RETROFIT: W203 Coupe Bi-Xenons (photos inside)
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
RETROFIT: W203 Coupe Bi-Xenons (photos inside)
The old lamps with bumper removed. You are also removing the frontal splash cover inside the wheel arch. To do this make the wheels full lock left and then right so you have room to work and loosen the panel. Clips and screws. This then clears room to work on the fog lamp, temp sensor and also t20 screw on the bumper clip. Tape up the alignment points on the body too and mark the position of the old lamps before with a felt pen marker. The body sides of the car were taped up too because this is a place where you can scratch the body with the bumper going on and off.
Lamps removed and vacuum disconnected. To stop hissing sound inside car you must buy a vacuum plug for both external lines or just buy one for inside the door sill where you will split the violet line and insert the plug. This is at the drivers side kick panel held in by 2 clips and 1 screw. Tie back the unused violet lines in the engine bay.
The new lamp
Transfer the old offset measurements from the old lamp to the new lamp. There are 3 on each lamp. With all of these positions marked the new alignment will be extremely close to the old one and the body gaps should be neat and very close to OEM. You are looking for bottom of tab to top of bolt
Looking good so far !
Why not add some clear fogs, blue parking lights and clear 2005 blinker inserts at the same time. Alignment was done with the old lights as reference and out on the street using parked cars. It will be checked at a pro shop later.
Coding was done XENON = PRESENT in EIS.
Verdict = SWEET !
Lamps removed and vacuum disconnected. To stop hissing sound inside car you must buy a vacuum plug for both external lines or just buy one for inside the door sill where you will split the violet line and insert the plug. This is at the drivers side kick panel held in by 2 clips and 1 screw. Tie back the unused violet lines in the engine bay.
The new lamp
Transfer the old offset measurements from the old lamp to the new lamp. There are 3 on each lamp. With all of these positions marked the new alignment will be extremely close to the old one and the body gaps should be neat and very close to OEM. You are looking for bottom of tab to top of bolt
Looking good so far !
Why not add some clear fogs, blue parking lights and clear 2005 blinker inserts at the same time. Alignment was done with the old lights as reference and out on the street using parked cars. It will be checked at a pro shop later.
Coding was done XENON = PRESENT in EIS.
Verdict = SWEET !
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From: NYC
BLACK 05 C230SS
Looks awesome. Thanks for the write up. 
I wish there was one for the sedan when i am ready to do the install. But I guess it will be very similar except for the bumper removal.
Now I guess you can install some HID fogs to match everything.
I wish there was one for the sedan when i am ready to do the install. But I guess it will be very similar except for the bumper removal.Now I guess you can install some HID fogs to match everything.
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by razorfish228
Looks awesome. Thanks for the write up. I wish there was one for the sedan when i am ready to do the install. But I guess it will be very similar except for the bumper removal.
Now I guess you can install some HID fogs to match everything.
I wish there was one for the sedan when i am ready to do the install. But I guess it will be very similar except for the bumper removal.Now I guess you can install some HID fogs to match everything.
Doing the bumper once is a lifetime lesson. After that the main secret is to use lots of tape, mark everything, transfer settings over and assemble. The vacuum line trick is pretty cool. Most people dont do it and it makes a hisssss inside the car. vacuum line plug = A 124 805 02 44
You can use 2 outside or one inside. I install it inside.
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From: Southern California
2016 E350, 2013 C300 4MATIC, 2004.5 C230SS
Originally Posted by benzmodz
The sedan write up is the same. The grille isnt even in the way Doing the bumper once is a lifetime lesson. After that the main secret is to use lots of tape, mark everything, transfer settings over and assemble. The vacuum line trick is pretty cool. Most people dont do it and it makes a hisssss inside the car.
vacuum line plug = A 124 805 02 44
You can use 2 outside or one inside. I install it inside.
Doing the bumper once is a lifetime lesson. After that the main secret is to use lots of tape, mark everything, transfer settings over and assemble. The vacuum line trick is pretty cool. Most people dont do it and it makes a hisssss inside the car. vacuum line plug = A 124 805 02 44
You can use 2 outside or one inside. I install it inside.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Portugal
'13 E500 Coupe AMG// '17 E350d // '24 E53 AMG
Originally Posted by benzmodz
The sedan write up is the same. The grille isnt even in the way Doing the bumper once is a lifetime lesson. After that the main secret is to use lots of tape, mark everything, transfer settings over and assemble. The vacuum line trick is pretty cool. Most people dont do it and it makes a hisssss inside the car.
vacuum line plug = A 124 805 02 44
You can use 2 outside or one inside. I install it inside.
Doing the bumper once is a lifetime lesson. After that the main secret is to use lots of tape, mark everything, transfer settings over and assemble. The vacuum line trick is pretty cool. Most people dont do it and it makes a hisssss inside the car. vacuum line plug = A 124 805 02 44
You can use 2 outside or one inside. I install it inside.
they don't fit in the line, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure what!!!
Do you have any pics of the plugs installed???
thanks
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by allen_7
May be a dumb question...........Why doesn't the new bi-xenon lights need the vaccum line?
Halogens have a ride level adjustment near the mirror adjustment pad and Xenons dont.
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by gaiex
I bougth those when I installed my bIX but I couldn't install them in my vacuum lines!!!
they don't fit in the line, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure what!!!
Do you have any pics of the plugs installed???
thanks
they don't fit in the line, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure what!!!
Do you have any pics of the plugs installed???
thanks
In the cable tray inside the drivers kick panel area there are vacuum lines gray and violet and white. You break the violet join and plug the red pin into the open connector.
