C-Class (W204) 2008 - 2014: C180K, C200K, C230, C280, C300, C350, C200CDI, C220CDI, C320CDI

Question about the headlights.

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Old Mar 2, 2016 | 03:58 PM
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Mercedes C300 Sport 2014
Question about the headlights.

I was wondering, these bulbs are alittle different than my Acura TSX.
I loved the whiter color I had in my older car but this seems bland.
What bulb should I get for the whiter look?
I was doing research and was told about Xenon but I was told to stay away and that the color isnt the same.
Help out a noobie here!
I have a Mercedes Benz C300 2014 Sport model.
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Old Mar 2, 2016 | 05:36 PM
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2018 E300 Sedan, 2013 C350 Sport Sedan, '99 E320
Hit up AzNOptics
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Old Mar 2, 2016 | 08:41 PM
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You basically have two options... one is whiter halogen bulbs or an HID conversion kit. For halogen, many go with Philips Diamond Visions which are one of the highest burning temp halogen bulbs on the market and the only ones that can come close to sniffing xenon white kelvin levels. Otherwise, you'll have to do an HID conversion kit. So the reason why people are telling you to stay away is because you have reflectors which will result in a lot of glare for oncoming traffic. The proper way to take care of this is a projector retrofit which we can set you up with as well. It isn't that easy of a process though. Another solution to this that many exercise is just swapping their whole headlights for aftermarket units with projectors already installed, then do an HID conversion. Most here go with DEPO headlights.
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Old Mar 3, 2016 | 08:16 AM
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Either go for an HID kit or use some Silvania Silverstar Ultras - They're the whitest light you can get while still having a usable amount of light output. I've had good results with them, but they do burn out after approx 8 months to 1 year.

I'm personally waiting to switch to the HID kit Aznoptics sells, when the Canadian dollar rises in value a bit.
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Old Mar 4, 2016 | 12:19 PM
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Mercedes C300 Sport 2014
You basically have two options... one is whiter halogen bulbs or an HID conversion kit. For halogen, many go with Philips Diamond Visions which are one of the highest burning temp halogen bulbs on the market and the only ones that can come close to sniffing xenon white kelvin levels. Otherwise, you'll have to do an HID conversion kit. So the reason why people are telling you to stay away is because you have reflectors which will result in a lot of glare for oncoming traffic. The proper way to take care of this is a projector retrofit which we can set you up with as well. It isn't that easy of a process though. Another solution to this that many exercise is just swapping their whole headlights for aftermarket units with projectors already installed, then do an HID conversion. Most here go with DEPO headlights.
SO putting in the HPhilips thing be too bright then?
And what about the last option, where could you get those headlights, would it be easy to install the bulbs, or are they different than what is in now, also is DEPO a brand of the bulbs?

Last edited by iBlazeXi; Mar 4, 2016 at 12:22 PM.
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Old Mar 4, 2016 | 02:02 PM
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Actually the opposite with the Philips. There's a difference between color temp and lumens. With the Philips Diamond Visions, those are one of, if not the, highest kelvin rated halogen bulbs on the market, which means they're one of the whitest. However, that doesn't translate to lumens (brightness). There are other halogen bulbs that have higher lumens, but not as white so don't look as aesthetically pleasing. If you want both lighting performance and aesthetics, you'd have to go HIDs. HIDs are fairly easy to install, but as mentioned, the projector retrofit is the harder part as you shouldn't put HIDs with reflectors. That said, many still do. Looks great from when you're behind the wheel, but sucks for those facing you in traffic.

DEPO is brand that makes aftermarket headlight housing replacements. They are one of the better aftermarket units from a clean look and quality of parts. So if you go with DEPO, you'd basically be swapping your entire headlight housing out. Some DEPO hits come bundled with an HID conversion kit together for easy of install, but these are typically cheap kits they source and can mark up their total cost. The recommended method is to just get the DEPO kit without the HID kit and pick your ideal HID conversion kit to pair with. As mentioned, we carry top shelf Morimoto HID conversion kits, but up to you which brand you decide to go with based on your research and budget.

Let us know if we can help.
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Old Mar 5, 2016 | 07:40 AM
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Wonder why no one suggested the LED lamps. I put a pair of 40w 4000 lumen 6k bulbs in and they look great
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Old Mar 5, 2016 | 12:19 PM
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LED are not recommended for forward projecting lights. Although the advertised lumens are comparable to HIDs, unless the housing has been designed specifically to capture LED surface mounted light spread, what you end up with is reduced throw distance, uneven lighting, and dark spots. They look great when you look at the car, but not so much from behind the wheel. They will be ok for positions like fogs where you're not relying on for primary illumination or if you only drive in the city where the roads are already well lit, but they do not perform well for low/high beams. When you place side by side with HIDs or even the stock halogen, the road illumination performance difference is obvious. That's why we don't push that type of product and eliminated from our product line offering.

That said, we are keeping a close eye on it though as technology advances. For instance 3D COB based SMDs offer true 360 light spread which is what you'd need, but that chip hasn't reached the lumen levels necessary yet as a headlight replacement. So right you you can have good brightness with bad light spread, or good light spread with bad brightness, but not both..... yet.
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Old Mar 6, 2016 | 01:22 PM
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Can't say I have run into those concerns. The light throws like Peyton Manning and spreads like soft butter. No dark spots or uneven lighting. Another thing I like is the light creates good contrast to the texture on a the road. I live in a part of the country that sees a lot of snow on the road. This is a great benefit when driving in snowy conditions at night. Not sure about the HID's but my halogen lamps had far more noticeable unevenness in the light spread. This is all anecdotal and subjective the guy behind the wheel. It also may have to do with the design of my specific LED lamp too. The only concern I have is if it can stay cool in an enclose lamp housing even with the attached fans blowing. Only time will tell
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Old Mar 8, 2016 | 03:35 PM
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Mercedes C300 Sport 2014
Azn Optics, I would like more help and we should talk more. PM when you can. Thank you everyone for the welcome and not hating me lol.
Again I will be here for more info and help in the future, I have many plans for my car and mods
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Old Mar 8, 2016 | 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by iBlazeXi
Azn Optics, I would like more help and we should talk more. PM when you can. Thank you everyone for the welcome and not hating me lol.
Again I will be here for more info and help in the future, I have many plans for my car and mods

Feel free to email me directly at aznoptics@gmail.com
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