Didn't they tell you it was $3,000 to upgrade? Steep, yeah, but that's about right.

 

isn't there an aftermarket upgrade or something else?

 

For many, life without factory xenon headlights is no big deal. I agree with you, got to have them. If I had a R172, I'd pay the $3000 for the real thing. That would require new bi-xenon headlight assemblies (the real deal). First, confirm it's a direct, easy swap. Think of the retrofit as a $2000 upgrade ($3000 minus the $1000 factory option). Your replaced R172 halogen headlight assemblies should be worth $1000 minimum, maybe more, but you'll have to sell on eBay or Craig's List, etc. The market for the halogens would be body shops, individual with one damaged headlight assembly, etc. Even at $1000 total cost, the swap over the time you keep the car is trivial and you'll have factory bi-xenon envy.

 

It's strange that they haven't suggested the Bi-xenon option when you ordered the car. I know that this *&^$ costs about 3000$ but that's too expensive. I have aftermarket xenons but what is this racket about them I am still not sure.

You have the lenses on your headlights, so you could buy xenon bulbs and mechanism from another premium brand (not Chinese replicas) which will be two or even more times cheaper than MB ones. Just be careful while choosing them to avoid problems with the MOT-tests and the MB car insurance as a whole.

 

$3k sounds about right for the change. Swapping headlights is not as simple as it seems.

The first problem is that the front bumper needs to be removed to install the parts. This wasn't a trivial job last time I tried it.

The second problem is that proper Xenon lights (the official ones) auto-level. This requires multiple sensors to be installed somewhere inside the car body to tell how high the beam needs to point.

The third problem is that the on board computer needs to be reprogrammed to know that less power needs to be drawn so it doesn't think you have a faulty halogen light pulling half the expected power.

While all the parts can be picked up for about $1500k, labour is a significant factor here.

 

I agree with you. I was talking about the ordinary xenon lights without the newest MB technology which really cost around $3000. Ordinary xenons are a solution if you are bothered by the light radiated from your halogens.

With a 100% certainty, this modification will affect the electronics and it is better to be done by a MB specialist which is more expensive. Mine are ordinary aftermarket xenons which were installed by the previous owner but I don't know how.

Personally, I think that sometimes those xenon lights could be very annoying. Last week, I saw a new Audi with stock ones and they were awfully irritating. On the other hand, my neighbor's new Peugeot has very nice stock bi-xenon lights. For me, it is not such a big deal but after all, we are all different and for some of us it is important. However, $3000 is a great investment for another car or something more profitable.

 

Just an alternative view on the headlight package. I am waiting for my SLK hopefully at he end of June. I wrestled with getting the headlamp package for weeks. Believe it or not the salesman talked me out of it using the following arguments.

1 How much night time driving will you do?

2 How much night time driving will you on unlit roads?

3 The "normal" headlights are good enough anyway for most 99% of the time

4 When trading in with Mercedes no extra is added to the value of the car, compared to something like Becker Sat Nav with adds £250. I can confirm this as he left his computer unattended and I had a look whilst he was away

5 Is it really worth the money therefore?

Obviously based on this I did not get them. I appreciate everyone is different and of course I may regret it once I have my car but it is a different slant for you to consider.

Cheers

 

Where I live, from 1st November until 31st March (winter time), it is mandatory to use the lights also in the daytime. Normal halogen lights are good enough. I think that most of us are doing it just for the "swag" (which is not bad, don't get me wrong, at the least we have swag cars).

 

Interesting take - in the US market, BiX adds value at resell, just like any other option. Of course, it's a fraction of the initial costs, but again, what isn't?

It's a shame, really, as BiX are becoming standard on much lesser cars. I honestly hope the halogens are better on the R172 than they were on the R171.

 

Interesting take - in the US market, BiX adds value at resell, just like any other option. Of course, it's a fraction of the initial costs, but again, what isn't?

It's a shame, really, as BiX are becoming standard on much lesser cars. I honestly hope the halogens are better on the R172 than they were on the R171.

