Mackhack

Do all auto tuning shops like AutoZone or Kragen carry the H7 55W low beam light bulbs or do I have to go to a MB certified shop or dealership to buy one?

bernard farquar

Very, very common bulb. You will find it in any store that sells autoparts.

jbenz2001

Ebay bro,really really cheap

Mackhack

Cheap doesn't help me, I need it know My CI told me last night: "Low Beam left". Kragen I saw have them for 15 bucks. Not bad. I thought it might be in the 50 bucks range.

Thanks guys!

Mackhack

Got the light bulb. On the back side of the package there are different versions printed from Standard 3100K up to 4100k. Could I also use the 4100k in my car? B/c the standard are really not the brightest bulbs out there. It's halogen but I think my old Golf 3 light bulbs were brighter than the ones in my car now.

ohlord

on cheap one from walmart.
Then do yourself a favor and treat the car to a set of 65watt rally h7 bulbs from www.danielsternlighting.com
brighten up the night

Mackhack

I'm just looking. I think I'm bringing it back. I saw this one:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...98_1516%2C8549

Can I even use 65W if the original is 55W?

bernard farquar

Kragen has a low price guarantee, go back in with your recipt and tell them you want it for the lower price. They will give you the difference back, save you a trip.

Mackhack

Autozone and Kragen are under one roof now as I found out. They call themselves now O'Reilly Auto Parts. I went to Autozone and got the Sylvania Silverstar Ultra/Headlight with 4100k 55W H7. There is def. a difference in the brightness and I like it so far. Not quite like a bright Bi-Xenon system but it's def. worth the upgrade. Next step is to clean the build up on the plastic housing with 3M Headlight Restoration Kit.

Clinton Horn

[QUOTE=Mackhack;4598023] Sylvania Silverstar Ultra/Headlight with 4100k 55W H7. There is def. a difference in the brightness and I like it so far.

They are noticeably better. Unfortunately they have an estimated life of 800 hours, warranty for one year only. If you use DRL they wont last long. I complained to Sylvania and they basically said be prepared to replace them annually. I am searching for something equal with a better service life. $50 is a little steep for yearly light bulb service.

Mackhack

True! But I hope in a year I'll have retrofitted Bi-Xenons

ohlord

65 watt bulb can be used. It is an H9 burner on an H7 base.
No lamp malfunctions and longer life and much brighter.
I have one set that is almost 4 years old and still going strong.
I think of all the cars, I have had more tiny h6w city light bulbs die than driving lights.

anewbie

How come when I go to different websites, put in my car's year and model (2006, e-320), for low beam, I always get D2S or D1S, not H7? I searched for H7 bulbs on autopartwarehouse.com, and found these: http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/se...n&No=10&Npp=10 - notice for H7 bulbs (1st couple) the Fit Note: H-7 - 55w - High Beam can't it be used for low beam? It sounds like that's what you guys are using it for. I'm confused.

dmphil

My manual says the part is an H7 (55W). Manual says it should be changed by an authorized MB dealer. . . yeah, right! Anybody have any difficulty doing this change themselves? While I'm not a mechanic by far, I'm not a total idiot either.

Mackhack

First time took me 5 minutes to figure or out, since then 20 seconds!

Make sure you touch the bulb only with a paper towel or gloves. Oil and grease on your fingers will burn in on the glass making the bulb go dim.

mtrevelino

I had a difficult time with getting the bulb back in (twisting it). I ended taking a pair of pliers and slightly bending the retaining tabs and it went in.
Mike T.

Mackhack

The bulb will only work if it's inserted the correct way. The socket is a bit tough to twist 1/4 rotation to lock it in place but no pliers needed really. But I'm glad you did it without forking up $100 for te dealer.

dmphil

Thanks for the advice. Got the bulb for $13 from AutoZone and paid $10 for the 5 minute install. Avoided being gouged by the local dealership. Watched the mechanic so next time I'll do it myself. The $10 lesson was worth it!

joshg1001

Does anyone know the brand of the OEM bulb? Are they Hella?

sunnySD

When you replace a bulb, do you replace both of them? I had to replace my passenger side one. I got bruises on my forearm doing it. I saw that if I wanted to do the driver side one too, I'd have to break the locking tab which holds down the coolant reservoir and move the coolant bottle. I said to myself, "Hell with it," and just replaced one bulb. After doing the driver side bulb, how do you lock down the coolant bottle? I was thinking to use a cable tie wrap if that fits.

mtrevelino

Here is a picture of the clip that holds the coolant reservoir. All you have to do is loosen it and pull the clip out. I do not see why a cable tie would not work until you purchase the clip.
Mike T.

Mackhack

Bad design? Definitely.

As bad as you describe it? Definitely not. I replaced my bulbs 4 times on each side in 8 years and I never broke anything nor did I bruise myself doing it.

If you wanna replace both sides at the same time is determined by what type of bulbs you have and how bad of a difference in the color it is. When I switched to brighter ones the first time I replaced both, then only the bad one and it was literally left side, right side, left side, right side,...

sunnySD

Cool, thanks guys, appreciate the info on that clip for the coolant reservoir. I assume I can get that at Home Depot or Autozone, not having to get it from my dealer?

Machack, you must have thinner forearms than me. I think my forearms are thin and I got bruised up. Maybe the next time I have to do it, I'll have learned from the first replacement. I hope it's not something I have to do every couple years. This first bulb went out at 5 years and 70K miles.

Mackhack

I have normal forearms Probably just more experience from changinge them out a lot on the E320. I bought the Silverlight H7 which are a bit brighter but only last so many hours before they burn out.

I'm so happy with the E55's Bi-Xenons. 5 x Brighter and last forever.

cetialpha5

Bixenon's are brighter, but are only good for 2500-3000 hours. They also dim with age just like halogens. I'm tempted to get a new set, but there's a lot of fake ones out there and the fakes might not be as bright as OEM so I guess I'll wait a bit longer. Curve illumination is also pretty cool, but it's only noticeable on dark roads.