StevethePilot

Okay, so I should be working but it's Wednesday and the 1st of July, so I think that's my excuse for instead cruising eBay looking at what they have there for the GL. Man, if you want rims ... anyway, I noticed several auctions of stock (i.e. Mercedes-branded) HID ballasts and bulbs. My question is, in the opinion of my peers here, is it a better bet to go with the stock equipment if you can find it or with a kit, were someone to be comtemplating putting HIDs in a non-HID truck?

This is, of course, purely hypothetical. I don't know what the future holds for my GL. Could be a keep, could be a sell, could be who knows.

Thanks in advance for arguing passionately with each other. Love it.

STP

MKW

My understanding has been that installing HID bulbs/ ballast systems in an OEM headlight housing originally designed for halogen incandescent bulbs results in blinding oncoming traffic and result in only a hotter /whiter , but still smaller beam pattern. Typical example are those " rice rockets " that appear in your rear view mirror with their blinding headlights but when they pass you they have a comical bright -white tiny flashlight sized patches of light thrown about 10 feet in front of their cars as opposed to broad , deep ,fairly even L/R pattern of OEM HID headlamps .

It's because OEM lamp housings for HID bulbs are designed with different beam pattern as incorporated by the reflector and / or front lens and most of the better systems have leveling systems to compensate for heavy loads in the trunk to prevent blinding oncoming cars .

BlownV8

STP, do a search on the topic. I even posted a picture of the beam pattern after the HID install on my H7 Mercedes projectors. The cut-off was very sharp and I have yet to be flashed by anyone. I drive between 3,000 - 4,000 miles a month and have had the conversion for over 6,000 miles with no complaints from any drivers. There are a few others that have also done the conversion without issues.

I have a set of actual HID headlights for the GL. One needs a new lens but you can take it off your stock headlight and transfer it over. I was going to do it on mine but I tried the conversion first and have not looked back. If anyone wants a set of stock GL HID headlights, I'll sell the set, right and left, for $550 delivered anywhere in the continental US.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...-pictures.html

evoviiiyou

I did the same thing and the cut off was perfect and I got no error messages. I am very happy 45 days after my install.

am_beagle

My two-cent:
I used MTec conversion HID set for more than a year and love it. No complaints from whoever.
The HID bulbs were behind the projectors for low beam= sharp cut.
NOT every OEM-HID car and truck got self-leveling system, only the one with airmatic get it.

Steve:
I bought the used OEM bi-xenons and found out both high and low beam share a same bulb behind the projector. At high beam, a mechanical cover would move to give way to a higher beam.
That would make the install of those OEM ballasts and bulbs into a non-HID light housing more complicated. Still love to find ways to do that.