Just wondering if the OP's car has halogen projectors or reflectors?
If there are halogen projectors in the housing, the situation may not be that bad as plug and play HIDs will be a reasonable option (still not the best as HID projector). Some have also placed higher wattage halogens such as Osram hyper, etc to achieve a good beam if you already have projectors.
If the car had halogen reflectors, then the options are very limited short of OEM HID housing replacement.

 

Geez, where's all the anger coming from. How do you know the OP isn't concerned about making legal upgrades? All he said was he hates the non-HID look. He didn't say he didn't care if his upgrade actually decreased his visibility, or impaired other drivers, or was legal. You must be psychic.

I simply asked if he could achieve his easy, "non-HID look" upgrade using halogen bulbs. I asked because I don't know the answer. You seem to know everything, so answer the question. Thank you so much.

 

Look, no one is arguing the legalities. I've already said these are not DOT certified and like most aftermarket modifications, not street legal.

Although HID glare is annoying, to my knowledge, it has not been the direct cause of any accidents (I will allow that NHTSA has said it poses a higher risk). That's not to say there hasn't been, but it's just not tracked independently as glare based accidents are clumped together with sun related glare.

Here's an excerpt about a study by UofM:
-------------
Despite complaints from oncoming drivers, the glare from HID lights doesn't seem to cause accidents, hard as that might be to swallow. NHTSA knows of no injuries or deaths caused by HID glare. And University of Michigan studies of HID glare found that, while it annoys oncoming drivers, it doesn't disable them.


"Discomfort glare is not always related to disability glare. Our result is about discomfort," says Michael Flannagan, research scientist at the university's Transportation Research Institute.


The university has spent at least 10 years trying to quantify the problem, and thinks it has done so. The short version: Oncoming drivers are bothered by HID glare because of its harsher, blue light. Light from conventional tungsten-halogen headlights is toward the softer, red end of the spectrum. Halogens have to put out 1.5 times as much light as HID lights do to cause the same wincing, squinting and looking away. "We think there is some problem with glare, but we think it's a good trade-off," Flannagan says. "Our overall opinion of HIDs is that they are good things. HID lamps can be, and normally are, better for seeing."


A recent Society of Automotive Engineers technical paper agrees. It notes that HID lights' wider beam and greater output makes them dramatically better than tungsten-halogen lights "in detecting edge-of-roadway hazards, such as pedestrians and animals." But the same factors also "may produce more glare," acknowledge the authors, John Van Derlofske, John Bullough and Claudia Hunter of the lighting research center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
--------------

So all that said, yes, running aftermarket HIDs is illegal. So is no front plates. So are wheel spacers. So are those non-DOT aftermarket wheels (most out there). So is going 70 in a 65 zone. For us, HIDs is a very small part of our business line as we're simply distributors for Morimoto after our customers here repeatedly asked us to offer HID options. Our primary business line that we control, design, and manufacture are LEDs. Personally, I admit, I curse under my breath when I see HIDs coming at me in halogen reflectors and ALWAYS advise our customers that this is not recommended and the proper way of doing it would be with correct xenon projectors or headlight housing replacements that are designed for xenons (DEPO, HELLA, etc). I'm also annoyed when I see what I know are OEM xenons coming at me, even self leveling. Why? Because I live in hilly areas and due to the increased intensity of xenons and the spectrum, it does have discomfort glare when looking straight at it. Does that prevent me from buying a car with OEM xenon lighting package? Nope. Because I can see the road better, even though I know it's an annoyance to others.

 

There are brighter halogen bulbs out there, but it seemed to me OP was more upset the lights not matching the LED DRL, therefore color, not brightness or output performance. The only halogen bulb that we've seen that can sniff high enough temps are Philips Diamond Visions, but to hit those temps, they sacrificed lumens and longevity.

 

Hahaha i was answering the OPs question directly and you guys were replying everything about legallity and all these bs and im the one who knows everything? Most idiots dont know they are so ill give you that.

And who said i was angry? Ill just keep shaking my head and rolling my eyes with people like you.

 

For the last time, ill QUOTE the OP to make it easier. I was told that multiple choice is the easiest way for idiots to understand (not referring to the OP) so here goes...

