BlackMamba24

On a lot of the pictures I've seen of the S550 as well as in person, it appears that some cars have dark lenses over both headlights in each headlamp unit, whereas others have the dark lens over only one of the headlights in the headlamp unit. Why is there this difference? I've attached a picture illustrating what im talking about: The first picture has the dual lens im talking about, while the bottom five only have the one lens. Why is this and what does it mean...does bi-xenon have anything to do this with this?

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9422/84927519zy5.jpg

http://www.nevadajack.us/albums/user..._1024_crop.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-Benz_S550.jpg

http://www.happylimo.com/S550WEB2.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd155/lpm505/870.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd155/lpm505/580.jpg

trumpet1

My first thoughts are this is due to the angle at which you are looking at the car. I'm not so sure there is a difference. I may be wrong.

For example: the third picture shows on dark lens and one light lens on the right side of the car and both lenses on the left side seem light.

Picture 4 looks like the far right lens of the car is actually on whereas the 3 other lens look dark.

All in all it looks to be an angle issue at which one is standing.

Diesel Benz

The one with Distronic Plus must be better equipped from the others, including Night View. This is at least how my lights look like. See also the manual how bulbs differ.

trumpet1

Diesel, thanks for the quick manual printout. Based on that , does light #5 only come on when we pull back on the light switch handle?

BlackMamba24

Thanks for the responses, guys...Actually trumpet, the reason i was asking was because i picked up my S550 today and it doesn't have the lenses over the inner bulbs, just the outers...so i was wondering why that was considering other s550's ive seen have the lens and then others don't...i think that Diesel Benz is right though...i have the P2 package...not the p3 so that may be why...the Distronic Plus and Night view must be the reason for the extra lens...that makes sense, because there honestly is a difference...i was thinking it was the angle like you said trumpet, until i actually picked my car up today and noticed that those lenses weren't there...

If you guys could check out my other Post about the S i picked up today, id really appreciate it, thanks.

Diesel Benz, thanks again...i did look in the manual and i saw that listed there about the night assist, but i didn't think it would require a lens...but that must be it.

BlackMamba24

I noticed that when you put the high beams on that inside light goes on...i was confused as to what bixenon meant and thought i got jipped with just one Xenon lamp (with the lens), but now realize that BiXenon means that both high and low beam are under the same lens...the inside light (in my case, without the lens) is apparently a halogen bulb...that is true for P2 as well as p3 packages, the lens that comes with the p3 must incorporate the night assist.


...Diesel Benz...you're totally right about what you said...i just checked a bunch of S550's online with and without that lens and all the ones with the lens have the P3 package...and all without the lens have the P2 or less...thanks for clearing that up...

Diesel Benz

You mean when you put high beams on, the inner lights come on, not just when you pull the multifunction switch handle? This is what I would have expected but the manual in my opinion explains differently. Perhaps just an inaccurate description in the manual because on the W211 with bi-xenons, the halogens are both for high beam and flasher beam operation.

Since I don't have these inner halogens, I cannot test on my car. But this was interesting anyway, once I did test the lamps at my garage and was surprised not seeing the centre bulbs go on at high beam or flasher mode. I should check a later copy of the car manual, perhaps it would be different.

MB Fanatic

The reason for the different lights is that Night View has infrared lights in the inner most assembly. Hence the different versions. The inner most headlight's throw the infrared light and the camera for the IR is in the windshield.

Diesel Benz

That was already clear but now the question was more about the halogen bulbs with the xenon option (in Europe you can get the S without xenons too).

The current Euro manual does not talk about flashers but just main beam spot lamps. Seems like the manual has now been fixed.

Overview


Front bulbs

Bulb
Type

Dipped-beam headlamps
H7 55 W
or
D1S 35 W*
(Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps* are fitted with D1S 35 W bulbs. These bulbs must be replaced at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.)

