C class Xenon upgrade

[Kropf]

Originally posted by Corey
... I have a set of OEM C43 Xenon headlights w/o the ballasts or wiring. I need to find a way to make these work so this thread is of interest.

If going aftermarket, we'll have to find a way to connect the wiring to the ballast - both from the car and to the headlights. The plugs can be purchased from the dealer but we'd have to find the correct wire / pin output.

Just to update this thread...
I discovered that the OEM ballasts do not have the igniter. The OEM igniters are mounted inside the headlamp housings. Therefore, the OEM HID/Xenon housing's 4 wire ballast connectors aren't wired directly to the bulbs, but first go to the igniter/ignition module mounted inside the housing. If you plug an after-market ballast with integral igniter into the housing connector without modifying the housing, you'll have two igniters and an unknown result. Some more details are in Corey's other thread: http://www.club202.com/forums/showth...threadid=14481 and my own web page where I've posted photos and details of the factory/OEM HID/Xenons on my W202 Headlamps migration page.
(I just ordered my 3rd VVME HID/Xenon upgrade kit - this time for the bumper mounted C43 Fog Lights.)

[omeyhomey]

FYI,

Just found a better price for the DDM kits (stealth auto brand).

http://www.xenonexpert.com/ddm_kit_sale.html

They are on sale for $140 shipped with lifetime warranty, you can't beat that price.

You will want to get the 35watt kit, 55watt is over kill and unnecessary. 5000-6000k are best lighting options, 4300 not blue enough and 6000k+ is too blue, light output drops.

Stealth auto is just a middle man, the brand is DDM.

[omegabenz]

Originally posted by omeyhomey
FYI,

Just found a better price for the DDM kits (stealth auto brand).

http://www.xenonexpert.com/ddm_kit_sale.html

They are on sale for $140 shipped with lifetime warranty, you can't beat that price.

You will want to get the 35watt kit, 55watt is over kill and unnecessary. 5000-6000k are best lighting options, 4300 not blue enough and 6000k+ is too blue, light output drops.

Stealth auto is just a middle man, the brand is DDM.

Do all their kits have the special cut off?

[omeyhomey]

Hey guys,

Just took pics and uploaded them. Here is the H4 (low beam only) kit. (I got for only $140 shipped)

As you can see this will completely prevent any oncoming traffic from being blinded b/c the high beam portion of the housing will be completely shut off from the light emitted by the HID bulb. As far as I know this is only on their H4 lowbeam kit b/c of the nature of low/high H4 bulb. H7 might be another issue. If you have aftermarket headlights w/ projectors than this really isn't an issue for you. Hope that helps.

(right click save as pics).

http://lh4.google.com/OmeyHomey/R7Px...0/PICT4237.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/OmeyHomey/R7Px...o/PICT4238.jpg

http://lh5.google.com/OmeyHomey/R7Px...Y/PICT4239.jpg

http://lh6.google.com/OmeyHomey/R7Px...M/PICT4241.jpg

http://lh3.google.com/OmeyHomey/R7Px...I/PICT4244.jpg

[omegabenz]

Thanks, Im also really interested in pictures once you get them installed. But Im sure you will post them when you get it. Are you going to have to drill holes in your OE housings?

[omeyhomey]

Originally posted by omegabenz
Thanks, Im also really interested in pictures once you get them installed. But Im sure you will post them when you get it. Are you going to have to drill holes in your OE housings?

Only in the covers themselves, not the actual housing itself. a decent size drill bit or a small hole saw, dremel or even a nice hammer & chisel will do the job. I've done it before and made it look very OEM. If you look closely at the pics you can see a rubber grommet is already in place in the wiring to make it look OEM and keep water & moisture out.

honestly for the price I have not seen a better kit. Before I install I need to disable my courtesy headlight feature (not good to keep igniting & shutting off HIDs quickly like that, plus it drains batter for no reason). once I do that, they will go in. Pics & writeup of course.

[Kropf]

As noted elsewhere years ago, I replaced my Halogen Lenses with the OEM Xenon Lenses and it made a nice improvement in beam pattern with the aftermarket HID/Xenon conversions. Sulaco just asked me about the lenses I used, so here's my answer for the rest of the club:

The Xenon Lenses are not cheap, but they DO make a noticeable improvement over the Halogen lenses when using my VVME HID kits.

(I imagine that changing the housings would make a further improvement, but maybe only if the HID bulbs are the same shape.
The housings/reflectors appear to be only available as a complete assembly MSRP $1390, online $1084.20 each side!!!)

202 820 57 66 Headlight Lens for Xenon LH - MSRP $222, online $173.16
202 820 58 66 Headlight Lens for Xenon RH - MSRP $222, online $173.16
http://www.trademotion.com/parts/199...P%20COMPONENTS

My upper seals were deteriorating, so I replaced them at the same time:
202 826 11 80 Headlight upper seal LH - MSRP $52, online $40.56
202 826 12 80 Headlight upper seal RH - MSRP $52, online $40.56

My lower lenses were VERY pitted, so I replaced them before putting HIDs there also:
170 826 09 90 Lower Driving/Foglight glass lens LH - AutohausAZ $18.89
170 826 10 90 Lower Driving/Foglight glass lens LH - AutohausAZ $18.89

The 4300K HID/Xenon Low Beams and lower Driving lights are VERY nice... very White and very Bright!
The lower Driving lights are naturally aimed low, so the beam pattern isn't a problem with the original lenses. I have all the 'parking' bulbs as LEDs now, and I always turn on the LED bulbs and the lower HID driving lights, even in the day time. I even get a credit on my vehicle insurance for 'daytime driving lights'.