DEPO headlight flickering issues
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: dayton ohio hopefully it will be some place warm and sunny when i finish med school
2002 C32 AMG silver & 2003 Lancer Evolution 8 black very moded
i see. i too have the factory frosty xenons. im thinking about buying these auto leveling depo lights but i'm also debating switching over to a 55w ballast. what is the factory connector that goes into your aftermarket ballast? 9006? 9007? HB1? basically what i'm asking is which type do i need to buy if i wanted to replace my factory xenon ballast
9006 is the bulb types... we with the frosty xenon set up use a D2R bulb non xenons are a H7 bulb like the highbeams (i think)
i'm not sure on this either but the ballast also helps with the auto leveling thats why i had to use OEM ballast when i got my Depos...
hope that helps.
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From: USA
Marsaydees
the auto leveling depo's i have use the factory ballast... all the cables from the car plug into the lights themselves... the ballasts are located on the bottom of the headlight just like OEM... its the exact same on the Depos
9006 is the bulb types... we with the frosty xenon set up use a D2R bulb non xenons are a H7 bulb like the highbeams (i think)
i'm not sure on this either but the ballast also helps with the auto leveling thats why i had to use OEM ballast when i got my Depos...
hope that helps.
9006 is the bulb types... we with the frosty xenon set up use a D2R bulb non xenons are a H7 bulb like the highbeams (i think)
i'm not sure on this either but the ballast also helps with the auto leveling thats why i had to use OEM ballast when i got my Depos...
hope that helps.
maybe the wiring inside the depo headlights is messed up. hopefully they will get warrantied if that is the case
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From: DE
2005 E55
I actually have a spare set of factory ballasts sitting around just in case mine crap the bed. I'd be willing to send them to you if you'd like. If they fix it you can toss me a few bucks, if not just send them back.
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From: Vegas
02 C32
I'll keep my fingers crossed you just got a bad batch of bulbs...
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From: North California
02 C32 AMG, 05 SL55 AMG, 09 SL63 AMG, 14 E350, '18 G550, 92 300ZX & 15' GL63 AMG
Please update this thread when you resolve the problem. If these are quality items I would very much like to have a pair myself. Do you feel like you lost any light output by going from the frostys to the projector-style lamps? Does the cut-off look good?
I'll keep my fingers crossed you just got a bad batch of bulbs...
I'll keep my fingers crossed you just got a bad batch of bulbs...
and the Z's light output with the projectors arent as great compared to the C32's light output.
the C32's have the frosties :-(
But ive been considering these projector DEPOS headlamps...most likely withought the auto-level feature..
if would be nice, but my car didnt come with xenos, so im guessin if i buy the Depos with the auto-level feature, it wouldnt be functional?
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From: Corona, CA
03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
you know for some reason, i have to say that a car with HID/Xenon lighting mounted on a reflector headlamp assembly seems to have much more better lighting output as opposed to a car with HID/Xenon lighting with the Projectors :-/ my Z and my C32 now both have 6000K lighting.
and the Z's light output with the projectors arent as great compared to the C32's light output.
the C32's have the frosties :-(
But ive been considering these projector DEPOS headlamps...most likely withought the auto-level feature..
if would be nice, but my car didnt come with xenos, so im guessin if i buy the Depos with the auto-level feature, it wouldnt be functional?
and the Z's light output with the projectors arent as great compared to the C32's light output.
the C32's have the frosties :-(
But ive been considering these projector DEPOS headlamps...most likely withought the auto-level feature..
if would be nice, but my car didnt come with xenos, so im guessin if i buy the Depos with the auto-level feature, it wouldnt be functional?
Thats because the projectors in the depos are total crap. You need to either replace it with a real HID projector or just buy the oem projector head lights.
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From: Vegas
02 C32
edtv82: can you comment on your impression of the quality of light output and the quality of the units as a whole?
What we need are some before and after (or side-by-side) photos of xenon frostys and depo xenon projectors...
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From: Corona, CA
03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
They are total crap? The eBay seller advertises that the projector lens is glass (as opposed to plastic, I assume) and 'made in Germany' as opposed to lesser-quality items manufactured in China. I am tempted by the claim of quality; is it a false claim? I don't want to pay $500 for these headlamps and be disappointed by the result...
edtv82: can you comment on your impression of the quality of light output and the quality of the units as a whole?
What we need are some before and after (or side-by-side) photos of xenon frostys and depo xenon projectors...
edtv82: can you comment on your impression of the quality of light output and the quality of the units as a whole?
