projector vs. crystal

[1SIKBNZ]

so i need some new headlights and reading through the forum it seemed like people havent been to satisfied with the projector lights? quality i guess just isnt there. Have people had good luck with the crystal clear ones? if so can you offer up and ebay seller you maybe bought from and had good experience with? thanks in advance!

[jnolte]

havent heard from you for while, i personally wouldent get any, i find them cheesy and cheap

[OCKlasse]

Originally posted by jnolte
i find them cheesy and cheap

I like mine :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/trefiveincognito/C230/July%2006/DSC06096.jpg

[EveryDayHustlin]

Yeah but where did you get em? Hook it up =)

[OCKlasse]

Originally posted by EveryDayHustlin
Yeah but where did you get em? Hook it up =)

here's a pretty good deal =]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-W202-headlamps-C36-C43-C220-C230-C280-AMG_W0QQitemZ160021521514QQihZ006QQcategoryZ33710Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[1SIKBNZ]

no problems or anything with them at all yet? also do you have a daylight pic kinda showing them off in the light? thanks!

[OCKlasse]

Originally posted by 1SIKBNZ
no problems or anything with them at all yet? also do you have a daylight pic kinda showing them off in the light? thanks!

here you go my good man...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/trefiveincognito/C230/June%2006/DSC05904.jpg

(the ///AMG days...)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/trefiveincognito/C230/July%2006/DSC06053.jpg

hit me up with a pm...I have many more in Hi Res...oh by the way, no problems to speak of

[K_Sport Driver]

personally, I vastly prefer the look of the crystals to the projectors. matter of personal preference, but they're both plastic, and neither are made by mercedes, so you'll probably get the same quality from either. I'd guess though that the projectors have more areas where they could go wrong, since they seem a bit more complicated.

[rollinrealbig]

I dnt like the projector ones for sure (I just dnt im sorry) and the crystal clear ones look cheap on the inside. you can go to your local (depending on where you live) glass shop and have your stock glass lenses get duplicated and made clear.

Im in the (slow) process of doing that, my headlights have a custom projector project done to them ... still not even halfway finished only on one headlight LoL but ill get it done. just got new set of corner lights on my desk as we speak. :)

[irieite]

Originally posted by jnolte
i find them cheesy and cheap

Of course they're going to be cheesy and cheap when compared to the OEM units. They won't have the bubble leveling meters. The housings are going to made of flimsier plastic. The lenses are going to be made from either thin, non-reinforced glass, (you aren't going to find a replacement lense when one bullseye's and breaks without buying a whole new set of headlights) or plastic, which will yellow and cloud with time in the sun..

I forget who it was, but he (or she) was spot on when they expressed their opinion that the projectors were sporty, while the crystals have more of an elegant look.

I for one would not go for the current crop of the projectors for the simple fact that there is no cap over the tip of the high/low beam combo bulb. This would be ok for the high beam, but is definitely NOT ok for the low beam operation, unless you want people flashing their high-beams at you all the time and getting pulled over with that 40 oz between yer legz. ;)

[sacc230]

hey rollin do u no of any glass shops thatll do that for me....if so wich one?

[1SIKBNZ]

well i was already leaning toward the crystal ones and i think i have pretty much settled on those as opposed to the projector ones..... was install pretty straight foward and simple? thanks for all the responses and pics!!

[DRM]

I purchased the crystal headlights and indicators from someone on ebay a few days ago and should have them here and installed within the next two/three weeks so I will let you know how I go!

I think the circular projectors make the w202 look weird, the circles dont really match the w202's more rectangular shape so thats why i went with the crystals.

[K_Sport Driver]

my only concern with any aftermarket lights is the fog light. I see the holes in the crystals, but I've heard those are for daytime lights, and aren't angled the same way stock headlamps are. has anyone had experience with foglights and crystal clear lamps?

[OCKlasse]

Originally posted by K_Sport Driver
my only concern with any aftermarket lights is the fog light. I see the holes in the crystals, but I've heard those are for daytime lights, and aren't angled the same way stock headlamps are. has anyone had experience with foglights and crystal clear lamps?

The nice thing about the crystal lights is that they DO have the built-in fogs (as opposed to the projectors). That hole is for the Euro six pin. When I turn the car off, the fogs do still remain on, and are functional. The high/low beam is a dual filament bulb.

