Xenon Lighting

[cmax200]

Can I fit Xenon lighting to my 2005 C230 Sport Avantgarde, if so any ideas of the cost and what if any benefits/or cons I will get. i.e will I have to wear my sunglasses at night!

 

[television]

Much brighter lights, not cheap, there are after market kits, though not with the leveling system. Someone should post that has done this

 

[whitenemesis]

Yes, xenons can be fitted to your car! Pros? massively better illumination! Cons? expensive to do properly (legally)

As Malcolm says they are not cheap (£1800pr from MB) You might find second hand ones from breakers, ebay etc.. but they are very sought after.

One thing to remember is that 'HID kits' that convert existing halogen headlights to xenon are illegal (no matter what the sellers say). The lighting units must be designed for xenon bulbs.

Cars fitted with xenons at the factory must also have auto-levelling and headlight washers (type approval). Cars that have xenons retro-fitted do not have this requirement but you really should retro-fit the auto-levelling (~£150 for the loom and sensors from MB) so as to be sure not to dazzle oncomming traffic.

 

[cmax200]

Sounds like the cons, outweigh the benefits. Especially on the cost side.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Sounds like the cons, outweigh the benefits. Especially on the cost side.

I upgraded the lights on my W220 18 months ago. I have never been flashed by oncoming traffic and there was no observation @ MOT time. The difference in illumination is significant and as we seem to have so many winter months, I think it is worth consideration.

I live in the West Midlands and had the work done in Birmingham for rather less than half the price stated above. It might well be even less for your car.

 

[*Thumper]

Try decent bulbs 1st ....much cheaper and you may be happy with the benefits

Someone posted a good link recently........... to a bulb supplier, with a good range to choose from.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Try this site as the lamps (bulbs grow in the ground) are very well priced and free postage packing.
http://www.regalautobulbs.com
I,m going to get the Osram Night Breakers for my High beam and fogs on the C43.

 

[*Thumper]

And lamps, go on the bedside table ................ lol

 

[Parrot of Doom]

You cannot simply put HiD lamps inside housings designed for filament bulbs. The spread of light will be messy and dazzling for other road users. You have to replace the entire unit on each side, and purchase ballasts.

Having said that, I think it is disgusting what the manufacturers charge for OEM replacement headlamp units.

 

[bigasotonuk]

When i was young 16 year old apprentice Electrician I use to get a clip round the ear everytime i called them bulbs,
"bulbs grow in the ground nipper there lamps not bulbs"
Old habits die hard i,m afraid

 

[hawk20]

When i was young 16 year old apprentice Electrician I use to get a clip round the ear everytime i called them bulbs,
"bulbs grow in the ground nipper there lamps not bulbs"
Old habits die hard i,m afraid

Well I think they are wrong. You put a new bulb in your headlamps. See MB manuals BTW.

 

[pmerc]

Well it cost me £87 for my zenon headlight bulb, trade price as one was missing when i bought my S600l.
They say its got a 10 year guarantee with it so got to keep reciept in car.
Rediculous price in my opinion & coming to work today alarm comes up front indicator bulb gone so wonder how much that gonna be

 

[izy_wizy]

I bpught some after market hids/xenons volvo s80 and they were really bright and better than nearly all hids/xenons on the road but still legal. Don't need them anymore as e class has them but not as good i think i got them from www.hids4u.co.uk for about £110ish

 

[whitenemesis]

I bpught some after market hids/xenons volvo s80 and they were really bright and better than nearly all hids/xenons on the road but still legal. Don't need them anymore as e class has them but not as good i think i got them from www.hids4u.co.uk for about £110ish

Unless the Volvo headlamp unit was originally designed for housing xenon bulbs the conversion would not be legal.

 

[izy_wizy]

I never got pulled for them and passed 2 mots while i had them on!!

 

[whitenemesis]

I never got pulled for them and passed 2 mots while i had them on!!

Doesn't make them legal

No, I know what you mean and many, many people have done this with no problems at all. But there is a growing campaign to clamp down on illegal HiD kits. It is very easy to spot the converted lights, they all look very very bright, mainly down to the fact the light is scattered by the halogen optimised lenses.

True xenons are equally if not even brighter but they are much better foucused and 'off-axis' appear quite dim. In some instances they appear to 'flash' as the very sharp cut-off sweeps across one's vision.

It has been commented that xenons make the non-illuminted areas seem even darker simply because they are so bright and the cut-off so sharp.

 

[television]

It has been commented that xenons make the non-illuminted areas seem even darker simply because they are so bright and the cut-off so sharp.

Interesting peter, I felt the driving home from the meet that my lamps were cutting off to sharply, the vision may have been and odd night, but it was hard work

 

[whitenemesis]

Interesting peter, I felt the driving home from the meet that my lamps were cutting off to sharply, the vision may have been and odd night, but it was hard work

Malcolm, keeping the speed below 3 figures should help!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Veridian]

Hi folks,
I thought I'd add my tuppence worth to this. I bought a set of HID bulbs and ballasts nearly 5 years ago now - back when they were £300 a set. These are genuine Philips and made to OEM - hence I guess why I have had no problems with them. I had them in a 306 first and transferred them to my E430 in '06 as the bulb fitments are the same. I too have never been flashed and indeed have had the alignment checked when I had the MOT done - which of course these days is really just a glorified emmissions check - but they passed that too.

I can understand whitenemisis contention that they are illegal and there is a growing campaign to clamp down on these, I must say as the price of them has dropped I have seen an increasing number of oiks in Novas and Corsas and the like with them - and these do dazzle. But I wonder who is actually going to do anything about it... for instance, there has been an 04 reg Golf with car tax that ran out in '06 (same colour as '09) parked in a nearby street to me, and despite pointing it out to both plod and DVLA 6 months ago - it's still there - and obviously been driven about!- call me a grass- but everytime I saw it it wound me up!!

These probably fall into the same boat as Radar detectors in the early days - illegal to use but legal to sell. After all it's illegal to have 100watt bulbs in your car for on road use - but who's going to check?!

 

[Frontstep]

Auto express tested lamps