W220 S320 2005 headlamps

[LyndonB]

I can't believe how dull the lamp output is on this car, I have had the clear lense restored
Concentrating on the beam hotspot area,
Tried xenon's, now LED H7's
Level and kickoff is perfect but still dull
What is advisable
1) pair of new lense covers
2) after market styling upgrade and if so where ?
This is a UK RHD vehicle
Thankyou

 

[markjay]

If your car has HID (aka Xenon) headlamps, try new bulbs, because HID bulbs become dim over time.

With regards H7 Halogen bulbs, your only option is high-performance H7 bulbs, e.g. Osram NightBreaker or Philips Xtreme. LED conversions for H7 bulbs do exist, but at current they are still illegal for use on public roads.

 

[markjay]

Retrofitting HID (if your car didn't have it from factory) is possible but can be expensive because the legal requirement is for the headlamp washer system and self-levelling system to be retrofitted as well.

 

[steveskeggy]

Does the lens look crystal clear, or a bit cloudy?
If it looks anything other than crystal clear, they didnt do a good restore.
You can do it yourself, all you need is a drill, a foam mop, and some very light cutting compound, or some glass cutter (Some say toothpaste, but I have never tried it.)

The image shows the difference between the pre-facelift lights, and the post-facelift lights, if yours has the ribbed lights, you have the wrong lights in the car.
The dipped beam should be pretty good, nice and white, the main beam to be honest, is a bit of a let down after dipped beam.

The lamp units come as a single piece, I dont know if you can get after market lenses, but they would be a stinker to replace, in my view it wouldnt be worth messing about trying to replace the lens.
You can get aftermarket lamps for the W220, I dont know how much they would be, but I would personally be very careful that I didnt buy anything worse, or made the car look like it was owned by a pimp.
If you intend to take the lamps out (And you will need to to swap bulbs) be aware that doing it the correct way will involve removing the front bumper, and doing it the wrong way will probably take some paint off the bumper, (good old Mercedes).

If you look at the post facelift unit, on the top left hand corner is the dipped beam unit, this is your gas discharge (xenon) lamp.
the big circular lens in the middle is the main beam, H7 lamp.