Recommendation on HID lights
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1
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From: Modesto
W208
Recommendation on HID lights
Hi,
I just bought a used W208 (clk320) and the headlights are going out. I wanted to put in HID lights. Preferably 6k. But i was wondering what is the best brand i should get? And since theres still stock headlights installed. Do i have to take any extra steps in installing them? Please help me out..
P.S.
Im new to this and just registered.
-No rude comments please
I just bought a used W208 (clk320) and the headlights are going out. I wanted to put in HID lights. Preferably 6k. But i was wondering what is the best brand i should get? And since theres still stock headlights installed. Do i have to take any extra steps in installing them? Please help me out..
P.S.
Im new to this and just registered.
-No rude comments please
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 563
Likes: 31
From: The Villages, Florida
2006 E320 CDI
First, congratulations on your MB. Now, please do not take this the wrong way, but do yourself and everyone on this forum a favor by doing a search for HID. You would be surprised at what you may find. After you read some of the search functions, we are here to answer any of your questions.
As for the best brand, that is like what is the best color car to have. You will get many replies as this is personal preference. Again, please search to see many many HID posts out there.
Mike T.
As for the best brand, that is like what is the best color car to have. You will get many replies as this is personal preference. Again, please search to see many many HID posts out there.
Mike T.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 335
Likes: 3
From: Lodi, CA
2001 CLK55 AMG
There are a ton of HID kits, search is your friend, DDT ships some decent kits, one suggestion I would make is that you make sure your lenses are crystal clear before going HID, or else you're just going to be upset with the results, and tick off other drivers on the road. Also, and this is definitely a matter of preference, but about 4300-4500 is stock, 5000 is noticeably blueish, but can pass for stock, 6000K is definitely not stock looking, and will grab attention from the police... If you happen to have a few at the bars on the weekend and drive home, probably not what you want. Not to mention the higher the light temperature, the lower the actual output.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 524
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
2013 FIAT Abarth 500
If you're getting HID...do other drivers a courtesy and get projector housings. Even though they have terrible cutoff patterns, at least they have some semblance of a shield so you're not blinding everyone on the road. Nothing more annoying than a car with halogen reflector housings and using HIDs.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 335
Likes: 3
From: Lodi, CA
2001 CLK55 AMG
People with 12000k HID's in halogen housings, that's the worst.
If you're getting HID...do other drivers a courtesy and get projector housings. Even though they have terrible cutoff patterns, at least they have some semblance of a shield so you're not blinding everyone on the road. Nothing more annoying than a car with halogen reflector housings and using HIDs.
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
2001 CLK320
There are a ton of HID kits, search is your friend, DDT ships some decent kits, one suggestion I would make is that you make sure your lenses are crystal clear before going HID, or else you're just going to be upset with the results, and tick off other drivers on the road. Also, and this is definitely a matter of preference, but about 4300-4500 is stock, 5000 is noticeably blueish, but can pass for stock, 6000K is definitely not stock looking, and will grab attention from the police... If you happen to have a few at the bars on the weekend and drive home, probably not what you want. Not to mention the higher the light temperature, the lower the actual output.
I got purchased mine and had them installed by a vendor on here. Tspny in the vendor section and if you check they still might be having the slim ballast on sale. Great product and high quality. Im going for the matching 6000k foglights pretty soon.
Good luck
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 335
Likes: 3
From: Lodi, CA
2001 CLK55 AMG
While I definitely agree 6000K is better than stock Halogen.... but in all technicality, the reason car manufactures chose 4300K to 4500K over 5000K and 6000K is mainly due to glare and light output. The higher you go in the Kelvin scale, the more glare produced by the light in direct view and off of fog / rain / snow / wet roads, and the less actual light output. You can google away, but here is a pretty accurate representation of the Kelvin scale of HID bulbs. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1387897
It's all a matter of personal taste, but the reason Halogen bulbs were blue coated back in the late 90's was to mimic stock HID's, which were 4300K, and, pretty pure white with a very slight hue of blue to them... I've had all flavors up to 8000K (I was young) and trust me, 6000K is pretty darn blue, if I can find the photo, I have a picture of my old contour with 5000K's in it, and they have a decent hint of blue.
Whereas this is my old Lexus with 4300K low beam and 3000k fog.
It's all a matter of personal taste, but the reason Halogen bulbs were blue coated back in the late 90's was to mimic stock HID's, which were 4300K, and, pretty pure white with a very slight hue of blue to them... I've had all flavors up to 8000K (I was young) and trust me, 6000K is pretty darn blue, if I can find the photo, I have a picture of my old contour with 5000K's in it, and they have a decent hint of blue.
