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So I was trying out a new D2S bulb, and you know how you have to twist the igniter out of the way? Well, while doing it, most of the insulation of the three wire harness that goes to it fell apart in my hands. As I tried to look at it to see how bad things were, more insulation fell off. And I can see it crack elsewhere too (like on the H7 bulb). I electric-taped what I could reach but basically any movement in the wiring seems to cause more insulation to fall off.
Is it possible to change the wiring harness inside the light? Or do I need to get a new light outright?
That would be a good candidate for replacement with LED projectors like the Morimoto M-LED. If I had known what I know now with replacing the projectors, I would have gone straight to LED projectors instead of replacing the stock projector with a different HID projector.
I do not believe a harness that you can buy exists, and I myself was quite annoyed with the extremely low quality insulation on those wires. I wrapped mine with electrical tape, but mine hadn't failed that badly. You can try splicing it, putting heatshrink on, and then restoring the splice with those solder seal connectors.
That would be a good candidate for replacement with LED projectors like the Morimoto M-LED. If I had known what I know now with replacing the projectors, I would have gone straight to LED projectors instead of replacing the stock projector with a different HID projector.
I do not believe a harness that you can buy exists, and I myself was quite annoyed with the extremely low quality insulation on those wires. I wrapped mine with electrical tape, but mine hadn't failed that badly. You can try splicing it, putting heatshrink on, and then restoring the splice with those solder seal connectors.
Indeed. Actually that was my second, unasked, question: I opened up the whole thing to see if I can improve light output somehow - and it looks like it’s about as good (or bad) as it will ever be. Is upgrading projectors an option? I’d love to go LED. I’d lose the adaptive headlights in doing so, or it’s literally just a projector switch? Which projector did you install - the Retrofit Lab one?
The Retrofit Lab projector is a Morimoto Evo-X it seems. I’m trying to figure out if the LED one is brighter or not … you’re right that if you’re going out all the way, might as well go all the way…
Last edited by Pseudo Nim; 02-21-2021 at 08:14 AM.
Yes, the quick and easy replacement is the EvoX-R 2.0. I prefer having width over a super bright hotspot, so I went with the Mini D2S 5.0, which was only about $180 for the projectors and adapter bracket. I didn't want to spend $300+ for the LED projectors and have it not work. Lightwerkz and The Retrofit Source run sales almost every holiday.
Either way, you will not lose adaptive headlights. Just don't remove the circular PCB or you will have a difficult time aligning the headlights. If you do go the LED projector route, you will have to remove the HID ballast, ballast to ignitor/bulb wiring, seal off the ballast plug area, and splice into the low beam power.
Edit: Little bit of a projector comparison thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/...s-mled.621391/ The instant on and simplicity of the LED projectors would sway me towards them over the marginally worse output. Now, if a 55 watt direct replacement ballast were available, that would be a far brighter setup with the D2S 5.0.
Yes, the quick and easy replacement is the EvoX-R 2.0. I prefer having width over a super bright hotspot, so I went with the Mini D2S 5.0, which was only about $180 for the projectors and adapter bracket. I didn't want to spend $300+ for the LED projectors and have it not work. Lightwerkz and The Retrofit Source run sales almost every holiday.
Either way, you will not lose adaptive headlights. Just don't remove the circular PCB or you will have a difficult time aligning the headlights. If you do go the LED projector route, you will have to remove the HID ballast, ballast to ignitor/bulb wiring, seal off the ballast plug area, and splice into the low beam power.
Edit: Little bit of a projector comparison thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/...s-mled.621391/ The instant on and simplicity of the LED projectors would sway me towards them over the marginally worse output. Now, if a 55 watt direct replacement ballast were available, that would be a far brighter setup with the D2S 5.0.
I'm going to reply in your other thread as this is really good info, so I feel it should stay with your retrofit thread. Thanks!
I've been searching lighting threads (I have one replaced enclosure, one original - which has the same wire quality issue as in your photos, the insulation is just falling off!).
