After much ruminating, review reading and procrastination, I finally put the new headlight housings in my 2011 GL450. I put in Hella OEM housings. Before installing them in the car, I switched out all the standard bulbs with LEDs. While I understand there are many alternatives and opinions, I can say these bulbs work. While initially some resulted in dash warnings or odd behavior, after cycling through the light switch a few times and restarting the vehicle, all warnings and strange behavior disappeared. So, here's the list:
Fog Lights: Fahren Ursprung H11
Reverse Lights: LasFit P21W
Rear Fog: DuaBhoi H21W
Front Side Marker: Sylvania Zevo Amber 194/168/2825
DRLs: Sylvania Zevo White 194/168/2825
Front Turn Signal: Phinlion 3457 Amber
Headlight Lo & Hi Beams: Fahren Krieges 2023 Upgrade H7. These plug directly into the H7 base without adapters or external components (drivers, resistors, etc.).

All of the LEDs are much brighter than the original bulbs. The headlight pattern for the Fahren is sharp and even, with only a slight dark spot in the bottom middle, where all bulbs will show a dark spot to some degree. As there are a lot of Fahren LEDs out there, I include a picture of the ones I installed.

My choice of bulbs was based on videos and reviews by independent and not so independent parties, purchasers comments, comments posted here and, to only some extent, price (very cheap and very expensive bulbs were ruled out - although I was tempted by Morimoto, until I saw several independent reviews regarding their use in projector beam headlights.

In any case, I'm not making any claims that the bulbs I selected are the "best". All I'm saying is that these work properly and provide high quality lighting.

 

I swear, you have gone through this a half dozen times but I am still confused.

Are the Hella headlight assemblies you installed stock?

Do the Fahren H7 bulbs have the tabs sticking off at 12 and 5 o'clock? Are they specific to the Hella housings?

 

Yes, they are the stock headlight assemblies. The Fahrens have the standard H7 tabs and fit standard H7 sockets, which the GL450 (and Hella) has. They are not MB or Hella specific.

 

Yes, they are the stock headlight assemblies. The Fahrens have the standard H7 tabs and fit standard H7 sockets, which the GL450 (and Hella) has. They are not MB or Hella specific.

The reason these bulbs don't require the special adapter is that the fan and electronics are on the same side of the base as the bulb.

 

2010 GL550

I swapped my projectors with the ExoXR. Osram CBB and I added the profile pivot switch back led strip in 2019. All are still running and working great.


Also changed my ambient lighting to all blue

 

When you put H7 halogen bulbs into the stock headlight assemblies, you use a MB-provided clip. The bulb is sandwiched between the clip and the assembly. Unless I am going Mandela effect on y'all. Did the later Hella assemblies not use a clip at all?

 

I am not sure what clip you are referring to. The MB adapter remains in place on the electrical connector. The bulb plugs directly into the electrical connector and its base lays flat against the connector receptacle flange. This then fits directly into the twist-in bulb receptacle in the housing.

H7 Plug & Play

 

Finally I understand. There still is an adapter or clip or whatever one wants to call it; the difference is that the adapter / clip used is the original one, not a third party one.

 

Yes and that adapter is not moved or altered when using the Fahren bulb I used (and others with the same base). It stays in place on the MB connector.
If you use a bulb that does not have the two-pronged leads at the bottom, the connection ring has to be removed from the bulb and the adapter installed on the bulb shaft and the ring re-installed. That is where all the fitment issues come in. After trying several of those type bulbs and having issues with each, I went with the 1:1 H7 type.

 

Just the post I wanted on LED bulbs,
What LED kit did you use? Do you have any daytime pictures.

 

Tried the ZEVO’s on my 2010 and they blink and throw errors are you experiencing the same. I got the 194 bulbs instead of 168.

 

You mean the Zevo's? When I first used them in the Parking Lights, there was a bulb out notice on my dash (but the light was actually on). I turned the car off and back on, the warning went away and there's been no issue since. Every once is a while, I get a right headlight bulb out notice (but the bulb is still on) and I just cancel it. It happens very infrequently. I would guess the power consumption is just above the minimum for the warning.

 

Thanks, appreciate it. For folks, my experience. The headlight bulbs worked like a charm. No codes I also picked up some 2010 Led daytime running lights (pre bar model, for two circle inserts style ). Went through one or two before I got one without codes. Still on the hunt for license plate led, fog lights and front parking light (Zevo’s blinked 5 times and shut down. Tried multiple)SNGL PSX26W LED Fog Light Bulbs 6000k

 

It really seems the LEDs behavior is very individual vehicle specific, affected by options, configurations, maybe even paint color (kidding, I think). But it seems people have different experiences with the same bulbs on the same model/year vehicle.

 

Yup, the LED bulbs didn't work for me anywhere in my 2008 GL320. I opened up the headlights and replaced with Morimoto VO-X HID and the LED high beam housing and decided to change all the other bulbs while I was at it (since it's a pain when installed). Sure enough, none of them work past a few blinks. I also swapped LED reverse lights - same. Blinking and then shut off.

I'll have to look at the list above to see if those will work.