Has anyone found a way of getting better light output than the standard headlights, which are to say the least disappointing and probably some of the worst I have encountered on modern cars. I used to have the Bi- Xenon which were fairly good but I did not consider it worth paying about another £ 1,000 for them or having to wait longer for the car.
Main (high) beam seems fine it is the dipped beam that is the problem.
I have just tried some supposedly higher output Xenon filled 55watt bulbs which have a blue coating. Although these make the light whiter they give, I my opinion, actually less illumination of the road.
I don't know if the standard bulbs (Phillips) are supposed to be a hi output bulb anyway, as I know Phillips make a wide range of auto bulbs & some are hi output.
This is the first car I have had with these projector lenses, has any one else had poor illumination with this type of headlight (possibly in another model or make )
I know it is possible to get 100watt bulbs but these are illegal for road use in the UK & I don't know what the on board computer would make of them or even if the cars wiring would be up to carrying about twice the current. I notice that the cars wiring is considerably thinner than it used to be.
Are you saying that the wiring between the B class of different years and the same headlights are wired with a different gauge of wiring? I'm quite satisfied with the standard headlight illumination.(high & low beam). My Audi has the xenon and yes they are fabulous but at a huge extra cost. Try the 65 watt bulbs if they're available. The 100 watt would work but they might also generate too much heat in that small confined area. Cheers, Derek
i've found an article in polish version of german 'auto bild' about H7 bulbs. there was also comparison. here are results (i've chosen the best rated bulbs):
make - model - luminous flux (lm) - power (W) - rating
article says that bulbs with blue coating (xenon look) ALWAYS give less light. bulbs with higher output have got shorter lifetime compared to standard bulbs.
all bulbs above cost in my country about 25-30 euro (for 2 bulbs). do not buy cheap bulbs from supermarket (for example 'made in china') because they can damage headlight
i hope this help you to choose the best bulbs for your car
cheers
paul
Derek no not between B classes but going back a few years the car wiring I had experience of then was much thicker (possibly up to double the thickness). The car manufacturers have probably decided that they dont need the thickness in the cables and they can save a fortune by using the thinnest possible cables.
Paul thanks for that info that will give me a good place to start looking for replacements.
The standard bulbs are marked :- Philips dot 12972 e720 H7 12v 55w and are clear glass.
Has anyone found a way of getting better light output than the standard headlights, which are to say the least disappointing and probably some of the worst I have encountered on modern cars. I used to have the Bi- Xenon which were fairly good but I did not consider it worth paying about another £ 1,000 for them or having to wait longer for the car.
Main (high) beam seems fine it is the dipped beam that is the problem.
I have just tried some supposedly higher output Xenon filled 55watt bulbs which have a blue coating. Although these make the light whiter they give, I my opinion, actually less illumination of the road.
I don't know if the standard bulbs (Phillips) are supposed to be a hi output bulb anyway, as I know Phillips make a wide range of auto bulbs & some are hi output.
This is the first car I have had with these projector lenses, has any one else had poor illumination with this type of headlight (possibly in another model or make )
I know it is possible to get 100watt bulbs but these are illegal for road use in the UK & I don't know what the on board computer would make of them or even if the cars wiring would be up to carrying about twice the current. I notice that the cars wiring is considerably thinner than it used to be.
Did a bit of research using some info gleaned from 'Paul001's post and ordered a pair of Philips X-treme power H7 Xenon bulbs. They are quite expensive normally but I bought mine from sellar below on ebay for £22.99 (from Poland)
Fitted them today very satisfied (especially after the blue Xenons I tried before)
They claim 80% more light output & are completely street legal ( I notice that the standard M/B bulbs are also made by Philips but are not in the same league regarding light output)
If you are not satisfied with your dipped beam lights I can recommend these.
Looks promising. I see that they are the same 55W type as the normal bulbs.
Normally I am a bit cautious of high power bulbs since my neighbour melted his units with illegal 100W bulbs
But this shouldn't be a problem, I'll pick them up this weekend, thanks for the tip !
I hope that these bulbs won't blow after a few months
did you compare the light after installing the bulb only on the one side? I am curious how such a comparison would look, but never mind
No I didn't compare with one of each as the last bulbs I tried were so awful I had to change them as soon as possible. Also with the way our light patterns are for dipping in the UK it makes a like for like comparison a bit difficult. I think European or Left hand drive cars have a different dipping pattern to ours.( symetric & asmetric comes to mind). I have heard that the Xenon Bulbs may not last as long & for that reason I shall not now use the Auto headlight function but will turn them on manually as I do find that the auto function switches the lights on unnecessarily e.g. if you go down a lane that has trees covering the road or under a tunnel like bridge.
I can endorse Pauls earlier remarks Don't buy the cheaper bulbs they are a waste of money. (as I found out)
Headlamp bulb replacement isn't difficult just fiddly.
Here are a few suggestions that I found to make the task easier.
Set bonnet to it's maximum height (nearly vertical)
Remove the black covering trims above the headlights by prising up the centre plastic pin and then pulling the 'plug' fixing out. This is not essential but it stops this cover getting in the way & may give a fraction more light whilst working. On the Right Hand headlamp (UK version) you need to remove the screen washer container to gain enough access. Twist & pull back the yellow catch & pull up the washer container then lay it on top of the engine, there is no need to disconnect any cables or pipes. (When refitting smear a small amount of liquid soap around the inside of the rubber grommet this makes the 'spike' on the bottom of the container slip easily into the grommet otherwise the grommet tends to push out of its outer holder.
Press on the ribbed plastic 'catch' on top of the headlamp rear cover which then swings out.
Unplug the 2 wire socket on the back of the bulb and tuck the cable out of the way.
It might be handy to lay a bit of cloth at the bottom of the inside of the headlamp unit in case the bulb drops out (it can, mine did)
With the aid of a mirror (& possibly a torch) locate the wire spring that holds the bulb in place then push on the spring with a sideways motion, it should come out of it's holding clips & then lay it back out of the way.
Grip the connectors of the bulb & guide it out of the headlamp unit.
I find that it is not possible to look at what you are doing in the mirror as you can't see because your fingers are in the way. Just use the mirror to locate the items and then do it all by feel (it works). Just remember directions of turn will be the opposite to what you have seen in the mirror.
Get you new bulbs out of the pack without touching the glass with your fingers (important)
Hold one by its connectors and push it into the reflector hole, let go it should stay there, then use the mirror ot find out where the positioning lug is. It has to be located between 2 metal projections. Fingers in again and turn bulb round until you think it's located, check again with mirror. After a few turns (probably the wrong way) you will eventually be able to see that you have seated the bulb correctly. If you are not sure it is right check with the other bulb unit to see if it looks the same.
When the bulb is located correctly swing the locking spring over the top of the bulb connections & push firmly on the end you should here it click into place in the locating lugs.
Reconnect the plug on the connectors & remove the cloth if you used one.
Push the bottom of the headlamp back cover in first & then the top fitting just clips into place.
Replace the covers & washer container.
Voila Job done.
Took me about 20 minutes to do both bulbs but being brought up on 'Minis' I am used to very fiddly jobs so it will probably take you a bit longer.
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