I have a new OEM Hella enclosure to put in, but before I do, I figured I would have a stab at upgrading the lighting. https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...problem-3.html
This thread is long but user Bill Baird has tried numerous options - I think I'll take his advice and go straight to LED retro fit, according to his results.
" I BOUGHT OTHER LED'S BUT NOTHING IS CLOSE TO THE HIKARI'S IN A MERCEDES PROJECTOR. THERE'S NEW STUFF COMING OUT ALL THE TIME AND I EXPERIMENTING FOR A YEAR. I TOLD MY WIFE IF THIS DIDN'T WORK, I WAS BUYING A NEW CAR. FORTUNATELY, THE HIKARI'S ARE MUCH BETTER THAN STOCK HALOGENS BUT STILL NOT AS GOOD AS MY WIFE'S C43 LED'S. THOSE LIGHTS ARE REALLY GOOD.
"
(his all-caps, not mine!)
I was thinking about getting a D2S 4 kit from another forum, but it seems now that good LEDs have become reasonably priced at last.
I would not do it. LED bulbs in halogen projectors/reflectors might have gotten as good/better than the stock halogen bulbs, but they have yet to get better than HIDs in HID projectors, let alone dedicated LED projectors. And this only applies to high end ($80+) LEDs, not your cheapo $40 Amazon junk.
The adage of you get what you pay for holds especially true in the headlight world.
I agree, I kinda feel like LEDs are nice in halogen enclosures (I just put a set into my other car, and they're really, really, very bright, and the cutoffs prevent blinding drivers, so it works well) - but I feel like xenons are still the gold standard. I think the Morimoto D2S 5.0 is probably the best path forward here.
@Tsumi & Pseudo Nim
Thanks very much for your replies - is interesting how objective brightness and subjective preference all plays in.
For me (I'm showing my age here!), I'm recalling when halogen bulbs were an improvement... Another thing which has changed is the advent of the plastic lens.
I don't think halogens are good at overcoming sub-optimal lens condition, and the lenses degrade so much!
Most HID lights are too bright IMHO for low-beam application, especially after the highway gets wet/reflective.
I often think anyone who actually needs HID low-beams should be disqualified from driving!
That said, some vehicles' halogen lamps are insufficient even with halogen bulbs.
The R-Class, and apparently the GL/E-Class cars certainly seem to be.
I have an old Ducati which is also in this category, flying blind at night.
Question: Does any supplier have a glass lens for R-Class?
(Not to hijack the thread!)
@Tsumi & Pseudo Nim
Thanks very much for your replies - is interesting how objective brightness and subjective preference all plays in.
For me (I'm showing my age here!), I'm recalling when halogen bulbs were an improvement... Another thing which has changed is the advent of the plastic lens.
I don't think halogens are good at overcoming sub-optimal lens condition, and the lenses degrade so much!
Most HID lights are too bright IMHO for low-beam application, especially after the highway gets wet/reflective.
I often think anyone who actually needs HID low-beams should be disqualified from driving!
That said, some vehicles' halogen lamps are insufficient even with halogen bulbs.
The R-Class, and apparently the GL/E-Class cars certainly seem to be.
I have an old Ducati which is also in this category, flying blind at night.
Question: Does any supplier have a glass lens for R-Class?
(Not to hijack the thread!)
Hmm. I’m going to guess that glass lens is probably pedestrian danger? I.e. if you hit someone, it will basically become projectile blades? Although I’d love to know if I’m wrong. I’d totally buy a set.
@Tsumi & Pseudo Nim
Thanks very much for your replies - is interesting how objective brightness and subjective preference all plays in.
For me (I'm showing my age here!), I'm recalling when halogen bulbs were an improvement... Another thing which has changed is the advent of the plastic lens.
I don't think halogens are good at overcoming sub-optimal lens condition, and the lenses degrade so much!
Most HID lights are too bright IMHO for low-beam application, especially after the highway gets wet/reflective.
