importfan21

I have some questions, as I am interested in getting them.

• I heard that you need to drill out the inside plastic covers to fit the bulbs. Is this true?
• Also, do you guys have the bulb-out error eliminators (do you even get the bulb out light?)?
• How are the high beam HIDs? Can you "flash" your highs with them?

503C43 ////AMG

1.) Yes you would need to drill a hole in the the plastic cover to accept the wiring from the ballast but most kits come with a weather proof grommet to keep anything from getting into the head light.

2.) I didn't need to install any "bulb-out error eliminators"

3.) I believe only the Bi-Xenon kits have HID brights, I am using the stock brights and they work great

importfan21

1. Alright. With that said, does anyone have any extra covers I can buy?

2. Do you have a 35w or 55w kit? I'm guessing that 55w kits don't need the eliminator since the stock halogens are 55/65w (lo/hi) so the current draw won't change and trigger the error.

3. I was going to get a Bi-Xenon kit, pending that I can "flash" my highs.

Benzonline

I will be getting a HID kit installed soon. I learned that the stock optional Xenons actually have different housings - different in a way where there is some sort of light divider that only iluminates the top portion of the headlight cluster where as the regular halogen lights, when installing HID, the whole headlight cluster is glowing. Not that it doesnt work, the stock housing does seperate the light better and looks cooler. The car looks like it has cat eyes.

503C43 ////AMG

I have a 35W kit but I am thinking of upgrading to a 55W kit. 35W is MUCH brighter than the stock halogens but when I get next to a new Mercedes or Audi, their HID's are MUCH brighter than mine and they really light up the road.

Jasssc

where did you guys get your HIDs?

503C43 ////AMG

I got them from a local guy...

nd4spd13

In my experience, had to cut hole, no bulb out light, yes to some extent.
I upgraded to the bi-xenon kit so now I have high beams, but there is a bit of an issue I have where if there is not enough power built up in the ballasts, it will cause my instrument cluster to die for a second, resetting the clock and stuff. So normally this is not a problem when turning on the xenons as long as I don't have to do it two or three times within a couple of minutes, so with the headlights off, I can flash them once with no issues, but a double flash can sometimes cause my instr. cluster to die, and I also have no idea how bright they are because they aren't warmed up or anything.

importfan21

Now that is the answer I was looking for regarding the highs. Thank you! Sounds like I won't get highs then; that cluster problem would annoy the hell out of me, as I do tend to double/multi flash (to let people know a cop is behind us, etc, etc).

ruzhkata

I wish they would do that here in florida haha

johnhef

Mine kills the cluster usually once in awhile only on start up, I still have halogen brights.

winks911

Here is what i did,
https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1300584695

steve s

didn't do the hid on the c36, but did do a hid conversion on my 850 using e46 projectors and ballasts. some relevant things to think about is the lens as well as how you want your high beams to function afterwards, so take a look if u'd like

http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index...hid-projector/

steve s

btw, does the c43 still have the "first-notch city-lights" like the c36? cuz if you choose to use a non-fluted lens, u may lose some of that if it exists.

importfan21

Reviving an old thread, but I finally installed HIDs this weekend. I went with the DDM Tuning 55w, 6000K kit (slim ballasts). $68-shipped.

Install:
Install was fairly plug and play. Drilling the covers took the most time (about 1.5 hours, given the cold, trying to drill perfect circles without cracking the plastic). Passenger side was a breeze. Driver's side took some time, since there is very little space for your hands.

I ended up 3M velcro-ing the ballasts underneath the headlight assembly for a stealth install.

Issues:
The only drawback, however, is that I get a bulb-out light. I'm honestly perplexed as I went with the 55w kit for this very reason. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Beam adjustment/non-projector housing:
I have no need to adjust the beams (vertically or horizontally) as they are hitting exactly where my halogens were. The distance the light travels, however, is much further.

Some crappy cell phone pics as my camera batteries were dead.

503C43 ////AMG

Weird, I installed some cheapo HID's and have had them in for over a year with no issues what so ever. I am going to switch them out for some 6k's but I am waiting for the weather to get nicer as I will need to switch out my fogs as well and I will need to remove the bumper to change those.

If you do get it figured out let us know what caused the bulb out.

amgmaster4343

Just get factor ones that are built into the headlight. I use to have a kit on my C36 back in the day and I spent $1000 on the kit and had to have custom boxes made for the ballast so water doesn't get in. it's just a pain in the *** plus you won't have the levelers. If you don't care I would get 5000k or 6000k at the most.

nd4spd13

503 yours are 35w and I believe the stock HIDs are just 35, so the extra wattage might explain importfan's warning light?

importfan21

Stock HIDs are 35w? Interesting...

But the stock halogens are 55w. Maybe it's an amperage issue rather than a wattage issue, as I know HIDs use less amps continuously than halogens.

hoontastic

I went with a 55W HID kit for my ml430 and the difference was HUGE. I was afraid of glare issues with 55w but its just not an issue. I never get flashed as I have my lights aimed properly. A lot of people on the ML benzworld forums (including myself) got their hid kits from DDM tuning. DDM tuning is manufacturer direct so the prices are good. I have been running them for a couple years with nary a problem.


*edit*
Just saw the comment about getting a dash light with the 55w kit.. hmm.

nd4spd13

I thought I saw this somewhere, though I could be wrong.

Hoon do you have a light out issue with the 55s in your ML?

Also wouldn't this mean that any HID kit would set of the malfunction light?

hoontastic

i dont have any issue in the ML nor have i heard of any others running the 55w's getting a light.. but it just may not be an issue on the w163's.. i guess technically you could plug in a 55w kit without installing it to see if the dash light came on... i have been getting ready to put a ddm kit in my c43 so this is a timely thread...

importfan21

That'd be the logic, but apparently isn't the case.


Well before I actually "installed" them, I did hook up one first to see if it threw an error, which it didn't. However, adding the second one did.


Edit: I do remember reading somewhere on the forums yesterday about the same generation ML's being unable to detect bulb-outs.

hoontastic

damn i guess i should guinea pig, get off the pot and order a ddm 55w kit to add a data point to the mix. What is the bulb for the low in these cars? In the ml its an h7 low and h1 high.

importfan21

We run the same bulbs. Install is really easy. Dunno how much room you'll have to work with on the driver's side though. I'm assuming your ABS/TCS unit is right there...(it'll get in the way).