jchochla

So cool! Check it out.
http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/access...rce=Vanity+URL

Here's one already on sale on ebay.com

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Ben...2577c4&vxp=mtr

The only thing is that it says it is only for "vehicles without distronic", which in my case i have distronic on my ML550, so this won't technically work. Does anyone have a solution for the distronic people out here?

27T

The last line of the below article made me laugh.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/blinged-...lem-video.html

Those looking to push the boundaries of illumination, brand recognition and good taste can purchase the emblem for $394.

stas2007

Well looks like there will be 2 options:
Option one:
buy the whole kit for 400$ and spend about 3-4 hours taking apart the car and installing it. Judging from the components of the kit it looks like too much pain for 15 seconds of "illuminated star"
Option two:
buy just the star and hook it up to DRLs or "eyebrows", cost is about 250$ and installation time should be less than on hour.

I dont see a point of buying the whole kit, hooking it up to can-bus and adding additional electronics and wiring through the engine bay and interior so the star lights up for 15 seconds.
I think I ll just buy the Star itself and connect it to LED DRL or orange eyebrows. It will illuminate all the time and installation is easy.While there is a big part of me that says its "too tacky" i still like it. Plus in today's car industry these accessories become normal very quickly, it will only be a couple of years till Audi and BMW will have illuminated emblems from factory.

ipp

Isn't that a bit tacky?

YYZ-E55

Have you tried this yet? I'm curious what voltage the illuminated star runs at (I suspect not 12v).

jprescott

Kind of with you on that. Way cool but too bling for me.

stas2007

The star is Led, DRLs are LED as well, so it showld be OK, I didnt buy the star yet, I ll check the voltage and make a DIY once its installed.

stas2007

It will grow on you

LazKat

This ranks right up there with spinners on the classy-look list.

jellies

yeah not digging it plus if I see it in the wild I will think, oh poverty spec car with no radar cruise . right now I have to look hard to see its a 250 not a 350 because the star is subtly different (aus:350 comes with radar)

27T

I agree. It will likely be even mainstream soon. Though the new Viper has a lit logo in rear when hitting the brakes IIRC —that'll always be tacky.

WBE55

and can i get that on a necklace , to match my Giant clock , LOL

cookstar

LOL poverty spec?

MD Boy

Yes.

dragon1512

have u finished the job yet? please give us the instruction for that

thank you

pierrebs

I had the kit installed by the dealer. looks good.
Now I'd like to modify the way they connected it so it lit up with the A headlight. Can't find info on how to do that.
I checked and they connected 3 wires in the engine bay fuse box a brown, a white and a smaller cable, grey in the middle.

Help

stas2007

Y not just tap power/ground to the LED driving lights?

LazKat

Pics?

pierrebs

I'll post a picture

Subatomic Power

I see a lot of illuminated stars and running board lighting kits down here on my vacation in Phoenix. Yes, I thought that they would look cheesy - but they don't. They look really nice. So I talked to my sales associate this morning, who helped me order my two ML550's that I hope will arrive in the next couple of months. He confirmed for me that the distronic front radar system has to be disabled with the installation of the star. The cost of the star installed is about $750. The illuminated running board kit costs about $4000 per vehicle installed. So - I gave up on those options and I'm just going to have to live without the extra very nice bling. The illuminated running boards are very nice, but I'm not sure that I'll pay $4,000 for them at this time.

another_geek

Uh, your dealer is raping you on the cost of the illuminated running boards. The part is only $625 MSRP ($500 online) and assuming 1-2 hrs of labor to install, it would still be under $1000. No idea how they arrived at $4000 for the boards.

The part # is A166906180128 if you want to look it up yourself.

Subatomic Power

I talked to the parts guy, and he told me that they were about $1000 for the running boards and about 7-9 hours of $200 per hour shop time. Apparently to install them properly, you have to take off the running boards, drill holes, remove the rear bumper and a bunch of electronics. He said that there are all sorts of ways to cheat on the installation in order to do it a lot faster, but then there are a bunch of compromises that go with that. Do you have any insight into this?

another_geek

No experience myself since I don't have them but there are some older threads here where people have added them after the fact. You may want to reach out to one of them for insights on the difficulty of install.

I saw one person claim the install was only 1.5 hrs.

SSGPhelan

I think the illuminated star is really nice looking personally for those who think it is ghetto I think you are off base on this one. There are a lot of fades that have come and gone for example the lights under the car and the insanity of hot wheel rims that spin but I think the illuminated star is something that is going to stick around. Mercedes never offered Spinners or neon lights under their vehicles as an add option. It is for this reason I think the illuminated star will be a lasting improvement to the apperence of their vehicles. I like the illuminated star and I don't think it is a sign of poverty as some of you put it.
Yes, there are many things you can do to your vehicle to make it look ghetto or poverty. I think some of the people in this thread have gone out of their way to show us just how Condescending and rude they can be by belittling those who like the star. I am not trying Offend anyone I am just saying that while I hate ghetto fads and think it shows a lack of sophistication and class I also think that elitism can be just as offensive. I hope I did not offend anyone I just don't like to be put in the same box as some teenager who thought neon lights where cool in the 90's. Well the clock on my chest says it's time go.

SSGPhelan

Really you rate this the same as spinners? Really?