DEPO Headlight Upgrade
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 25
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2001 S500
DEPO Headlight Upgrade
I'm looking to upgrade the halogen headlights on my '01 S500.
I saw these DEPO halogen headlights:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Faceli...ry!80920!US!-1
I think they can be converted to HID headlights.
I was thinking of installing E46 projectors or Acura TL 3G projectors and ballasts in them.
Has anyone converted these DEPO halogens before? Are any other parts needed?
I saw these DEPO halogen headlights:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Faceli...ry!80920!US!-1
I think they can be converted to HID headlights.
I was thinking of installing E46 projectors or Acura TL 3G projectors and ballasts in them.
Has anyone converted these DEPO halogens before? Are any other parts needed?
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MB W204/W212, BMW E66, Porsche 958, VW MK6 TDI, Maserati Ghibli SQ4
I'm looking to upgrade the halogen headlights on my '01 S500.
I saw these DEPO halogen headlights:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Faceli...ry!80920!US!-1
I think they can be converted to HID headlights.
I was thinking of installing E46 projectors or Acura TL 3G projectors and ballasts in them.
Has anyone converted these DEPO halogens before? Are any other parts needed?
I saw these DEPO halogen headlights:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Faceli...ry!80920!US!-1
I think they can be converted to HID headlights.
I was thinking of installing E46 projectors or Acura TL 3G projectors and ballasts in them.
Has anyone converted these DEPO halogens before? Are any other parts needed?
SPONSOR/MBworld Guru
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,936
Likes: 215
From: California
MB W204/W212, BMW E66, Porsche 958, VW MK6 TDI, Maserati Ghibli SQ4
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Mercedes
Why don’t you just get DEPO designed for cars with the factory xenon already installed ? Don’t buy the ones intended for factory halogen lights
it’s Much better to use a factory built solution. You have to order it for 2000-2002 model with oem xenon and leveling
https://www.uniquestyleracings.com/s...bzw22000dpprom
it’s Much better to use a factory built solution. You have to order it for 2000-2002 model with oem xenon and leveling
https://www.uniquestyleracings.com/s...bzw22000dpprom
Last edited by tusabes; Jan 26, 2020 at 01:55 PM.
SPONSOR/MBworld Guru
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: California
MB W204/W212, BMW E66, Porsche 958, VW MK6 TDI, Maserati Ghibli SQ4
OP has OEM halogens so you can't just plug in Depos that were designed for OEM xenon. Wiring harness is probably different and vehicle would need to be recoded.
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Mercedes-Benz S430, S500, S600, and E320 CDI
I have done this conversion to a pair of DEPO's. Basically, what you do is open up the headlight assembly, replace the existing projector with, say, a Morimoto E46-R projector and a good D2S bulb (Jahn, Osram, Philips), wire up the bi-xenon solenoid to the high-beam circuit, test it on the car, and put the lens cover back on. Done.
The results, as I like to say, "burn vampires at night". :-)
@tusabes, he may be in the same position that I was in when I did my conversions and bulb/projector tests. He's in exactly the same situation that the 2003 S430 was in (factory halogens), and almost exactly the same situation as the project 2000 S500 (factory xenons). In both cases, the DEPO's are a direct plug-n-play replacement, plus they have that auto-leveling motor that the Genuine-MB/OEM ones have, for a lot less money than OEM.
He would do badly to buy the DEPO bi-xenons because the pinout is slightly different. Our '03 S600 TT is a factory bi-xenon car, and the ground wire is on the second plug instead of the first. Why M-B did that, I don't know, but they did.
The results, as I like to say, "burn vampires at night". :-)
@tusabes, he may be in the same position that I was in when I did my conversions and bulb/projector tests. He's in exactly the same situation that the 2003 S430 was in (factory halogens), and almost exactly the same situation as the project 2000 S500 (factory xenons). In both cases, the DEPO's are a direct plug-n-play replacement, plus they have that auto-leveling motor that the Genuine-MB/OEM ones have, for a lot less money than OEM.
He would do badly to buy the DEPO bi-xenons because the pinout is slightly different. Our '03 S600 TT is a factory bi-xenon car, and the ground wire is on the second plug instead of the first. Why M-B did that, I don't know, but they did.
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Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2019
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2001 S500
Based on what I'm doing, how do these headlights compare to the DEPO brand?
They are supposed to be made in an ISO certified factory:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-2005-M...nd!80920!US!-1
They are supposed to be made in an ISO certified factory:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-2005-M...nd!80920!US!-1
Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 159
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Mercedes-Benz S430, S500, S600, and E320 CDI
Maybe they are, maybe they're not...they're made in China. You can take your chances.
You are aware, BTW, that those are halogen assemblies, right?
One other guy over on the other forum seems to have had good results with these cheap Spec-D headlight assemblies. Maybe you'll get lucky like he did. But there's a reason I stuck with DEPO for my cars.
You are aware, BTW, that those are halogen assemblies, right?
One other guy over on the other forum seems to have had good results with these cheap Spec-D headlight assemblies. Maybe you'll get lucky like he did. But there's a reason I stuck with DEPO for my cars.
Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 159
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Mercedes-Benz S430, S500, S600, and E320 CDI
No, I've converted both W220 and W211 factory housings from halogen to bi-xenon. I'd forgotten that you were wanting to do an HID conversion. The only concern then would be the crapshoot with quality. Maybe they're good, maybe they're not.
I'd go with these instead.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Faceli...ry!80920!US!-1
Whichever way you go, please do use proper HID components. The proper components for a W220 conversion are as follows.
1.) Morimoto E46-R bi-xenon projectors (available from The Retrofit Source)
2.) Hella Gen 3 ballasts (available quite reasonably from www.hidprojectors.com)
3.) Good OEM D2S bulbs, namely Jahn, Osram, or Philips--I mostly use Osram
4.) Some spare copper wiring--you'll need it, trust me (local hardware store)
5.) Heatshring tubing (also local hardware store)
5.) Butyl sealant for headlamp assemblies (also available from The Retrofit Source)
That will get your headlight assemblies as good as the Genuine-MB ones.
I'd go with these instead.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Faceli...ry!80920!US!-1
Whichever way you go, please do use proper HID components. The proper components for a W220 conversion are as follows.
1.) Morimoto E46-R bi-xenon projectors (available from The Retrofit Source)
2.) Hella Gen 3 ballasts (available quite reasonably from www.hidprojectors.com)
3.) Good OEM D2S bulbs, namely Jahn, Osram, or Philips--I mostly use Osram
4.) Some spare copper wiring--you'll need it, trust me (local hardware store)
5.) Heatshring tubing (also local hardware store)
5.) Butyl sealant for headlamp assemblies (also available from The Retrofit Source)
That will get your headlight assemblies as good as the Genuine-MB ones.
Last edited by cowboyt; Feb 7, 2020 at 05:50 PM.
