Xeon lights
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 15
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From: Charleston SC
1984 300D
Xeon lights
Just replaced old lights in my 2004 E320 with Xeon lights, installed ballast, ignitor said and bulbs. When I start the engine they 'flicker', when I shut off the engine they are fine. Also can anyone tell me how to turn on interior lights during day, even at night the lights inside the car are hard to turn on, I am talking about the lights in the aft compartment of this car (it's a 4-matic wagon
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 1,549
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
How much did you pay for them? Real Xenon bulbs are in the $60-$100 range and I think the dealer likes to charge $200 or more for each one. The later bixenons with active curve illumination can go for $1500 per headlight. If you got a cheap knock off system that uses the halogen projectors, just go back to halogens. The projectors can only be designed for halogen or xenons, not both. If you're using xenons in halogen projectors, the light isn't focused properly and you're probably blinding other motorists and you may be reducing the effective maximum range of your light, they may appear brighter in the short and mid range but may actually be dimmer in the longer range because the projectors aren't focusing the light properly. There are many threads about this. Flicker is due to either a cheap $10 knock off bulb or bad ballast.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
1984 300D
IN my ignorance I purchased knock off's so I may have to eat the $160 loss, you taught me more in one post than weeks of YouTube videos, my only problem is tearing the bumper off again to take them out. Bummer.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 1,549
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Yeah, the dirty secret with all these vendors is that they're not DOT approved. They get around that by saying that they're not for street use if they even mention it. I would just get brighter halogens, only drawback is that the brighter they are, the sooner they burn out. Some people have replaced the projectors, but it's a project, it's mentioned in some of the old threads.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
1984 300D
I bought and installed these ballast in aftermarket headlight housings, and installed the ballast and igniters in them, I don't plan to drive this car as it is just a show piece, so this change out will be a job down the roan. Halogens it is.
Appreciate the information.
Appreciate the information.
