HID Xenon Conversion W211

[Harry]

Hi, i posted a thread a few weeks ago asking if there was a cheap way to convert to Xenon. Didn't get much of a reply. Anyway, a few weeks on and i have converted my W211 from standard Halogen to Xenons and they work fantastic. Pics will follow naturally but the sun is shining and i'll wait til later.

Basically, they cost 209quid plus delivery from a UK company and OEM suppliers of the ballast units. Basically you get the two ballast units for LHS and RHS lights plus the Xenon bulbs. You specify fitment, in my case the H7 and the Xenon bulb comes with that fitment. The hardest thing on my car was trying to find some damn space to fix the ballast units. Anyway, whole job took an hour and it is very very easy. Bulb failure due to difference in resistance did not cause any issues.

Anyway, here is a link to the company i used, they have many options but you cant beat the real mcoy and a proper HID conversion is the way, the difference is outstanding which i realised after having changed just one bulb and compared the difference.

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/

Regards, Harry

 

[Shude]

... you cant beat the real mcoy and a proper HID conversion is the way, the difference is outstanding which i realised after having changed just one bulb and compared the difference.

The difference is huge.

Anyone trying to achieve a "xenon look" with regular incandescent bulbs is kidding themselves! Much better off buying either OEM HID parts or for a mid-way upgrade try a bulb-replacement kit like the one mentioned in the above thread.

Can't wait to see the pics

 

[jeremytaylor]

I tried this company for Xenons for my old w203 C270, but there was no room for the ballasts. The 5-cylinder is a tight enough squeeze without trying to cram more in. I tried 2 different kits and the company was excellent at refunding.

Glad to hear you fitted them successfully to your W211. I guess that's the benefit of having a 4-cylinder lump in a bay big enough for an 8!

 

[Shude]

I tried this company for Xenons for my old w203 C270, but there was no room for the ballasts. The 5-cylinder is a tight enough squeeze without trying to cram more in. I tried 2 different kits and the company was excellent at refunding.

Glad to hear you fitted them successfully to your W211. I guess that's the benefit of having a 4-cylinder lump in a bay big enough for an 8!

Where do the factory ballast/control units go then, or are they integrated?

I'm told mine go in the bumper area somewhere, engine capacity should not make a difference!

 

[Harry]

Ballasts go wherever you put them and i agree space is limited, even in my engine compartment that can suit a 5 litre!!

Basically, the kit consists of a ballast unit which fires up the bulb, and one bulb per headlight so essentially there are four items in the box.

The kit had easy plug ins so it was almost a plug and play.

This kit was for H7 where dipped beam and high beam are seperate lights so i did the dipped. I suppose you could do the high beam but i think it would be a bit of a waste of dosh, i suppose you could say the same about doing the fogs.

I am pretty much a perfectionist and careful with my money and would not do this unless i thought it was good value for money and that the xenons worked perfect, well i can say they do and they look identical to a merc that would have been factory fitted with xenons.

Well pleased.

 

[GregE240]

Seriously considering this for the SL. The LS has them as standard and the lighting at night is amazingly good.

However, its H4 so its the more expensive kit.....hmmm...

 

[jeremytaylor]

Where do the factory ballast/control units go then, or are they integrated?

I'm told mine go in the bumper area somewhere, engine capacity should not make a difference!

I guess if they are factory fitted the ballasts could well be tucked into the bumper somewhere.

Fitting an aftermarket kit reduces your options (unless you take the bumper off). The smallest ballasts are about the size of 2 packs of fags and have to be well mounted somewhere dry near the headlamps. Not an easy mod when you can barely get the cover off the back of the headlamps to change a bulb as it is!

 

[Shude]

Seriously considering this for the SL. The LS has them as standard and the lighting at night is amazingly good.

However, its H4 so its the more expensive kit.....hmmm...

H4 will be bi-xenon style though due to dual-function bulb

 

[GregE240]

H4 will be bi-xenon style though due to dual-function bulb

Theres no other way of doing it with H4- is there?

