hi there I am looking to upgrade my lights with a hid kit on a ML 350 cdi 2012Has anyone done this and is there any issues with them and what is the best one to buyI have tried various other bulbs but the seem to be no better than the standard ones
Even a cursory search of the forum would have shown this 'Sticky' thread in the Electronics section http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/167834-why-you-shouldnt-fit-aftermarket-hid-kits.html
Yes, apparantly fitting an aftermarket HID kit makes you worse than Jimmy Saville. I've fitted HID kits to a couple of cars with projector lenses with nary an issue and no more "blinding" than most wretched 4x4s and SUVs with standard HIDS do anyway. I'm pondering these. CANBUS TERMINATOR HID XENON CONVERSION SLIM KIT PRO BALLAST BULBS 35W Error FREE | eBay If I can get the wiring into the head unit and the ballasts aren't too hot I'll do that. Otherwise its grommets, sealant and drilling through the dust cap, which interestingly can be found on many other cars. This: VAUXHALL ASTRA J MK6 11-15 REG HEADLIGHT REAR COVER 147354.00 | eBay is EXACTLY the same as the one on my W204, same manufacturer part number. Mercedes A B C ML GL S E-Class xenon headlight headlamp rear back dust cover cap | eBay
If you can wait a few months, you may be able to fit legal led headlamp bulbs. Philips have led headlamp bulbs undergoing approval testing and, in an earlier thread, are due to bring them to market in September.
Cousin fitted HIDs to his SLK, looked mint. Just as good as Xenons. Brilliant light output and perfect colour temperature. I'll ask him to forward you link to the place he bought it I'm sure they'll make a set for the ML. He payed less than £100
The issue is whether the light pattern is correct and whether unnecessary glare is produced. Both effects arise from the new light source positioning not being exact for the headlamp's reflector.
clk320x, does his car pass the MOT with the LED bulbs fitted? Or does he swap back to Halogens for the MOT?
Hi just a thought has anyone changed the standard bulbs for a direct fit Cree led bulb I know they have to be fitted with resistors but are they any better than the standard ones for brightness etc
There are no LED head light bulbs which are better in every respect. There are some that put out more lumens but the beam pattern is not as good. The reason is very simple; unless the LED emitters mimic the halogen filament exactly in size and position then it can't produce the correct beam pattern and will scatter light where it's not wanted by other drivers. The clue for the better ones is look for a single row of LEDs the same size and position as a filament. Philips are trying but none are yet legal because of this difficulty.
In my previous car, which had projectors I went through both LED and HID. In my opinion the led gives very good light output up close, but the drop off is very sudden. I would say possibly a tad less range than halogens. Upside being there is no warm up time for these. The hid takes a few seconds to warm up but once that is done the performance is next level. The light output is much better, so is the range and I passed my mot with them in the car. Have used hid in previous to that car as well and never had a single issue. In the Mercedes they even managed to fit in the housing so even the mot testers were fooled into thinking it had xenons as standard. Legal or not, worth the risk or not, that is for the OP to decide pros and cons and make his own mind up. Telling someone not to do something will make them want to do it even more. All I would say is read up on the matter and decide for yourself.
Everyone is confused now...you mention HIDs and Xenons, then MJ asks you about LEDs and you say no problem. This is so much FAKE NEWS.
Not always Pedant mode on Xenon is just an inert gas found in various bulbs, both HID and Incandescent Pedant mode off
Now Mark, you and I both know that when people talk about Xenons they are not talking about H7s with Xenon in them. :fail But it does add to the thread creep introduced by lack of knowledge and ability to read and understand a post.
'FAKE NEWS' ? I also thought the fact he was referring to LEDs as odd. However due to the topic of this post & the fact I said his car had a HID kit I clarified that indeed his car passed the MOT. In no shape or form did I mention him installing LEDs... Also I neither own or distribute HID kits hence have no need nor intention to falsly claim they pass MOT tests. Let me clarify, "he has an aftermarket HID kit on his SLK and it passes the MOT with no problems at all" and looks brilliant. Certainly miles better than the halogen bulbs.