I often think anyone who actually needs HID low-beams should be disqualified from driving!
That said, some vehicles' halogen lamps are insufficient even with halogen bulbs.
The R-Class, and apparently the GL/E-Class cars certainly seem to be.
I have an old Ducati which is also in this category, flying blind at night.
Question: Does any supplier have a glass lens for R-Class?
(Not to hijack the thread!)
No disrespect, but lots of bad information here.
LED bulbs aren't going to overcome hazed lenses any better than halogens. They're brighter to start with, at least the expensive ones, and that's it. That said, a $20 kit and 2 hours of time every 1-2 years can restore the lens to like new. You are not going to find glass lenses for our cars.
HIDs are bad... in halogen housings, projectors and reflectors alike. They are NOT bad in HID projectors, especially in good projectors and as long as you avoid color temperatures above 6k. A 4300K HID bulb is essentially the same color as halogen. The glare from LED bulbs in halogen housings is going to be WORSE than HIDs in HID projectors.
All of my cars have been retrofitted with HIDs. No visibility problems whatsoever in the rain; it's actually better. Much brighter than stock. No glare to other drivers, even with 55 watt ballasts. In fact, the LED running lights make more glare than the headlights.
My last post wasn't meant as information.
It was an opinion, and you know what they say about opinions...
"Much brighter than stock. No glare to other drivers" Again, an opinion. And sort of a conflict in terms.
Yes, I've pored over many lighting threads complete with shots of patterns against garage doors, etc.
There's a reason All cars have high beams and low beams. If you want reach and brilliance you have high beams.
There's no sense in making low beams brighter and more glare-prone, than the high beams - you can't 'dip' your low beams.
Retrofitting low beams to be as bright as possible is not a game I want to be involved with. My eyes are fine still, and when they aren't I'll stop driving at night.
If anyone else's low beams make me wince, they are too bright. End of story.
Again, only my opinions.
I also understand the amount of time and money folks can put into these retrofits, and the pride they have in them once they are dialed in.
I'm not knocking that - but I don't want to in the opposite lane.
My last post wasn't meant as information.
It was an opinion, and you know what they say about opinions...
"Much brighter than stock. No glare to other drivers" Again, an opinion. And sort of a conflict in terms.
Yes, I've pored over many lighting threads complete with shots of patterns against garage doors, etc.
There's a reason All cars have high beams and low beams. If you want reach and brilliance you have high beams.
There's no sense in making low beams brighter and more glare-prone, than the high beams - you can't 'dip' your low beams.
Retrofitting low beams to be as bright as possible is not a game I want to be involved with. My eyes are fine still, and when they aren't I'll stop driving at night.
If anyone else's low beams make me wince, they are too bright. End of story.
Again, only my opinions.
I also understand the amount of time and money folks can put into these retrofits, and the pride they have in them once they are dialed in.
I'm not knocking that - but I don't want to in the opposite lane.
Your "opinion" conflicts with objective fact and is therefore wrong. I have 55 watt HIDs in FX-R 3.0s in my Corvette. There is less glare to other drivers than the stock halogens, the road is lit up almost like daytime, and the switchback LEDs I have in the turn signals appear brighter than the headlights when above the cutoff line.
Glare is not about brightness. It is about where the light is sent. Modern Hondas with LED headlights have horrible glare because they send too much light upwards. My new company car with LED headlights had bad glare because it came out of the factory with the lights aimed too high. Conversely, I have yet to see a Mercedes or BMW with factory LED or HID headlights with bad glare. Halogens can get away with a poor reflector design because they aren't as bright and the lower temperature color is less jarring, but put brighter LEDs into those and you will get a glare problem.
The fact that you want to "upgrade" to LED bulbs yet rant about HIDs being too bright and causing glare are in direct conflict. I would much rather be driving against cars with proper HID retrofits than LED bulbs in halogen housings, though LED bulbs are preferable to HIDs in halogen housings.
02-20-2021, 11:55 PM
