I have the bi-xenon headlights on my E. When the headlights are on, however, not only are the xenon bulbs on, but so are the smaller, "hi-beam" lights (the ones closer to the grill that come on when you flash your hi-beams). It's my understanding that with bi-xenons, the xenon lights function as the hi-beam lights. So, other than looking nice, what function do these other lights serve? Are they just there to flash, since xenons react too slowly to do so?

I ask because these lights are more of a stadnard "yellow" color, whereas the xenons are bluish in tint. I'd like to get blue bulbs for these lights (so they'll come closer to matching the xenons), but blue bulbs generally produce a lot less light (even though they look "brighter"), so I won't change them if these lights do something more important.

Thanks in advance.

 

I'm not if I understood your questions correctly...but the xenon lights are the low beam and the high beam are the two inner lights which are the normal yellow color

 

Are you sure you are not seeing the city lights, those pesky little bulbs in the bottom of the inner light assembly.

 

As i understand it, MB has changed the color of the "inner lights" to match the Bi Xenons color for '07.

 

You guessed correctly, they serve as flash to pass when the Xenons are off.

 

"flash to pass"? That's not correct, "flashing" in Germany is illegal, even on the autobahn at speed.

 

I have no clue as to German laws. However the only function that those lights serve on US models is the flash to pass controlled by the stalk when the Xenon Headlights are not on. We are speaking about a US, North American vehicle here.

 

I wonder if the cars that do not have Bi-Xenon lighting have to have the inner light as their only high beam? I like having two sets of high beams. On a dark road it turns night into day.

 

How about cop-warning indicatator flashers?

 

That is unlawful in Oregon and probably most other states as well.

 

A lot of these responses make no sense to me. One of the purposes of bi-xenon lights is to function as both high and low beams (that's what the "bi" in "bi-xenon" means), so it doesn't make sense that MB would use those lights as high beams on the cars with bi-xenon lights. See pp.10-12 of this .pdf by Hella, the manufacturers of the bi-xenons on the E:

http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell...dern_Light.pdf

So, sosh, is there any reason not to try to "color match" the bulbs on these lights? I may lose some brightness, but it doesn't look like I should care.

Also, why are they always on when the lights are on? Is that just for aesthetics?

 

Yup.

Interesting read on that topic, too:
http://<br /> http://www.tennessean...nt_ID=41877517

 

I would bet that there are far more E-Class on the road without Bi-Xenon lighting. They probably need the smaller lights for high beam. Lots of people change the bulbs to blue so they match the Xenons. Mercedes has even changed to blue bulbs for 2007. Maybe you can get the newer ones from your parts department, or there are lots of aftermarket choices. Bulb info is all over this forum. Do a search.

 

I did a search before posting, but these lights appear to have so many "names." Some people call them "city lights" and some "running lights." Others call them "main lights," which doesn't make sense to me.

Anyway, as long as there's no down side to doing it, I'm replacing them.

It would be better still if they never came on at all unless I flashed them.

 

I just figured out what my real issue is. I went down to the garage to take a look at it, and it looks like the parking light AND the high beam bulb come on whenever the lights are on. In fact, the high beam lights are on whenever the lights are on, and are so bright I can't see the parking light underneath them at all. I can "flash" with the stalk and the high beam indicator lights up on the dash, but nothing changes on the actual lights.

It's apparently been like this since I got it, and I assumed it was normal until I thought about how bright that light looks. People flashed their high beams at me at night from time to time, but I thought that was due to how bright the xenons seemed.

Taking it over to the shop right now.