Possible answers to the question...
"Does anybody know the easiest way for me to upgrade my ****ty halogen headlights so they match the running lights underneath"...

a. Not legal
b. Legal
c. Change halogen bulb to HID
d. None of the above

If you cant figure it out then i cant help you. Im out of here.

 

Halogen project does have a wider cone, but its not really not as bad as putting HID kits in reflector housing. The worst is those kids who buy 55 watts HID kits and put them in their 10 year old dull up reflector housing, the light pretty much goes everywhere due to the old lens. By the way, cops have better things to do then to pull over cars with after market headlights.

 

Wouldn't make much difference. Reflectors or projectors are designed around a certain bulb type. I'd actually think that a projector would give worse results.

 

I actually know Mike quite well and I'm well familiar with that study.

The study focused (yep, I intended that) on legal HID glare - i.e. that perceived glare caused by the blue light from HID's and DID NOT consider glare caused by an improper installation.

Like you, I find oncoming HID's a bit annoying at times but I do find myself actually momentarily blinded by aftermarket HID kits.

 

I honestly laugh at people who can afford a $25k+ car but bicker about $50 pnp HID kits from eBay. You want to look like a pissed off 16 year old in a $1800 civic? Be my guest, you want to do it correctly and look like a genuine luxury car, do a retrofit.

I bought my 09 ZX6r which had pnp HIDs in the stock halogen projectors. Did a retrofit to Mini D2S projectors and 5k bulbs. Honestly if you think a set of pnp HIDs will do you any good for even looks your an idiot.

Top is the pnp buls in stock halogen projector housings, bottom is a true retrofit.

 

I stand corrected. The above pictures prove your point beyond doubt. That is pretty awesome difference. Nice job with the retrofit.

 

Wow! Strong words from a newbie!

As i dont disagree with you with the light output where i clearly stated it from my first reply, who the freak do you think you are to tell somebody what looks good and not on their own car? An aesthetic mod is subjective. What looks good to others may not be so pleasing with you.

You know what i honestly laugh at? People who dont even have a merc but thinks they can join the merc forum and bash around. Pathetic if you ask me.

Anyway, i already unsubscribed from this thread just so happen that it was bumped up. Oh well, seems the bag of idiots is still left open.

 

The HID kit in a halogen projector will produce less glare due to the narrower cone compare to HID in a reflector housing. Performance wise, like you said, the HID projector will cast the best beam because it is design for the HID bulb, but HID in a halogen projector is still an vast improvement over Halogen bulbs.

 

Well see I'm not telling anyone what looks good or doesn't, my concern is functionality and not blinding other motorists. Sure there are many cosmetic benefits from HIDs but a pnp kit gets you 10% of what you could achieve. The fact you consider a headlight mod a "cosmetic" is concerning at best. Its a performance part; I never understood guys that modify motors, suspensions, drivetrain but cheap out on headlights. It's the simplest peace of mind that perhaps you will see that deer coming from the side of the road or better see the black ice ahead. There is a correct way and a wrong way to do something, pnp's in halogen projectors are a murky middle ground. It's a gambling game, some halogen projectors perform on par with HID projectors, others blast the light like a pnp kit in a reflector. Then you have the differences in the aftermarket bulbs. A millimeter difference in the focal point of the arc can be a world of difference in the light distribution.

Yes you are correct I do not own a mercedes, heaven forbid. I came here to learn about Mercedes before I take the dive. However with the job I recently took I'll be on the road every week for the next year and buying a newer car makes little sense right now. I'd like to come here to study and learn more before I make this purchase but don't let that get in the way of your ego.

It's debatable, like I said above, its a gambling game. I can't say for sure how these projectors handle the light. This week alone I've seen 2 C300's with pnp HIDs that had more glare than a jacked up pickup. Does that mean the E series handles the light better? I don't know.

 

If you want Bixenon's in a Mercedes, get a model that has them as a factory option. You miss a couple other features that a factory bixenon would have, headlamp washers, and active curve illumination. I think by 2014, they got rid of bixenon and went with LED. Use a VIN decoder like this one:

http://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/Mercedes-Benz

Or you can just look at the front of the car and see if it has the openings for the headlamp washers. It wasn't a very common option so you'd have to look at several in order to find it.

 

There are different quality halogen projector as well as different quality HID projectors, but German cars tend to have high quality projectors. Those 2 C300 your saw could have 55 watt hid kits in them, they glare like a son of a gun.

