WHITE Side Light bulbs - W211

[Shude]

Electricity and me have never really got on, but the bi-xeons lights are brilliant in every sense of the word. are you suggesting that there is room for improvement with the offerings you suggest? Or is it just a personal preference of how the illumination looks?

John the inquisitive

The yellowish sidelights spoil the cold, clean, intense-white look of the xenons. For a £5 mod, whiter sidelight bulbs are a distinct improvement!

 

[jimmy]

Electricity and me have never really got on, but the bi-xeons lights are brilliant in every sense of the word. are you suggesting that there is room for improvement with the offerings you suggest? Or is it just a personal preference of how the illumination looks?

John the inquisitive

Hi John,

The bi-xenons are indeed excellent. You do know that the bi-xenons give you a low beam and a shutter moves to give you high beam, both using the same xenon or HID bulb. Our cars also have a separate light unit, nearest the grill, for sidelight and also a conventional halogen bulb that only comes on with high beam aswell as the xenons.

Halogen bulbs always look yellow compared to xenons, so when you are looking at the car the middle lights look yellow because of the conventional sidelight bulb and also the high beam bulbs have a yellow look. The sidelights are worth changing because they are on all the time with the xenons and it just gives a nicer look.

Changing the main beam bulbs (nearest the grill) is debatable, the light they produce is somewhat irreleveant compare to the bi-xenon main beam. These halogen bulbs can be changed for whiter bulbs, still halogen but they use a different gas or a coating on the glass, usually blue to give a whiter light, these bulbs usually give out more light too, somewhere around 30% extra, others claim more.

I hope I have explained in such a way that others will understand what I mean.

 

[glojo]

I hope I have explained in such a way that others will understand what I mean.

Excellent,
Thanks very much for explaining something in a way that is very easy to understand. What inner bulbs do you have. I figure I cannot go wrong if I copy someone who I respect.

Thanks for the input Shude and the sidelight bulbs are in the post

Regards,
John

 

[jimmy]

I can't remember to be honest, they are either PIAA Platinum or Xtreme whites, they are the single filament bulbs commonly known as H1's. I had them in the last car and took them out before selling it. (I did put some bulbs back into it!!)

 

[glojo]

I found PIAA platinum white to be the best match. .

Are these headlight bulbs easily obtainable, or should I pester Jimmy for a pair

Sidelights done.

Excellent thread where I am learning a lot.

In my youth I was more a 'rocker' than a 'mod' Mods and Rockers Although if truth be known I had already taken the Queen's shilling

My friends would turn in their graves if they knew I was a 'Mod' (Is changing light bulbs the start of a slippery slope?)

Mind you my stretched limo is highly modified.

John the Mod

 

[westside]

i found fitting the ones from http://www.chromeline-design.com/ to be the best white xenon look bulbs they are a true white light, his number is 0870 774 0168

 

[glojo]

i found fitting the ones from http://www.chromeline-design.com/ to be the best white xenon look bulbs they are a true white light, his number is 0870 774 0168

They show pictures of..............

BMW's

I'm as thick as two very short planks and will only buy what Jimmy has recommended. Are any of his lights the same as what is on your link ?

Regards,
John

 

[RichardM]

Electricity and me have never really got on, but the bi-xeons lights are brilliant in every sense of the word. are you suggesting that there is room for improvement with the offerings you suggest? Or is it just a personal preference of how the illumination looks?

John the inquisitive

As mentioned the side light bulbs are well worth changing. I also changed the main beam bulbs but that was pretty pointless. On full beam the Xenon's provide all the light.

 

[Shude]

As mentioned the side light bulbs are well worth changing. I also changed the main beam bulbs but that was pretty pointless. On full beam the Xenon's provide all the light.

On flash it's the standard halos though

 

[glojo]

On flash it's the standard halos though

I have NO intention of allowing my wife to 'flash' to anyone So perhaps I might not alter the main beams???

Regards,
John

 

[Brian WH]

On flash it's the standard halos though

When dip is on and you flash you get all lights on a W211 not just centre halogens.

 

[glojo]

The yellowish sidelights spoil the cold, clean, intense-white look of the xenons. For a £5 mod, whiter sidelight bulbs are a distinct improvement!

