GL Class (X164) 2007-2012: GL320CDI, GL420CDI, GL450, GL550

HID Conversion with pictures

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Old 12-28-2009, 11:52 AM
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2008 GL550 Obsidian Black/Black
Here are some pictures of my side markers




I also changed my turn signals

Old 12-28-2009, 02:03 PM
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very nice.
Old 08-04-2010, 05:42 PM
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2009 GL450, 06 Triumph Speed Triple, 07 Triumph Speedmaster
Hey axchung, could you give specs, and where you got them, on all the bulbs you used for the side markers and parking lights? I just put in HID fogs to complete the look of my HID lowbeams and now the yellows of the stock bulbs are bugging me.

Thanks.

EDIT: Never mind. Saw it another post.

Last edited by Josey92; 08-04-2010 at 06:05 PM.
Old 11-22-2010, 07:19 PM
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2010 GL450
HID Conversion with pictures

It took me about 1.5 hours completing the HID conversion for my GL450.

Special thanks to redroc14 and BlownV8 for the installation details and pictures!

Can anyone tell how to change the parking light bulbs? I can reach the parking light socket with just a finger on top and a finger on the bottom, and as you know, there isn't much room there. Do I need to twist counter-clockwise to unplug or is a snap connector?

Thanks,

JK
Attached Thumbnails HID Conversion with pictures-gl450_hid.jpg  
Old 05-19-2011, 12:40 PM
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Are the bulbs w5w? Im going to test out some LEDs (the ones I have have resistors on them) Hopefully they wont give an error code. I will report back when I get an answer.
Old 05-28-2011, 04:03 PM
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Hi Blown V8! I wanted to click on your link from your post to see your HID kit on eBay...the link says the listing does not exist, because its been over 90 days, and after 90 days ebay removes the listing after it expires. Could you please repost it?

Thanks!
Old 06-25-2011, 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by ddcha
I just installed my aftermarket kit from www.xenithxenons.com
I am very happy with it. I got the 6000k H7 kit. George, who owns the business, was a great pleasure to deal with.

I was a little intimidated by the installation because my bulbs had the plastic bases, but I made it work with some improv. I reused the OEM metal clips as outlined in the very helpful DIY instructions above. I had to slightly bend some of the metal parts of the metal clips to get it to fit in the socket properly. Once I got one side on, the other was a breeze. Overall, the longest and painful part of installation was the filing. I didn't have a real metal file so I used my wife's metal nail file . No error codes, all the wires and the small ballasts fit inside of the headlight housing. No drilling, no splicing, nothing. It was great. I will take some shots later, but I highly recommend xenithxenons, which I came across after I saw a writeup elsewhere.

special thanks to blownv8 and redroc14 for the effort they took to post this step by step.

I just picked up the Xenith Xenons today and i wanted to know how you even managed to put the retaining clip positioned between the bulb and the rubber grommet???
Old 06-28-2011, 09:32 AM
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Originally Posted by albertm001
I just picked up the Xenith Xenons today and i wanted to know how you even managed to put the retaining clip positioned between the bulb and the rubber grommet???
you need to file down the oem clips so they will fit over plastic bulb base. Also, I put everything inside the housing.
Old 08-29-2011, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by jchochla
Hi Blown V8! I wanted to click on your link from your post to see your HID kit on eBay...the link says the listing does not exist, because its been over 90 days, and after 90 days ebay removes the listing after it expires. Could you please repost it?

Thanks!
Do we know where BlownV8 bought his kit/lights? He seemed to get the ones with a metal base vs. plastic?
Old 08-30-2011, 09:36 PM
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I got the ones from Retro solutions and they are metal.
Old 10-04-2011, 11:07 AM
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Trouble?

Originally Posted by lfe136
I got the ones from Retro solutions and they are metal.
I picked them up from Retro soln as well. I am having a lot of trouble with those in my 2008 GL450.

1st AFter 34 mins one side goes off
2nd the replacement Balast they send is also having the same trouble.

I tried changing the balast side and now it is random. Sometimes left goes out sometime right goes out. looks like wrong kit for me

I bought the 55w Balast from them (non Slim). How is your's holding up.

I like the quality of the parts and lights are good when they work. But reliability is kicking in as I drive daily 1 hr to work and lights go out after 30-40 mins.

