Car headlights

masterboy123

I have 2015 Merc C Class with daytime led lights, but halogen yellow headlights at night time which looks old fashioned and have lower visibility. I just realised the difference in friends latest C class with new Led headlights.

I wonder if LED headlights can be fitted in my car or even Xenon?

This is what headlight mould looks like in my car.
https://cdn3.volusion.com/qatru.sgajt/v/vspfiles/photos/HID-W205-2.jpg

The new W205 has slightly different LED headlights.

masterboy123

What about Xenon bulbs?

OSI wrote: »

Without projectors, levelers and washers also being fitted, no.

bazz26

Same answer.

masterboy123

And approx how much is it going to cost?

nim1bdeh38l2cw

A few grand

masterboy123

I guess I will stick to halogens so.

Ellis Tinkling Truck wrote: »

A few grand

Del2005

masterboy123 wrote: »

I guess I will stick to halogens so.

You can buy Nightbreaker or other brands of better halogens, they give better light but usually don't last as long.

MarkR

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/76760/best-car-headlight-bulbs-2018

Might help you pick.

masterboy123

Thanks, going to look at that Philips bulb.

Is it possible to change bulb ourself? I know little about cars. Wondering if I have to make an appointment with the mechanic.

bazz26

Go onto google or youtube and search for changing a bulb on your model of car.

Voodoomelon

My recommendation would be to do nothing. When I had halogens, I tried multiple supposed brighter, whiter, more modern bulbs to see a maximum of a 5-10% difference. And that was on older cars than yours.

I'd imagine a '15 C-class is up there in terms of halogen output and quality, I very much doubt you'll improve on them short of swapping for xenons or LED headlamps, which is massively cost prohibitive when done correctly.

masterboy123

Ok, i will get in touch with dealer at next routine visit and see what's the difference like.

Thanks a mill

Voodoomelon wrote: »

My recommendation would be to do nothing. When I had halogens, I tried multiple supposed brighter, whiter, more modern bulbs to see a maximum of a 5-10% difference. And that was on older cars than yours.

I'd imagine a '15 C-class is up there in terms of halogen output and quality, I very much doubt you'll improve on them short of swapping for xenons or LED headlamps, which is massively cost prohibitive when done correctly.

GustavoFring

You might get companies like depo that make replacement projector lifts.

Have a look on this page, you might get a part number that works.

http://www.depoautolamp.com/depo_pro_qry_brand_front.asp?pageno=6&category=Replacement&brand=Mercedes&make=&cat_no=&oem_no=

Have a set for a 3 series and essentially they're are aftermarket projector lamps that look close on stock. Waiting to fit them but reports seem good.

masterboy123

Are they going to cost few grands?

GustavoFring wrote: »

You might get companies like depo that make replacement projector lifts.

Have a look on this page, you might get a part number that works.

http://www.depoautolamp.com/depo_pro_qry_brand_front.asp?pageno=6&category=Replacement&brand=Mercedes&make=&cat_no=&oem_no=

Have a set for a 3 series and essentially they're are aftermarket projector lamps that look close on stock. Waiting to fit them but reports seem good.

mikeecho

I got philips h7 leds from powerbulb.com , they currently have 25%off

I put them into a projector lens on a BMW, only had to very slightly modify the connection, nothing that can't be undone.

€153 for a pair, not cheap, but excellent light.
I've spent plenty on various halogen bulbs over the years, and these are the best I've had.

https://www.powerbulbs.com/eu/product/x-tremeultinon-gen2-led-headlight-bulbs-h7-twin

Promo code: YULE25

masterboy123

Thanks a mill.

I am no good with wires risky for me, who don't even know how to change the bulb in my car.

mikeecho wrote: »

I got philips h7 leds from powerbulb.com , they currently have 25%off

I put them into a projector lens on a BMW, only had to very slightly modify the connection, nothing that can't be undone.

€153 for a pair, not cheap, but excellent light.
I've spent plenty on various halogen bulbs over the years, and these are the best I've had.

https://www.powerbulbs.com/eu/product/x-tremeultinon-gen2-led-headlight-bulbs-h7-twin

Promo code: YULE25

mikeecho

masterboy123 wrote: »

Thanks a mill.

I am no good with wires risky for me, who don't even know how to change the bulb in my car.

I only had to remove a metal cover on the connector... no wires to be cut, nothing major at all.

GustavoFring

masterboy123 wrote: »

Are they going to cost few grands?

For a 3 series they were about 500 notes.

masterboy123

This is what it looks like at present.

kerten

Make sure your headlights are adjusted to highest level possible without blinding oncoming cars too. It is not first time that I stumbled upon cars with very low headlight range due to fear of NCT

I bought a 161 car from a main dealer in February and noticed later that halogen headlamps are miserable in dark backroads. It had pretty much 10-15 meters range and darkness afterwards.

Then I noticed that they were at lowest settings and when adjusted it became acceptable. It is still not as bright as xenons/led but with brighter bulbs going in there, I won't be dreaming about xenon/led headlights every time.

masterboy123

I have set the headlights at max upper range using the dial inside the car. But still it's so so.

I have seen many 2012-13 cars with white lights, did they all get led lights?

kerten wrote: »

Make sure your headlights are adjusted to highest level possible without blinding oncoming cars too. It is not first time that I stumbled upon cars with very low headlight range due to fear of NCT

I bought a 161 car from a main dealer in February and noticed later that halogen headlamps are miserable in dark backroads. It had pretty much 10-15 meters range and darkness afterwards.

