What headlight bulbs

[woodturner-fran]

I'm about to buy some new headlight bulbs for my w210. Anyone got any preferences on what I should go for. Is there any one make that is brighter etc than the others that will be still compatable with the battery/relay setup (the bog standard one)?


Fran

 

[nicky]

Depends on how much you want to spend on bulbs,If you want the best go for PIAA bulbs......

 

[nicky]

Here is a link for them,I use them all the time........http://www.piaa.co.uk/bulbs/bulbs.asp

 

[Gastro]

I spent a fortune on a pair of PIAA headlamp bulbs for my W124 and the difference was amazing. However the bulb failure warning lamp didn't recognise the higher wattage and just stayed on, and for the first couple of weeks I just ignored it. Then it just stopped lighting up but the screenwash reservoir empty warning lamp beside it now glows at half intensity all the time. I can put up with all that for the vastly improved main beam and dip light intensity. I bought mine from Demon Tweeks on-line.

 

[woodturner-fran]

OK, we'll bookmark the PIAA bulbs, soon as one of the headlights goes, I'll put somehting like that in.

Although I don't like the sound of the bulb gone warning lamp lighting up - I have ot say that I would find that annoying in the extreme. Anyone out there used these on a W210 with success? If you did exactly what bulb did you use ie super whites or competition or whatever else they are called!

Fran

 

[tom7035]

Did I not read somewhere that these bulbs, without some kind of modification, melt the bulbholders and cause the wiring harness to overheat?

 

[Gastro]

I opted for the PIAA Platinum H4's which are an intense and very piercing white light. They are almost double the wattage of the originals and have not given any problems in well over two years of use, other than the bulb failure warning lamp etc.
It may be that because they're fitted to a non-turbo diesel with relatively low under-bonnet temperatures I've perhaps avoided the overheating of connectors and wiring harnesses.

 

[Bolide]

Bulbs

If you go for a bulb of the same wattage then the light output will be essentially the same for any bulb

If you go for any bulb of a higher rating then the current draw will cause the bulb failure system to show an error on headlights and your combination dip/main/flash/indicator switch will fail earlier

There are ways of fooling the bulb failure system and solving the problems with switches by installing relays - a Google search will turn them up

If the W210 series came with xenons you could buy a pair of complete xenon headlights & ballasts at a breaker & install those...


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[turnipsock]

I'm sure we have been here before...

You can run up to a 100W bulb on the standard holders. The fuse on the headlamp circuits is 8A, the wire is rated at 10A continuous. This shouldn't affect the working of the 'failed bulb' thing.

I tried some very high power bulbs (130W) and fitted a special wiring kit with seperate relays, however this bypasses the normal lighting circuit so the 'failed bulb' thing comes on. I took it out again and went for the PIAAs.

100W is only an indication as to the power drawn by the bulb, not the light output of the bulb. The light out varies dramatically. I have found that the PIAA 60W bulb is brighter than a lot of the cheap 100W bulbs.

I'm currently using the PIAA 80W/80W bulbs, these are about £40 each but are pretty impressive.

However, 60W/45W bulbs are the maximum legal bulbs that you are aloud on the public highway.

My car is in for an MOT on Wed, I'm tempted to leave the illegal bulbs in to see if they notice. The worry is that if some switched on mechanic twigs it and he will switch my bulbs for some cheap crap.

I've also fitted the higher power PIAA fog light bulbs.

Bare in mind that all this power has to be supplied from somewhere.

 

[turnipsock]

The car sailed through the MOT and not a mention of the high power bulbs.