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I have a 2010 GL350 with OEM halogen bulbs. They are very dim and I want to upgrade. Looking for any advice--especially with experience upgrading to LED. Also, can anyone recommend a professional installer in San Francisco Bay Area?
After much online research, I see 3 upgrade options:
). Bulb retainer clips need to be modified. Ballasts need to be installed, etc. I don't think I want to attempt it myself but would consider with a professional install. Online comments seem to favor mostly this option.
. In terms of Lumens, these are definitely the brightest option. No need for external ballast. Not a lot of info online (maybe because it is relatively new technology?). Some people complain the light pattern is inferior to HID. The lamp base is large so I don't know if it will fit in the housing without modification. Also the clips will likely need to be modified.
Looking for any advice and experience--especially plug-and-play upgrade kits with new clips or professional install. I am looking for lights that will provide the most visibility.
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
I really dont understand why Mercedes makes halogen standard bulbs on a car of this price class....its dumbfouding to even think about....
Our 2016 GLI has oem xenons....and even my ML 55 from 2000 came oem equipped with Xenons...
Shame! dingaling aling :P
Go for a xenon retrofit! It should work perfectly in the stock projector bulb housing and xenons will apparently provide better light quality than leds....
I have done a lot of research including talking to some installers and most everyone agrees that HID is better (brighter). Apparently the Lumens rating for LEDs is misleading. Also, some people claim that the LEDs do not work well with a projector lamp. So, I have two more questions:
1. For HID you need to choose between 35w and 55w. Is there any reason _not_ to get 55w?
2. Any recommendations for a specific conversion kit? Most (almost all) are under $60
. But some, such as http://www.mteclightingusa.com/MTEC_Xenon_HID_Conversion_Kit_Mercedes_Benz_X164_p/hid-x164.htm are $260. Is there any reason to pay the $200 premium?
BTW, in terms of installers in the SF Bay Area, I have found:
Xtreme HID
T&R Lighting
Bright Auto Lights
I have done a lot of research including talking to some installers and most everyone agrees that HID is better (brighter). Apparently the Lumens rating for LEDs is misleading. Also, some people claim that the LEDs do not work well with a projector lamp. So, I have two more questions:
I did an extensive thread on H7 LED replacements. They seem to work pretty well. Installing them is not easy, but it's not the end of the world, either. The halogen bulbs, with their clips, are a pain to fiddle with, too.
It's important to understand that the technology is maturing. Not the individual parts, but how the manufacturers are putting them together. In just the last few years they've gone from a bunch of stuff randomly slapped together to settling on a respectable, robust design.
Anyway, I'm pretty happy with mine, and no way would I put $$ into a trailing technology like HID. Before long there won't be a non LED bulb on a car.
As for the other point.... the issue with LEDs isn't LEDs as a technology or even performance.... it's the light spread pattern in housing not designed specifically to capture LED surface mounted light spread. You often end up with reduced throw distance, dark spots, and light scatter. HIDs are true 360 spread similar to halogens, and the halogen housing is better designed to capture and project forward that full lighting spread (although admittedly at a slight variance in focal point).
the issue with LEDs isn't LEDs as a technology or even performance.... it's the light spread pattern in housing not designed specifically to capture LED surface mounted light spread. You often end up with reduced throw distance, dark spots, and light scatter.
Yeah, we pretty much beat that topic to death in the other thread. I'm sure there are LEDs with dark spots, etc., but mine seem to work pretty well. The high beams, especially, are fantastic. Perfect beam pattern and they "throw" further than any braking distance I'll ever drive. And they're 10% the cost of HID.
I'm not out to harsh your biz or sell LEDs; just saying what I found.
For what it's worth, looked into lighting for off-road purposes. That's like 100% LED now.
I have a 2010 GL350 with OEM halogen bulbs. They are very dim and I want to upgrade. Looking for any advice--especially with experience upgrading to LED. Also, can anyone recommend a professional installer in San Francisco Bay Area?
After much online research, I see 3 upgrade options:
1. Upgrade halogen bulbs to something like Philips X-treme Vision. Most simple to do (just changing a bulb) but results are only moderately improved over OEM.
2. Upgrade to HID. Several kits available (for example Kensun HID Xenon H7 Conversion Kit). But it seems like a difficult install (YouTube video). Bulb retainer clips need to be modified. Ballasts need to be installed, etc. I don't think I want to attempt it myself but would consider with a professional install. Online comments seem to favor mostly this option.
3. Upgrade to LED. For example HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit -H7. In terms of Lumens, these are definitely the brightest option. No need for external ballast. Not a lot of info online (maybe because it is relatively new technology?). Some people complain the light pattern is inferior to HID. The lamp base is large so I don't know if it will fit in the housing without modification. Also the clips will likely need to be modified.
Looking for any advice and experience--especially plug-and-play upgrade kits with new clips or professional install. I am looking for lights that will provide the most visibility.