Whereas this is my old Lexus with 4300K low beam and 3000k fog.
5000k isnt that much noticebly blue....8000k is. 6000k is a very "pure white" effect with a small hint of blue in there. If you want to avoid attention and stay on the low get 6000k like I have or 4300. The 6000k is amazing and far better than the stock.
I got purchased mine and had them installed by a vendor on here. Tspny in the vendor section and if you check they still might be having the slim ballast on sale. Great product and high quality. Im going for the matching 6000k foglights pretty soon.
Good luck
I got purchased mine and had them installed by a vendor on here. Tspny in the vendor section and if you check they still might be having the slim ballast on sale. Great product and high quality. Im going for the matching 6000k foglights pretty soon.
Good luck
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 50
From: Yokohama, Japan
2000 CLK 320
I have HID 6000K Fogs to match my HID 6000K Headlights which are pretty white. Kelvin is just a guideline of color temperature but no one enforces that as a standard on HID lights so you will see slight color variances between manufactures on any given Kelvin.
Last edited by Williams707; Jan 11, 2013 at 08:22 PM.
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Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 335
Likes: 3
From: Lodi, CA
2001 CLK55 AMG
Pretty blue dude, I actually like that, but the cops around here will bull you over for anything.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 50
From: Yokohama, Japan
2000 CLK 320
The first picture is a better picture taken with my Cannon 50D which represents better / shows how its more white than blue. It is pretty much an exact match to the 6000K on the HID Kelvin Head light Chart. The first picture with the HID 6000K also represents how my headlights would look if they were turned on. The second picture was taken with my cellphone and does look allot more blueish. I've also been through a few brands of HID Bulbs so I can tell you that there is no real standard when it comes to Kelvin bulbs. Hope this helps.
Last edited by Williams707; Jan 12, 2013 at 06:48 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 335
Likes: 3
From: Lodi, CA
2001 CLK55 AMG
I agree, there is no real standard... Also, a bulb can look drastically different from housing to housing. I put a set of 4300K's in my Volvo 850, straight out of my SC400 lexus.... They looked pure white in the lexus, and very blue in the Volvo, it all depends, and you can google HID Kelvin scale reference and come up with 5 variants showing drastic differences.... It's all personal choice. My point was the closer you stay to 4300-4500, the more stock it is going to look, kind of a "Play it safe" type of stance.
Thanks for the complement.
The first picture is a better picture taken with my Cannon 50D which represents better / shows how its more white than blue. It is pretty much an exact match to the 6000K on the HID Kelvin Head light Chart. The first picture with the HID 6000K also represents how my headlights would look if they were turned on. The second picture was taken with my cellphone and does look allot more blueish. I've also been through a few brands of HID Bulbs so I can tell you that there is no real standard when it comes to Kelvin bulbs. Hope this helps.
The first picture is a better picture taken with my Cannon 50D which represents better / shows how its more white than blue. It is pretty much an exact match to the 6000K on the HID Kelvin Head light Chart. The first picture with the HID 6000K also represents how my headlights would look if they were turned on. The second picture was taken with my cellphone and does look allot more blueish. I've also been through a few brands of HID Bulbs so I can tell you that there is no real standard when it comes to Kelvin bulbs. Hope this helps.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 50
From: Yokohama, Japan
2000 CLK 320
I agree, there is no real standard... Also, a bulb can look drastically different from housing to housing. I put a set of 4300K's in my Volvo 850, straight out of my SC400 lexus.... They looked pure white in the lexus, and very blue in the Volvo, it all depends, and you can google HID Kelvin scale reference and come up with 5 variants showing drastic differences.... It's all personal choice. My point was the closer you stay to 4300-4500, the more stock it is going to look, kind of a "Play it safe" type of stance.
Some say my car lights are so bright that it looks like a UFO coming down the street...
People can identify my car just by the lights at night...lol
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Aztec, NM
03' CLK320 Cabriolet W208
William I have an '03 cab 208 body & all I can seem to find are the spyder projection beams CCFL, I like the look of yours was wondering what brand they were. I'm considering an HID upgrade as well, living in deer country and all.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 50
From: Yokohama, Japan
2000 CLK 320
I assume you are talking about the headlights? I had those for years, I believe they were the first projectors that came out for the W208s. Heard they don't make them anymore. As for the fog lights they can still be purchased from a source in Japan. Let me know and I'll PM you their contact information.
