W204 preface lift dipped beams

[vabenzi]

Hi guys,

just wanted a bit of help in deciding what option to go for, peoples opinions are welcome!

currently have a w204 preface lift c class saloon with stock dipped beam bulbs and i believe i have projector headlights.

firstly i find the look of the car rather old compared to the newer models so i upgraded the sidelights with LEDs and it really has improved its appeal i now wish to upgrade the dipped beams to match that white kinda light and move away from the normal yellow colour

i have been disappointed with the current dipped beam lighting currently on the car and would like something brighter, but at the same time have a similar look to i know im being silly but a xenon/white light kinda look ..

its been suggested that i just

1) put in HIDs
2) purchase some normal H7 bulbs via a company that does give a white light look

i ordered the above bulbs but im not hugely impressed, they do give a white look but they dont really light up the road as i expected them to..

need some advice... i dont wish to go back to the yellow kinda look cause ive been spoilt now with this new upgraded kinda look...

 

[MancMike]

HIDs are a huge upgrade over halogens in terms of visual appeal looking at the front of the car, and illumination when driving down unlit roads.

Expensive, but worth it. Mine came with from the factory so I don't know how much it is to retrofit, I've seen HID headlight units go for hundreds though.

Kinda.

 

[whitenemesis]

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

Also from a major online supplier of kits..

"Is HID xenon Legal?
Unfortunately no aftermarket HID kit is strictly road legal as you are changing the lighting system (from halogen to gas discharge) in your car and for this reason the bulbs can't be E marked which is a legal requirement. You also won't have the self leveling and washer systems installed which is also a legal requirement for HID and without these installed the kit would be an MOT failure. HID kits are plug and play so they are easy to remove and replace with standard bulbs come MOT time. "

 

[vabenzi]

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply Also from a major online supplier of kits.. "Is HID xenon Legal? Unfortunately no aftermarket HID kit is strictly road legal as you are changing the lighting system (from halogen to gas discharge) in your car and for this reason the bulbs can't be E marked which is a legal requirement. You also won't have the self leveling and washer systems installed which is also a legal requirement for HID and without these installed the kit would be an MOT failure. HID kits are plug and play so they are easy to remove and replace with standard bulbs come MOT time. "

Haha yeah I expected this.. But I thought I'd get some more insight from the guys who have done it cause the last thing I want to do is dazzle on coming traffic and also fail any MOTs

 

[whitenemesis]

I retro-fitted OEM bi-xenons to my S203, including the self-levelling and washers. One of the best upgrades I had done on that car. I wouldn't be without xenons now but equally I wouldn't fit HiD kits to headlamps designed for halogen lamps.

The police are becoming more intolerant of headlamps that dazzle, even badly adjusted OEM lamps.

 

[vabenzi]

HIDs are a huge upgrade over halogens in terms of visual appeal looking at the front of the car, and illumination when driving down unlit roads. Expensive, but worth it. Mine came with from the factory so I don't know how much it is to retrofit, I've seen HID headlight units go for hundreds though. Kinda.

Haha I know and that's what I've been hearing from everyone.. But I thought that would be the last option cause I've read a lot about it being illegal and then dazzling other on coming Road users

 

[vabenzi]

Could I ask how much it set you back to install those?

 

[whitenemesis]

Headlamps were ~£1k the pair, wiring loom and sensors another ~£150 plus a good 6hrs labour.

Installing the washers was more involved, requiring a new bumper and reinforcing beam, pump and wiring loom, a big job..

 

[DSM10000]

The link you posted was for bulbs of 100W. These will draw nearly twice the current of the standard bulbs and could over-load wiring etc.

 

[Yugguy]

Vabenzi, where did you get canbus errorfree leds for the sidelighrs from?

As to light upgrades - HIDS are good, and we do have projector lenses so provided they are installed correctly you should not dazzle. I would never put HIDS in a none-projector dipped beam.


The law around HIDs is still vague, the wording is that "levelling and cleaning systems, WHERE FITTED, should work", so it's how you interpret that - if you do not have these fitted from factory then they cannot be tested.

Provided beam alignment is correct then pass/fail on this will be down to the individual MOT tester.

I had a HID upgrade in a projector lens on my Signum and it passed two MOTs.

I did have issues with condensation due to the bulbs running cooler. Unless you can site the ballast inside the headlamp unit you have to have wires coming out. I solved this with little silicon gel packs.

You should be able to get a decent HID system for 100 quid.

H7 HIDS4U Stealth 35W Xenon HID Conversion Kit

I've used the above in the past.

That said I have put Philips extreme H7 halogens into my preface dipped beams and it's good enough for me for the moment.

 

[MancMike]

Haha I know and that's what I've been hearing from everyone.. But I thought that would be the last option cause I've read a lot about it being illegal and then dazzling other on coming Road users

No I was specifically talking about retrofitting genuine W204 HID kit, not aftermarket stuff which isn't legal. All that retrofitting including the levelling kit is what makes it so expensive.

 

[vabenzi]

Yugguy I got mine from ECP I can post the link if you want. I found the other cheap ones from auction sites and stuff would just blow and not last a week. The current ones are doing well and I'm happy with the look... Plus ECP offers that new return policy where it's a year or so returns

As for the hid I got the ballast and stuff just got to buy the replacement bulbs now and some new dust covers as I don't fancy drilling holes into the back of the existing ones without a backup

 

[vabenzi]

Whitenemesis - boy that a killer and going to take time.. Was hoping for a quick fix

Dsm1000 - thanks think I was browsing the site a bit too fast and picked up the wrong link.. But you get the idea of the bulbs... 55w is what I have..

 

[Yugguy]

Yugguy I got mine from ECP I can post the link if you want. I found the other cheap ones from auction sites and stuff would just blow and not last a week. The current ones are doing well and I'm happy with the look... Plus ECP offers that new return policy where it's a year or so returns

As for the hid I got the ballast and stuff just got to buy the replacement bulbs now and some new dust covers as I don't fancy drilling holes into the back of the existing ones without a backup

Yeah please if you can post the link.

As to holes in the covers, if you get some rubber grommets they should be abe to seal the hole quite well. I had less condensation issues after I put some in my holes. (ooh err, missus )

 

[vabenzi]

these are the ones i ordered

could you do me favour and take a picture of what the dipped beams look like with the current bulbs you have in ... i mean as long as its got a white light and isnt yellow i might stick to that provided it also lights up the road and not just a meter or so in front of the bonnet only

 

[Yugguy]

Cheers - I'll try and remember later tonight aye.

 

[MancMike]

I've had those, and several other types from eBay, both SMD LEDs and COB LEDs. All give bright white light, match almost perfectly with my Xenons, but they all keep burning out after a few months. The new COB style ones I've got I had high hopes for as it doesn't seem they'd burn out, but one has started flickering a couple of days ago. About a month old.

I think them sitting above Xenons is what's killing them, if you've got halogen, you'll probably be fine.

Be careful of package size, as I've had some get stuck in the hole, and some melt and become stuck. Had to get forceps to get them out.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

You could put Osram Nightbreakers in, they're legal and shine white. You won't get a 4000k blue hue without xenon

If you go above 55w bulbs then yes but you probably know they're illegal however you'll get more of a xenon hue

OR You could always buy the facelift headlamps with built in 5000k HID's, adaptor cables for pre-facelift harness to connect them to your car and facelift bonnet that I have for sale

 

[Yugguy]

5pm in the rain

 

[Yugguy]

I'll do it from the desktop tomorrow