Aftermarket Xenon Lights

[camerontyler]

Hi all, new member, 1st post.

I am in the middle of buying my first Merc (C220 CDI 51 plate 40k 1 owner). Deposit payed, pick it up on Friday.

My question is, has anyone bought and fitted the very reasonably priced xenon light upgrades that are available on the likes of Ebay?
If so what K rating did you go for and how do you rate ease of fitting?

Thirdly, how much better are they compared to the standard halogens (please don't say 300x better like in the adds

)

Last but not least, if I fit them will it de-value the car as they are not OEM? I know I could always replace them with the originals but personally I would regard them as a selling point.

If anyones wondering why I want to fit them I have recently moved to the Scottish Borders and when the clouds are in it's pitch dark due to the lack of light pollution (and moonlight of course) when heading south from Edinburgh. More importantly the main reason for changing to the Merc is for the Mrs' safety and being able to see well at night always helps!

Regards

Cameron


here's an example :
MERCEDES C CLASS W203 HID XENON CONVERSION KIT H7 8000K on eBay (end time 06-Oct-10 16:27:21 BST)

p.s. some people may notice i've posted this on another well known Merc forum so I can get as many opinions as possible. I assure you this is not an advert, i've even put up a different example from a different seller.

 

[momomo]

This is a bit of a touchy subject on here. Get ready for it

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

As momomo suggests, this topic divides opinion like no other.

I think the simple fact is that retrofitting xenons (proper xenons, not just a bulb with xenon gas) is technically illegal unless you have self-levelling suspension, headlamp washers, and maybe something else.

Whether that will ever cause you a problem - or other drivers - is a risk that only you can assess and decide if it's worthwhile.

I have OEM bi-xenons on my C-Class and the difference in illumination compared to our ML (without xenons) is incredible.

 

[whitenemesis]

To be legal the headlamp units must be designed and approved to house xenons, this basically means using OE units. Plus the auto-leveling

Aftermarket HID (Xenon) headlamps

 

[GP801]

Unless done properly and expensively almost certainly illegal and likely MOT failure. Also your insurers may regard it as a modification. Try spending £25-30 on Phillips extreme power halogen bulbs. Made a huge difference on the 124 though not as good as the xenons on our other cars.

 

[harry_dhuga]

I have retro fitted after market xenons on my BMW 740i in the past and they were much better, wouldn't like to comment on the legal side though as they were very bright but I used to aim them quite low so not to dazzle oncoming traffic.

I went for the 6000k bulbs as found this to be the best compromise for actual lumens (output of light) and the look as they were diamond white with a light hint of blue.

Obviously to keep legal, it's best off changing the bits and pieces to match eg the auto level sensors and washers etc but it won't be cheap!

 

[whitenemesis]

Also worth watching

[YOUTUBE]yVuSSdZNsZw[/YOUTUBE]

 

[BTB 500]

As above I fitted Phillips X-Treme power bulbs to my SL and our Audi A4, and they gave a noticeable improvement for minimal cost. They are normal wattage bulbs so totally legal - they are just more efficient at converting energy into light (rather than heat).

Many of the Xenon 'conversion kits' are very deceptive. The arc is not the same shape or size as the filament in the bulb you remove, which changes the beam pattern to some extent. Although producing more light overall, it's often concentrated in the wrong places which can actually reduce the effective range at night (because the foreground is so bright). So they can be deceptive.

An OEM Xenon unit is a lot of money, but will produce the correct beam.

 

[JohnDeere8530]

buy best quality hid kit, far cheaper. xenons are better, but not massively than a good quality conventional set up

 

[h17n dj]

I have 6K HID kit in my W202. It passed MOT in July at the local MB dealership... He nearly failed them but they are on the legal limit at 55W so very bright... he also re-aligned them for me but since then i have more people flashing their headlights at me thinkin i got full beams on but i havent.... i do not have the self leveling or the head lamp cleaning but the car still passed MOT.... they look mint tho

 

[camerontyler]

Thank's everyone for your feedback.

I'm still unsure due to the legal issue and I personally despise people who blind me and am always concious of doing it to others.

I think I will see how I get on with the standard setup, if that's not good enough i'll try the philips x-treme bulbs. If that's not good enough i'll go the HID route.

I doubt i'll be able to afford the real deal from Merc as they seem to cost 10-15% of what i'm paying for the car!

Thanks again, i'll stick my car in my avatar at the weekend.

Regards

Cameron

 

[JohnDeere8530]

HID are good since they give good results, they plug into the standard bulb housings, easy to wire in (inc the ballasts), cheap compared to xenon (approx £200 for good set) and can be quickly taken off if there is an issue with the mot and replaced with normal bulbs. However the downside is they are definitely illegal since there will be no self levelling system or special reflectors to stop dazzling other road users.

 

[h17n dj]

as long as u dont get caught u will be fine..... the look brilliant especially when they start up and get brighter ! yeah they arent hard to swap over... thats what i would have done if MB failed the MOT but they didnt luckily !!! mine only cost about £70 quid i think.but my mate got them half price for me. i guess if i get pulled the police will do me for my lights and numberplates

 

[NISFAN]

as long as u dont get caught u will be fine.....

What about ALL the other motorists blinded by your 'mint' lights. Do you just say 'F*** 'em' to yourself, as you selfishly motor along?

I am always intriuged how 'F#ckwits' think, so do answer this question and enlighten me.

 

[h17n dj]

What about ALL the other motorists blinded by your 'mint' lights. Do you just say 'F*** 'em' to yourself, as you selfishly motor along?

I am always intriuged how 'F#ckwits' think, so do answer this question and enlighten me.

well answer me this...... if they were illegal, they would not pass MOT bya Mercedes-Benz dealership would they? they were also alligned to the correct standards and so i am technically legal .... if there was an issue, MB would not have passed the MOT of the vehicle!!!

 

[A210AMG]

as long as u dont get caught u will be fine.....


^ Great so on a dark country lane in your car coming towards me and my family in my car, its ok that your blinding me ??? cause it past the 'mot' and they are Brill ???


thanks for that.

 

[Sp!ke]

No, you are wrong, your car should have failed its MOT, give me the number of your MOT and I will notify VOSA for you.

 

[A210AMG]

^ two wrongs don't make a right

the fact is YOU know it's illegal yet they look Brill....

 

[A210AMG]

... I guess its H17 NDJ

but doubt it's spaced like that

update "MERCEDES C200 ELEGANCE AUTO 4 DOOR SALOON 1998cc (07-08-2000) PETROL"

 

[Sp!ke]

if there was an issue, MB would not have passed the MOT of the vehicle!!!

Really?

but since then i have more people flashing their headlights at me thinkin i got full beams on but i havent