Do '03 E500 w/ Xenon have adaptive headlights?
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Lakewood, CA
2004 E500, 2001 Porsche Boxster
Do '03 E500 w/ Xenon have adaptive headlights?
Hi there,
Do the Xenons on the 2003 E500 turn right/left like they do on the 05s adaptive xenons?
Thanks!
Do the Xenons on the 2003 E500 turn right/left like they do on the 05s adaptive xenons?
Thanks!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,492
Likes: 0
From: Canada
2004 E500 / 2001 C240
There is one person I know here that have had it retrofitted.. And I believe this person could care less as it isn't that noticeable.. I believe it was Scorchie (although I may be wrong)..
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Lakewood, CA
2004 E500, 2001 Porsche Boxster
Wow, then it either doesn't work after the install? Or it really makes no big difference.
Does anyone with an 05 w/ adaptive headlights have any comments on how their's work?
Thanks!
Does anyone with an 05 w/ adaptive headlights have any comments on how their's work?
Thanks!
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
From: Red Sox Nation (No. Va. chapter)
2004 E500
Originally Posted by Barry45RPM
I have an '04 which is supposed to have them, but I cant tell. The headlights, though, are simply awesome. The illumination of the roadway is spectacular.
Trending Topics
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,559
Likes: 4
From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Steve and I retrofitted the active cornering lights to my 2003, as reported here. And yes, the improvement is not worthwhile to me in either city or rural driving. The regular headlights are so good that the cornering feature is more of an annoyance to me.
-s-
-s-
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 1
From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
Are you guys kidding????? This "gimmick" is one of the best features on my ride..... As stated many times here, I live in the country and drive very rural, twisty and dark roads every day and the lights are very helpfull seeing around corners.... Passengers in my car are always commenting on their effectivness and are quite impressed with their funtion..... I've even had neibors comment how the active funtion of the lights are even noticed outside the car as I pass or I'm following them....They state how the feature is quite noticable as I make turns and feel its just another way for another car to see me, thus another saftey feature about the car.
Now, I will say that in "city" driving conditions I will agree that for the most part the feature is quite hard to notice and seems hardly worth it.... If I owned a car that I had to retrofit the feature into, then I would say its not worth the extra $$$$ as the lights themselves are great (as previuosly posted). But for us owners that have it with the optional Bi-xenon lights, then I would say its well worth it as the "active" feature was free...... Anyone who can't see a difference is either not driving on dark enough roads or can't see....
Barry, you either don't have them or their broke.. The feature is easily seen as stated by many here... Even scorchie see's them so much that he finds them to be an annoyance 
Now, I will say that in "city" driving conditions I will agree that for the most part the feature is quite hard to notice and seems hardly worth it.... If I owned a car that I had to retrofit the feature into, then I would say its not worth the extra $$$$ as the lights themselves are great (as previuosly posted). But for us owners that have it with the optional Bi-xenon lights, then I would say its well worth it as the "active" feature was free...... Anyone who can't see a difference is either not driving on dark enough roads or can't see....
Barry45RPM I have an '04 which is supposed to have them, but I cant tell.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,559
Likes: 4
From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by HELL ONA HARLEY
Are you guys kidding?????
[...]
[...]
I guess in your rural driving you don't need to make medium speed sweeping up-hill turns to the left and have the road above the cut-off, with oncoming traffic. This situation makes the contrast extremely high between the bright lighted area and the completely unlighted road (tree covered road or new moon night). This is one reason very bright headlights with a sharp cutoff are not the solution for all driving.
Maybe you don't drive fast enough to have the headlight tracking lag behind your steering input?
Why do you assume that everything is exactly the same for you as for everyone else? You can just relay your experiences, rather than commenting on others' opinions.
-s-
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 1
From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
Originally Posted by scorchie
I guess in your rural driving you don't need to make medium speed sweeping up-hill turns to the left and have the road above the cut-off, with oncoming traffic. This situation makes the contrast extremely high between the bright lighted area and the completely unlighted road (tree covered road or new moon night). This is one reason very bright headlights with a sharp cutoff are not the solution for all driving.
Originally Posted by scorchie
Why can't you accept that someone else's opinions can apply to his situation, and just state your opinion without belittling the other person? I guess that would be asking too much in a forum...
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
From: SPAIN
2013 SL 350, ML 350 BT
Originally Posted by scorchie
Steve and I retrofitted the active cornering lights to my 2003, as reported here. And yes, the improvement is not worthwhile to me in either city or rural driving. The regular headlights are so good that the cornering feature is more of an annoyance to me.
-s-
-s-
Regards
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,281
Likes: 8
From: Longmont, CO
04 E320 4 Matic, 95 Audi S6, 99 Carrera 4 Cabrio, 12 Fiat 500 Sport, 00 BMW R1200C 10, BMW R1200R
Scorchie
I just bought band new 03 Bi-Xenons from performance products and put them in my 2004. They work really well, but the head mechanic at my dealership said the the self leveling system could not be activated because neither the harness nor the wires were present in my car at the rear suspension.
I angled my headlights a bit lower than normal so I would not blind and get blinked at when I have a full trunk and 4 people in the car, they are still amazing, but I would like them to adjust themselves.
How did you get the self leveling to work? Were the wires already there in your car? I am not concerned about curve following because I already knew that the splash pattern was so good that it did not make that much of a difference.
Thanks,
Steve
I just bought band new 03 Bi-Xenons from performance products and put them in my 2004. They work really well, but the head mechanic at my dealership said the the self leveling system could not be activated because neither the harness nor the wires were present in my car at the rear suspension.
I angled my headlights a bit lower than normal so I would not blind and get blinked at when I have a full trunk and 4 people in the car, they are still amazing, but I would like them to adjust themselves.
How did you get the self leveling to work? Were the wires already there in your car? I am not concerned about curve following because I already knew that the splash pattern was so good that it did not make that much of a difference.
Thanks,
Steve
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,559
Likes: 4
From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by HELL ONA HARLEY
No "belittling" intended.... I had no idea you were so sensitive, so I'll try to be on my best behavior around you... sorry.
-s-
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,559
Likes: 4
From: Las Vegas, NV USA / London, UK
GL320CDI / C63 Edition 507 Coupe (EDP) / E63 S (on order) / G500 / Smart Brabus
Originally Posted by SAguirre
How did you get the self leveling to work? Were the wires already there in your car? I am not concerned about curve following because I already knew that the splash pattern was so good that it did not make that much of a difference.
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
You may be able to retrofit the harness if you already have airmatic!
-s-
Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 178
Likes: 6
From: 20 years in Boston, MA
ZipCar NYC / Boston
Pardon me, guys, but how does this self-levelling mechanism work? I understand the "active" left-to-right motions for turning, but do the lights actually sense how close the objects in front are?
