Weak Headlights

[Asal]

2013 W212 E-class estate.

Particularly on dipped beam, the headlights are dismal, is this common, standard lamps are fitted and the car has self leveling rear suspension.

The headlamp height adjuster works but the amount of movement is very small, I guess this relates to having self leveling rear suspension.

On full beam I can live with the light output, but they are not great by any means.

It's difficult to describe just how poor I find the dipped beam, lets just say the lack of illumination makes me very nervy.

John

 

[Chrishazle]

Common problem if you search on here, normal recommendation is replace the standard halogen bulbs with Osram Nightbreaker Ultimates (better value than NB Lasers) as I have done on my 2008 C220 S204.

 

[Asal]

Hi Chrishazle,

I googled Osram Nightbreaker Ultimates but I find Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited coming up, is this the bulb you recommend?

Thanks,
John

 

[Markssl]

2013 W212 E-class estate.

Particularly on dipped beam, the headlights are dismal, is this common, standard lamps are fitted and the car has self leveling rear suspension.

The headlamp height adjuster works but the amount of movement is very small, I guess this relates to having self leveling rear suspension.

On full beam I can live with the light output, but they are not great by any means.

It's difficult to describe just how poor I find the dipped beam, lets just say the lack of illumination makes me very nervy.

John

I thought all W212’s, especially a 2013 had the intelligent lights?


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[Asal]

Markssl,

I came across the intelligent lights thingy when googling MB headlight problems earlier this evening, I don't know what it is, what it means or whether my car has it or not, the car is an SE.

I really don't know much about my car at all as yet I am embarrassed to say, I'm not up to date gizmo wise

John

 

[flowrider]

Hi Chrishazle,

I googled Osram Nightbreaker Ultimates but I find Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited coming up, is this the bulb you recommend?

Thanks,
John

Nightbreaker Unlimited is a very good headlight bulb.

 

[Chrishazle]

Oops John, my bad, apologies. There are 4 varieties of Nightbreakers, I've tried all 4 - NB, NB+, NB Unlimited and NB Laser. The original NB's did not last well, the NB+ were better, currently I have NB Unlimited in the 968 and dip beam on the S204, with NB Lasers in the MB mains. I see no difference between the Unlimiteds and Lasers apart from price, so value for money for me is the unlimiteds.

However, I know nothing about the E class as I've only had 2 MB's - the S203 C270 2001 then the current S204 C220, both C class. Hopefully your owners manual will tell you if you have "ordinary" halogen lights or something more exotic like HID's, Xenons or WHY, I can't help on that question!

 

[190]

I find the same in that main beams are not bad at all but the dipped beams are weak, which is odd given that both use the same H7 halogen 55W lamp. They really shouldn't be bad as even standard H7's put out 1500 lumens and that's more than my old cars head lights using dual filament H4's that only produced 1000 lumens on dip and 1650 0n main beam.

The difference on my current car is that the dipped beams are projectors and main beams are reflectors. You have to conclude that this particular projector is not very efficient. Having used them before I've just fitted Osram silverstars but haven't driven in properly dark conditions yet.

 

[Markssl]

Markssl,

I came across the intelligent lights thingy when googling MB headlight problems earlier this evening, I don't know what it is, what it means or whether my car has it or not, the car is an SE.

I really don't know much about my car at all as yet I am embarrassed to say, I'm not up to date gizmo wise

John

If you have a rotary switch headlight height adjuster you won’t have ILS. I’m amazed MB fit halogens to any of their vehicles!
This system used Xenon headlights and automatically changes from low to high beam. It also adjusts the beam height to vehicle speed and swivels lights round bends. It’s a great system but the new LED ILS systems are way better.


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[Markssl]

I find the same in that main beams are not bad at all but the dipped beams are weak, which is odd given that both use the same H7 halogen 55W lamp. They really shouldn't be bad as even standard H7's put out 1500 lumens and that's more than my old cars head lights using dual filament H4's that only produced 1000 lumens on dip and 1650 0n main beam.

The difference on my current car is that the dipped beams are projectors and main beams are reflectors. You have to conclude that this particular projector is not very efficient. Having used them before I've just fitted Osram silverstars but haven't driven in properly dark conditions yet.