Then I noticed that they were at lowest settings and when adjusted it became acceptable. It is still not as bright as xenons/led but with brighter bulbs going in there, I won't be dreaming about xenon/led headlights every time.

kerten

masterboy123 wrote: »

I have set the headlights at max upper range using the dial inside the car. But still it's so so.

I have seen many 2012-13 cars with white lights, did they all get led lights?

It is good you checked the dial but what I meant was adjusting the headlights with screws on the headlight if your issue is the size of the area beinglit by your headlights. You probably need a mechanic to do it right with a headlight adjustment device(not sure what they are called) to ensure you don't blind oncoming drivers. Ask the mechanic to adjust them to the maximum level possible as they tend to play safe for NCT.

If you can see 25-30 meters ahead in completely dark environment with your headlight, you can ignore my suggestion though.

White lights don't have to be led. They can be osram nightbreaker/philips +130/150% range or chinese copy of those. Those will lit the area better than standard bulbs but they have generally less lifetime than standard bulbs.

Also you are still limited with the area your headlights are adjusted to lit.

Make sure your headlight lenses are clean and free from yellowish layer which is common on plastic lenses exposed to sun many years.

masterboy123

Been looking around for Philips Xtreme 130%, good reviews for it. It comes in H1 and H7. They are in the range of 30euros each.
Any guess which one works for Mercedes? H1 or H7?

Tropheus

masterboy123 wrote: »

Been looking around for Philips Xtreme 130%, good reviews for it. It comes in H1 and H7. They are in the range of 30euros each.
Any guess which one works for Mercedes? H1 or H7?

H7 according to this. Your car's handbook should tell you for sure.

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/mercedes-c-class--saloon-2014-14.html

masterboy123

This site suggesting Xenon HID kit also and doesn't appear to be expensive. Is it legit?

Tropheus wrote: »

H7 according to this. Your car's handbook should tell you for sure.

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/mercedes-c-class--saloon-2014-14.html

Odyssey 2005

What about a narrow neat light bar?

Tropheus

masterboy123 wrote: »

This site suggesting Xenon HID kit also and doesn't appear to be expensive. Is it legit?

Can be done, but first problem is the car won't get through the NCT without headlamp units that are made for xenon bulbs, auto levelling and headlamp washers.

The second problem is that fitting xenons to reflector headlamps scatters the light everywhere and blinds oncoming drivers.

Upgrading with a better halogen bulb is the only way to do it legally and avoid problems in the future.

cranefly

The halogens that came with my car a 2015 vauxhall insignia were absolutely terrible, my 04 laguna were the complete opposite, i had to do something, even the high beams were bad, hir2 9012 bulbs, i could not believe a newer cars headlights were so bad, driving unlit country roads with those stock halogen bulbs was an experience i do not want to go through again, and i have decent eyesight, i needed to change them fast, so i was trying to search for a better quality halogen bulb, but reading reviews of the different makes of bulbs available was making me think their was nothing out there. As 9012 bulbs are the same bulb for high and low beam with a single filament in the bulb, it was the headlight housing that had a shutter that opened and closed against the filament, that determined whether you were using high or low beam.
I could find different colours from yellow to white light in halogens, but nothing that gave me extra power to see. So i had a look at LEDs, i found some on Amazon, and after looking at yutube videos and reading reviews, decided i would give them a try, i ordered a pair from Amazon, winpower 9012. I was not too sure if these would fit inside the headlight housing with the dust cover back on, so i got some rubber covers just in case.

The outcome of all this was, for 36 euro, i now can see when driving at night, everything fitted inside the headlight housing with ease, the height and spread of the beam pattern is the same as the halogens, but much brighter, i have not had anyone flashing me because of dazzle, if i had i would have changed them immediately, the colour of the light is 6500k a whiter light that matches the daytime running lights on the insignia, if the insignias lights had been the same as the laguna, i would not have changed anything, why oh why were they so bad. At least now i feel safer driving my car at night. Come NCT time i will just change them back to the old halogens, and then back to the LEDs as they were so simple to fit. They were not a massive improvement over the halogens, but there is a big enough difference so that i can now actually see where i am driving at night.

masterboy123

Thanks cranefly,

I checked about this and was told it's not NCT legible. That threw me off. And also the fact these may melt down the headlight cover due to high temperature.

cranefly

masterboy123 wrote: »

Thanks cranefly,

I checked about this and was told it's not NCT legible. That threw me off. And also the fact these may melt down the headlight cover due to high temperature.

I do not know who is telling you about melting the headlight, the NCT could be true, i will have to check that, 5 minute job to change back to halogens if that is the case, watch a few youtube videos of the guys with a heat meter checking one headlight with a halogen and the other with an LED the results are quite surprising. If heat at the dust cover does get hot, i would be very surprised if it melted the cover, on all the research i have done on these LEDs, not once have i heard of that happening, if it had, youtube would be full of little boy racers showing how their LEDs melted the cover, they are just not there.

masterboy123

There are few videos on YouTube showing melted head light cover. I think there is a reason why it's not approved by NCT.
And it's not straight forward to switch bulbs in my car.

However I appreciate your guidance and sharing your personal experience.

cranefly wrote: »

I do not know who is telling you about melting the headlight, the NCT could be true, i will have to check that, 5 minute job to change back to halogens if that is the case, watch a few youtube videos of the guys with a heat meter checking one headlight with a halogen and the other with an LED the results are quite surprising. If heat at the dust cover does get hot, i would be very surprised if it melted the cover, on all the research i have done on these LEDs, not once have i heard of that happening, if it had, youtube would be full of little boy racers showing how their LEDs melted the cover, they are just not there.