OEM Xenons + Aftermarket Ballasts

[Corey]

I found a set of OEM Xenon headlights on Ebay but they did not come with the Bosch ballasts. As the OEM w202 ballasts are hard to find I'm going to add aftermarket ones. Adding ballasts to OEM Xenons are different from upgrading to HID lights in standard headlights.

The OEM Xenons have two plugs in the back. The top plug for the standard headlight connector and the bottom one being for the Xenon ballast
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z282/cd_ny/C43XenonPlug-words.jpg

And the ballasts have only one plug leading from them:
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z282/cd_ny/XenonHeadlights-words.jpg

To make an aftermarket ballast plug 'n play, I'll have to buy an OEM 4 pin connector and attach these to the correct pins.

Does anyone know the pin assignment for the connector (1 thru 4 above ) on the headlights?

[Kropf]

Between digging in the M-B WIS, and photos from my OEM HID/Xenon equipped '99 C280 Sport, I now have many answers below.

[Corey]

Originally posted by Kropf
Between the M-B WIS, and the OEM Xenons in my garage, I should be able to answer your request soon.

Thanks Kropf, much appreciated. I'm thinking that pins 1-4 most likely are the following, although I don't know which pin is which:

pin 1 - power to ballast
pin 2 - ground to ballast
pin 3 - power from ballast to Xenon bulb in headlight
pin 4 - ground from ballast to Xenon bulb in headlight

Am I correct? :bunny:

[Corey]

Ok, found the cable. This one on ebay should do the trick;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERCEDES-BENZ-W202-W210-W211-POWER-CABLE-TO-BALLAST-HID_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33710QQihZ015QQitem Z250212380789QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVWne

[Kropf]

Originally posted by Corey
I'm thinking that pins 1-4 most likely are the following, although I don't know which pin is which:

pin 1 - power to ballast
pin 2 - ground to ballast
pin 3 - power from ballast to Xenon bulb in headlight
pin 4 - ground from ballast to Xenon bulb in headlight

Am I correct?
No.

Using your numbers (with #1 toward the bottom of the housing as when mounted), since I did not find them labeled either, I would say:
pin 1 - From ballast to Igniter/Ignition Module under High Beam Bulb (blue wire inside).
pin 2 - From ballast to Igniter/Ignition Module under High Beam Bulb (red wire inside).
pin 3 - From Square Connector Pin 2 for Ground to ballast.
pin 4 - From Square Connector Pin 3 for Low Beam Power to ballast.

The big problem with wiring after-market ballasts with integrated igniters directly to the housing's connector is that the housing connector does NOT directly connect to the Xenon bulbs, but goes to an igniter/"Ignition Module" within the headlight housing under the High Beam bulb (visible here (http://kropf.net/w202/headlamps/P1010446a.jpg)). There is a separate pair of bigger wires from this igniter to the OEM bulb.

Unless you get after-market ballasts that do NOT have integral igniters (and who knows if such ballasts will be compatible with the OEM housing's igniter), I'm thinking that it might be better/simpler to just install the whole HID conversion kit with their bulb into your OEM housings, and bypass the rectangular HID/Xenon plug on the housing along with the OEM igniter. (I didn't check to see which bulb style would you use.)


P.S. (added Feb.18: For anyone wanting to take the chance, omeyhomey used the DDM Slim Ballast HID Kit (http://www.club202.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14537) that have their igniters separate from the ballasts, so the DDM Ballasts MAY be a compatible replacement for the factory OEM ballasts. Therefore, you might be able to wire the DDM Slim Ballast directly to the OEM Xenon Housing's 4 pin plug. Maybe DDM can confirm this before someone toasts a ballast or OEM igniter by trying the hard way.)


I also wonder about the auto-leveling function. A motor should still be mounted in each Xenon housing, but since they won't have the sensor at each wheel and their controller, you'll have to manually set the headlamp alignment. I imagine that they're still where the last vehicle had set them - hopefully while level.

I've posted photos and details of the factory/OEM HID/Xenons on my W202 Headlamps migration (http://kropf.net/w202/headlamps/#OEMXenon) page.