Additional turn signal
LED

Side lamp/parking lamp
W 5 W

Main beam headlamps
(Vehicles with halogen headlamps)
or
H9 65 W
IR projector* (for Night View Assist*)
or
H11 55 W
Main beam spot headlamp*
(Vehicles with Bi-xenon headlamps*)
H7 55 W

Cornering light function*
H7 55 W

Front foglamps
H11 55 W

Turn signal
PY 24 W
Rear bulbs

Bulb
Type

Third brake lamp
LED

Rear foglamp
(The rear foglamp only lights up on the driver's side.)
HiP 19 W

Brake lamp/tail lamp
LED

Licence plate lighting
W 5 W

Reversing lamp
HiP 16 W

Turn signal
HiP 16 W

AsianML

Bi-xenons means that the main beam HID headlamp is used for both low and high beam. Usually cars with bi-xenons will have a set of halogens that can be used for flash to pass since using HIDs for that isn't good for the life of the bulbs.

BlackMamba24

Ok, so im not getting something...AsianML and Diesel Benz...I live in the Chicago, so i have a US version of the car...when i put the high beams on, should my inner bulb (one without the lens) come on or not? according to the new post by Diesel Benz, it says #4 is either:

Main beam headlamps
(Vehicles with halogen headlamps)
or
H9 65 W
IR projector* (for Night View Assist*)
or
H11 55 W
Main beam spot headlamp*
(Vehicles with Bi-xenon headlamps*)
H7 55 W

What exactly does this mean...so they should be H7-55w bulbs...i don't understand what the three choices are infering...so basically the larger headlight with the lens for everyone is a Bi-Xenon high and low beam light...the second headlight (working from the out in) is the H7-55w halogen bulb for everyone except if you have the Night vision option which then would be the H11-55w halogen bulb and the third headlight is again the H7-55w halogen cornering bulb which everyone has.

Is this right? I don't know why this stuff has to be so confusing. Should my second bulb come on when i put high beam on?...ill check again, but im pretty sure it came on...according to you guys, the second bulb should not come on unless im flashing to pass someone...otherwise the Xenon should just get brighter and nothing else should happen...i feel that the xenon does get brighter when i switch high beam on, but the second bulb comes on as well...can anyone verify this...thanks

Diesel Benz

I'm afraid I'm equally confused (if not more) and may not be able to help but if we ignore cars with night view, the inner lights with a halogen bulb "probably" come on when high beams are on.

This is the way the equivalent halogens work on my W211 (with bi-xenons). The early user manual was written as if the inner halogens were only for flashing, the later manual explains as if the inner halogens came on as normal high beams (in addition to bi-xenons high beam mode). In addition to normal high beam, these would work as flash lights.

I believe what you said was right, for the US market. I would be interested getting the halogen high beam mode confirmed (as I cannot test myself).

To bring a bit more confusion, the cornering lights are not standard on all cars, the point is that you can get the non-xenon or all-halogen option in Europe and cornering lights do not come with those. The three options for the inner beams is explained by this too, one is the IR option, one is the bi-xenon option as in your car but then the inner lights can have a diffrent H9 halogen and that comes with the "all-halogen" Euro option (probably higher power high beams because of no bi-xenon high beam power).

Diesel Benz

I'll try posting a close-up photo from the Bi-Xenon headlamp with a night view IR bulb. I see the forum compressing it 1:40 by file size but it should give an idea still.

AsianML

When you tested the high beam, were your headlights on or not?

BlackMamba24

thanks for the picture, Diesel Benz...ill post one of my headlight for comparison purposes...

AsianML...i had put the headlights on and then initiated the high beams...i was expecting that the xenons would get brighter and no other lights would switch on, but it appeared to me that the xenon got brighter and the halogen next to it went on as well...like Diesel Benz said, in the w211 this would happen in the US version as well...both lights would come on...my 2004 s500 had the bixenon and the halogens would initiate as well on high beam, i thought it was different for this model, but i guess not...

AsianML

That sounds like it's working as it should then. The same thing happens on the bi-xenons for MLs.

BlackMamba24

ok, so here is a picture of my headlight...

MB Fanatic

When you turn the BIX on (Hi Beam) their is a flap on the main Xenon bulb that flips up resulting in a higher beam (hence hi beam).

I haven't yet seen the inside bulb turn on yet when I flip the Hi-Beam on (but thats because our S550 has Night View Assist).