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From: Portugal
'13 E500 Coupe AMG// '17 E350d // '24 E53 AMG
Originally Posted by benzmodz
I wasnt sure if the same plug fits in the engine bay. My friend uses a cover plug made of rubber. The Mercedes one is like a golf tee made of red plastic.
In the cable tray inside the drivers kick panel area there are vacuum lines gray and violet and white. You break the violet join and plug the red pin into the open connector.
In the cable tray inside the drivers kick panel area there are vacuum lines gray and violet and white. You break the violet join and plug the red pin into the open connector.
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From: The blue white rock, third out.
2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Originally Posted by benzmodz
Sorry. I will post more pics in the future.
Is this an australian market thing only? Vac lines to suck the headlights into the car, so they don't fall off into space when youre driving upside down on the bottom of the planet?
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by Outland
Post some of this vac line issue. I did my Bix refit a couple of years ago, I don't remember there being any vac lines to plug, nor is there a hissing sound inside the car, or outside for that matter.
Is this an australian market thing only? Vac lines to suck the headlights into the car, so they don't fall off into space when youre driving upside down on the bottom of the planet?
Is this an australian market thing only? Vac lines to suck the headlights into the car, so they don't fall off into space when youre driving upside down on the bottom of the planet?
The hissing inside the car is only audible if you still have hearing. I would guess that some people may never hear it over the music, revving and tyre noise but I can hear it quite clearly.
The violet lines are hard to miss.
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by bwco
Nice lamp, where did u get those? How much ? I've been searching for a set of these for the coupe for so long... 
It is a really bad idea to use Euro / USA spec lamps in Australia or other RHD countries. I get asked to help members install USA lamps in Australia and I flatly refuse because the light illumination pattern offends oncoming motorists when it is the wrong specification.
The lights are designed to be used so that pedestrians and parked cars get more off-side illumination than on-side opposing traffic. When this is reversed it causes a major problem.
USA / Euro lamps (LHD) are more easily bought for a good price. Unfortunately, Australia spec (RHD) are generally full price.
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From: The blue white rock, third out.
2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Originally Posted by benzmodz
The vac lines only exist if you had halogens to begin with. You sound like you went from Xenon to BiXenon which is a straight swap.
The hissing inside the car is only audible if you still have hearing. I would guess that some people may never hear it over the music, revving and tyre noise but I can hear it quite clearly.
The violet lines are hard to miss.
The hissing inside the car is only audible if you still have hearing. I would guess that some people may never hear it over the music, revving and tyre noise but I can hear it quite clearly.
The violet lines are hard to miss.
Quite a difference in appearance, isn't it? Its brighter, to be sure, but I'm honest and admit I got em cause they looked cool.
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by Outland
Nope. No Violet Lines, and the car was Halogen originally. I think the autoleveling feature is not on the American spec cars...unless its Bix from the factory. No hissing sounds anywhere. Lots of Supercharger whine, but that's the price of more boost.
Quite a difference in appearance, isn't it? Its brighter, to be sure, but I'm honest and admit I got em cause they looked cool.
Quite a difference in appearance, isn't it? Its brighter, to be sure, but I'm honest and admit I got em cause they looked cool.
I must admit that Steve is the master of US cars. I have never travelled in a USA Benz.
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From: Orange County
2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
Nope, no little wheel on US spec light switch assemblies. FMVSS108 which details safety standards does not allow driver adjustable headlamps. The US pattern is flat, whereas in most of the rest of the world, the beam is shaped to iluminate the curb side of the road. The US specs also require automatic leveling of Bixenon lamps, and there must be a headlight cleaning system. Halogen lamps cannot be moved, and no cleaning system is necessary.
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by Moviela
Nope, no little wheel on US spec light switch assemblies. FMVSS108 which details safety standards does not allow driver adjustable headlamps. The US pattern is flat, whereas in most of the rest of the world, the beam is shaped to iluminate the curb side of the road. The US specs also require automatic leveling of Bixenon lamps, and there must be a headlight cleaning system. Halogen lamps cannot be moved, and no cleaning system is necessary.
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From: global traveller
some slow@$$diesels
Originally Posted by benzmodz
So you dont have a wheel marked "0 1 2 3" on your light switch ?
I must admit that Steve is the master of US cars. I have never travelled in a USA Benz.
I must admit that Steve is the master of US cars. I have never travelled in a USA Benz.
greetingz,
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From: GB
I retrofitted by RHD C-Coupe with Bi-xenon and am getting a hissing sound inside the car too.
I did not install any vacuum plug but by just turning the halogen leveling wheel downwards (cant remember its 0 or 3 now) will simply stop the sound already.
I did not install any vacuum plug but by just turning the halogen leveling wheel downwards (cant remember its 0 or 3 now) will simply stop the sound already.
Originally Posted by benzmodz
So you dont have a wheel marked "0 1 2 3" on your light switch ?
I must admit that Steve is the master of US cars. I have never travelled in a USA Benz.
I must admit that Steve is the master of US cars. I have never travelled in a USA Benz.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 128
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From: GB
I cant get the red A 124 805 02 44 plug fitted anywhere... seems too big for the purple vacuum line too.
U got any luck?
U got any luck?
Originally Posted by gaiex
I bougth those when I installed my bIX but I couldn't install them in my vacuum lines!!!
they don't fit in the line, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure what!!!
Do you have any pics of the plugs installed???
thanks
they don't fit in the line, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure what!!!
Do you have any pics of the plugs installed???
thanks
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by gmabm
I cant get the red A 124 805 02 44 plug fitted anywhere... seems too big for the purple vacuum line too.
U got any luck?
U got any luck?
