confirm045

Ok. I'll try to hook it up to my parking light LED rather than the DRL

FFM

Semi off topic, but considering it involves the center star you guys would be the best to ask.

Basically I am torn whether to do a full blacked out 507 style grille or not. However, if I purchased one that was all black like what's offered online, can't I just swap my factory grille's star over if I decided later to go that route?

If so then I will just buy an all black and see which one I prefer once all the chrome is removed from the vehicle.

bluejae

so this kit replaces the star that is already on the grill?

so if you follow the installation instructions, this will work on a prefacelift c63...

i'm a little confused with the always on talk... if you connect it to you parking lights... it will only be lit at night right? and nothing will happen when you lock and unlock the car... but if you connect to SAM, whoever the heck that is, it will go on and off and always be on at night?

any of these options also make it always on during the day other than hooking it up to the DRL? i have drl off on my car

JaredP

it replaces the star.

i don't think it will fit a pre-fl grill. I think the pre-fl star would twist to remove. the fl illuminated star is held in by 3 tabs.

if you connect it to the parking lights, it will be on only with the parking lights. is this a serious question?

the SAM is a logic controller for the vehicle. the "by the book" installation of the star includes a SAM module to plug into the vehicle SAM so the star can be controlled by the vehicle "computer". This allows whatever functionality your vehicle is programmed for, which by default is something like always on while driving, 1 min after unlock, and 1 min after parking. In Canada the module is programmed differently because a 3rd front light is not road legal.

you can make it always on by finding a ignition wire, splicing it to a relay which turns on your star.

i run mine by splicing my parking light. it is literally two wires, one from my parking light, and a ground. the star turns on to full brightness whenever the parking light turns on, which is unlock/lock, driving with low beams on, or switching to parking lights + DRLs.

bluejae

thanks for the clarification... i read through the thread and kind of got lost... although my car is prefacelift, my grill is a 2012... so i guess fitment will work as long as i've got a facelift grill... but will the SAM function the same?

JaredP

I doubt the SAM module would even work in a pre-FL car. I have no idea.

Generally I just don't recommend doing the SAM module at all, because it is twice the cost of just the star, and gives no benefit.

I've been running the star spliced to my parking light for over a year with no issue. It's a no brainer. The star doesn't require any complex circuitry, it's literally just a 12v accessory.

Flyboy82

I hope you guys didn't pay over 80 bucks for your stars. I got one off ebay, It's BLUE in color, took out the existing star in my grille, ran one wire t,o the fuse box and the other to ground, works great with the parking lights.

JaredP

also, if you're running an aftermarket grill, the W204 illuminated star will generally not fit.

Most W204 aftermarket grills use ML-Class stars which are slightly bigger.

Flyboy82

I had to modify mine a little, had to get rid of the hood release lever and go with a string. Since the 99 E320 did not have a star in the grille, had to get the aftermarket sport grille then take the star out of it and put my star in and where the original star on the hood was, replaced it with the MB round badge.

bluejae

dang... that's unfortunate if it's true... although my current grill is a genuine 2012 grill... i have to replace the star and grill... apparently some object hit the star and it chipped a piece of it off along with a piece of the grill right behind it...

i was thinking of buying the grill from 55tech and maybe do this illuminated star mod...

oh well...

Flyboy82

The aftermarket illuminated star I got is just a little bit larger then the sport grille, but I just pushed it in, it went all the way in except for about 1 qtr inch, no problem, just super glued it in place and works great.

JaredP

55tech grills definitely use ML-Class stars.

I've been down this path before, I asked 55tech as well as every ebay seller I could find that sells 2012 C-Class grilles asking them for the model number of the star they use. They all use W163 ML-Class stars. Illuminated stars exist for W166 ML-Class, but they are a different size.

The only grills that will house a factory W204 illuminated star are the FL C-Class grille (3 fin), and the FL C-Class Coupe grille (2 fin)

bluejae

well then... that means either i skip this mod and just get 55tech grill for replacement... or buy another oem 2012 grill since i wouldn't know if an aftermarket 2012 grill will have the correct sized star...

panjap

Can you tell me which fuse # that you tap at fuse box? Do you use Add a fuse to manage this?

Flyboy82

I used one of the fuses in the fuse box located on the drivers side of the dash for the parking lights, so when you turn on your parking lights it turns on the Illuminated Star. You will have to route the wire underneath the hood all the way up the drivers side thru where the drivers door is and down to the fuse box. Use a really small gauge wire because there will not be very much room to for the fuse and the wire in the fuse holder.

panjap

Can you show me picture of the parking light wire which you tapped to led light? I don't know where it is.

Another if I use add a fuse to fuse #23 as someone here mention. Does the result still same? I mean led light will always on.

Flyboy82

On my Parking lights there is a Grey wire and a Brown Wire. The Grey wire is the power wire and Brown is Ground.
When you turn your Light switch it should turn on your Parking lights, Running Lights and the Star. Second position should add your Low beams.

panjap

I tap on fuse #20 and found sometimes its disturb ignition system. I don't want to tap to the parking light because Sam will check voltage and its may be not working someday. The best way is to wire 12 v from socket front/back by using add a fuse.

Demvang

The easiest way is tapping it directly to the parking light, absolutely no fuse box involved.

What I've done was hooking the red wire (+) with a fork-type connector to the parking light's female plug and grounded the black wire (-). There wouldn't be a problem because it draws little power.

panjap

Be careful one day your Front Sam may working not properly because normally it random check how voltage different than normal bulb. if you are luck it will fine.

Timeplson

Can u please share pictures of your aftermartket star look? Found some cheap ones on ebay, and thinking about pulling the trigger.

Timeplson

Is there a way to do the same thing, but by connecting to the fuse box? I dont want to be cutting my parking light wires apart to connect the red wire to it.

I dont want to connect to fuse 23, as the star stays on even if the parking lights are off.

Demvang

If you connect it to the fuse and don't want it to stay lit all the time, then you need a relay which needs parking light to trigger it anyway. Do as what I've done, no fuse hookup no relay. I did not splice the parking light wire at all. I just pushed the illuminated star's fork-type connector into the parking light's plug and it's holding up well.

pjfj1955

AussieC250

I got this LED star this week (from China) as well but little did I know that it doesn't fit the aftermarket grill that I have (SL type). The diameter of the LED star is perfect and exact same size as the aftermarket one, but the fitting tabs of the black plastic base are completely different

I really like it, so I am thinking of butchering the existing tabs of my aftermarket grille to make the illuminated star and the base fit and then look at the option of securing it with screws (or something) from the back.

This is the grille I have:

https://youtu.be/zAGPZ2mAXCY