[Dubbin']

Projectors are crap. The light beam is so narrow coming out of them. Its like driving with a flashlight out each window.
Both have a plastic housing.. Which is more of an e code styling.
Uhhmm Anyways.
If your replacing clear corners too. The Ebay ones that are crystal clear suck balls. Don't waste money on them.. When you put the amber bulb in there it makes it light up like a christmas light.

If your gonna buy bosch clears, or keep stalk. The lines don't really flow if you put in a crystal clear headlight. Nah mean?

B
A
S
S
I
C
A
L
Y

Keep it OEM, And buy bosch clear corners. Projectors and Clear headlights just don't look the part.

[OCKlasse]

Originally posted by Dubbin'
If your replacing clear corners too. The Ebay ones that are crystal clear suck balls. Don't waste money on them.. When you put the amber bulb in there it makes it light up like a christmas light.


I bought special bulbs that are chrome, but light up amber. If you are on a budget, just spray paint your bulbs silver, but the amber will still shine through when you need them to, if you need an example just look at mine and you don't see any amber.

note: I am a retard, so in the picture with my 18s, you will notice the lights were not on, hence you do not see the amber. In the pictures with my 19s, the lights are on hence why you see the amber. If you need more pics w/o the lights on, let me know.

[jstrat85]

i had both of them and i liked both of them alot. put when it comes to the projectors i think there is nothing like them.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/jstrat85/timessquare.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/jstrat85/1b272423.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/jstrat85/johnpics021.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/jstrat85/85.jpg

[NEA-4311]

Originally posted by irieite
I forget who it was, but he (or she) was spot on when they expressed their opinion that the projectors were sporty, while the crystals have more of an elegant look.

It was me... Buy the Crystal clear ones, make sure they are directional.

[NEA-4311]

I had a problem with my projectors, they were broken and I had to spend more money to fix them. Pjs are also much more expensive than cystal clear ones so you do the math. MAKE SURE that they are directional, most if not all pjs arent. Some crystal clear pairs are. And hit the search button, you will find many many threads about them and lots of info and pics.

[Abuimad]

Originally posted by OCKlasse
I like mine :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/trefiveincognito/C230/July%2006/DSC06096.jpg

wow i like urs too

[mbLova]

have you tried an oem HID kit from bekkers?

[sugarplumfairy]

i don't get the whole thing about projectors not being directional. what does that mean? i am thinking of buying headlights off ebay too, debating whether to get pjs or crystals.

[Frenchy]

That means that you can adjust the level of the Headlights, by setting the command placed beside the Headlight switch on your Dash board.

This is an option on US W202 i think, but you'll find this on every 97-00 european Models.

Here a pic. :

http://i16.ebayimg.com/04/i/08/08/61/91_1.JPG

[NEA-4311]

Haha! Nice floor! :silly:

[Frenchy]

Haha !! :D

Not mine, just pick up the pic on ebay....;)

[DRM]

Okay I got my crystal clear head lights and installed them yesterday, they look excellent!! The corners should be here within the week so it will be looking slick once I get some chrome repeater bulbs for them.

The installation process was pretty easy except the quality of the lights are no where near oem quality but this was expected.

The only problem I had with install is when you are screwing the top bolt in, if you screw it into the light all the way the light is pulled up too high and when you put the plastic trim back in place at the bottom it leaves a large space at the bottom and is not flush with the body trim.

So to fix this I held the light in place where I wanted it to sit and screwed the bolt in until there was no movement.

Also there are no parker "daytime" lights. There is a space for the bulb, and I guess you could pull the parker "daytime" lights from the stock lights along with the wires and the pin and put them in the crystals and secure the pin in the correct position and I don't see why they wouldn't work.

When the car is turned on and the lights are on the check bulb light comes on in the dash. I am assuming this is from the circuit recognising that there is no feedback coming from that fifth "parking" "daytime" light pin on the connector.

I was wondering, if I stuffed some metal in the female connector at the fifth pin position and "completed" the circuit would this stop the check bulb light from turning on?

Overall I am very happy with the lights, they look insane and they work pretty good for aftermarket asian lights!

[NEA-4311]

I manufactured a fifth metal pin and installed the daytime lights from my oem ones and they worked perfectly. Maybe you re doing sth wrong... check again.

[DRM]

Originally posted by NEA-4311
I manufactured a fifth metal pin and installed the daytime lights from my oem ones and they worked perfectly. Maybe you re doing sth wrong... check again.

Yeah I was just wondering about putting copper or something in there until I put some daytime lights in there as I never really use them so installing them is pretty pointless and I don't want to break the oem lights ripping the daytime's out as if these ones break I will need to use those :cool: