astroboy

I have the 2002 C-Coupe, just replaced the PIAA light bulb recently. They good so great! I notice that the head lamp on the 2003 model (probably just the one with C4) has clear circles on the lens. I am wondering if that will fit in my car?

TimmyC230boy

yes they will fit. I believe they are around 900 for a set of them. plus the xenons I think. But yes they will fit. But good luck finding a pair.

Jim Banville

The actual clear plastic lens alone (nothing else) is $900? Wow!

CitronC230K_03

i dont think you can buy just the clear lens portion. if you did, you wouldnt have the projector lenses underneath your units anyhow. in order to have the projector unit look you must replace the entire unit with the bi-xenons which is the C4 option. then you wouldnt be able to use your PIAA bulbs because youd have to use the xenon not the halogen PIAA's. Like they say, one thing calls for another!

MARK CUMMINS

If Interested in the EURO Bi Xeon headlites..Please contact Steve @www.MBenz.nl

astroboy

That is the thing I am worrying about. Although the it is now so white and bright already, I would just like to make it look better.

CitronC230K_03

i say dump the halogens and come on over to the bright side. life is more fun with bi-xenons anyhow! swing both ways!

CitronC230K_03

one more

astroboy

it looks great.

CitronC230K_03

thanks! look better when they're on. the auto leveling is cool because once they turn on, the lights go up. its just cool to watch. the hi-beam is the best. some a$$ was flashing his brites at me 2 nites ago at a stop lite. he was facing me head on and started flashing his brights so i flooded him with mine.

Lycon

i have regular xenons. (Not bi-xenons) for sale. Its a whole assemble including the ballasts, controller and w203 light assembly. (ALL ASSEMBLED) Meaning its plug and play. Guaranteed to fit both right hand and right hand drive. NO additional wiring nor parts. Just have to get it level if you are left hand drive. which is simple.
Money back if it wont fit. (however dont see how it wont)

US$600

If you are running halogens, it will fit too. just bring your car to MB to DAS re-config to set xenon present.

PS: drafting of legal binding contract of money back if it doesnt work, available if required.

Buyer pays for shipping.

email: emwong@umich.edu

Jim Banville

So what happens if you get a crack in your lens and want only to replace it? You have to buy the whole friggin assembly?! And I don't necessarily want the projector look. I like the clear lens look.

astroboy

hheheee, of cause he couldn't compete with the Xeon

CitronC230K_03

even if you placed a clear lens on the lamp assembly, i dont think you are going to find it very attractive. the unit probably doesnt have the finsih and proper look you would expect as that side of the headlamp is expected to always be hidden. i dont know im speculating, but it would be cool to see someone try it.

MBenzNL

sedan lights don't fit the coupe...

YES...that is the way MB designs cars nowadays...

Regardless how it looks, one won't have a useable light pattern anymore...

greetingz,

jelecroy

I think that when the C-class originally came out, MB was hammered by the insurance companies because of very high repair costs for low speed collisions. One response was to redesign headlights so that the lenses are replaceable without buying the entire headlight assembly.

From my perspective, that's an excellent idea, since despite any hardcoating, the plastic headlight lenses are bound to get sandblasted and foggy over a few years driving.

Whoops. I just re-read the C=class "Intro to Service" book, and what they actiually did was design the headlight attach brackets so that if the light gets hit, the attachment brackets, which are replacable, are all that gets broken. I guess that could save money if you get hit hard enough to break the attachment but not hard enough to crack or scrape the lens. To get the lens, though, you apparently still have to buy the whole assembly.

Drew_ML

The markings on the lens is there for a reason, to control the beam pattern. Remove the lens and you'll have no light pattern control. Obviously not something that you want to have happen.

Jim Banville

I know the lines are supposed to create a "lens affect" or whatever you call it, but who's to say removing it wouold distroy the beam pattern. Have you looked at the beam pattern on a C240 without the lens? Perhaps the pattern is fine without the lens and they only included the lines to obscure the bulbs & reflector. Not saying you're wrong, but I wouldn't pass judgment on this unless I tried it on this particular car.

Matt230K

A projector system "projects" the light where it is supposed to go. But the system you have is just a reflector that reflects the light forward. Without trying this, I am quite certain that the light would be reflected in nearly every direction. The lens is absolutely necessary and it is not used to hide the bulb. A projector system has the clear lens just for protection. You really wouldn't need a lens at all because the projector does all the work in directing the light.

astroboy

thanks for all you guys' opinions.

Jim Banville

How can you be so sure unless you've tried it? Who's to say the light wouldn't be directed forward with only the reflector in the housing? Again, not saying you're wrong, but I wouldn't bet my life on either yay or nay on this particular car without trying it. A clear lens isn't only for projection lights. The headlights on the '98 Crown Vic I drive daily have completely clear lens's, but use a regular halogen bulb in a relector housing. The OEM lens on the halogen lights on our W203's may be absolutely necessary for a tight beam pattern. Then again, it may not. It may be redundant. I'd reserve judgement until it is tried.

x15jq

My 99 clk 320 has the standard xenon package. It doesnt have a clear lense, and i dont think the lense really controls the xenon light, because it is very dim and omnidirectional.
I think the ridges and lines are just part of the rigidity or design. I dont know what im talkin about!

Lynn

I'll say it. The lens does focus the light and create the beam pattern. The reflector in the halogen lights can't create the beam pattern. It is not much more sophisticated than the reflector in a flashlight. With a clear lens on the halogen headlight, you will have a powerful floodlight. And I would be happy to bet your life on it. No, not really.

Jim Banville

Then why do the headlights on my old '98 Crown Vic , which put out a perfectly fine beam pattern, have completely clear lens's with regular halogen bulbs in front of a concave reflector?

Yeah. My Maglite puts a pretty tight beam pattern on a wall from several feet away. All it has is a clear lens and concave relfector.

Drew_ML

Heh, I don't have to remove it to be able to tell. The fluting on the lens is precisely there to control the beam output since the pattern disperses light differently as the beam passes through the lens. Without the fluting, the headlamp will turn into a spot lamp. Oh and this goes for all lamps, not just headlamps.