rainy night, far from home, when a headlight bulb fails (guess how I know!!).

 

[Blobcat]

Why not just replace them now and put the current ones in the boot as spares? That way you not only get better lights now, you also have a spare in the boot for the wet and rainy night, far from home, when a headlight bulb fails (guess how I know!!).

That’s what I did, the nightbreakers didn’t last that long so it was handy having the originals to put back in.

 

[Chrishazle]

My first NB's - originals, not + etc - also did not last that long, both went within a week of each other when I was well away from home, in the dark and raining, hence I was glad I kept spares in the boot. However, since then I've graduated via NB+ to NB Unlimited in dip and Laser in main, and they're lasting really well (touch wood rapidly) even though I have dips on full time when driving. However, I still have spares in the boot, plus a brolley and torch in the car, just in case!

 

[sonic]

My first NB's - originals, not + etc - also did not last that long, both went within a week of each other when I was well away from home, in the dark and raining, hence I was glad I kept spares in the boot. However, since then I've graduated via NB+ to NB Unlimited in dip and Laser in main, and they're lasting really well (touch wood rapidly) even though I have dips on full time when driving. However, I still have spares in the boot, plus a brolley and torch in the car, just in case!

Thanks for that, I will order a pair. Then the challenge of replacing the headlight bulbs in the 171. I did it on our last 171, there is just enough space to get a hand in.

 

[Blobcat]

Thanks for that, I will order a pair. Then the challenge of replacing the headlight bulbs in the 171. I did it on our last 171, there is just enough space to get a hand in.

It's really, really, really, easy (with a jack and a wheel brace) - whip the relevant wheel off, 10mm and 8mm socket and the front of the wheel arch liner is off in seconds and you're then at the back of the headlight with no obstructions at all.

 

[EmilysDad]

It's really, really, really, easy (with a jack and a wheel brace) - whip the relevant wheel off, 10mm and 8mm socket and the front of the wheel arch liner is off in seconds and you're then at the back of the headlight with no obstructions at all.

Not the kind of task you want to do on the local motorfactor's car park on the street outside it

 

[ajlsl600]

or in the pxxxxxg rain or sleet/snow changing headlight bulbs on a number of cars these days is ten times the grief it was 10/15 yr ago ????????????

 

[LostKiwi]

Not the kind of task you want to do on the local motorfactor's car park on the street outside it

Oh I don't know....
I once changed the throttle control module on a Volvo in their carpark because their charges were too high and it needed coding before it could be driven...
They wanted 2 1/2 hours to change it (+coding on top) - it took me 20 minutes...

 

[EmilysDad]

Oh I don't know....
I once changed the throttle control module on a Volvo in their carpark because their charges were too high and it needed coding before it could be driven...
They wanted 2 1/2 hours to change it (+coding on top) - it took me 20 minutes...

But that didn't involve crawling on the floor under the car

 

[LostKiwi]

But that didn't involve crawling on the floor under the car

The throttle control module bolts under the inlet manifold.....