Wow!! Wife has taken my daughter out to the theatre and it's the first time I have paid attention to the sidelights. They are yellowish.

I have psyched myself up and tomorrow morning those lights are gone.

I suppose I should keep Graham230K happy and check I do not breach the terms of the warranty first!

John's changed the sidelight's on the S211, having checked they did not affect his warranty! LOL. Sorry. Made me laugh.

Sorry Graham, couldn't resist it.

John

 

[glojo]

Hi John,

The bulbs are fairly easy to change. The sidelight bulbs are on a long tube that inserts into the back of the ligh unit. !

Hi Jimmy, (anyone that is listening)
HELP!!!! I have the Worlds biggest, clumiest hands and before breaking anything I have aborted the operation.

To remove the sidelight, I have to lay as best I can across the radiator, then bite my lip, cry, and try to remove the bulb.

Nothing is happening and me being clumsy am scared to break anything.
I know I have hold of hte sidelight because 'the boss' can see it wobbling.

The book says to 'remove' hte bulb holder, along with the bulb. Nothing about twisting or turning, that comes later??? I have pulled quite energetically but am frightened of breaking something. Should I twist it, turn it, yank it, or just speak nicely.

John the ham fisted one

 

[whizzkid11]

Hi John,

All you need to do is disconnect the cable from the back of the holder (not entirely necessary - but makes it easier) - then grab hold of the bulb holder and TURN it by 90 degrees, it will click in and out of position - then simply pull the holder out, swap the bulb and replace it.

Just as a reminder - it is the lower of the two bulbs.

Good Luck...

rgds
Was!

 

[Shude]

The book says to 'remove' hte bulb holder, along with the bulb. Nothing about twisting or turning, that comes later??? I have pulled quite energetically but am frightened of breaking something. Should I twist it, turn it, yank it, or just speak nicely.

If it is anything like the W202 sidelight bulb holder (likely) then it's held in by friction and is a menace to remove, especially on the offside where the airbox is and it's difficult to get a hand behind the unit. You need to grip the top of the bulb holder and pull on it like a mofo, it just pops out.

Putting it back is even more fun

After I fitted the xenon headlamps I removed all the bulbs from the old units, it was still difficult to remove some of them, even with the whole headlamp in my arm and no fear of breaking it etc!

EDIT: after reading the above post my advice may be out of date now, proceed with caution.

 

[jimmy]

As Was said, you unclip the wiring plug and twist the holder anticlockwise, I dont think it is quite 90degrees but you will feel and hear it unclick and then withdraw.

 

[glojo]

As Was said, you unclip the wiring plug and twist the holder anticlockwise, I dont think it is quite 90degrees but you will feel and hear it unclick and then withdraw.

Anti-clockwise it is Chief!!!

Thanks everyone, I'm just laying on my bed recuperating and then let battle recommence.

I have tried disconnecting the wiring but to no avail, the nearly 90 degree's sounds easy enough. WHY don't they say that in the book? I had visions of breaking the mounting.

Thanks again,
John

 

[glojo]

As Was said, you unclip the wiring plug and twist the holder anticlockwise, I dont think it is quite 90degrees but you will feel and hear it unclick and then withdraw.

Your the man!!!! I couldn't manage to unclip the wiring, but that was not a problem.

Before:

After:

Absolutely no difference

A big THANK YOU to everyone for all there excellent help and of course I must not forget to thank the author of this thread for drawing it to my attention.

P.S.
I dropped one of the old bulbs down the front of the radiator. Any normal car would see this drop onto the floor!!! The 211 is clearly not an ordinary car. The plastic underside has eaten it.

Thanks again,
John

 

[Shude]

Great pics, really shows the difference. It's subtle, and if someone just showed me the "after" pic I'd probably think there was no mods done.

I dropped one of the old bulbs down the front of the radiator. Any normal car would see this drop onto the floor!!! The 211 is clearly not an ordinary car. The plastic underside has eaten it.

That bulb will end up on the road soon enough...

 

[glojo]

It's subtle, and if someone just showed me the "after" pic I'd probably think there was no mods done.

There was me thinking I had been contraversial.

Mr Bling of Torquay

Totally agree with your point, I suppose we should send a link to DaimlerChrysler UK

John the reckless