Xenons in Europe

[Billy San]

Hi all, this is my first post.

I am taking my 2000X C320 to France at the end of July and need to adjust the Xenon headlights to comply with driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

The maintenance book doesn't say how to adjust them - can anybody please help!!

Cheers,

:lol:

 

[marnix]

Hi,
Do you have electric head lights level adjustment on this car?
If "yes", just lower the beam and you should be OK.
This is all I'm doing when taking my SLK abroad and it has not caused anyone to flash me for the last 3 years.

 

[996jimbo]

I'm no expert..... but,

Xenon's are auto self levelling so you can't make any adjustment and even if you could it would probably be a bad idea.

I believe your only option is to get the stick on things on the lights which blank out the bit of the beam that would shine in people's eyes.

Not had to do it yet myself though so be sure and post what the actual answer is for info.

Regards,
Jim

 

[Myros]

this could be another long thread

The answer is we have to comply with the local regulations in the country in which we are driving, usually the same as ours, ie no dazzle correctly adjusted and all that. For non-auto levelling, like mine, they can be set to the lowest, and you could aim them more to the right at the headlamp, but that's a poor compromise for me. It's easier to get the right stick on thing and whack it on. No need to re-aim the lights that way.
I am very conscious that while we buy these things by the bucketload to visit the continent, our european neighbours don't bother when they visit us. If you want to waste an hour or two, pop in to Charles Bruns or 'Alfordes anywhere in France and try and find the beam-benders.

 

[The Editor]

But..... It's only the French !!.. Don't bother.....Blind the bu**ers !!

Any more un-'PC' answers... Just ask !!

 

[SLinKyjoe]

you need to have them adjusted properly.....and it depends on the beam arrangements...ring the AA and ask them.. they will help you.

 

[Billy San]

Thanks for the info - (even the non-pc stuff!),

I'm not in the AA, as the car is still covered by Mercedes under Mobilo Life, so I don't think they'll help me.

I think I've read that you can't use the sticky things on Xenons - but I will take a trip to Halfords and find out.

I'll post a reply if when I find out. I could call my MB dealer (Drayton in Stourbridge) but it'll probably cost me!!

Would be happy to receive more suggestions.

Cheers,

 

[SLinKyjoe]

you dont need to be a member of the AA to get info from them. plus they are the ones who supply the international driving permits for those who need one. RAC should offer you info too

 

[NF_]

My E220 (2003) with Xenons has a small lever inside the light assembly.

This lever has 2 positions for left side or right side of the road.

What it appears to be is a small blade that blanks off the edge of the lense.

I found this out in the manual.

 

[blassberg]

I saw a car similar enough to mine on order to play options matching and thought I would look up his VIN number on the russian site to see if I was correct.

I was looking to confirm whether it was Obsidian Black (it was) or Diamond Black (I was wrong) also to find the engine size at it was debadged (it was a 220CDI)

Checking the details I noticed the following factory fits re this discussion

618 halogen lamp unit with high beam/low beam/fog light (r.h. traffic) (с 01.04.1970)
619 halogen lamp unit with high beam/low beam fog light and headlamps and fog lamps or additional high beam, amber; asymmetrical headlamps for l.h. traffic, and rear turn signal lamps, orange, for Australia, Italy, Great Britain
xenonheadlight omitted (с 01.06.1995)

According to the price list the 618's are Xenons
618 Bi-Xenon headlamps - includes Headlamp wash
619 Cornering light (only with code 618 (Bi-Xenon headlamps)

So it looks like xenons do come in rh and lh variations although I didn't understand the 618lh and 619rh logic nor the xenonheadlight omitted (с 01.06.1995) comment.

Although they could be the same unit with the lever mentioned by NF_ confirgured for lh or rh.

 

[NF_]

The procedure I mentioned earlier is described in the owners manual.
(see picture attached)

E-Class Owners Manual:
Operation, driving abroad
Page 305

Order number: 6515 1106 02
Part number: 211 584 25 83 EN
Edition D1 01/03

Sorry - site not letting me upload a 98K Jpg - will try later.

 

[pascal]

Thats for the W211 E-Class. It shows it on the online manual, which I don't remember the link to.

Think Billys car is a C-Class, W202 or W203

 

[murky]

Xenon adjustment for Europe

My E220 (2003) with Xenons has a small lever inside the light assembly.

This lever has 2 positions for left side or right side of the road.

What it appears to be is a small blade that blanks off the edge of the lense.

I found this out in the manual.

NF - Can you give more details how to do this?

By the way - I have also been told that you can't stick tape on the headlight with Xenons - something to do with the extra power. Also MB agent spares man said he heard I had to book it in otherwise you can blow the high voltage electrics/ get a bad shock - not clear if this was a scare tactic to get more money out of me.

Murky

 

[Myros]

Xenons do run at a high voltage

as they are a bit like a domestic fluorescent unit. to be safe disconnect the battery before doing anything.

 

[NF_]

See attached for manual

 

[murky]

My xenons don't look like this excerpt from the manual - they are on an E220 2001 [old shape] - they appear to have no levers, only 3 mounting points which seem to have two positions - needing removal with an allen key - does anyone have a manual or knowledge of this type?

Thanks

 

[justinb]

Hi Murky,

Im not sure if this is of much help, but here goes....

As well as the 500 sl, ive got a new Audi A4 with the projector lense lamp fitting. I replaced the standard halogen bulb with a xenon p2 bulb, i.e slight mod on the wiring, balast unit and ignitor etc..lamps are obviously not self levelling but anyway, having just been to france I used the stick on segments from Halfords to cover the angle where they would dazzle the jolly foreigners!!
Interestingly though, the Audi book does suggest visiting the dealer to adjust the lamps for driving abroad, but then they would extra £££ for them.

I didnt bother lowering the lamps either, why would I? They dont when they come over here!!