 

[DieselE]

Hi, i posted a thread a few weeks ago asking if there was a cheap way to convert to Xenon. Didn't get much of a reply. Anyway, a few weeks on and i have converted my W211 from standard Halogen to Xenons and they work fantastic. Pics will follow naturally but the sun is shining and i'll wait til later.

Basically, they cost 209quid plus delivery from a UK company and OEM suppliers of the ballast units. Basically you get the two ballast units for LHS and RHS lights plus the Xenon bulbs. You specify fitment, in my case the H7 and the Xenon bulb comes with that fitment. The hardest thing on my car was trying to find some damn space to fix the ballast units. Anyway, whole job took an hour and it is very very easy. Bulb failure due to difference in resistance did not cause any issues.

Anyway, here is a link to the company i used, they have many options but you cant beat the real mcoy and a proper HID conversion is the way, the difference is outstanding which i realised after having changed just one bulb and compared the difference.

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/

Regards, Harry

How do you avoid dazzling oncoming cars? Standard Xenon lights have automatic height adjustment.

 

[sym]

How do you avoid dazzling oncoming cars? Standard Xenon lights have automatic height adjustment.

This has been discussed before, and in the majority of cases, the lights only adjust when the car is first started, based on the load on the rear axle. Therefore using the standard height adjustment controller appropriately should avoid dazzling anybody - same as with halogens.

If worried about dazzling, set the lights to a slightly lower position than the default.

S.

 

[BTB 500]

Greg, let us know if you do it!

 

[BTB 500]

How do you avoid dazzling oncoming cars? Standard Xenon lights have automatic height adjustment.

Not an issue on an SL with adaptive damping (which is self-levelling ... the AD 'raise/lock' switch is where the normal headlight beam adjustment would be)

 

[sym]

Hi, i posted a thread a few weeks ago asking if there was a cheap way to convert to Xenon. Didn't get much of a reply. Anyway, a few weeks on and i have converted my W211 from standard Halogen to Xenons and they work fantastic. Pics will follow naturally but the sun is shining and i'll wait til later.

Might look into this if its a plug and play kit that doesn't involve any wire snipping / soldering. I had a similar setup in my BMW, and although it was easy to install, it was a nightmare to revert back to halogens when I sold it !

S.

 

[DieselE]

This has been discussed before, and in the majority of cases, the lights only adjust when the car is first started, based on the load on the rear axle. Therefore using the standard height adjustment controller appropriately should avoid dazzling anybody - same as with halogens.

If worried about dazzling, set the lights to a slightly lower position than the default.

S.

Sorry for not spotting any previous discussion. It was an "out of interest" query as my car has xenons as standard. Probably because of that it does not have a height adjustment controller.

 

[Harry]

You can get a HID kit for H4 fitment. Basically a shutter comes down over part of the bulb in dipped beam position and lifts when you select high beam, eg when you flash someone.

They run through the projector lens as you know but i checked them over and they do not appear to dazzle anyone and you have the auto adjustment as you did have with the halogens.

Anyway, i have some pics, i put the fogs on as well so you can see what the headlight colour used to be because the foglights are still your basic halogens, the difference is amazing. First time uploading pics so here it goes....


Must be doing something wrong as half the pic is being cut off!!!

 

[Harry]

Here is another pic, not working too well as my images seem to be larger than that permitted, must have taken them high resolution.

Its only one half of the car but if you look at the fog light compared to main headlight you will see difference is colour and brightness of halogen vs xenon.

Regards,

Harry

 

[sym]

Looks great on the 211 ... will be sorting one out in time for the winter ...

 

[marcos]

This has been discussed before, and in the majority of cases, the lights only adjust when the car is first started, based on the load on the rear axle. Therefore using the standard height adjustment controller appropriately should avoid dazzling anybody - same as with halogens.

If worried about dazzling, set the lights to a slightly lower position than the default.

S.

Mine adjusts constantly, although I'm not sure how much that has to do with the air-matic.

 

[Flasheart]

If you are seriously interested here is a group buy link. They will take about two weeks to be ready but you do save some money.

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/product_details.asp?id=155