W212 E class - new LED headlights

[dibblodocus]

My car was in for service today and I had a look at the new (facelifted) W212 E class. The spec is very tempting with leather and COMAND now standard equipment. The car also features 'partial' LED headlight units - the main beam is standard halogen but the dip beam are LED units. Has anyone got experience of these new LED headlights? How do they compare to xenons?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

They are the future 10 years from now bulbs will be long gone.

Shame they aren't actually 'green' due to the production of Galium-Nitride the main component.

 

[sjmaxwell]

My car was in for service today and I had a look at the new (facelifted) W212 E class. The spec is very tempting with leather and COMAND now standard equipment. The car also features 'partial' LED headlight units - the main beam is standard halogen but the dip beam are LED units. Has anyone got experience of these new LED headlights? How do they compare to xenons?

It was noted that the facelift added a lot of equipment but downgraded the standard fitting of xenons and made them an option. LEDs have a long life and are the future!

 

[dibblodocus]

I don't disagree that LEDs are the future - they are slowing taking over in all sorts of lighting applications. You can even get flood light fittings now to replace those 1kW flood lamps that lots of folk have on their garages.

Re the new E class spec, the price list indicates that the lights are partial LED with halogen main beams. From that I take it that the dipped beams are LED - just wonder how they compare to the dipped beam xenons on the old car.

Note that xenons are not offered any more according to the price list. There is now an option for, I quote:

"Headlamps – LED Intelligent Light System
High-performance headlamps, including Active Light System, cornering
light function and Adaptive High Beam Assist"

So it looks like you can still have the 'intelligent light system' but it is now powered by LEDs, not xenons. Price is £1,280 inc VAT.

 

[2424]

I had the new E on test drive for 4 days and the LED hedlights on dipped beam were excellent. Downside is that full beam is not so good as you really notice the yellow light from the ordinary halogens. It is a real shame MB didn't adopt full LED signature headlights as standard on the E Class - the cost to spec them is a bit painful!

 

[teamit]

i have the new W212 - i love it
The new LED lights are awesome
I was not able to get a version with the upgraded lights so my full beam is yellow halogen
you are correct that it looks weird when driving - so much so, you dont want to use them as the LED are so white and bright

I am hoping I can replace the standard yellow halogen with whiter ones? WOuld appreciate any recommendations / pro / cons

Thanks

 

[dibblodocus]

Do you have experience of the previous xenons? How do the new (low beam) led lights compare with the old (low beam) xenons? Good to hear the new lights are good.

 

[kaboom]

2014 E-Class Headlights -- New Luxury Vehicle Preview -- Mercedes-Benz - YouTube

 

[teamit]

@dibblodocus did you change your main beam halogen bulbs...I love the LED lights and agree with you that I try and not use the full beam as they look so yellow...just something a little whiter would do for full beam

 

[teamit]

@2424 did u change your bulbs?

 

[dibblodocus]

@dibblodocus did you change your main beam halogen bulbs...I love the LED lights and agree with you that I try and not use the full beam as they look so yellow...just something a little whiter would do for full beam

No....because I am still driving a C-Class at the moment. However my dealer is offering to pay all of the deposit on a new E-Class and I am tempted....

Will probably go with a fairly standard 220 CDI SE spec plus auto, metallic (colour to be decided) and split folding rear seats. So that would mean partial LED lights.....

I know you can get halogen bulbs that are whiter than 'standard' bulbs but I also know that some of them are not legal. I agree that the costs of upgrading to the full LED system is far too steep.

 

[Silver1970]

I have a 2013 220SE and I love it but the full beams are clearly very yellow compared with the regular beams. Does anyone know if these can be upgraded in any way? I'm getting almost 50mpg on my regular commute by the way - really impressed with every aspect of the car and would highly recommend it!

 

[dibblodocus]

Good to hear the dipped beams are good. I think all you can do is go for something like Osram Nightbreakers for the full beam lights - they are a bit whiter than 'standard' halogen bulbs (and supposedly brighter). There is a new version out called the Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited - I have not tried them. NIGHT BREAKER UNLIMITED

 

[dibblodocus]

@teamit - no. In fact I didn't buy an e class in the end. I have decided to buy my C class at the end of the PCP I am on. I still love my C class (I would find it hard to live without COMAND) and it is great condition. If I drive it for another couple of years it should still make a decent trade in against something new.

Question for you and Silver1970 re the e class partial LED lights. Are the running lights the tube like things you see in all the press images, or are those only on the 'full led' lights? I have seen some e classes around that have led running lights on and they appear to be a small cluster towards the bottom of the light fitting rather than the fancy tube like lights. A bit like the Audi A4 SE vs S-line lights. Or have I misunderstood?

 

[gIzzE]

@teamit - no. In fact I didn't buy an e class in the end. I have decided to buy my C class at the end of the PCP I am on. I still love my C class (I would find it hard to live without COMAND)

Comand is now standard on the W212 E Class btw.

 

[christopherwk]

re the e class partial LED lights. Are the running lights the tube like things you see in all the press images, or are those only on the 'full led' lights? I have seen some e classes around that have led running lights on and they appear to be a small cluster towards the bottom of the light fitting rather than the fancy tube like lights.

Yes, as far as I am aware, the "tube like things" are only on those with the intelligent light option - with both LED main and dipped beam.

The standard LED dipped beam lights will have the LED daytime running lights at the bottom of the headlight cluster as you say.

 

[Sooty_uk]

Do you have experience of the previous xenons? How do the new (low beam) led lights compare with the old (low beam) xenons? Good to hear the new lights are good.

I would say that the LED low beam is a lot more white then Xenon. I am not an expert but would guess they have a colour of around 5000k.
They look as good a Xenon lights however I would say Xenon's project the light further.

The LED low beam are fitted to reflector headlights and not projector lenses.

 

[ph47mf]

Sorry about reviving this old thread as i don't want to create a new one.

My car is a 2013 early facelift E-class and it's 4 years old now and touchwood no bulbs need replacing yet but I want to get some spares just in case.

Where can I buy replacement dipped beam bulb and if the LED daytime running light goes, do I have to replace the whole strip? and where from?

I looked at Halfords and they recommend this £60 HID for dipped beam, I don't mind the price but reviews say it's more yellow than white. Euro Car Parts suggest a normal H7 bulb, that must be wrong. Apart from going to Mercedes, where can I get the OEM stuff?

Not my car, but same lights as that.

 

[matteb63]

im looking for a replacement headlight for part number A1228202059kz
ive found a new one being sold by someone who purchased by mistake but part number
ME0434903..is there much of a difference?
can I use this ...cross reference numbers for ME043903 appear to be
Reference OE/OEM Number
2128200261 2128208261 2128208461 A2128200261 A2128208261