Fitting spotlights to 2012 S204

[JonTallis]

I have a 2012 S204 with the single HID headlights (single projector that adjusts from dip to main beam). I do a lot of country road night driving and find the main beams hopeless, lacking any real penetration - I've fitted the most powerful HID light units I can find but still hopeless.
I'm considering fitting LED driving lights but without a main beam to take a relay feed off I'm flummoxed as to how to wire them
Can anyone point me at a main beam feed that I can use to trigger the spotlight relay without setting a CANBUS error?

 

[Gazwould]

 

[BlackC55]

I have a 2012 S204 with the single HID headlights (single projector that adjusts from dip to main beam). I do a lot of country road night driving and find the main beams hopeless, lacking any real penetration - I've fitted the most powerful HID light units I can find but still hopeless.
I'm considering fitting LED driving lights but without a main beam to take a relay feed off I'm flummoxed as to how to wire them
Can anyone point me at a main beam feed that I can use to trigger the spotlight relay without setting a CANBUS error?

Its probably best to wire them on a separate switch and relay.

 

[JonTallis]

View attachment 135008

Yup.....that'd do it

 

[JonTallis]

Its probably best to wire them on a separate switch and relay.

If you mean an entirely separate switch I don't believe that would be legal or pass an MOT as they need to switch on & off with the main beam

 

[BlackC55]

If you mean an entirely separate switch I don't believe that would be legal or pass an MOT as they need to switch on & off with the main beam

Call them spot lights instead.

 

[JonTallis]

Call them spot lights instead.

Regardless of what I call them I want them coming on and off with main beam!

 

[AndrewOl]

Regardless of what I call them I want them coming on and off with main beam!

That can get a bit tricky as there isn’t a main beam switch as such due to the sophisticated control system used with the lights. Difficult to even use the 12v feed to the light as the same lamp is used for dipped. Just as an aside I have the same lights on my 2010 A207 and never fail to be impressed with them especially on country roads. Our other car has traditional H7 lights and the HID in the MB are so much better. The active cornering is very clever too. Have you checked alignment? I had mine in for a new lighting control module and the Indy also calibrated and aligned them. The difference was like night and day.

 

[JonTallis]

That can get a bit tricky as there isn’t a main beam switch as such due to the sophisticated control system used with the lights. Difficult to even use the 12v feed to the light as the same lamp is used for dipped. Just as an aside I have the same lights on my 2010 A207 and never fail to be impressed with them especially on country roads. Our other car has traditional H7 lights and the HID in the MB are so much better. The active cornering is very clever too. Have you checked alignment? I had mine in for a new lighting control module and the Indy also calibrated and aligned them. The difference was like night and day.

I haven't checked alignment as the issue seems more like a lack of brightness rather than alignment - but on your suggestion I'll look into what my main stealer might charge for that - sadly no Indy's near me. I agree the active cornering is excellent

 

[Diesel Benz]

I have a 2012 S204 with the single HID headlights (single projector that adjusts from dip to main beam). I do a lot of country road night driving and find the main beams hopeless, lacking any real penetration - I've fitted the most powerful HID light units I can find but still hopeless.
I'm considering fitting LED driving lights but without a main beam to take a relay feed off I'm flummoxed as to how to wire them
Can anyone point me at a main beam feed that I can use to trigger the spotlight relay without setting a CANBUS error?

Are you after LED low and high beams or just additional LED high beams like a LED bar? Those are very popular in the north. If the car has xenons or LEDs as original driving lights, one can use a CAN sniffer to control additional high beams. If I remember right, this sniffer is made by a Swedish company.

Multi-beam LEDs are not as easy as the CAN sniffer reads the state of the high beam indicator in the instrument cluster and the indicator most often stays on even with facing traffic.

 

[JonTallis]

Are you after LED low and high beams or just additional LED high beams like a LED bar? Those are very popular in the north. If the car has xenons or LEDs as original driving lights, one can use a CAN sniffer to control additional high beams. If I remember right, this sniffer is made by a Swedish company.

Multi-beam LEDs are not as easy as the CAN sniffer reads the state of the high beam indicator in the instrument cluster and the indicator most often stays on even with facing traffic.

Thanks for this - never knew such a thing existed but thought there must be a way because as you say most Scandinavians have additional driving lights.
A quick Google search found this which looks perfect, is only £60 and made in UK CANM8 CANNECT HIGHBEAM