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The halogen lighting output on my 2010 GLK350 is beyond poor even with Philips GT200 bulbs. They should provide a white cane with the car for nighttime driving! What’s the bulb of preference that will not turn on the bulb out warning? I shopped The Retrofit Source (TRS) out of Atlanta and they recommended this https://www.theretrofitsource.com/H7...tem?quantity=1
However, I’ve never used this brand, only Morimoto.
Can anyone vouch for GTR or recommend a kit? I haven’t leaned toward LEDs based on the size of the emitter in a projector designed for a halogen bulb which has a near pinpoint spot for emitting light.
Hid require a ballast . They put out 250% more light and work, but for my 2013 you have to re aim the lamps all the way down to not blind cars. Actually maybe yours are just aimed to high, but yes the 2013 with Halogen have the worst light output I’ve had. I now have Hid. But since I’ve put them in 10 years ago LED have advanced . Instead of spending the money on Hid ballasts and rewiring try LED. My local stereo shop offered to let me try them just to see if they world work . If I was starting over I would try LED, Halogen will never make you happy .
Thanks Mmr1. The lights are aimed properly. I measured when I installed the GT200’s. There just isn’t any distance to the lighting. I’ll relook at LEDs. Any recommendations? My hold up on HIDs is where to place the ballasts. I really don’t want to hack up the covers on the headlight assemblies to get the wires out to the ballasts.
The wire holes don’t change , ballasts go outside but have to be placed as low as possible since engine compartment temp is most always above Ballast operating temperature when motor is shut off. Mine are to high and won’t light up when it’s warm out. I need to get mine lowered. Led I have no idea , there are test reviews all the time on YouTube that compare led. Let us know. What I worry about LED is they don’t like heat for longevity. They have fans on them , fans wear out or fail. HID last 10x longer than halogen but require a Ballast
I gave FCP Euro a jingle as they are right in my backyard. They don’t have anything for the GLK but told me to contact PrecisionLED.com. I think they might supply FCP’s BMW kit. Precision has two kits for the GLK with an optional decoder capacitor for the bulb out warning. The higher output of the two kits is currently $149 with the capacitor being another $19.99. This kit comes with Cree drivers. I might get those and try them out. They claim 100% money back guarantee. I just don’t want to be glaring oncoming drivers
You tube has a lot of good reviews . Cree makes quality bulbs , I don’t know how they compare . They make Leds. their led is probably used by many bulb manufacturers you see on this list . You don’t need the brightest you need the best pattern and a quality unit. But they all seem bright. Aiming the lens down is something that has to be done so you don’t blind people . It’s a simple adjustment screw on top of the lens
One of the 1st things I did after getting my W204 was install an HID kit for the low beams to replace the dim halogen bulbs.
I didnt know how they would work in a Mercedes so I bought an inexpensive Innovited 35w kit to test out. They work great so kept them. I did have to replace one of the ballasts after 4yrs. I did get Morimoto H7-B bulbs because the original hid bulbs were causing a dark shadow on the road. Guess its due to the position of the wire on the side of the bulbs.
I just zip tied all the components down wherever I could find a spot behind the headlight housings. I cut a small notch out on the outside edge of each headlight cover for the wires to run thru.
You cut a hole in the light fixture ? Since a single wire with socket is shown that connects to bulb why was a hole needed? I have Hid retro fit and the I didn’t have a hole cut. Is the ballast as low as the fixture? Mine is to high on the fender and needs to be lowered,
I cut a notch in the covers not in the headlight housing. I was going to apply some sealant around the wires I just never remembered to. I can always buy new covers if I change back to halogen.
The ballast/igniter/warning canceller thing do not fit inside the headlight housing so 2 sets of wires have to pass thru the cover, or just leave the cover off.
If you do go with an HID kit you can just buy any ballast kit and then buy the H7 bulbs (or whatever bulbs your car has). Its the bulbs that come with the specific connector that installs to the cars factory harness. All ballasts/kits use the 9006 connectors. If I bought another car that has H11 bulbs I can use everything except I would have to buy the H11 HID bulbs that will come with the H11 harness. The Morimoto H& bulbs I bought come with a large rubber grommet meant to fit into a hole you cut in the covers, I just cut the grommets off the wires.
I installed the ballasts/igniters where ever they happen to fit. Just shoved them in there so they dont move around easily. They dont really get hot so im not worried about them melting anything. Heat from the engine seems to get hotter.
I cut a notch in the covers not in the headlight housing. I was going to apply some sealant around the wires I just never remembered to. I can always buy new covers if I change back to halogen.
The ballast/igniter/warning canceller thing do not fit inside the headlight housing so 2 sets of wires have to pass thru the cover, or just leave the cover off.
If you do go with an HID kit you can just buy any ballast kit and then buy the H7 bulbs (or whatever bulbs your car has). Its the bulbs that come with the specific connector that installs to the cars factory harness. All ballasts/kits use the 9006 connectors. If I bought another car that has H11 bulbs I can use everything except I would have to buy the H11 HID bulbs that will come with the H11 harness. The Morimoto H& bulbs I bought come with a large rubber grommet meant to fit into a hole you cut in the covers, I just cut the grommets off the wires.
I installed the ballasts/igniters where ever they happen to fit. Just shoved them in there so they dont move around easily. They dont really get hot so im not worried about them melting anything. Heat from the engine seems to get hotter.
Thanks. There’s some good info in your post along with the others above. If the LEDs don’t work out, I’ll review HIDs again.
In my specific car I dont think I can install LED bulbs due to the way the low beam bulbs are secured. Mine has a metal wire type retainer. Even with the thin shape of the HID bulbs it was a project getting the wire holder to snap back on. Been awhile since i did it but I think I removed the wire holder, installed the bulb then get the wire holder back on.
I have LEDs in my high beam positions. No "capacitor" (isn't it actually a resistor?) and no bulb out warnings. I don't drive much at night any more, but tehy sure do seem bright when I flash them at someone.
The bulbs came in but the decoder capacitors weren’t sent out. I installed the bulbs. What a PIA. The wire clips came off the housings and I had to reset them by feel. It took some time but I got the lights in. For a while, there I wasn’t sure who was going to win!. The hard part of the installation is getting everything properly seated and then slide the retention spring down but the fan housing is in the way of getting your hands in there.
Lights illuminate and are noticeably brighter shining against the garage wall. Ran for about 2 minutes and I do not have any warnings or flickering. We’ll see if that continues. If I get a warning, I can reorder the decoder capacitors or return everything and go hid. I have to go for a ride at night to see how the lights perform. Will report back.
To aim them don’t use a wall, that tells you nothing . Go to a flat parking lot and put the beam where you need close. Go in front of it about 50 ft get as high as a person in a car and make sure they don’t blind you . One problem mb did on mine was aim to high. Which scatters light making it dim and blinds people . You want to see the holes in the road not 500 feet out.
I went for a ride after it got dark. Everything got adjusted properly. Illumination is very good. Distance is reasonably good - much, much better than halogens. I checked for glare, as you mentioned @Mmr1 , and it’s not bad at all. It looks like the projectors work well with LEDs. Even without the decor capacitors I did not have any flickering or light out warnings on the dash. I think HIDs might be better for distance based on past vehicles I’ve driven with them but these are a close second. I’m sold.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
