aj2008

Hi guys and gals, I desperately need some help!. I own a 1999 C43 AMG and I have a problem with one of the Xenon headlights!. Over the past couple of months a fault seems to have developed whereby my passenger side Xenon headlamp intermitently works. Sometimes when I switch the headlamps on it works (although rarely now!) and sometimes it will come on for a few seconds and then go out???.
When this fault first appeared the lamp would not work at all therefore I naturally thought it was a blown bulb, so I fitted both headlamps with new xenons. The problem remained! but now and again when I switched the lights on the xenon would fire up ok!, in fact it lasted about 3 days with no problem and then .... as if by magic the problem reappeared. Naturally I thought this might be a loose connection, so I checked all connections to the headlight assembly (quite tricky this as mercedes in their wisdom have put the ESP braking valve assembly right in front of the headlamp in question) and once again nothing. The other night I started the car up and turned on the headlights and both xenons fired up but the faulty one went back out after a few seconds - mighty strange!!. Now I am a qualified lecky (trained on fighter aircraft in the military) and I want to take the fault finding further as I believe the fault lies deeper in the system!. My problem is that I cannot find an overall electrical schematic for this vehicle for love nor money. Can anyone please help me or advise me on this problem or advise on where I might get an electrical schematic for the lighting system on this vehicle, i would be very grateful.
Adrian

KJI3jflarryfe93

It might be your ballast that is bad!
working on xenons requires good knowledge.
They might cause severe damage if not handled correct!
buying a new complete headlight is not cheap!
good luck

aj2008

Yeah, thanks Kowalski, Im kinda hopeing that it isn't the ballast, but you may well be right. Ive been quoted £400 from Mercedes Benz!!!!!!

KJI3jflarryfe93

you wanna be a star?
it costs to drive a star!

I know it's sometimes very costly to maintain these cars for stupid problems!
odd parts like ballast's are costly!
other owners who doesn't have zeenons on their c43 gets away with less money when changing the bulbs!
zeenons are cool and give another type of beam than regular headlights, but they are frikkin' costly to replace when they go bad!

I am not shure if webshops that sells aftermarket and OEM/OES parts carries theses ballast's, go check these webshops first then spend your money at the incompetent stealership whom wants to jipp you of your monie every time with lieing BS regarding our cars!
check junkyards, webshops, then for last solution go to the dealer!

Here is a swedish webshop that sells aftermarket stuff, dude's got quite a rep today in sweden for his zeenon shop!
http://xenonkungen.se/

Here is a good quality aftermarket ballast for about 100 GPB =1200Skr.
http://xenonkungen.se/xenonkit.htm
to bad there is no english translation for you!
if you email them and ask they might help you?
here is the email address:
http://www.temp.xenonkungen.se/support/open.php
tel +46 (0)300-308 60
good luck

tasho3

my right headlight does kind of the same thing, it'll light up fine and as i m driving down the road it'll turn of or flicker, and i turn them off, turn them back on and they are fine for sometime 5 seconds and sometimes it wont do it again its very intermittent, and sometimes it wont do it at all

speedybenz

My Zenon HID headlights just don't seem to be as bright as they used to be. Is there a reason for this?

KJI3jflarryfe93

your bulbs are gettin' weaker n weaker in light performance!
check these pictures!
http://xenonkungen.se/D2S.htm
scroll to the bottom end there are 2 pictures!
picture to the left is using 4 years old zenon bulbs!
picture to the right Audi car uses brand new buls!

Trouble with cars ist der scheize of all problems!