Modding a W211 on a budget...
Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 194
Likes: 10
From: Orange, CA
'12 528i, '05 E320, '05 Jag XJ8L, '04 CLK500, '03 S600, '92 Jeep Briarwood, '79 Rolls Royce
Looks awesome! I'd love to get the front lens off my headlight. The chrome popped off a little inside and now the car looks cross-eyed!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Which chrome part are you referring to? Maybe nonrelated, but when I installed my PIP HID kit I noticed my passenger projector had popped out of one of the three rotator joints. I had always wondered why my headlamp was aimed so low and couldn't be adjusted higher. Anyhow I was able to reach my hand inside the headlamp through the back wide opening and pulled the projector until it popped back into place. It look a lot of constant force and I feared that my hand would slip and get cut up bad, but all went well thankfully.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Yeah man, AutoGator has a website they update fairly often. They list all the vehicles they have in stock and each listing includes multiple very clear photos of the car inside and out. Just below they have a full list of parts still available with pricing and compatibility. They shipped out pretty quick to me and I got it in a few days. Packing was all brand new, box and dunnage. They have a shipping price minimum of $22 which my guess is to cover material and labor. I ended up paying $25 for shipping and I live 40 mins away, but would have never found the time to make the drive there. If I come across anymore dismantlers with a good website and they ship I'll be sure to update. Not a lot of ppl live in a city full of dismantlers let alone work down the street from a district of them.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Finally got around to completing my headlight retrofit. Again I swapped in clear projector lenses and 07+ low beam headlight bezels for that updated look. Baking each headlight at 207 degrees F for 7 mins exactly allowed for an easy removal of the headlight lens. Once off I removed the old low beam bezel and old projector. Then reinstalled with the clear lens projector and new bezel. One thing to note, the new bezel has a separate signal bulb reflector bowl that needed some tabs trimmed in order to fit into the 06 housing. One small piece of 3M double sided tape kept it from moving around when the signal bulb holder is removed, this is key since the bulb holder is actually used to hold the tail end of the reflector bowl in place. After that minor hiccup, rebaked and sealed waiting for install. Got the bumper in the paint shop so it'll be soon when I can update the revised front end and get some cutoff pics with the new projectors. Below are a few pics after lens removal.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Finally the front facelift E55 with 07-09 headlamps was installed today. Will get a few cleaner shots after a good car wash. For now, some progress shots.
Required a little cutting of the bumper support bracket on the far left and right sides. Going to have to change out the fog light pigtails from H7 to 9006 to work with the E55 foglights. Overall very impressed with the fresher look.
Required a little cutting of the bumper support bracket on the far left and right sides. Going to have to change out the fog light pigtails from H7 to 9006 to work with the E55 foglights. Overall very impressed with the fresher look.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
A shot of the beam spread and intensity of the 07-09 projectors with a clear lense swap.
My only before shot, unfortunately with sunset lighting.
Visually looks like the intensity doesn't fade out as drastically like the stock lense did.
My only before shot, unfortunately with sunset lighting.
Visually looks like the intensity doesn't fade out as drastically like the stock lense did.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Thanks man! Unfortunately those were cell phone pics, but in real life you can see the nice cutoff lines with the blue hue. I am technically running 07-09 projectors (taken from 07-09 housings), but they look and fit the same as the original 03-06 projectors I replaced.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Looking at my light switch I noticed an indicator light comes on when I activate my rear fog lamp, but can anyone confirm that I should be seeing the front fog light icon light up similarly when activated?
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 865
Likes: 61
From: Bay Area
14 550 sedan
I believe front fog lamps are indicated by a green light and rear fogs are indicated by a sort of orange light. Pull one click for front and two clicks for front and rear so if your rear lamp indicator is on, your front fogs indicator should be on too.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Thanks for that info. I guess it's been out forever since I never noticed any light there before.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Thanks man! Well I recently acquired a pair of power folding wing mirrors and I still have my pair of wing mirrors with integrated puddle lamps. So I'm hoping to make a pair with the two functions combined. This will still require some additional wiring on my part to connect the puddle lamps to the interior light circuit.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,184
Likes: 16
From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Yeah I was really excited to learn that there was a rear fog light built in. It can get pretty nasty in fog season here esp. since I live in a valley. However my initial question was regarding the small front fog light indicator on the switch and whether or not that had a separate light that should come on when I activate my front fogs with 1 pull. LemonSqueezy mentioned I should be seeing a green light behind that indicator when my front fogs are turned on. Perhaps you could confirm as well. Maybe the indicator bulb has burned out, I know it's a habit of my wife to use fogs every time she drives at night and was nearing 120,000 miles before I started driving the car.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,184
Likes: 16
From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
Yeah it can improve visibility quite well and was intended for use on the autobahn where just one bright rear light can make the difference for a driver far behind you. Neat little feature. I would say you're correct, the indicator has probably burned out, because you are supposed to see a green light for the front fogs on the first click out, and then the orange on the second click out for the rears. Just make sure that the fog lights are in proper operation and then decide if it is really worth it to get that fixed if it bothers you.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Yeah it can improve visibility quite well and was intended for use on the autobahn where just one bright rear light can make the difference for a driver far behind you. Neat little feature. I would say you're correct, the indicator has probably burned out, because you are supposed to see a green light for the front fogs on the first click out, and then the orange on the second click out for the rears. Just make sure that the fog lights are in proper operation and then decide if it is really worth it to get that fixed if it bothers you.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,184
Likes: 16
From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
Yeah it's a pretty nice setup! I wish the fogs were on a separate switch though so I could leave the car on auto mode and operate them independently. LEDs can fail due to heat but it is probably a rare occurrence for this type of application. My guess is that you would have to replace the PCB they are soldered to but not sure how that whole switch assembly works at all.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Yeah I hear ya on them LEDs failing under extreme heat. I ordered a bunch of spare canbus T10 LEDs for the front parking lights. Spent $20 for some AZN ones only to see flicker two weeks later. Spent $20 on a full interior kit from a fellow member and now I have like 10 spares. I actually enjoy small electrical projects so when I get some time I guess it's on.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,184
Likes: 16
From: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
2014 BMW M235i
I also spent $20 on the AZNOptics T10s and got some flicker, all I had to do was e-mail them and they sent me out a new batch with spares at absolutely no cost to me within like 2 days. But sounds good man let me know what you find!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 222
Likes: 1
2006 E350
Hi, no cutting necessary. Baking each headlight at 207 degrees F for 7 mins exactly allows for an easy removal of the headlight lens. I would suggest opening from the big side toward the small side in case the butyl get stretchy and wants to dangle and stick on anything. This method will allow for the butyl to hang around the smaller shroud instead of the other way around damaging your chrome. Try not to wipe the chrome either, rather use a duster or compressed air. Any wiping even with a micro fiber towel will scratch and or remove the chrome from the surface. You planning to do a facelift/clear lens retro as well? Or Bi-Xenon retro?
