S320 dim headlamps

[monument7]

Hi,
Sorry if i am digging up an old thread but can't seem to find anything relevant to my car. Its a 2005 S320 and to be honest the dipped headlamps are if anything dangerous. I can hardly see but on main beam they are brilliant to the point the reflection off road signs is blinding. If I put the front fogs on its a 100% improvement but cant be driving like a 20yr old in a hot hatch. Any suggestions on what bulbs to buy. It has H7 in at present and the lense looks a bit misty. Just a simple clean ?

 

[television]

We all use or most of us use the Osram "nightbreaker plus" and a huge improvement, cheap on Ebay but do get the plus version

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
It might be worth checking what voltage you are getting at the lamps, as I have heard on some models the wiring/connectors can degrade to such an extent that it effects the light output, you only have to have a slight volt drop to effect the light output quite significantly.

 

[monument7]

Thanks guys
Will get onto both pronto.

 

[television]

Hi,
It might be worth checking what voltage you are getting at the lamps, as I have heard on some models the wiring/connectors can degrade to such an extent that it effects the light output, you only have to have a slight volt drop to effect the light output quite significantly.

Not likely on a 2005 car and if both headlamps the same

 

[bigasotonuk]

Age might be a major contributing factor to degraded wiring/connectors, it certainly is,nt the only thing that that can cause high resistance connections.
The O/P stated the lights are "dim", which would imply a possible voltage issue, hence my post.

Regarding the slightly misted" headlight lens's, if the "misting" is on the outside" you could try one of these kits in the link below.
http://www.glasspolishshop.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=48_63

 

[television]

Age might be a major contributing factor to degraded wiring/connectors, it certainly is,nt the only thing that that can cause high resistance connections.
The O/P stated the lights are "dim", which would imply a possible voltage issue, hence my post.

Regarding the slightly misted" headlight lens's, if the "misting" is on the outside" you could try one of these kits in the link below.
http://www.glasspolishshop.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=48_63

With 10 amps passing through its unlikely, this would generate heat very quickly and they would soon stop working

 

[monument7]

I have ordered the nightbreaker plus lamps and will fit asap. When I say dim I mean the lights are so bad it is difficult to see if they are on even if shining against something 10yds in front. I first had them set on auto and thought the weren't on. Could it just be the bulbs coming to the end of their lives ?.
If the nightbreakers dont make a difference then I will go through the connectors and check the voltage.

 

[television]

I have ordered the nightbreaker plus lamps and will fit asap. When I say dim I mean the lights are so bad it is difficult to see if they are on even if shining against something 10yds in front. I first had them set on auto and thought the weren't on. Could it just be the bulbs coming to the end of their lives ?.
If the nightbreakers dont make a difference then I will go through the connectors and check the voltage.

I do not know why but last winter many of us found normal bulbs just too dim and unsafe to drive. loads of us changed to the night breaker plus and problem solved, they are great, if it was a connection problem the intensity would change according to the arcing.

 

[bigasotonuk]

With 10 amps passing through its unlikely, this would generate heat very quickly and they would soon stop working

10 Amps is the normal load of the headlight circuit (assuming x2 55W H7 lamps) so why would this proclude wiring/connection degradation?
The circuit I believe is fused at 15 Amp so which would mean that the wiring will be able to carry at least this amount before any adverse overheating.

 

[television]

10 Amps is the normal load of the headlight circuit (assuming x2 55W H7 lamps) so why would this proclude wiring/connection degradation?
The circuit I believe is fused at 15 Amp so which would mean that the wiring will be able to carry at least this amount before any adverse overheating.

The fuse rating has nothing to do with this, neither has the wiring as that is all rated for the job in question, the current cannot increase if arcing was taking place, this only leaves connections, on a circuit carrying 10 amps the heat would soon destroy that connection, plus the intensity of the lamps would be going up and down in sympathy with the arcing till the connection was totally lost. You would smell this if that was a problem. Sure you can get bad connections else where where the lamps may not be grounding through the intended route.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Wiring/connection degradation causing high resistance can manifest itself in other ways besides arcing.

 

[television]

Wiring/connection degradation causing high resistance can manifest itself in other ways besides arcing.

Andy you should stop pushing this, the wires would have to be too thin to get a PD across them, heat would be generated and they would eventually melt in the process, but the wires are not too thin. Once again any wiring degradation would manifest its self it terms of heat and the circuit would fail, you just cannot loose 110 watts without heat

There must have been 30 threads last winter on dim headlamp, and including my 140 that I bought last sept I could not see a thing hardly at night, I changed my bulbs to Nightbreakers or the equivalent and like all the other I could see what I was about to drive into at night.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Sure you can get bad connections else where where the lamps may not be grounding through the intended route.

So we are in agreement then.

 

[monmoulds7]

Thank goodness you two have made peace , ( good discussion though ).
When I took the bulb out last night I decided to make up a swab from welding wire and a jay cloth and put some cleaner around the inside of the lense.................amazed. Driving home at 3 this morning the light I did was far far better than the other side so assuming part of the problem is dirt. I will do the other side tonite at work and see how that looks. I will also put the new bulbs in when they arrive.

 

[Xtractorfan]

You need to be extremely careful attempting to clean the actual lens.. there is only a very very.. bee foreskin like.. coating of silver on the lens ..and soo easy to rub the silver coating off..
And yes bad earthing will cause dim lights..but bad connections before the bulb will cause arcing and burning..

 

[monument7]

If I rubbed the lens back to the moulded plastic they couldn't be any dimmer . No probs with the being careful bit, thats me job, but know what you mean about the coating cheers.
As for the earth I could certainly have disturbed something when rooting around with me pigs tits trying to get the lamp back in. Who knows, it's all a mystery to me. What happened to the days of a fag packet and screwdriver :???:, oh yes and a hammer for the starter motor.

 

[Xtractorfan]

I have Xenon lamps on my S class and the dipped beam is ****** awful...

 

[monument7]

Had Xenons on my Mondeo, got them under the bench now put normal lights in. My S320 is exactly the same effect as the Xenons but as I say had a slight improvement last night so there is hope. Apparantly Xenon lamps do fade in time or so I was told. Wouldn't have them again and yet some people rave for them.

 

[television]

If I rubbed the lens back to the moulded plastic they couldn't be any dimmer . No probs with the being careful bit, thats me job, but know what you mean about the coating cheers.
As for the earth I could certainly have disturbed something when rooting around with me pigs tits trying to get the lamp back in. Who knows, it's all a mystery to me. What happened to the days of a fag packet and screwdriver :???:, oh yes and a hammer for the starter motor.

No we have not made up, old wives tales do not fit your problem.

It would be very unusual to have any earth problem on both, even if on ´both that current drawn would leave its mark somewhere.

You need to get some very small hands to change the bulbs on most cars, but think yourself lucky that it is not a certain BMW where the bumper has to be removed to change a bulb and 4 hours work. You will love the new ones when they come.