Please help!!!
Old 10-04-2011, 11:19 AM
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I ordered from retro as well and they sent me a kit with plastic bulbs. I had to cut up my retainer clip so wide to fit the wires/connectors, etc..that they don't hold the bulb in any more. I am not impressed.
Old 10-04-2011, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by markGL320
I ordered from retro as well and they sent me a kit with plastic bulbs. I had to cut up my retainer clip so wide to fit the wires/connectors, etc..that they don't hold the bulb in any more. I am not impressed.
Did you order 35W or 55W from them? Also are your's slim? Are your's working atleast? Mine dies after 30-40 mins
Old 10-04-2011, 11:26 AM
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I ordered the 55W kit and they are not slims - the regular ones I guess. I didn't run them that long. Sounds like you should return yours. I couldn't get the bulb/retainer clip to stay in the headlight unit so I went back to the factory arrangement (I did put in $50 xenonish bulbs - Sylvania). They are a big big improvement from the crappy stock benz halogen bulbs
Old 10-04-2011, 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by markGL320
I ordered the 55W kit and they are not slims - the regular ones I guess. I didn't run them that long. Sounds like you should return yours. I couldn't get the bulb/retainer clip to stay in the headlight unit so I went back to the factory arrangement (I did put in $50 xenonish bulbs - Sylvania). They are a big big improvement from the crappy stock benz halogen bulbs
So i have exactly same setup like your's. 55W Non slim. I managed to get it fitted and even the entire big Ballast and Capacitors in the housing. All looked so much nice. only if it stayed on forever.
Old 10-04-2011, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by lfe136
I got the ones from Retro solutions and they are metal.
LFE. How are yours holding? Do they run like 1 hr?
Old 10-04-2011, 12:23 PM
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mine are still running strong. George at Xenithxenons.com, even though they are plastic base. could have changed though since it's been a while. I have the slim ballast.
Old 10-04-2011, 04:33 PM
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Good Grounding for Capacitors

Retro Guys are helping me out. Couple of things that could be wrong is polarity of capacitor or grounding. I didn't ground the capacitor and that is what could be causing it. I would update forum after I confirm the fix working.


Any help in finding grounding in the housing?
Old 10-07-2011, 05:21 PM
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Mine are working fine with no issues. I also have the 55w big ballast. And yes I did ground my caps, you have too or you will get the errors. The only issues I have is sometimes when I leave them on auto and start the car the surge or of power from the start causes my left light to turn off and give an error code. easily fixed by turning the car off and then back on.......
Old 10-07-2011, 05:23 PM
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oh and as for grounding, I clipped off the connector from the ground wire on the cap and spliced it back into the ground wire to the lights. no issues. you know retro solutions also sells a nicer cambus box that does the same as the caps. you might want to try that.
Old 10-10-2011, 11:44 PM
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No experience with this seller but they offer the conversion bulbs with metal base:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Canad...item3cb9ac90fb
Old 10-11-2011, 12:57 PM
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Thanks

Originally Posted by lfe136
oh and as for grounding, I clipped off the connector from the ground wire on the cap and spliced it back into the ground wire to the lights. no issues. you know retro solutions also sells a nicer cambus box that does the same as the caps. you might want to try that.
Thanks LFE. I am getting a replacement Ballast. I did ground them to light Grounds as well just like you said. However Still now luck. Also the problem Ballasts gets too Hot and then shuts off after 30 some minutes always. Thinking some Manufacturing problem. Would keep posted on the results.
Old 10-20-2011, 09:19 PM
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Thank you all

First of all Thanks to everybody in the Forum including OP. Now I can proudly say my GL has Xenon lights and boy they are day and night from factory lights.

The folks at Retro-solutions were very helpful. it looks like the Ballasts had issue and were replaced by them. Also the grounding was problem which I later corrected by grounding the capacitors to source Ground connections.

I would recommend Retro guys as they stood by what they sold me and the kit is plug and play.


Next project is getting Running Board/ Rear Chrome plate/ LED Strip Fog Lights.

Cheapest first. Rear chrome plate .
Old 03-29-2012, 12:40 AM
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I have a 2011 GL350 without the lighting package (and thus only halogen projectors). Looking to upgrade to HID setup, but i'm hearing that the new 2011+ mercedes have CANBUS or CAN BUS systems that require a specific capacitor or something (?) different from years previous. Does anybody have insight?
Old 03-29-2012, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by merlyn412
I have a 2011 GL350 without the lighting package (and thus only halogen projectors). Looking to upgrade to HID setup, but i'm hearing that the new 2011+ mercedes have CANBUS or CAN BUS systems that require a specific capacitor or something (?) different from years previous. Does anybody have insight?
All the GL's have CANBUS. Follow the instructions posted here and you will be OK.


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