DubVBenz

My Father recently purchased a 2011 E350 with the P2 Bi-Xenon package. He (and I also) also have W211s with this same option (one 2005, one 2007). In both of the W211s, when the high beams are engaged, it flips up the main low beam to angle higher but also engages traditional halogen bulbs in the two inner headlights. I assumed that's where the "Bi" came from in the marketing, because you were getting the low beam to behave like a high beam and also blasting a traditional extra set of bulbs in the inner.

I have found that the inner lights on his W212 are only ornamental and do not have an extra bulb that shines when manually engaging the high beams. Is this expected behavior, did it change over the years of the W212? Seems like a waste. He complains that his E55 and my Bluetec perform much better with their high beams engaged.

cetialpha5

The bixenons refer to the xenon lights being used for both high beams and low beams. They use a shutter in the W211 so it takes a while longer to switch from low to high beams so you have the high beams in the other lights so you can do a flash to pass. I never really looked at the lights on my W212 but maybe the shutter is faster so they don't need the other high beams? I usually use the auto high beams and when they kick on, it seems pretty bright.

Arrie

I first had a 2011 E350 with Bi-xenon lights and now have 2010 E550 with the same. Also have 2013 S550 with Bi-xenons but the E is better.

There are some cool features with these lights. The same light bulb acts as Lo-beam, Hi-beam and fog light. The shutter is used for control between these light schemes. The Bi-xenon name I believe comes from the one light doing the job of two (or actually three) as cetialpha5 already stated.

The best feature of these lights is the adaptation of the low beams. This is when you follow a car in front of you close enough so the Hi-beams do not come on but it adjusts the Lo-beams (assuming it is enabled) to the back of the car in front of you. When the car in front of you is far away (with no on-coming cars) the Lo-beams light up the road to that car better than very many of the other cars with Hi-beams on but you will see the lights are on Lo-beam as the blue indicator is not on. Also, if you lull the stalk back from the Hi-beam position you can see how the lights jump back to the normal low beam position.

Next to the main lights switch you have a button for fog lights. Pressing this the rear driver side fog light comes on but in the front, as there is no separate fog lights, the main lights go to the shortest distance setting. This is the fog light position for the main lights. Also, the DRLs turn completely off. In my 2011 E350 (like in my current 2010 E550) the hockey stick DRLs do not turn all off normally. They stay lit at 30-40% power but when you press that fog light button the DRLs go all dead.

Bi-xenons also turn with steering wheel so you see the road well thru curves.

Bi-xenon lights on my prior 2011 E350 were the best lights of any car I ever drove and I can only imagine how good the new ILS is if it is even better.

DubVBenz

Well yes, thank you, I understand the benefits of bixenon, but what I am asking for is confirmation of the behavior that included standard halogens on the W211 inner pair that acted as supplemental high beams in addition to all of the other features you just described...

konigstiger

DubVBenz

Thanks Konigstiger, are you able to provide the same diagrams for the W211 by chance? Seems like such a downgrade...

konigstiger

OM - first 05, second 07:

Arrie

The 212 Bi-xenon lights are better than or at least as good as any that was available for 211. You need to drive with them to know them.

And as konigstiger's post explains the inner lights are normally just parking lights or also infra red if you have the option using those.

S. Madman

For what I understood, there were 4 different bi-xenon lights for the pre-face w212. The first 2 had no reflector metal front "bowl" for the cornering lights time on the video 0:47 (one for night vision, one without).

The second pair is for post 2012 (US build in AUG 2011) that has the metal front "bowl" reflector for the cornering lights Time 1:58. (One for night vision, one without)

All of them are ILS compatible (some of you know that mine were coded to ILS).

DubVBenz

Well given that between the two of us, we have 2 bixenon W211s , 1 bixenon W212 and 1 LED ILD W212, I think I'm able to make my own determination between the performance of bixenon on a W211 vs W212.

Arrie

Well, you indicated the W212 is NOT your car so I thought you need to drive it a bit to know the lights better. And I can say there is no way your 211 lights are better than the lights on the 212. If they really are then there is something wrong with the W212 lights.

