This happens:






I just completed my tri-xenon headlight upgrade, and in my haste, I apparently didn't get the shroud fastened to the projector properly...


I was about to do a write up about how I did it, but you don't want this to happen- especially since I used Depo projectors, which use the nastiest black glue gunk you've ever seen to seal the lens to the housing. So it's back to the oven for this headlight.

that really sounds frustrating, i hate when you're finally done with a project and something like that happens.

whats the tri-xenon configuration you have?

Tell me more about the headlights in the oven... mine have some kind of a film or something on the inside of them that I would like to remove..

The oem lights, or at least the ones used on 2002 S600s, are not glued together. They simply are clipped together with plastic clips. This allows dirt, smoke, bugs, etc. inside the headlight.

The depo headlight (and most headlights for that matter) are glued together with the same nasty black goo they use to hold windshields in place. The only way to split the headlight apart to get to the innards is to put the light into an oven until it melts. I put my headlight in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. This allowed me to pull the two halves apart with little problem (though some of the goo got on my shirt and now is a permanent decoration).

If you headlight is OEM, you can probably just pull it out and unclip the lens/cover. If you have aftermarket, you'll have to do the oven thing.



For my tri-xenon lights, what I did was to first purchase a pair of E46 bi xenon projectors from ebay. They are good units, and are direct replacements for the projectors in the depo headlight. Then I removed the old projector and installed the E46. Then I replaced the halogen high beams with an HID kit. I wired everything up, and presto tri-xenon.

However, I'm not happy with it, and since I'm going to have to split the headlight again, I think I'm going to install twin projectors to make the high beams less, ah, scattered. Right now when I turn on the high beams, I get a call from the International Space station telling me to please turn them off. It's ridiculous. Next time we get a blackout in the New York area, I'm just going to sit on the Brooklyn Bridge and hit the brights.

If anyone decides to do a similar upgrade, understand that much of the information elsewhere on this site is incorrect- the wiring is exactly the same for either HID or halogen headlights. The '03+ daytime lights are in a different spot than the old lights- you do not need to switch them over. In fact if you do, anyone who has a newer S class will be bewildered. Also, you shouldn't wire the bi xenon solenoid directly to the high beam. The solenoid is two stage, and you need to wire it so the pulling solenoid is only momentary, and the holding solenoid is always hot.

Also, the Merc doesn't supply much power to the headlights as it is, so I used relays and a direct line from the batter to power everything. The old headlight connectors are now wired across the relay coils.

I have the OEM bi-xenon lights on my car... with the plastic lens, I think it should be glued on... but I feel a little weird putting $1800 headlights into a 350 degree oven? Nothing melts besides the glue?

If they are oem I doubt they are glued. No, nothing melts but the glue. You should be able to tell if they are glued by popping the hood and looking under that rubber seal thing on top of the light. If you see some plastic clips, they are not glued. I think you have a photo posted of your car's lights somewhere on this board- I'll try to find it.

When I baked my lights I preheated the over to 250 then turned it off and left the lights in for 10 minutes. At 350 you could melt something important.

Also I used some RTV sealant to help hold the shrouds in place

What are you going to melt at 350 deg. that is important? The only thing inside the light is rubber, plastic, glass, and some copper. But whatever floats your boat.

question about the 'tri xenon'. is the bi-xenon projector flap wired to open at all? if it isn't, then it's just functioning as a regular projector, right, and not as a bi-xenon projector?

Of course. If the bi xenon flap wasn't wired, it wouldn't be bi xenon.

It's a bit of a trick, that one. The solenoid for the flap is actually two solenoids, one meant to be on briefly to pull back the flap, and one with a weaker power consumption to hold it in place. So you have to fire off a capacitor or similar for the pull back- if you leave it hot, it will burn up.