fox3232

Hello,

After reading many posts, I am more confused than ever. I am assuming there are many of you who have done this so your information is very useful.

My goal?...

Complete headlight conversion as I have a 2012 E350 with P1 package. My main concern is also switching out fog/running lights as necessary to have a complete match between all three lights. I am also going to replace side markers with clears. I have had mediocre success with this in the past with previous cars and am trying to avoid the frustration and added costs as this is by far the nicest car I have ever owned. I would like to do this right.

Have any of you completed all of this with outstanding results? Pictures would be great.

Thank You.

fox3232

Well, I purchased the following. I will update again with pics once installed.

OPT7 Blitz H7 6000k


AND

Kolite 6000k for the parking

johnsworld

What are you confused about? HIDs are just plug and play and for the most part, I dont think this car throws any errors from what I've seen so far. I have a 2010 E350 and have HIDs on the low beams and foglights.

pamiboy

Good luck with the mod. Please post pictures afterwards .

Mud

I'm also a bit confused by your post - did you search the forum for HID, LED, etc? There's tons of posts.


https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...-installs.html

fox3232

Here are a few picks of the parking lights installed and being installed. I adjusted the picture in order to get "real life" color on this lights, which makes everything else look a little weird. The color of the lights in the pic are exact. Headlights should be installed within a week.

Parking bulbs were 12$ for the pair on amazon.
Kolite 6000k

fox3232

Hopefully this helps somebody out there. I ordered my HID kit from OPT7. During and after installation I tested them without the car running. After I buttoned everything up and started the car I was getting a loud buzzing sound from the relay and then came the error codes. I contacted the company and they sent me resistors. These worked but because of the boot that comes with the kit to protect from dust and water penetration through the hole you must cut in the caps, I put the resistors inside the headlamps. DO NOT DO THIS, attach them to metal outside of the headlamp


A couple of weeks later I noticed a fog forming on the inside of the headlamp. After inspection I found that the resistors were getting very hot and melting internal pieces of the headlamps. So much so that it melted the projector adjustment causing my left projector to point straight down.
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ng-needed.html

After removing the HID kit and returning it I tried the oven trick to pull apart the headlamp for cleaning and repair. Let me tell you that this is not possible and had companies that specialize in this tell me they won't touch them.

I have since purchased LED H7 low beam lights that are installed in the old fogged/broken headlamps. No error codes and they match the parking lights perfectly. I will have new headlamps from TYC on the way. At the same time I will be replacing the orange side markers with clear and chrome/amber bulbs, replacing the orange turn signal bulbs with chrome/amber, and installing the LED low beams in the new headlamps. I already have LED parking lights.

Although I have felt like a complete idiot through this process, maybe some of this info will help others.

TYC headlamps

LED low beams

LED parking lights

Chrome/amber turn signal
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400692441373?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Clear side markers with Chrome/amber bulbs
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-13-MERCEDES-W212-E-CLASS-4D-SEDAN-CLEAR-BUMPER-SIDE-MARKER-LIGHT-CHROME-BULB-/171687865071?vxp=mtr&nma=true&si=w3uDn5IBg07q2cJ7BUOD34CKDVk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

mnje350

I rather like the stock HID mains and high beams in my '10. The LED hockey sticks match the mains and the highs perfectly.

Melted plastic sounds like a nightmare to me.

fox3232

Unfortunately I do not have the p2 package, so the halogens don't match.

pamiboy

You car looks good. I am more interested in seeing how is the output of light from the low and high beams. Can you post a picture of light output on a flat wall from 25 feet distance please. Does the new headlights have halogen projectors in them (where you installed the LEDs)? What bulbs are you using for high beams? Thanks.

fox3232

Finally done. Headlamps are a perfect match to factory. The color of the headlights, DRL, and city lights are now perfect which was my original intent before all this crap happened. Here are a few pics. One is comparing the new LED to old Halogen. I will post more after I take them tonight. Also, the chrome bulbs really do make a huge difference in the corners and turn signals.

Jabrah

very nice!!!

whaddaiknow

Have to say, I am still confused. I am new to MB and this forum, and after going through over 100 pages and numerous posts on the HID topic, I am still not sure. There are quite a few details that are skimmed over in the how-to's - different color wires, 6 o'clock position, heat, cutting grommets, storing ballasts in the Hi-beam housing, and on and on and on - it just sounds like too much and not worth it. You never know which problems you may have to deal with with different kits.

I also found in another thread that installing the HID kit may interfere with the automatic light leveling system. Is that true? If yes, I might scrap the whole HID idea altogether. I don't like the light output in my 2010 but I won't like my auto leveling system not working, either. Maybe just better off picking up a pair of OSRAM Night Breaker Unlimited H7 for ~$30 and be done with it?

pamiboy

I don't see how installing an HID should interfere with the headlight leveling system.
Also would the OP mind posting some output pictures on a flat wall. We would like to see how the LED works in the projector.

triguy74

Glad to see you got it all sorted out to your liking. Pics of light upgrades are tough to get right, but the new look is great. Well done! Oh, and nice grill by the way!

I did the HID conversion on my low beams as well (55W 6000K from Kensun with the CANBUS adapters from Amazon) and used the same Kolite LED bulbs as the OP for the inner reflector housing. I have the 4 round fog/DRL lights so I used and LED bulb for the DRLs as well.

I haven't touched the high beams as I never have a need for them here in SoCal. I will probably change out the halogen fogs here soon. Exploring the idea of using some high powered LED bulbs there since it's really to get them to match in color and they seldom, if ever, get used either. HID would be overkill IMO for those.

LED Fogs:
I'm sure to most people this seems like a hassle. I would have preferred a car that had the HID to start, but this was car available to me at the time and the deal was too good to pass up. I really like the look of the whiter light and the light output is so much better, I'm 100% glad I did the conversion.

There are tons of posts on here about this topic, but if anyone has a question on what I did and/or why...feel free to PM me. I really want to have the LED hockey sticks or the newer straight-line LED with chrome bezels...but it appears that this swap is basically impossible to do even if you want to spend the $$$ to get all the OEM hardware. If anyone has done this swap successfully, I'd love to talk!

pamiboy

Nice, would love to see your pictures too. Did you place LEDs in the halogen projectors?

Mud

unscientific pics against my garage:





I do want to install LED front turns, but was curious to know what others have installed. More interested in the number of SMD's in the bulbs than the purchase source as I order a variety of SMD's direct from Hong Kong for various lighting projects.