headlamp swap

[19eddie82]

Hi I'm new to this forum so please bear with me if this sounds like a silly question. Basically i would like some info on downgrading the xenon headlights on my R-Design C30 to standard head lights. can it be done and if so how?

The reason being one of the headlights have failed for the 5th time of owning the car and id prefer to do away with the original lamps and just use standard bulbs.

I've already bought the headlamps but the plugs on the back are missing 4 pins(my lamps have 4 extra). the indicators and side lights work but the headlights don't

Thanks for reading and hopefully someone can help.

[Sidonas]

I don't think this will help you much, unless you're going to track down the pins and rewire the headlamps. With xenon headlights, the power is supplied to the ballast and then the ballast ignites the bulb and keeps it going. With halogen bulbs the power is supplied directly to the bulb. My guess here would be that different pins are used for supplying the ballast vs supplying the halogen bulb. Additionally, the halogen bulbs get supplied with pulse width modulated current (essentially to keep the voltage lower and save bulb life), but this shouldn't matter to you much.

I don't have a diagram that explains which pins supply what components of the headlamp. You could either try to work it out on your own or search for a diagram. Having worked it out, you could either modify the connector from the car or the one inside the headlight, in such a way that the ballast pins don't get supplied, while the halogen bulb ones do. Shunting could work as well.

[19eddie82]

Thanks for replying!!
That sounds complicated and time consuming, I’m wondering if it’s worth just paying the extra cash and getting a replacement headlight.

Doesn’t sound like the sort of thing I’d be confident doing my self.

Thanks for the advice tho.

[Bendolfc]

Standard headlights also need the manual adjustment knob your car won't have. I doubt retrofitting will be a simple task and would no doubt require software updates to make it happy.

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by Bendolfc

Standard headlights also need the manual adjustment knob your car won't have. I doubt retrofitting will be a simple task and would no doubt require software updates to make it happy.

it Could be done
you would need as Bendolfc says software for the car
you'd Also need
Find and remove the Ballasts for the Xenon burners,
Find and replace the Wiring loom from a Xenon one to halogen one
Fit the new switch pack in the cabin with the levelling adjuster wheel
Find and remove the Self levelling sensors
Fit the halogen headlights, (Then find out the light output is dire, find the Many threads on here stating that, And the fixes, replace the projector units for ones Without a frosted/Fresnel lens , without burn out/flaking off reflective coating, use Quality Halogen bulbs,,,,,)

all in all Not worth it compared to the £ of Buying TWO Good quality HID "bulbs"
Have a read about the V50/s40 section headlights and "how to" are talked about a LOT.
there Will be recommendations as to which brand and type xenon burner to go for

99% of V50/S40 owners Wish they Had the xenons as the halogens ARE naff and Fitting "gen oem" units is a ££££££ job *which replacing them for halogens will be close to.

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by Sidonas

I don't think this will help you much, unless you're going to track down the pins and rewire the headlamps. With xenon headlights, the power is supplied to the ballast and then the ballast ignites the bulb and keeps it going. With halogen bulbs the power is supplied directly to the bulb. My guess here would be that different pins are used for supplying the ballast vs supplying the halogen bulb. Additionally, the halogen bulbs get supplied with pulse width modulated current (essentially to keep the voltage lower and save bulb life), but this shouldn't matter to you much.

I don't have a diagram that explains which pins supply what components of the headlamp. You could either try to work it out on your own or search for a diagram. Having worked it out, you could either modify the connector from the car or the one inside the headlight, in such a way that the ballast pins don't get supplied, while the halogen bulb ones do. Shunting could work as well.

really Really hope you dont try this
the voltage the ballasts output is of a level you Really do not want to be "poke n hope" about with,

Because of the energy required to run a HID headlight, the HID bulbs do not run on low-voltage DC current, so they require a power pack (ballast) with either an external or internal ignitor, which controls the current given to the bulb. Considering automobiles use a 12-volt electrical system for their lamps and the HID lighting requires over 20,000 volts to ignite the bulbs and then 85 volts to keep them running, the ballast is a necessary part of the system. Apart from turning it on it also regulates the voltage, and is an integral part of the HID system..

thats @ 85V going to sting 20,000V ,,, make sure the wife has your life insurance paid up And its valid just in case