The high beam should be 60W? Shouldn’t it? [emoji848]. I always recall fitting 60/55W dual filament bulbs in cars gone by.


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[renault12ts]

Nope...55w.

 

[190]

H4 dual filament bulbs were 60w main beam and 55W dip. Now we have separate H7 bulbs for main and dip they are both 55W.

On the old H4 the 5 watt increase on the main beam couldn't have accounted for the big increase in lumen output. The main beam filament must have been overrun to produce more light at the expense of a shorter life which seems appropriate to duration of use. Another example of that is the old 5/21 watt tail and brake light bulbs. The brake light filament put out over 10 times the lumens of the tail filament, again at the expense of a much shorter life and appropriate to duration of use - unless you kept a foot on the brakes when stopped at the traffic lights.

While we are on the topic of lumens the aftermarket premium bulbs don't put out many more lumens than the stock ones. When you see +50% or whatever don't imagine that means 50% more lumens, it does not. They get away with those claims by refocusing the light so that one part of the beam is 50% brighter but not the all of the beam. In some markets they are not permitted to claim a big percentage more light and you see the very same bulb marketed as 110% more light which is closer to the truth. Don't get me wrong I still think they are a very worthwhile upgrade.

 

[190]

Tried out recently fitted Osram silver star 2's this morning. Although at the budget end of premium replacement lamps they are noticeably brighter than stock H7's and at £10.95 a pair not much more expensive. Good life too compared to the high end lamps.

 

[Asal]

OOPS, just read the past few posts, but now I have discovered the 'watch thread' button

Yesterday I popped into Europarts to pick up the Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited's that the website claimed were in stock, turns out that they don't have the Osrams owing to some glitch\gremlins in their stock control system.

Anyway, the counter sales guy (whose advice I trust) offers me Philip's White Vision extra white light c\w side light bulbs, he said that he hashada lot of positive feedback on them.

Have I been to hasty? Anyone tried them? or should I return the Philip's and go for the Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited's.

 

[Asal]

Another OOPS, the picture was meant to be posted after the text, I will get better at this, promise

 

[ordessa]

I'm utterly frightened by the appauling level of light out of my B class headlamps on dipped.
I've asked for them to be adjusted...MB say they are "ok"...but even with aftermarket "Phillips" bulbs... the bulb pattern is clearly about 5/10ft in front of me...and "barely" in the distance... I badly misjudged a corner/junction on to the A32 near Alton recently... I had to slow to 25 mph to see the bloody road...

If I could tweak my alignement I'd move them up and check so I dont blind anyone... not that I could with a farting candle that the B clkass puts out...As I HAVE to drive in the dark.... this pattern scares me now to the point of chnaging the car or asking how I spend money for a different bulb type.

 

[Codger49]

I have the Philips White Vision H7 bulbs in my CLK, bith dipped and main, and I find them much brighter and longer reaching than the standard bulbs fitted when I acquired the car. They are perfectly adequate for me at 50-60-70 on local A and B roads at night.

I thought all car's headlamp units, excepting perhaps led ILS units, had adjustment screws for both left and right and up and down. I have certainly adjusted headlamps on all the cars I have owned using the garage door method. If necessary, taking a check on the local garage's beam setting machine (which is always used to check the alignment at MOT time).

If the beams are suspiciously low, it may be worth checking the bulbs have been inserted correctly. It is possible to fit H7 bulbs upside down, which gives a pretty poor beam pattern.

 

[190]

Does the B class have an internal thumb wheel adjustment to compensate for load and is that set correctly.

 

[Asal]

If the beams are suspiciously low, it may be worth checking the bulbs have been inserted correctly. It is possible to fit H7 bulbs upside down, which gives a pretty poor beam pattern.

Good point, I did not know that, thanks.

John

 

[Chrishazle]

On my S204 it's quite difficult to see inside the bulb holder area to see exactly where the cut-out for the tab on the bulb is and thus get the bulb correctly aligned. I luckily have a small adjustable inspection mirror, but even with that it was awkward - and codger is correct, getting the bulb fitted but misaligned boogers the beam pattern (ask me how I know!!).