Thanks,
Dan
Xeonx Depot has excellent costumer service and they warrany all thier products. The extreme kit is the best by far if you're looking for a bright white color.
I recently swapped my 2010 GL550 factory Xeonx bulbs for real Phillps Xtreme bulbs. They'r 100% genuine as they came in a box with numbers you can check through Phillps website.
My only problem is I came to MB from Lexus and even with the Xeonx bulbs, I need more light on the road.
Has anyone installed small discrete LED fog lghts?
Xeonx Depot has excellent costumer service and they warrany all thier products. The extreme kit is the best by far if you're looking for a bright white color.
I recently swapped my 2010 GL550 factory Xeonx bulbs for real Phillps Xtreme bulbs. They'r 100% genuine as they came in a box with numbers you can check through Phillps website.
My only problem is I came to MB from Lexus and even with the Xeonx bulbs, I need more light on the road.
Has anyone installed small discrete LED fog lghts?
Couldn't make heads or tails of your headlight situation, but I'll note that the halogen fog light bulbs can be changed to LED. Have to open up the back for ventilation, though, at least on my 07 GL450. I don't know what one might want in a true fog light; I wanted short range light for low speed off road driving.
Couldn't make heads or tails of your headlight situation, but I'll note that the halogen fog light bulbs can be changed to LED. Have to open up the back for ventilation, though, at least on my 07 GL450. I don't know what one might want in a true fog light; I wanted short range light for low speed off road driving.
I was referencing the OP.
My situation is I have a 550 with the lighting package. The factory HID system does NOT put out light enough for me on the road. I have the small LED strip where some have the factory fog lamps.
I was curious if anyone has added LED fog lamps that have an actual LED projector? The current LED strip are DRLs. I suppose I could swap to factory fog lamps but I would get the bright white color I'm trying to achieve.
I've searched and was unable to locate any threads regarding the issue.
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
Originally Posted by Yup497
I was referencing the OP.
My situation is I have a 550 with the lighting package. The factory HID system does NOT put out light enough for me on the road. I have the small LED strip where some have the factory fog lamps.
I was curious if anyone has added LED fog lamps that have an actual LED projector? The current LED strip are DRLs. I suppose I could swap to factory fog lamps but I would get the bright white color I'm trying to achieve.
I've searched and was unable to locate any threads regarding the issue.
Hey Yup, have you tried upgrading the bulbs?
Its getting up there in age so perhaps switching out the xenon bulbs may be do the trick.
This may get you the light output you want: http://www.xenondepot.com/D1S-philip...85415xv2c1.htm
Any one know how to properly change out the stock HID bulbs though? Don't want to fry myself...
Sorry Yup! Didn't realize you had mentioned it above!
Last edited by kombifan; Dec 2, 2017 at 01:08 PM.
Reason: sorry I Need to read!
Hey Yup, have you tried upgrading the bulbs?
Its getting up there in age so perhaps switching out the xenon bulbs may be do the trick.
This may get you the light output you want: http://www.xenondepot.com/D1S-philip...85415xv2c1.htm
Any one know how to properly change out the stock HID bulbs though? Don't want to fry myself...
Sorry Yup! Didn't realize you had mentioned it above!
from Amazon and had it professionally installed in my 2010 GL350. The results are fantastic. No flicker; no errors; and much brighter than Halogen factory headlamps. Highly recommended!
If you really want to improve headlight performance, you need to open up the headlights and replace the stock projectors with a better and newer projectors. I replaced the bi-xenons on my 08 GL550 with EVOX-R projectors (https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php...-evoxr-v2.html), and the improvement was dramatic. Much better distribution of light, much more light overall and a much sharper cutoff. They didn't quite bolt-in, but the modifications needed were pretty minor. You have to drill two new holes for the lower mounting points, space the projector forward with some washers, and do a very minor amount of grinding to provide clearance for a wiring connector. It was my first retrofit, and I found it to be pretty straightforward. I also installed new bulbs (Philips White Vision) at the same time. I put one of them in the stock projectors to compare to the old bulbs before the projector swap. It didn't make much of a difference, so the overall improvement was due to the projectors rather than the bulbs. I'm so pleased with the results that I'm ordering the parts necessary to do a retrofit in my other car as well.
If you're reasonably mechanically inclined, it wasn't terribly difficult. Figuring out how to to get the bumper cover loose enough to get the headlights off the car was harder than the work on the headlights themselves. If heating up headlights in the oven to soften up the sealant holding the headlight together isn't your thing, companies like Lightwerkz (and others) do retrofits as well as sell parts. HIDplanet.com is a great source of general information as well, but there isn't much there on GL/ML retrofits unfortunately.
