boxbrownie
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2013
- Messages
- 1,420
- Location
- Pastyland
- Car
- ML350Cdi BE now replaced, E220 2013MY just for a bit.....
Some of you may have noticed in another thread I have been contemplating upgrading the projectors in my CLS to Xenon as on the first drive in failing light the standard dipped beams looked weak (only had the car a week tomorrow), well I ordered a kit and also a pair of Philips H7 upgrade bulbs (100% brighter they say 
). Anyhoo suffice to say the type of bulb clip in the merc lamps precludes the use of normal upgrade kits (we'll leave the moral and legal implications aside for now).
Anyhoo I fitted the Philips bulbs into the dipped beams instead of the planned main beam upgrade as I could not use the kit, I was hoping for a big improvement but upon the first drive in pitch darkness it was like driving a 50 year old Austin A35.....Ok maybe not quite as bad but suffice to say driving along unlit country roads with cars coming the opposite way was very very dangerous, not a good beam at all!
On getting home I decided to try an alignment adjustment, going over the top (or so I thought) as a first attempt I screwed the dip beam adjusters 10 turns up, YES 10 turns......I then took it for a quick squirt down the road.....soooo much better, a different car completely, and not one single flash from other drivers, in fact the beams look to be about perfect now alignment wise, just cutting off at about mid grill level of oncoming cars.
Driving down the same country road was, well now I could actually put up with the halogens now and not too worried about a conversion kit, I ordered another pair of Philips bulbs for the mains tonight to finish the job off now.
Sorry for the long winded story but I guess the jist of it is how can anyone drive around (previous owner) like that in a new car for 3 years, and more importantly how can a main dealer who serviced and gave the car its first DoT cert let it pass like that?
I am a much happier bunny tonight now, much happier.
). Anyhoo suffice to say the type of bulb clip in the merc lamps precludes the use of normal upgrade kits (we'll leave the moral and legal implications aside for now).Anyhoo I fitted the Philips bulbs into the dipped beams instead of the planned main beam upgrade as I could not use the kit, I was hoping for a big improvement but upon the first drive in pitch darkness it was like driving a 50 year old Austin A35.....Ok maybe not quite as bad but suffice to say driving along unlit country roads with cars coming the opposite way was very very dangerous, not a good beam at all!
On getting home I decided to try an alignment adjustment, going over the top (or so I thought) as a first attempt I screwed the dip beam adjusters 10 turns up, YES 10 turns......I then took it for a quick squirt down the road.....soooo much better, a different car completely, and not one single flash from other drivers, in fact the beams look to be about perfect now alignment wise, just cutting off at about mid grill level of oncoming cars.
Driving down the same country road was, well now I could actually put up with the halogens now and not too worried about a conversion kit, I ordered another pair of Philips bulbs for the mains tonight to finish the job off now.
Sorry for the long winded story but I guess the jist of it is how can anyone drive around (previous owner) like that in a new car for 3 years, and more importantly how can a main dealer who serviced and gave the car its first DoT cert let it pass like that?
I am a much happier bunny tonight now, much happier.
