Hello. I'm new to the forums. I've got a GL350 with "dusty" lenses. I've noticed on other X164s that they are much clearer but mine have a white looking color... is it safe and easy to clean the projectors? Because I can't even see without using my high beams in pitch black and that's ridiculous. Thanks in advance!

 

The plastic cover on the outside of the light or the actual projector lens inside the headlight? If it is the former, that's common and can be fixed with a repair kit from any auto parts store They have a mild abrasive that's used to clean off the oxidation. If it is the actual projector lens, I've never heard of that. The stock lens has fresnel (distortions in the glass to diffuse the light), but it doesn't look white. The best option for that would be to replace the stock projector with a much better performing EVOX-R projector that mostly bolts in. The difference in light output is dramatic.

 

Yeah the lens is foggy. So you're saying I need to replace it? It's the projector itself not the assembly plastic.

 

Yes. A set of EVOX-R projectors is $120: https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php...-evoxr-v2.html which is probably a fraction of the cost of OEM replacements that don't work as well. I recently replaced mine and did a limited write up toward the bottom of the first page at: https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...xperience.html I took a bunch of pictures while I had the headlight apart, but had a memory card failure, so I lost all but a couple that I took with my phone.

If you have the projectors that move with the steering wheel (forget the MB acronym for it) you have to remove the lights from the car and remove the plastic lens from the headlight body to get access to the projectors. I didn't even notice the lights moved on my GL550 until I had the new projectors because the output from the stock projectors was so feeble I think due to the reflector bowl losing reflectivity. Removing the lights requires loosening the bumper cover to get clearance and then heating the lights in an oven (240ish for 12ish min) to soften up the sealant that holds the plastic lens to the headlight body before you separate the two by poking something through and prying the two halves apart. Once the lens is off, you can remove the stock projector and replace it with the new one. The only modifications required are a very small amount of filing/grinding to the frame the projector bolts to to clear a wiring connector and drilling two holes because only 2 of the 4 mounting holes line up.

If you don't have the movable projectors I've read that you can do the projectors from the back of the housing without removing the lens but I have no first-hand experience. Google "projector retrofit" for more details about the general process (look for videos from Lightwerkz and TheRetrofitSource in particular) and HIDplanet.com also has a lot of useful information. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much specific information on retrofitting a GL, but even for a first-time retrofitter, it was very easy. (there is a video on YouTube of somebody retrofitting a projector into an R Class that involves FAR more work than is necessary on a GL so don't let that scare you off if you find it)

I've since retrofitted another car in the house with RX350 projectors and have been really pleased with the outcome. I wish I had done it sooner - the difference in light quality is dramatic.

 

Can the dealer do this? And if so is it expensive? Sorry for late reply.

 

A dealer isn't going to tackle it, but there are specialty places that do retrofits. Lightwerkz and The Retrofit Source are the two big players, but there are also a lot of smaller places as well. HIDplanet.com and the Headlight Junkies group on Facebook can probably point you in the right direction if you want somewhere more local.