Looking for recommendation for a brighter headlight bulb(s) replacement. Dealer only recommends stock, Auto Zone useless. Is Xenon the way to go? One bulb for high/low beams? Part No. & Source much appreciated.
It won't work right if you tried to retrofit a HID kit into your existing headlight. You will blind all traffic.
However, your car did come with HID as an option so you can retrofit a factory HID headlamp complete... for example Bekkers.com have a set but whoa... they are asking $2600 for the kit. The performance is 4 times brighter than european headlight
The second alternative is buy the European headlight kit... for about $1000. This will improve your headlight performance by 3 times when compared to factory headlight.
The third alternative is to replace those yellowed headlight lens with new one... about $160 a pair. Install Plus 50 or Plus 30 headlight bulb for marginal improvement.
If you are handy with used parts... you could try to score a used set of Mercedes HID headlight for your car.
Last alternative is have someone install projector HID lens into your existing headlamt and that will bring it up to HID level. This probably will cost about $900 to do it... Make sure your headlight lens is perfect.
Whoa is right. Thanx for the input...still confused. Performance shops pushing various bulb replacements ($15-$90 ea) leading to the confusion. My lens' are crystal clear, just looking for a brighter bulb w/o blinding others.
Those bulbs you are talking about are junk... don't even bother. If you do want to get a better bulb, then go to Pep Boys, Advanced Auto or Autozone... and pick up what they call plus 30 or plus 50... cost about $16... spend anything past $20 per bulb, you are basically giving someone more money for snake oil.
Other suggestion is use the fog light too... pull out that headlight switch to activate the fog light... that's an instant double brightness.
Last suggestion is make sure your headlight is properly aimed... Quick test is... On flat ground like your garage, measure from floor to middle of your headlamp... then transfer that measurement to the wall... measure 0.40" down from that measurement.
Park car 5 feet away from the wall... with low beam on... the top of low beam should hit that mark. If you see that slight angle upward to the right... then where that angle start upward (in the middle) is that target point.
Very true. It is all advertising. Especially those Xenon Zenon or what ever the blue tinted lights they are pushing.
The jury is out on the retrofitted HID systems. Major manufacturers (like Hella) are making HID retrofit kits.
Kind regards,
gamini
Thanx for lighting the way in cost avoidance.
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