scrowley

Hello. I have a 10 E550. I just bought it recently. I notice that it had a brand new hella headlight installed on the driver side.

The driver side high beam does not work. It also has the trouble code for inoperative adaptive headlights.

I have to say the low beams are great but missing that one high is terrible. I am guessing the new housing came with a new Bi-xenon bulb but I don't know that for sure.

Also seems like pass side high beam is up in the sky.

Any suggestions would be great.

Abrown3mtg

It could be due to either the ballast not being coded to the car, or bad.... I had something similar happen on mine. You can try swapping the ballasts to see. It's a bit of a hassle. Driver side you go through the wheel well and need to detach the washer fluid housing to get to it.

scrowley

Is it mandatory to code a headlight bulb to car when replacing. Or just a fluke?

Abrown3mtg

The ballast is basically a control module that attaches to the bottom of the headlight housing. It is a different component than the bump itself. You could try a bulb replacement, however the fact it seems to not be pointing the correct direction it is deeper than a bulb on its own.

The ballast supposedly has to be coded to the car (I sourced one from the same car for my replacement and did not have to code it, However that may not be the case for all ballasts). If you are able to do your own work on the car, I'd try swapping the ballasts from right to left. See if the problem follows the ballast. Either way, swap them back to their original positions afterwards.

Side note, the driver's side is a pain. The passenger is a breeze.

scrowley

UPDATE:

I switched both headlight bulbs. No change. Driver side still has no high beam.
The driver side headlight is defiantly brand new Hella. The bulbs appeared to be new.

Is there any other way to code the new headlight to the car besides going to the dealer?

Abrown3mtg

The ballast is not a bulb. It looks like a silver box/module that is bolted to/inserts into the headlight housing from the outside of it/bottom. You need to get to them from the bottom of the car. I documented this process in a thread over the last year. You need to try swapping those left to right. That is the likely culprit.

scrowley

do you have a link to your thread? Thanks.

Arrie

I have a 2010 E550 with Bi-Xenon lights. I don't think my car has a light bulb for high beam separately. It has a shutter that controls the distance for the lights.


Someone who knows for sure comment on this (konig?) but I think my car has only one light bulb on each side and a shutter controls the distance the lights will be projected to. Like when you have the low beams on and it adjusts to the distance on the car in front of you and then when it is clear long distance enough the shutter opens 100% that sets the high beams on.

Abrown3mtg

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...n-ballast.html

belarus27

correct. One bulb for both

scrowley

I was thinking that too...and thats,why my pass. Side high beam sucks too. It work but isn't that bright and points up in the trees. Headlight woahs over here... the lows work great..ha.
never tested them when I bought the car. Oops

scrowley

Question... my car has a brand new headlight housing on the side the high beam doesn't work. It's a hella. Do they come with new ballasts? Or do you re use original and install onto new housing?

edit.....i searched... does not come with new ballast..

The G Man

If the ballast is working, it will most likely get reuse. The Ballast is outside of the housing. Most likely, the new Hella housing is not equip with a shutter or one of the connection is not there.

scrowley

I was thinking the same thing but really hoping that's not the issue. That would suck. I would have to put in another new housing. I am hoping its just the ballast.

Arrie

So, if it indeed is that there is only one light bulb for the high and low beam it means that if the low beam works the ballast is ok. The issue is with the shutter control or missing shutter...?

scrowley

Maybe but I am not sure. That info would surely help the troubleshooting.
It would make since that the light output stays the same if the shutter is what transmits the light to get the high beam output.