W203 Faulty Headlamp / Need Opinion on Ballast
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Joined: Jan 2026
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w203 pre-facelift
W203 Faulty Headlamp / Need Opinion on Ballast
Thank you in advance to whoever is reading this.
For the past three years i've had some trouble with the right headlamp. In the beginning it would light a few seconds after the left one, so i didn't really take it serious. This past few months, it rarely lights up when i start the car, only comes on when i hit a pothole or a bump, which is really weird. It is really dim compared to the other one as you can see in the image attached. I have tried to switch the bulb, with no effect.
Since i don't want to waste any more money than what i have to in this matter, i need to be certain it is the ballast.
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Joined: Feb 2026
Posts: 22
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From: Kentucky
2004 C230K 2 door coupe 1.8l m271 6 speed manual
Thank you in advance to whoever is reading this.
For the past three years i've had some trouble with the right headlamp. In the beginning it would light a few seconds after the left one, so i didn't really take it serious. This past few months, it rarely lights up when i start the car, only comes on when i hit a pothole or a bump, which is really weird. It is really dim compared to the other one as you can see in the image attached. I have tried to switch the bulb, with no effect.
Since i don't want to waste any more money than what i have to in this matter, i need to be certain it is the ballast.
also take off the covers from behind your headlight assemblies and look in at your wiring harnesses internally on the headlight... only saying this because certain years they used a degradable shielding on the wiring..... it could be deteriorated and just shorting out on itself.
