New E Class

Can someone help me -- I've got two questions? First I had aftermarket auto headlamps installed -- don't really understand why they don't come on a car at this price. But the tech says the car's too new and needs a schematic since the headlamp defective light comes on every time the sensor turns the lights on. Plus only the flash to pass bright light setting works -- not the regular bright light setting unless I turn the dial to headlamps on defeating the purpose of auto headlights. Also I'd like the fog lamps to come on automatically with the rest of the lights. Any ideas?

Second question, what is the size for aftermarket bulbs, H4 or 9004 or what?

H

[Gilly]

I don't understand why the "mad little face" when you are attemping to do a modification on the car. If you leave it alone, it's fine, it's not Mercedes fault you want to do a modification. The reason they don't include the "aftermarket bulbs" is because, duh, they are the manufacturer. What do you want them to include next, a big bass tube in the trunk, and maybe a set of those nifty neon licence plate frames? Sheeesh!
The current draw of your "should be standard" bulbs are either too high or too low, which is triggering the lamp warning.
The bulbs on the non-Xenon headlamp system are H7.
Sorry to vent, but give MB a break for once. No idea on the problem with no high beams, and if you want fogs, you have to select them by pulling the knob. Just because YOU want them on all the time doesn't mean everyone does, I know I wouldn't.
Gilly

Thanks for the welcome for my first post. I have not changed the bulbs on the car. I was curious about doing so and asked what the size was.

As for the question about auto lights -- the 2002 C, 2002 ML, and 2002 G have the feature. It can't be that bad of a feature. Plus my little "quick guide" includes a page describing the feature even though my car obviously doesn't have it.

Good to see the appreciation and open spirit here. Thankfully, my dealer has a better attitude.

H

[G-Benz]

Can't help you here, sorry, just letting you know that not all of us will give you abrasive responses to your questions...welcome to MercedesShop.

And gillybenztech is usually one of the most helpful in this forum...just don't let him sign on until he's had his coffee! (grrrrr)

I'm with Gilly on this one. If I was ever fortunate enough to own a brand new MB, the last thing on my mind would be messing about with a basic operating system; headlights are not an accessory like a stereo or something. Any modification, ie altering a basic system to a improved standard, is best left to the manufacturer to come up with. Any ad hoc mod can only decrease reliability. I only hope you are not barreling down a freeway one night at 80mph and your lights go out. One more thing, why would anyone want their fog lights on all the time?

BriNZ

[Badinfo]

not all the time, automatically, you know... it gets dark outside and viola! the headlights and the fog lights turn on. I mean, that makes sense to me, before I put euros on my car, id use the headlights, foglights, turninglights, heck even a couple flashlights to see where the road was...

Everyone else... wah wah wah just cause you don't have a new benz doesn't give all of you an excuse to be surly. The car doesn't have auto headlamps, the man wants autoheadlamps, he just paid $60000 for a car without autoheadlamps, let me tell all of you right now, if I paid that much for a car, id what autoheadlamps, oh yea, and auto air vents, and auto coffee maker, shoot, for that kinda cash they better throw in an automatic trash compactor!!!

Now back to the light, im assuming that the sensor trips a relay which turns on the light, bypassing the cars built in wiring. If this is true, the built in fused light sensor would detect power going to the bulb, but no power going anywhere else, which would cause it to think that the bulb is fused and thereby not conducting any current.

As far as aftermarket bulbs go, I don't know what the stock ones look like on a new E-class, but I really like my cool blue bulbs that I picked up for like $10. The light is obviosly no brighter, but the white (not blue... go figure) hue is definetaly more pleasing to the eye and it makes the car not look like an old piece of junk...

[blackmercedes]

You'll have to forgive Gilly, as he's got a reputation to uphold. And he's one of the best sources of tech info around, bar none, so most of us have become used to his "sand paper" replies in order to get the great insights he's given.

Also, on this forum you'll find many people that are loathe to modifying their cars, unless these upgrades are "tried and true."

As to your headlamp problems, the point about the MB bulb-out warning system is correct. Monkey with bulbs and learn to live with a warning light. The feature is great for safety, as you'll know right away if you have a bulb out, so I'd hesitate to defeat it in any way.

As to your high-beam/fog-lamp problems?

Well, auto-headlamps on an MB is not the same as many cars. It's to make sure your lights come on in sudden dark situations like tunnels. You're still supposed to use the headlamp switch during night driving. The headlamp switch enables your high-beams and front and rear fog lamps.

The fog lamps (front and rear) are activated by pulling the knob out, and this handly feature switches them off when you turn the headlamps off. MB designers (as well as many on this forum, me included) wonder why on earth anyone would use the fog-lamps unless you're experiencing fog in low-light conditions.

BMW and Camaro owners are constantly driving around with their fog lights blazing (mostly mis-aimed too) and this has made the rest of us all sick-and-tired of it.

BMW owners in particular seem to be making the statement "see, I'm a highly skilled European driver..."

[Gilly]

Ah crap, I totally misread the whole thing.
I now understand you had an aftermarket auto-headlamp system installed. Man, sorry about that, I thought I read aftermarket bulbs. "Sheeesh" to me, I guess. When you get into this sort of thing (aftermarket components), I can't help much on how it operates or anything. "Too new" sounds like a good excuse to me, too. As long as the auto system can be defeated, if the installer says he can wire up the fogs to the headlights, "why not" if that's what you want. I guess I was thinking in terms of the car having auto headlamps from the factory, because most new MB's do. Your 210 E class doesn't but the next generation 211 chassis will.
Gilly

When I said all the time, I figured everybody would realise I meant 'all the time the headlights were on'. Fog lights are only designed to illuminate the first 20m or so directly in front of the vehicle. If you were driving at night in fog you would want only your foglights/sidelights on, not your headlights as well, otherwise in thick fog you would be blinded by the glare, so preferably you would need to retain them as an independent system.

Wow, looks like I've created quite a storm. But I've got a partial answer I think from my fellow Texan. This sensor that's triggered whenever the automatic lamp determines that its dark outside, is there a way to prevent it from triggering the lamp defective indicator? I agree that disabling the function altogether isn't a good idea.

Additionally, is there a particular power source that controls the bright light switch that isn't being powered by the automatic lamp sensor?

Finally, is there a diagram that explains the MB W210 headlamp system? If so I could print it out and hand it to my tech?

H

[pentoman]

A decent tech might have the Full Bosch Service info, it's available on CD (around 10 of them for the full whack). I find this handy, I can get all the circuit diagrams, diagnostic info, etc etc (and etc) for my 190E

later