What we need are some before and after (or side-by-side) photos of xenon frostys and depo xenon projectors...
The frosty xenons are designed to work specify with hids. Hence why the output on the Frosty would be better then the depos.
Just do a search and look at the depo cut off pics...there not even gonna come close to real HID projectors.
oh yeah depo head lights for around $300 on ebay. If your not gonna do a hid retrofit, and your willing to pay $500. I say save a bit more and just buy the oem bixenons for around $1100.
Last edited by TemjinX2; Jan 9, 2010 at 07:09 PM.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: dayton ohio hopefully it will be some place warm and sunny when i finish med school
2002 C32 AMG silver & 2003 Lancer Evolution 8 black very moded
Depos are made in taiwan man. So i dont know why he's saying there made in germany. The depos projectors are designed to work with halogens.
The frosty xenons are designed to work specify with hids. Hence why the output on the Frosty would be better then the depos.
Just do a search and look at the depo cut off pics...there not even gonna come close to real HID projectors.
oh yeah depo head lights for around $300 on ebay. If your not gonna do a hid retrofit, and your willing to pay $500. I say save a bit more and just buy the oem bixenons for around $1100.
The frosty xenons are designed to work specify with hids. Hence why the output on the Frosty would be better then the depos.
Just do a search and look at the depo cut off pics...there not even gonna come close to real HID projectors.
oh yeah depo head lights for around $300 on ebay. If your not gonna do a hid retrofit, and your willing to pay $500. I say save a bit more and just buy the oem bixenons for around $1100.
Also, granted depo housings are made in taiwan but you can also get different lenses... and most depo's dont autolevel. but i'm not going to justify this Depo compared to OEM... OEM would be ideal but i'd rather buy a new iMac or Macbook for 1100$ then factory bi xenons. 1100$ is also on the lower end of OEM bi xenons and sometimes when you buy things used its you could be getting a defective part (then your out 1100$ b/c 95% of the time you can't return it)
but thats how it goes.
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From: Corona, CA
03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
i'll update as to what the issue is... with the flickering. I'm still waiting on the bulbs to arrive.
Also, granted depo housings are made in taiwan but you can also get different lenses... and most depo's dont autolevel. but i'm not going to justify this Depo compared to OEM... OEM would be ideal but i'd rather buy a new iMac or Macbook for 1100$ then factory bi xenons. 1100$ is also on the lower end of OEM bi xenons and sometimes when you buy things used its you could be getting a defective part (then your out 1100$ b/c 95% of the time you can't return it)
but thats how it goes.
Also, granted depo housings are made in taiwan but you can also get different lenses... and most depo's dont autolevel. but i'm not going to justify this Depo compared to OEM... OEM would be ideal but i'd rather buy a new iMac or Macbook for 1100$ then factory bi xenons. 1100$ is also on the lower end of OEM bi xenons and sometimes when you buy things used its you could be getting a defective part (then your out 1100$ b/c 95% of the time you can't return it)
but thats how it goes.
If you do a search there was a vendor that was selling the oem bixenons for $1100 new in the w203 forum.
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From: Keesler AFB, Gulfport, MS
C32 AMG
I can also attest to the fact that the stock depo lights are crap. They can be modded into a "decent" head lamp and temjin has a great DIY and several other comparisons already posted in the forums.
I also agree the price for OEM Bi-X is retarded. If you don't have a lot to spend and don't do a lot of night driving, the modded depos (to me) are worth the savings for an updated look to your car.
I also agree the price for OEM Bi-X is retarded. If you don't have a lot to spend and don't do a lot of night driving, the modded depos (to me) are worth the savings for an updated look to your car.
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From: Vegas
02 C32
Ah. I would never have guessed the reflector bowl was the limiting factor in a projector-equipped headlamp fixture; I assumed the bulb itself threw all of its light output at the projector lens and the lens did all the focusing. I thought that was why bulbs were made with or without integral reflectors (D2S versus D2R). Thanks for the education!
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From: Corona, CA
03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
Ah. I would never have guessed the reflector bowl was the limiting factor in a projector-equipped headlamp fixture; I assumed the bulb itself threw all of its light output at the projector lens and the lens did all the focusing. I thought that was why bulbs were made with or without integral reflectors (D2S versus D2R). Thanks for the education!
my tsx retro to give you an idea.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c...t-project.html
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Mercedes C32 amg
Hey guys, I have also purchased the depo headlights off ebay with the auto leveling. The auto leveling feature does work. The lights look really nice and the lighting is not bad. The ebay seller claims that the projector inside is made in Germany but the light says on it made in Tawain, so I really doubt it. However, I am getting that same flickering problem mentioned on this thread. I know its not the ballast or the bulbs because they were working just fine before I just replaced them!! I used my stock ballast and bulbs which mounted on to the Depo headlights. I think it might be the wiring inside the headlights. If anyone has any input that would be great. Basically the headlights flicker and at times just turn off, but if I turn my lights off and then back on which every head light that was acting up turns back on and the cycle restarts. Gotta love after market stuff! 