In the US, if you are trading in the car, the Bi-Xenons add nothing, just like air-scarf, auto-climate, etc. Check out KBB.com (which I have found is closest to what dealers like CarMax will offer).
Private-party sale is different but quite the hassle in general.
That being said, I always special order my Mercedes-Benz cars particularly to get the bi-Xenons.

 

I had a bi xenon on my c180 coupe and when I switched to my r171 I ended up without them because of my impatience the spec was a compromise. In hindsight it was a mistake on many levels, I did miss the lights, I missed the look, the brightness but most of all I really did miss the self levelling adjustment on startup it just made me smile. The 172 is even better with that cross eyed thing from the cornering function. You will also get the led pool lights under the door mirrors. Don't skimp you'll always regret.

Edit: every time I've listened to the salesman who contradicts what I think I've regretted it. I did think it was because I'm a woman that many think I don't have a clue, but it does seem they treat a lot of ppl this way. Last salesman was awesome because he actually admitted that I knew more than him, that he'd just do his best to find the answers to any questions I had.

 

Posting in a very old thread here, but just thought I'd give some follow-up information for those wondering about retrofitting 'xenons' to the r172 (with the halogen light cluster).

I have been running aftermarket HIDs in my r172 for a while with no issues, however you must use ballasts with load simulation circuitry (so-called 'canbus' system) to fool the car's detection circuitary into thinking it's pulling a continuous ~4A (where in reality the draw peaks in the takeover and warmup stage of the bulb) . If you don't use these, you will get bulb error messages.

The kit I used is from a UK supplier which cost ~£50 (for everything). If anyone wants the name of the product or supplier or any other information regarding HIDs just PM

ps. I apologise for having to tell you this, but I am an emissive energy specialist and know a lot about electronics and lighting, so please don't start with all the 'you'll damage X or you haven't considered Y'

 

The kit I used is from a UK supplier which cost ~£50 (for everything). If anyone wants the name of the product or supplier or any other information regarding HIDs just PM

Can you post the product information here in the thread?

 

Those headlamps not just HID and look good, they actually can move, they are call "intelligent-lighting" if I rememeber correctly. Very powerful headlights. Love mine.

 

the bi-xenons with intelligent lighting system is by far the best headlight setup I've ever experienced, they are fantastic, and the auto main beam is also very cool, you'd be a fool not to spec it on the car, they also look loads better too.

 

Auto main beam?

I think I must have missed that page when I flicked through the handbook, what is it?

Agree that the ILS is One of the better options available, never had anything like it before!

 

I think I must have missed that page when I flicked through the handbook, what is it?

Agree that the ILS is One of the better options available, never had anything like it before!

Auto high beam was only available for MY 2013.

 

Is that right, I can't remember seeing it on the 2013 new features, it is very good though, love it, the lights sort of move up automatically like a curtain raising, and then when it detects the rear lights of cars in front of y as you approach them, or a car coming the other way, or even street lights, they move down.

They sometimes get confused by lorries on dual carriageways as their headlights tend to be at the height of the central barrier and so the system doesn't see them all the time so you kind of blind some lorry drivers, but the majority of the item it gets it right.

 

Need help to install Lighting Pkg on R172 2012

A friend of mine recently totaled his slk350 2012 which is the same model as mine except for the color.
His front lights were in excellent condition which means I purchased them, I was wondering if anyone knows what I need to have the new lights installed correctly on my vehicle.
Thanks for your help.

 

Love my BiX lights.

Ordered the BiX option with my European delivery 1013 SLK 55 AMG. A "must have" option for me. Love how they work! Expensive? Sorta; but if you're gonna be a bear be a Grizzly.

 

Xenon OEM retrofit

Did anyone managed to retrofit the Xenon OEM?

 

YES, I did on my slk350 2012 except for the moving section (don't have the module on my model) the rest works fine, I replace the original Halogen lights with a set taken from a friends slk350 (xeon) lights.

 

Hi Guys, I know the thread is a bit old, but I have questions too. I have a slk200 with the halogen options and wanted to get retrofit to the bixenon amg black one, is it that difficult of an effort? and I am open to used too as long as its good conditions.

thank you

 

anyone do this before? I purchase the headlights but I am not sure if I need to change the cables? and will the motoric leveling work? anyone have done this?