W212 Incorrect Bi-Xenon headlamp advice

[Carl212]

Hi, I recently purchased a W212 E350CDI after my beloved W211 was written off by an angry fiat 500.
After a B service at my local Mercedes specialist, it was discovered that the driver’s side (offside) headlamp unit is for a left-hand drive vehicle, obvious when up against a calibrated wall. These are Bi-Xenon intelligent light units, which I thought were just about the only upgrade from the old W211’s!

It seems a LHD unit has been fitted by the previous owner. Why?!

There is no option within the instrument cluster for RHD adjustment, so I’m assuming this can only be achieved via STAR on my car. I understand this only limits the units to an asymmetrical mode anyway which isn’t a permanent solution.

I’m looking for advice on whether the issue is with the headlamp unit itself or a separate control unit? My eyes can’t see any difference in the actual pattern of the headlamp units…
The units are around £1,000 (A2128201039)
without the control unit so I would like to be sure the secret isn’t hidden in there instead.

Also, I’m puzzled how this passed a genuine MOT in the UK. Since I bought the car privately a few months ago, I’m unsure of my options. Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[st13phil]

I can't answer why an LHD unit has been fitted, nor whether your issue is with the headlamp unit itself or a separate control unit (but my guess would be the headlamp).

However, if these are Bi-Xenon intelligent light units on a pre-facelift car there should be an option in the Lighting menu for Left Hand Traffic (that's what it should be set to for use in the UK) or Right Hand Traffic. If set to the latter it disables the ILS auto mainbeam and high-speed long range lighting features.

 

[W1ghty]

Hi, I recently purchased a W212 E350CDI after my beloved W211 was written off by an angry fiat 500.
After a B service at my local Mercedes specialist, it was discovered that the driver’s side (offside) headlamp unit is for a left-hand drive vehicle, obvious when up against a calibrated wall. These are Bi-Xenon intelligent light units, which I thought were just about the only upgrade from the old W211’s!

It seems a LHD unit has been fitted by the previous owner. Why?!

There is no option within the instrument cluster for RHD adjustment, so I’m assuming this can only be achieved via STAR on my car. I understand this only limits the units to an asymmetrical mode anyway which isn’t a permanent solution.

I’m looking for advice on whether the issue is with the headlamp unit itself or a separate control unit? My eyes can’t see any difference in the actual pattern of the headlamp units…
The units are around £1,000 (A2128201039)
without the control unit so I would like to be sure the secret isn’t hidden in there instead.

Also, I’m puzzled how this passed a genuine MOT in the UK. Since I bought the car privately a few months ago, I’m unsure of my options. Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!

You do have a very good MB Specialist , in the form of MBS Southampton if you get stuck .

HOME | MBS Southampton Ltd

www.mbssouthampton.co.uk

 

[TeddyRuxpin]

Early 59 plate W212s didn’t have the option to change the orientation on the dash, that came in 2010. I know as I have one of either.

As mad as it sounds, the only day to switch orientation of 59 plate w212 is to take it to Mercedes to be programmed to do it. Not exactly convenient for a quick trip abroad - stick to the stick on stickers etc.

In either scenario it would imply to me that there aren’t ‘LHD’ and ‘RHD’ headlamp units, though I can’t be 100% sure. You’d imagine that it would throw up an error if your lights were pointed it in different directions, or if incompatible headlight units were fitted.

Get it to a specialist for sure.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Mine is a 2010......dont think mine has that feature...will look later though!

Edit... nothing in my handbook about it...

 

[Londonscottish]

Mine is a 2010......dont think mine has that feature...will look later though!

Edit... nothing in my handbook about it...

Mine was built in, I think, the 2nd half of 2010 and has the left hand traffic/right hand traffic option. I turn in to RH when I go to France at which point a lot of the ILS stuff is deactivated. Automatic main beam for example. Maybe the cornering function?

 

[markjay]

Mine was built in, I think, the 2nd half of 2010 and has the left hand traffic/right hand traffic option. I turn in to RH when I go to France at which point a lot of the ILS stuff is deactivated. Automatic main beam for example. Maybe the cornering function?

This seems to suggest that RHD headlamps and LHD headlamps are not the same? I.e., if the best that the software can do is deactivate the additional features, then it sounds as if the hardware is different and has limitations.

It odd that on such a well engineered car they couldn't come up with a technological solution (even if as a paid option) that would allow drivers to drive between the UK and France or the Netherlands etc without losing important safety features.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Mine has auto main beam and intelligent lighting. . But no left/right switching.

 

[ChrisPDuck]

Mine's a Feb 2010 car, and it has the LHD/RHD switching option in the dash. It's described in the handbook (Edition ÄJ 2009/2 b) on page 133.

Confusingly the dash calls it 'Left-hand drive' and 'Right-hand drive'. The only clue that this doesn't refer, as is the usual convention in this country, to which side the steering wheel is on, is the section in the handbook that refers to 'Setting the dipped-beam headlamp for driving on the right/left'. In fact the only way I can be sure that 'Left-hand drive' is the setting I need is because when I switch it to 'Right-hand drive' I get the message that ILS is inactive.

Edit: And to bring my post more on-topic, setting this option to 'Right-hand drive' merely makes the beam pattern symmetrical (according to page 233 of the handbook).

 

[ALFAitalia]

Interesting... can't see it in my one...version 2009 03 d... which you would expect to be later.

 

[ChrisPDuck]

Interesting... can't see it in my one...version 2009 03 d... which you would expect to be later.

Yes, that seems odd. What are the 'Release' and 'Delivery' dates for your car? According to my LastVIN report, mine are 19th Feb and 22nd Feb respectively.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I'm out at the moment..... but mine was an early 2010..... built and registered Sept 2009 from memory...will check later.

 

[Londonscottish]

This seems to suggest that RHD headlamps and LHD headlamps are not the same? I.e., if the best that the software can do is deactivate the additional features, then it sounds as if the hardware is different and has limitations.

It odd that on such a well engineered car they couldn't come up with a technological solution (even if as a paid option) that would allow drivers to drive between the UK and France or the Netherlands etc without losing important safety features.

Yeah good point.

I also seem to remember seeing LHD headlamps listed when recently searching for a replacement for mine.

So sounds like some aspects of the hardware are different.