 

Absolutely, or those cheap eBay aftermarket headlights which we won't even talk about for quality...

 

SOME people believe it or not change from halogen to HID for one purpose, aesthetics. i changed my halogen on my old 211 with projector with HID and as far as I know i didnt have any problems with oncoming motorist (never had an instance when an oncoming motorist honked at me or flashed their high beam), produced decent light output, a bit better from my halogen if you ask me. but im happier with how it looked like compared to the old and outdated yellow light. turned out to be aethetic over performance.

not trying to get into a pissing competition with you but you did mention this..

"Honestly if you think a set of pnp HIDs will do you any good for even looks your an idiot."

that just ticked me off. and dont get me wrong about the "no merc" thing i said but youre like...."attending to a high school reunion....and you didnt even go to high school and yet you get drunk and started bashing people." do you get my drift?

some people lower their cars, some would say for performance some would say aesthetics, some would put bigger wheels, performance or aesthetics? its all subjective. so dont go calling people "idiot" for what they wanna do with their mercs...hey at least they have one.

 

Yes the "Idiot" was a bit out of line, I had just come home from drinks with my coworkers and spent 2 miles being tailed by a moron with blinding HIDs in a C300, come on here and see a thread on HIDs, got under my skin.

My biggest beef with pnp's in Mercedes and other higher end vehicles is, you can afford the vehicle, why can't you now afford proper lighting? These are the same kits used by kids in Honda's, Acura's, VW's and the like. Just seems if you want something clean and sporty why not keep up with that style and go for quality parts?


Honestly its hard to fight that color flicker...

 

99% of the time, quality suffers when you get something for dirt cheap. kudos on you for doin it the right way and you get great results i see.

some owners prefer to go the dealer way, most expensive i reckon, some go to indys, some go the DIY (correct way) and some try the DIY cheap way (who doesnt wanna save a few here and there?). if they can get away with the latter with "ok" results for themselves so be it.

a lot of things are debatable here, amg badge on a non amg vehicle, cutting springs to coilovers, replica rims to oem. for me, you can do whatever you want with your car. it may look hideous to me or for some but if youre happy with it, my opinion doesnt matter.

 

indy's? Is that some place specific to Australia?

The only reason why I put so much emphasis on proper headlights is

A) there are a lot of people who upgrade their headlights with the pnp bulbs not realizing its not the correct way to do it. It's a good feeling when you show someone the ways to much better lighting. Often I am dealing with people with reflective style headlights and not so much projectors. That brings me to the next point.

B) I can have my feelings and opinions on how someone chooses to badge, camber, slam, or otherwise ruin a perfectly good car. But you're right, in the end of the day its there car and I 100% agree with that. However the minute you install a cheap set of HIDs improperly that produce blinding glare and effects me, then its something I'm going to fight about. I've already had to stop in a snow storm and bad fog because of blinding HIDs. It's when your problem becomes my problem that I have an issue.

 

Indy's are independent mechanics which are cheaper than the dealer. In Europe I think they require headlamp washers on HID because snow and dirt can cause excess glare. Of course people who retrofit HID lights aren't putting in headlamp washers. On the previous generation W211, they had headlamp washers on models that weren't HID, but I think on W212, if it has headlamp washers, it has factory Bi-xenons.

 

not saying youre wrong in any way mate, but understand that you are fighting a war you cant win. some people will do what they want how they want it, NOT the way you want or hope it would be.

heck, i want the simplest thing for all drivers out there...to use their indicators (turn lights) when they need to. is that happening? NEVER! just the way it is.

anyways, this is getting out of context again...

OP: just do it and change your halogens to HID, very simple and and very cheap mod. you'll love it. dont listen to others about legal stuff and what not. have you ever heard of an accident caused by HID blindness or somebody got pulled over by coppers for this?

 

Once again, "mate", you have used your tarot cards to presume the OP didn't want or appreciate the comments from others about his "easy" upgrade. Now that he has the facts, he may be saying to himself, "OMG, what was I thinking? Only an idiot would do that."

BTW, Merc is a defunct division of Ford which hasn't sold cars in 5 or 6 years. This here's a Mercedes forum.

 

this guy. such a loser.

thanks for reminding me that this is a Mercedes forum. for one second I thought I was on a losers forum since your name popped up.