And as you seem to know everything on these cars lights already why do you even bother to ask? I’m just trying to help like most people in this forum.

DubVBenz

Thank you for confirming you have nothing of significance to offer to the conversation. I was asking for technical differences between the two, not your anecdotal thoughts. Given that I have all 4 types of cars described and drive them, I think I can make my own judgement on which is better regarding lighting (of course, my opinion only). At the end of the day, Konigstiger has provided the actual hardware documentation I was looking for. If you actually believe, with your own lying eyes, that a W212 with a single Xenon bulb that moves upward on the high beam is superior to a W211 with a Xenon bulb that also angles upwards + a 55W (or better yet, 100W) halogen bulb that augments it during the high beam sequence, then you're an idiot and I hope I get an infraction for saying so.

That said, I have ILS LED on my E400, and they basically match my W211 bixenon bluetec, but does not exceed. I will be coding it with vediamo to do the euro-spec ILS when I get around to it, but until then, it's not that much better than my W211.

Arrie

You are so full of yourself it is unreal!!!

You need to check your own eyes if you thing 211 lights in front are better than 212, period. The extra halogens on 211 do nothing compared to 212 Bi-Xenons. Just bring some yellow light that do no good other than makes "believers" think so, just like on my 2013 S550. The Hi-beams light up the inner lights but they do nothing to improve to the Bi-Xenons already on Hi-beam setting. And yes- they are yellow color too, as halogens are.

But I leave it here as you have gotten the answer to the simple question of what the inner lights do. I did not need to approach this forum to find about this myself...

Good luck.

badbenz94

Just ignore him/her...the poster has no qualms about disparaging other peoples cars on this forum and inserting his own opinion so Im not sure why the poster is so upset with you. @DubVBenz has no problem telling people how great he is in the same stroke.

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...e-19-20-a.html

Chris

pierrejoliat

Well, I have an opinion to offer, I owned both as well, including two S classes with Xenons, I feel the 212 was an improvement over the 211 and for that matter the 220 and 221 as well. That said I believe over the six years of production of the 212, they made 12 different headlights, non-lighting package was two H7's from '10 through '13, non-lighting package was LED low beam and H7 high beam '14-'16. lighting package cars from '10-'13 had Bixenons with a blocking flap for low beams and there were at least three different headlights, upgraded each year from '10-'13, early ones had less venting and no cut out for cornering lamps. Then the lighting package in the '14-'16 were all LED, but I also think there were a couple renditions of the full LED headlights as well. I don't remember wether the full 80 LED's upgrade on the lighting package came in '15 or '16?

DubVBenz

Lol... an 8 year old post. I don't think I'm that great... just better than you.

badbenz94

Thanks for making my point.

I found that just the other day doing a search on lowering. Those are your words correct? Do you not stand by what you said? If not, here’s your chance to delete it.

Chris

badbenz94

Ahh I couldn’t help myself as your comments are so comical while trying to be condescending, I can’t help but leave them here for others to see. LOL

Chris

bmwpowere36m3

The bi-xenon bulb doesn't move... so lets clarify that. Beam pattern is controlled via a rotating shield.

pierrejoliat

And the lens

Arrie

So, for the curve illumination the light does not turn but is controlled by a rotating shield?

S. Madman

It is my understanding the unit moves up-down-left-right. When you are converting the lights to ILS, it goes thru the whole range on motion to verify the assy is up to spec.

Here is a video I saved depicting the movement. It does have a flap for the high beam, but it also tilts for up and down for the low beam using the Hella range module when the car is coded for ILS.


In stock form in the US it only tilts left and right, and uses the flap for auto high beam. The low beam range adjustment is disabled.

DubVBenz

@badbenz94 - You have done the world a great service by highlighting me being rude over my 15+ year membership of this forum. I am clearly a terrible person, thank you for pointing that out! Now go back to your ghetto ****hole.

badbenz94

Not a terrible person, just rude. Be nicer and it will reward you and everyone around you. It's not that hard

Chris