Xenon headlights

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Hunterp

New Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
10
Location
North Norfolk
Car
SL500
Anyone know how to change the xenon lights on a 2003 SL500 over to drive in France. Not getting much joy from my MB dealer - they just tell me it's very difficult. Any help gratefully received.
 
Great question - I need to know the answer too.

Drove to Paris at the beginning of the year knowing that I had not changed the lights -could not see how to do it - drove just on sidelights as my Xenon lights are bright to uk drivers at the best of times, let alone when they are coming at you head on.

I beleive the service engineer has to do it which is bizarre.

Marc
 
Xenon lights

Thanks guys. I think I need to shrink my hands by 4 sizes to get into the space behind the lights. My last car (BMW X5) had a simple lever above the lights you moved from left to right - so easy!
 
LINK to picture to let you see what is going on inside the light when changing the leveller...

There is a thin steel strip in front of the lightpattern shaping plate that sits between the reflector and projector...that steel strip gets pushed up creating a flat line instead of the cut line that is responseable for the actual lightpattern...

The leveller is on the leftside of the picture...

greetingz,
 
Xenon lights

Thanks for that. Can you tell me which car the pictures come from? The back of my headlights look very different! Think I will have to swallow my pride and take it in to MB to do.
 
Originally posted by MBenzNL
LINK to picture to let you see what is going on inside the light when changing the leveller...

There is a thin steel strip in front of the lightpattern shaping plate that sits between the reflector and projector...that steel strip gets pushed up creating a flat line instead of the cut line that is responseable for the actual lightpattern...

The leveller is on the leftside of the picture...

greetingz,

steve: does that mean that the bi-xenon lights that you have can be used for a RHD car?. Thanks.
 
The picture was taken from a torn apart W203 bi xenon light...the rear of the headlight assy looks quiet different indeed.

shadowlord: NO, you definitely won't pass MOT with that setup...I do have some UK spec W203 bi xenons...incase that is what you are looking for...

greetingz,
 
I've got the same problem. I've just picked up a 2000 E430 estate (my 1st Merc) with Xenons, I've had a look in the lamp housing and there doesn't seem to be any lever or adjustments for making the beam symmetrical.
I have just contacted the local stealer, and have been told there is no adjustment, and that MB don't make a headlamp mask for this model, they suggested going to Halfords! WHAT!!
 
Originally posted by Ariel
they suggested going to Halfords! WHAT!!

That is absurd! I can only think your MB dealer can't be bothered to find out for you. I'd take that to the service manager with some strong words about their lack of after sales support.

This type of things really pisses me off! :mad:
 
The MB Dealer suggested phoning head office... which I did. The woman in customer support couldn't understand why the headlamps needed adjusting for use in Europe. I had to explain!!! She confirmed there is no MB part for this.
Just come back from Halfords with my £6.49 worth of stickers and yes section 72B of the instructions shows the E class Xenons.
Question: Do I stick them on the outside of the plastic lens or on the inner glass lens?
 
Originally posted by Ariel
The MB Dealer suggested phoning head office... which I did. The woman in customer support couldn't understand why the headlamps needed adjusting for use in Europe. I had to explain!!! She confirmed there is no MB part for this.
Just come back from Halfords with my £6.49 worth of stickers and yes section 72B of the instructions shows the E class Xenons.
Question: Do I stick them on the outside of the plastic lens or on the inner glass lens?

Outside
 
Xenon lights

Took my car (2003 SL500) into MB dealer yesterday and asked them to show me how the adjust the xenon lights for driving in France.

Apparently, the xenon lights on the SL are different to the xenons on the current E Class. The SL handbook says the lights have to be adjusted by a MB dealer, but the E Class handbooks shows you how to do it yourself. Having looked at the E Class handbook, the back of the xenons are different in appearance to the SL lights.

The dealers said they had to put the SL onto a machine that ensures the level of the lights, once adjusted, were correct. The change means the light from the headlamps is flattened, and simply removes the higher beam throw to the left for UK driving.
 
They will probably charge you to put them back again though!
 
Retro fitting Xeon's W203

Hi,

Just purchased some Xeon's off ebay for £80, I have been kind of mislead from the seller who made me believe thaty it was a straight swap with my normal headlights. Speaking to someone else and apparently its a big Job. Any advice would be great ly appreciated.

xixal
 
Think yourselves lucky that you do not own a VW. When I got my W211 the dealer showed me the lever behind the headlight and I thought to myself that they could have made it a tad more accesable especially for someone with gorilla hands like me.
When my freind bought his Golf V6 he went to the dealer to aske them how to change the Bi-Xenon lights over and was told it would cost about £200 as the front bumper has to come off to do it. Bear in mind he goes abroad about 20 times a year with work and the bill comes to about £4000 for the year.
I reckon Mercedes did allright in the end.
 
Dealer ship

What dealership did you go to plz ?
 

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