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| DUTCH Administrator Doppelgänger Date registered: Apr 2006 Location: US, GA, Atlanta Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter Posts: 9964  | Factory HID's Just picked up my 2007 ML320CDI with the factory HID lighting option. WOW !! This is my first experience with HID's. On low beam they are excellent. On high beam you could probably pick out a camouflaged sniper in the trees 3 miles away. I would hate to be an oncoming driver, if I forget to dim them. | ||
| #57249 |
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| BenzDieselTuner Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Factory HID's i myself have yet to ride in any car with those...... | ||
| #58217 - in reply to #57249 |
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| lkchris Veteran Date registered: Nov 2006 Location: Albuquerque Vehicle(s): '07 GL320CDI, '06 E320CDI Posts: 144  | RE: Factory HID's Does the ML have "bizenons"?
Normal HID installations are low-beam only, as HID do not illuminate quickly enough to serve as flashers.
On E-class at least, there is a moveable shield around low-beam HID so that it supplements the halogen high beam. Merc calls this "bizenon."
FWIW, my only HID experience is with early E34 BMW, which was nearly if not the first-ever HID installation. I hated it and couldn't wait for the better light provided by the halogen high beams.
I concur with notions presented here: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/disadvantages/disadvantages.html Edited by lkchris 1/2/2007 5:08 PM | ||
| #58219 - in reply to #57249 |
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| AsianML Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Factory HID's Bi-xenon's are available on the ML. It's all in one package and they also "swivel" by reading steering input and speed. Called active curve illuminating headlamps. I love them. After being in a car with them, a Lexus RX330 which has VERY good headlights, I don't think I could live without them. I plan on getting them for the ML soon from maybe performance products. | ||
| #58654 - in reply to #58219 |
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| G4Garret Veteran Date registered: Apr 2006 Location: Oak Ridge - Knoxville - Windrock Tennessee Vehicle(s): 2000 G500, U1100, SLK350, LR 101, WC-63 6x6 Posts: 243 | RE: Factory HID's After having them on my C240 for 3 years, and my G for a year, I don't believe that I could never go back. I think it is simply amazing how much better they are. And picking out a sniper, well I don't know, but I do know they can pick out the reflective stickers on public safety vehicles with amazing regularity... | ||
| #58676 - in reply to #57249 |
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| 204Driver Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Factory HID's When I bought my '01 C320, the optional OE Xenons were low beam only. When MB offered Bi-Xenon in the W203 in 2003 I bought a pair ($$$) and after installing them (plug & play) I could not believe the difference. Low beam was better than the OE lights and high beam was unbelievable. Better even than the brightest halogen lights previously, 100/160W H4s with relays in my '95 C280. And of course I specified Bi-Xenon for my '08 C300 which are equally as good. For flashing purposes, there is an inner lamp with an H7 55W halogen bulb which I have converted to 70W. Works well. I could never go back to halogen, now. Edited by 204Driver 2/12/2008 12:00 AM | ||
| #109208 - in reply to #58654 |
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| charles101143 Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Factory HID's I fitted aftermarket HID kits to both my G and my C Class Kompressor. I concur: would never go back to Halogen as the difference iin all round illumination is truly amazing. I purhased the H4, dual ballast kit for the G, which allows for both HI and LO beam HID. I only fitted HI beam ( H7) to the C class and this too is well worth the effort and the $. One tip when buying a kit is to make sure the "globes" are either Philips or other recognized brand. Another small problem on the G installation is the fact that the headlights are not accessible from the engine bay. This necessitates the mounting of the ballasts under the wheel arches. A bit messy wiring-wise, but so much light on the road at night. | ||
| #160605 - in reply to #57249 |
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| Scheinwerfermann Date registered: Oct 2006 Location: Budapest Vehicle(s): Too many to list  | Re: Factory HID's charles101143 - 11/19/2009 5:04 AM I fitted aftermarket HID kits to both my G and my C Class Kompressor. That was not wise. "HID kits" in halogen-bulb headlamps (any kit, any headlamp, any vehicle) do not work safely or effectively, which is why they are illegal throughout most of the industrialised world. See http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conve... . | ||
| #161032 - in reply to #160605 |
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| charles101143 Date registered: Dec 1899 Location: Vehicle(s): | Re: Factory HID's I acknowledge that both Daniel Stern and Chheunwerfermann are experts in the field of vehicle lighting. I would, however like to reply to the article and above comment: 1. The process of fitting aftermarket HID kits IS reversible should they fail. The 3 contact plug is maintained, the HID "globe" fits the H4 and H7 recepticle respectively and it takes less that 5 minutes to re-install the original globes. 2. The basic laws of physics relating to the reflection of a light source by a concave reflector are such that if the filament is located in the focal length ( as per the original globe) then the light source,( which radiates in all directions)should be reflected as before. Only differenc being the intensity, which is far greater than the Halogen globe. This is inddedthe case with the kits I have installed. 3. The cutoff when the beam is dipped is no different than before. This has been verified and tested against on-coming traffic. Not one single vehicle "flashed" to indicate that the oncoming dipped beam is dazzling them. over many , many hours of night driving on a variety of road types and surfaces. What IS evident however, is the fact that the "brights" are fare maore effective than Halogen globes with enhanced both short and long range visibility and thus SAFETY. 4. Safety? Not sure why this is an issue,( other than to oncoming traffic) as all the standard vehicle circuits ( including and especially the HID kit) have fuses as protection. 5. Banned in first world countries. Tough on them. In Australia as in South Africa and the Emirates, the kits are sold and installed by the hundreds, if not thousands. 6. I am not an expert, just a plain Instrumentation engineer, who looked long and hard at the installation of these kits. The results, I am pleased to say, are well worth the cost and effort. 7. Its been my experience in my 45 year career, that theory and practice often defy one another. I am certainly not only satisfied that I have spent money wisely, have better after dark visibility, but most importantly, am not endangering other road users. That would be irresponsible. Had the installations proved otherwise, I would have removed them immediately. I do hope my points are accepted with the spirit in which they were submitted. | ||
| #161829 - in reply to #57249 |
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| Scheinwerfermann Date registered: Oct 2006 Location: Budapest Vehicle(s): Too many to list | RE: Factory HID's charles101143 - 12/11/2009 4:09 AM I acknowledge that both Daniel Stern and Chheunwerfermann are experts in the field of vehicle lighting. Yup. Stern and I are right on this one. You're not. There's really no "but" about it, no matter how vigorously you want to wave your hands about theory vs. reality. Your replies are variously inapposite and nonresponsive, and some of them (such as your point about focal length, and the one about the cutoff, and the one about safety...) suggest you didn't read the linked article carefully, if at all. "HID kits" in halogen-bulb headlamps -- any kit, any headlamp, any vehicle -- do not work safely or effectively, no matter how fervently any particular vendor or installer of an "HID kit" wishes to believe otherwise, which is why they are illegal in every country advanced enough to have regulations on the subject, full stop. They're just as illegal in Australia as they are in the rest of the first world. Yes, they're sold and installed by the hundreds or thousands. Cocaine and heroin and Freon-12 and unregistered guns and "catalytic converter test pipes" and noncompliant fireworks and all kinds of other dangerous, illegal shit is likewise readily available all over the world; that doesn't make it any less dangerous or any less illegal. But really, the law is of secondary importance. No matter what you think you understand of what you think you see, the modifications you've made to your headlamps have reduced their safety performance and are therefore endangering roadway safety -- yours and that of everyone who shares the road with you. Everyone's going to have an opinion, but you are not entitled to an unchallenged misinformed, ignorant opinion. | ||
| #161893 - in reply to #57249 |
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