Headlamp adjustment – Continental driving

[MickyP64]

W169 A Class – Halogen Projectors

We’re off to France for a week and I’ve been looking into sorting the headlights before I go. Our car has the halogen projector type lights so it appears that those sticky headlamp reflectors things aren’t appropriate to us – the user manual recommends taking the car to the workshop to have them adjusted.

Been quoted an hours labour to ‘Adjust headlamps to meet European standards’ (surely they should meet European standards anyway, perhaps that should read Continental standards).

They’ll need adjusting back again when we return so that’ll be two hours labour…a cost of approximately £120.00.

Do they need adjusting (it appears some headlights do not)….and if they do can I do this myself on this model car?

 

[Jay2512]

I recently took the ML250 over to the south of France. The handbook was utter useless in describing how to change the beam pattern, however I stuck my phone in the back of the light and found the leaver directly under the projector light at 6 o clock position.

Whilst pushing down slide to the right (I think) to switch the beam pattern. You will see at night that the raised flare on the light pattern has been levelled off. Took 5 mins to do on the euro tunnel train and that was going through the wheel arch.

 

[MickyP64]

Thanks for the reply.

I had the rear lamp covers off again last night and had a good look for levers all over the back of the lamp holder area and have come to the conclusion that there are none!...I also don’t have an access panel in via the wheel arch either.

I think that this being an A Class there’s little room in the engine bay as it is to get your hands in to fiddle with levers. However I’ve noticed that there is provision for left/right and up/down alignment of the whole headlamp unit itself, and I suspect that’s how it’s done, but I really don’t fancy fiddling with that myself.

I’m also not prepared to pay £120 to have the headlights adjusted for the continent and then adjusted back again a week later.

I think I’ll just go to Halfords and buy some of those Eurolight stickers and hope for the best…I read somewhere that the potential fine for misaligned headlamps in France is something like 200 Euros…roughly the cost of having the lamps adjusted!...I think I’ll risk it with the stickers and plead ignorance if I get stopped.

 

[GP801]

I have used the stick on things on the CLK with xenon lights. You should be fine with them. Really cant see them actually testing the beam if you have applied the sticky beam benders.

 

[whitenemesis]

Had my xenons done foc, both times.

Perhaps you could try a different dealership?

 

[MickyP64]

Thanks all….

I think the dealership will only do it for free if I had Full MBSH.

I made the decision to take the car out of the Mercedes Benz dealership servicing about two years ago for various reasons, mostly due to the age and value of the car and my general dissatisfaction with MB’s warranty policies….The car now gets serviced by a local MB indie.

Fitted the Halfords Eurolights last night…the A Class projector headlights are listed as one of the cars they’ll work with so I’m sure it’ll be fine…the fitting technique described in the instructions seems a bit hit and miss though…

Looking forward to some quality time in France with the Mrs and kid…