Aablue

Hello, new to this group, I have a 2012 GLK350 4MATIC. I am looking to upgrade my current Bi-Xenons to something brighter but wasn't sure in terms of which are good brands for HIDs on Mercedes. Many websites I have been on like ie: The Retrofit Source or Diode Dynamics don't have Mercedes or GLK as an option.

What are some recommendations in best brands to use for HID bulbs?

AZN Optics

Top tier best units...

Philips 85415 - the absolute brightest bulb on the market. Not the absolute whitest though at 4800k.

Osram Xenarc CBB - the second brightest bulb on the market, but comes in at a crisp pure white for better aesthetics.

Let us know if we can further assist.

Aablue

Do you have any recommendations for higher K lighting, I was looking for more toward 8000K.

AZN Optics

CBB would be the highest kelvin rating before you start seriously start sacrificing lumen output.

Mmr1

I have a 2013 that I re fitted with Philips, first of all you get real a 200% vision upgrade , ( maybe 2.5x) so I recommend this as the original lights are a total joke. But I don’t have the Projector beams, so i state you must lower your beam all the way down so you don’t blind on coming traffic . The Higher the Kelvin , the more the light can scatter , 8000k annoys oncoming traffic and blinds . No cars come with 8k stock. Go with 4800k and be happy with a 200+ % gain.

My ballasts were mounted on top of the fenders under the hood, ballasts don’t like heat and as original installations are mounted low at the bottom of the front fender . Mine fail to light in hot temps .

Don’t be a jerk, 8k blinds . Go under 5000k . Anz seems well knowledged.

andreigbs

Technically, the higher Kelvin rating the more the light "temp" changes on the color spectrum. You go from fog-light yellows to deep purples. The best "white light" is right around 4-5K; anything beyond that starts to get blueish, then purple. There is no light output benefit to 8K.

Most manufacturers that equip their cars with HIDs will run 4300K systems, which is supposed to be the color/temp of "natural daylight," and that's what you want.

Aablue

Thank you for the responses. Gives me a better understanding.

What bulb would you all recommend for the Fog lights?
They're not the LED strips their the round normal Halogens. I want to put a brighter bulb, possible LED bulbs without changing the whole light itself.

Also, want to change the Reverse lights to LED bulbs?

andreigbs

True fog lights should be more yellow in color output, which has a longer frequency and does a better job penetrating the fog.

I run regular halogen bulbs (in my other car since GLK has LED strips) and I applied the yellow Lamin-X film. Cuts through fog and nighttime rainy weather very nicely. You could also run LEDs but beware you may get "bulb out" messages due to difference in wattage between halogens and LEDs.

AZN Optics

Your fogs are H11 bulbs. You can go with a matching white HID conversion kit if you live in an area that doesn't have fog and just want more general road illumination. If you want yellow bulbs, you can stick with halogen bulbs which can easily hit the lower kelvin rating. PIAA Plasma Ion or Nokya Hyper Yellow are solid options.

Aablue

If the LED light can cause an error on the Fog lights. If I replace the reverse light bulb to LED will that cause an error as well?

AZN Optics

You'll need canbus enabled for LEDs to not trigger error code.