kenju4u

Guys,

I am looking to replace my OEM Halogen bulbs with HID on my 2010 C300. I read through most of the threads here and other sites that recommend between DDM and Philips. I am leaning towards DDM just because they are cheaper and they seem to be decent quality. Philips seems to be 4 times more expensive and no sure if they are any better.

Since most of the info in the forums is 2 to 3 years old on this subject. I wanted to confirm if DDM is still a good choice?

I also got the impression that 2010 doesn't need the extra error cancelorers or the extra harness. I am pretty sure I want to get the 55W 5000K with digital ballast.

Let me know if I should reconsider or need to get any other parts.

thanks,
Ken

hondafan

I recommend Morimoto HIDs over DDM. I've used both and Morimotos still seem to give the best results/reliability.

That being said, I don't recommend using HID "conversion" kits at all. They're borderline unsafe in the projectors you have that we're designed for halogens. They glare quite a bit to oncoming drivers. Not the worst you could do, but a true HID projector retrofit is what I recommend doing, and the parts for good ones can be sourced for $270 for bi-xenon Morimoto projectors.

+1 for the 5000K color bulbs too.

StormTrooperZo

I would try azn optics or the retrofit source and I have the 35watt 5000k and they look great

victort

i recommend doing a proper HID projector retrofit. only way to get nice, clean cutoffs

kenju4u

Thanks guys. I looked into Morimoto HIDS and I will go for those over DDM. I always did feel DDM were a little too cheap for all that gear but a lot of people seem to be happy with it. Then again most people are happy with Autozone brakes which I am not

I would definitely consider HID Projector retrofit but I am not sure how to pursue that. It sounds complicated and I don't really trust someone to remove them, disassemble them and rebuild. I haven't heard of anyone doing it either...if you got experience with it can you share?

thanks for all the help and advice!

hondafan

Where are you located? I can tell you of local recommended shops by you if needed. I also can give you some DIY info from this car and others that I've done.

kenju4u

Located in Stamford, CT but close to NYC. Use to live in Queens, NY so pretty familiar with area and shops. Let me know....

cashbrown8

The retrofitsource. Morimotos are the way to go

kenju4u

Thanks thats what I am thinking. Any recommendation on 35W vs 55W? And 4300K vs 5000K? I want white light but dont want blue at all. also there is a option for H7 XB35 or H7 bulbs. What do you guys recommend?

hondafan

Reputable shops in your area for The Retrofit Source (and TRS gives a discount for using their recommended shops) are LightWerkz, LightModz, and HID Illusionz:

LightWerkz
40 Edison Avenue, Suite C
Oakland, NJ 07436
201-644-0337
http://www.lightwerkz.net

LightModz
16 E. Railway Ave.
Paterson, NJ 07503
973-400-9017
http://www.lightmodz.com

HID Illusionz
Brooklyn, NY
Phone / SMS
212-300-5906
http://www.hidillusionz.com

I have done both 55W and 35W kits, and I honestly can't tell a difference. I would save the money on the 35W kit, personally, and spend the savings on the CANBUS harness so you don't get errors or flickering.

I switched my bulbs from the factory 4300K to 5000K because I like the pure white color without the hint of yellow.

I've never used their XB35 bulbs, but if their descriptions are any indication, they're tempting for me to switch.

If you end up doing a projector retrofit instead of swapping bulbs, then you would no longer use the H7s anyway, so you'll want to make that decision first. I hope that's helpful.

kenju4u

Thanks for that info. I will contact these guys and get a quote. I have heard of lightwerkz so i will start with them. To be honest though I looked on their site and didnt see any Mercedes conversions. They had a lot of cars listed. I also think its gonna be pretty expensive. enough so that I can just buy the OEM HID headlights but lets see i'll find out.

Thanks for the detailed info!

KCaudell

I have the Morimoto 35W/5000K from The Retrofit Source in my 2010 C300 and generally like them. I have not yet redone the projectors but will at some point. The only problem that I have is that I get a bulb out error and the light goes out. If I turn the lights off and then back on it clears and the lights come back up. I'm guessing if there's a voltage variance the car kills the system to prevent damage.


The 5000K color is perfect. Not too blue nor yellow.


Hope this helps.


K

kenju4u

Thanks that's good to know. I am thinking about getting the same kit. 35W 5000K morimoto elite. They are out of stock until 1/10/2014 and will be shipping with the latest hardware which has a digital ballast. I am going to get the can bust to prevent errors.

Do you have the can bust model or the other harness? Just wondering why you are getting errors.

Ken

KCaudell

I do have the CAN bus kit and I too am wondering why I'm getting errors. Yesterday, with the extreme cold here in Michigan, I couldn't get the lights to fire at all, I had to use my fogs. I'll be calling The Retrofit Source today to inquire.

hondafan

Did you find out what the issue was?

kenju4u

I called the retrofit source today to get an estimate on what it would cost to do a projector update to HID. They told me they don't do that but the kit is around 300 plus labor. He didn't know which one would fit the C300 stock headlights. He also told me that most people just upgrade to HID bulbs and it works out fine.

On a seprqte note I am wondering which is better 35W or 50W ballast? Is that later too bright and blinding to on coming traffic?

w204nyc

Check out lightwerkz in NJ. They do retrofits and theyve done one on a c300 and it looks amazing. Look them up! Ive had them do some work on my c63 and Ceasar is a great guy! If you look into them, tell him the guy with the red c63 recommended you!

hondafan

Either 35W or 50W is fine. I haven't been able to tell a difference, and the projector seems to make more of a difference than the bulb itself. I used to do all 50W ballasts, but most recently I've stuck with 35W (on my R6 I did a Morimoto retrofit. Boxster, same thing and both had 35W ballasts, my C300, and my wifes ML350 each have the stock ballasts with 35W 5000K Morimoto bulbs). I can't honestly say that I thought the 50W ballasts were any different.

+1 for the full TRS retrofit. My R6 and the Boxster's lights both outperform my OEM C and ML lights. The optics are just better, I think.

MBSebas87

+1 hands down!!

W204white2010

Pretty much what everyone else said. TheRetrofitSource dot com and their Morimoto HID sets with a canbus harness. TRS just updated their ballasts to a new version few days ago too.

Please do not purchase from DDM.
I bought another set of their 55w kit, and 2 extra pairs of H7 bulbs couple months back. Their quality has gone way down. Bulbs from both of the sets I bought were flickering severely. I did not even bother contacting them for warranty, because I will have to mail in the bulbs to San Diego for them to test, then wait another 2 weeks for the warranty parts to arrive from China.
DDM's quality was pretty good 3 years ago, but that's not the case anymore.

ptrhahn

Would you (or anyone) be able to recommend a reliable/knowledgeable retrofitter in the Washington DC/Northern Virginia area?

Thanks!

AZN Optics

I've heard Huth Motorsports in that area does a clean retrofit job so might want to try hitting them up. If you're. Just doing an HID conversion, it's a simple DIY, but retrofitting projectors might be a bit more daunting for casual modders.

We're authorized dealers on MBWORLD for Morimoto HID kits so feel free to contact us for any Morimoto HID requirements as well as any other aftermarket LED upgrades. Our products are plug and play.

ptrhahn

Thank you—I'd only do it with either a projector retrofit, or an aftermarket replacement projector housing.

AZN Optics

And that is the proper way to do it