Last edited by AMG7; Jan 24, 2010 at 02:07 AM.
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From: Keesler AFB, Gulfport, MS
C32 AMG
Hey guys, I have also purchased the depo headlights off ebay with the auto leveling. The auto leveling feature does work. The lights look really nice and the lighting is not bad. The ebay seller claims that the projector inside is made in Germany but the light says on it made in Tawain, so I really doubt it. However, I am getting that same flickering problem mentioned on this thread. I know its not the ballast or the bulbs because they were working just fine before I just replaced them!! I used my stock ballast and bulbs which mounted on to the Depo headlights. I think it might be the wiring inside the headlights. If anyone has any input that would be great. Basically the headlights flicker and at times just turn off, but if I turn my lights off and then back on which every head light that was acting up turns back on and the cycle restarts. Gotta love after market stuff!
I'm about to take mine to the stealership and have them check it out. It's embarrassing and I'm sure not at all appreciated by oncoming traffic.
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From: USA
Marsaydees
Interesting. Mine never made the headlight go completely out and it was/is only the drivers side headlight. It sounds like both of yours are doing this?
I'm about to take mine to the stealership and have them check it out. It's embarrassing and I'm sure not at all appreciated by oncoming traffic.
I'm about to take mine to the stealership and have them check it out. It's embarrassing and I'm sure not at all appreciated by oncoming traffic.
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From: Keesler AFB, Gulfport, MS
C32 AMG
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From: USA
Marsaydees
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Mercedes C32 amg
Hey guys got an update on the flickering headlights issue, hope this helps!! I was doing some reading on other forumns and people had resolved their flickering issue by replacing their bulbs, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I had originally kept the bulbs I had in my original xenons which were bought off-line. Anyways when I replaced them with the bulbs that were included with the head lights whola they work just fine now!! No flickering no nothing. I dunno, I guess you need a specific hid bulb to run the depo headlights! The other hid bulbs had worked just fine in my stock xenons, so kind of interesting..I'm just glad they work now!! So if you got a similar issue I would start with replacing the bulbs because they are the cheapest!
So if you got a similar issue I would start with replacing the bulbs because they are the cheapest!
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Keesler AFB, Gulfport, MS
C32 AMG
Hey guys got an update on the flickering headlights issue, hope this helps!! I was doing some reading on other forumns and people had resolved their flickering issue by replacing their bulbs, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I had originally kept the bulbs I had in my original xenons which were bought off-line. Anyways when I replaced them with the bulbs that were included with the head lights whola they work just fine now!! No flickering no nothing. I dunno, I guess you need a specific hid bulb to run the depo headlights! The other hid bulbs had worked just fine in my stock xenons, so kind of interesting..I'm just glad they work now!! So if you got a similar issue I would start with replacing the bulbs because they are the cheapest!
So if you got a similar issue I would start with replacing the bulbs because they are the cheapest!
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Mercedes C32 amg
Hey here is the link to the lights that were included with my headlights, that I used. This is the ebay seller I bought my headlights from as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8000K...item1c0f3eee5f
And the link to his Ebay store since that link above will expire.
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/fishcake321/
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8000K...item1c0f3eee5f
And the link to his Ebay store since that link above will expire.
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/fishcake321/
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From: Keesler AFB, Gulfport, MS
C32 AMG
Hey here is the link to the lights that were included with my headlights, that I used. This is the ebay seller I bought my headlights from as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8000K...item1c0f3eee5f
And the link to his Ebay store since that link above will expire.
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/fishcake321/
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8000K...item1c0f3eee5f
And the link to his Ebay store since that link above will expire.
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/fishcake321/
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Mercedes C32 amg
Well my bulbs were included with the depo headlights I bought, but they were the 8k bulbs and they looked exactly like those ones in the link. They had the same writing on them (D2C 8k 35w) and everything. I guess you could message the guy and see if they would work because I know the connector that connects to the bulb in the back is a bit different in the depo headlight then the stock xenon. But I am pretty confident that those are the ones because I bought my headlights from the same guy. Another thing, I dont think the year and module matters because they arent going into the stock xenons.