If you really want to improve headlight performance, you need to open up the headlights and replace the stock projectors with a better and newer projectors. I replaced the bi-xenons on my 08 GL550 with EVOX-R projectors (https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php...-evoxr-v2.html), and the improvement was dramatic. Much better distribution of light, much more light overall and a much sharper cutoff. They didn't quite bolt-in, but the modifications needed were pretty minor. You have to drill two new holes for the lower mounting points, space the projector forward with some washers, and do a very minor amount of grinding to provide clearance for a wiring connector. It was my first retrofit, and I found it to be pretty straightforward. I also installed new bulbs (Philips White Vision) at the same time. I put one of them in the stock projectors to compare to the old bulbs before the projector swap. It didn't make much of a difference, so the overall improvement was due to the projectors rather than the bulbs. I'm so pleased with the results that I'm ordering the parts necessary to do a retrofit in my other car as well.
If you're reasonably mechanically inclined, it wasn't terribly difficult. Figuring out how to to get the bumper cover loose enough to get the headlights off the car was harder than the work on the headlights themselves. If heating up headlights in the oven to soften up the sealant holding the headlight together isn't your thing, companies like Lightwerkz (and others) do retrofits as well as sell parts. HIDplanet.com is a great source of general information as well, but there isn't much there on GL/ML retrofits unfortunately.
Excellent feedback! Thank you very much!
Quick question, would you be able to post a picture of the beam patteron on the headlights on a wall or something to easily see the cut off? Thanks again.
Also, how long did the retrofit take? My GL550 is my daily driver. Lastly, I infact do have Philips Xtreme now. What K degree are your lights? I believe mine are rated at 4700k. They are pure white, but like you said it didn't make more light on the road.
2010 Mercedes GL450; 2000 Mercedes ML55 AMG; 2016 VW GLI SEL Stick!!!
Originally Posted by Yup497
I was referencing the OP.
My situation is I have a 550 with the lighting package. The factory HID system does NOT put out light enough for me on the road. I have the small LED strip where some have the factory fog lamps.
I was curious if anyone has added LED fog lamps that have an actual LED projector? The current LED strip are DRLs. I suppose I could swap to factory fog lamps but I would get the bright white color I'm trying to achieve.
I've searched and was unable to locate any threads regarding the issue.
Hey yup,
Would this work for you? 6 inch seems to be the right size for the stock led and this is surely brighter and road legal too.
Quick question, would you be able to post a picture of the beam patteron on the headlights on a wall or something to easily see the cut off? Thanks again.
Also, how long did the retrofit take? My GL550 is my daily driver. Lastly, I infact do have Philips Xtreme now. What K degree are your lights? I believe mine are rated at 4700k. They are pure white, but like you said it didn't make more light on the road.
The link I posted from lightwerkz has some beam pattern pictures. The one from behind the BMW sedan looks very similar to what I see, but the cutoff is sharper than it looks in the picture because it is out of focus in the picture. It has a very sharp cutoff with a little bit of blue banding near the hotspot. I'll take some new pictures and post them. I took some with my SLR while I was doing the work, but unfortunately lost them due to memory card issues. I've attached one taken with my phone from the back of the stock projector.
The White Visions are either rated as 5000 or 6000k depending on where you look. I'd guess 5000 is closer to accurate. They are a nice white light without any blue tinge to it. If you want more blue, the brand new Osram CBBs look to have almost as many lumens as the White Visions, but have a cooler look to them.
It took me about 6 hours from start to finish, but I was taking my time to make sure everything was done correctly. I probably spent 4 on the first one and 2 on the second. Getting the bumper cover off was the hardest part. What wasn't obvious is that there is a U-shaped piece of metal that clamps the bumper cover to the front of the fender that has to be slid off for the cover to come free. Another tip is that the wiring to control the shutter on the bi-xenon projector (the one with the blue connector) can be disconnected from the stock projector and and will plug into the EVOX-R so no wiring hackery is needed. Lightwerkz was very helpful and got the parts to me in 2 days from NJ to CA on an order that got to them late in the afternoon. Fantastic service overall.
Quick question, would you be able to post a picture of the beam patteron on the headlights on a wall or something to easily see the cut off? Thanks again.
Also, how long did the retrofit take? My GL550 is my daily driver. Lastly, I infact do have Philips Xtreme now. What K degree are your lights? I believe mine are rated at 4700k. They are pure white, but like you said it didn't make more light on the road.
I got my full HUD setup hi/lo/wedge from azn and it's awesome. Ever better color than my s class with factory hid which I love already!
HID's still perform best in the stock GL headlights. I've seen both led and hid. Hid has been perfected in this case for this truck since it was designed around his from the factory.
HID's still perform best in the stock GL headlights. I've seen both led and hid. Hid has been perfected in this case for this truck since it was designed around his from the factory.
HIDs will almost always retrofit better than LEDs. Halogen headlights are designed around a thin filament that emits light in a 360 degree arc. The arc in a HID bulb isn't a perfect replacement, but it is a much better approximation than the two chunky LEDs found on most cheap LED bulb replacements. Some more expensive LED bulbs have very recently hit the market (Diode Dynamics) that use much smaller LEDs in a row that should in theory work better, but there hasn't been a lot of testing yet to find out how well they perform.
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