Mercedes E 211 series HID install
Ok for those of us who did not listen to reason and decided to
go cheap when it came time to look in the HID world for lighting
or for those of us who are less fortunate and purchased a
system for more than we should have and still ran into problems
here is a little help. It may not help everyone since there are
quite a few different systems made. Please use common sense
when attempting this project. You should know your own limits as
to how far you can work on your own car. If in doubt ask for help.
Your results will vary depending on the system you purchase.
Do not assume that these systems will not void part of your
Mercedes warranty whether installed correctly or incorrectly.
go cheap when it came time to look in the HID world for lighting
or for those of us who are less fortunate and purchased a
system for more than we should have and still ran into problems
here is a little help. It may not help everyone since there are
quite a few different systems made. Please use common sense
when attempting this project. You should know your own limits as
to how far you can work on your own car. If in doubt ask for help.
Your results will vary depending on the system you purchase.
Do not assume that these systems will not void part of your
Mercedes warranty whether installed correctly or incorrectly.
This is about how I decided to change my standard filament headlight into HID
by purchasing what some call a 're-based HID system.' This is not to be
confused with the blue color dyed xenon filament bulbs that some of you are
thinking of. This may not be as good as the factory system but it is cost effective
alternative.
by purchasing what some call a 're-based HID system.' This is not to be
confused with the blue color dyed xenon filament bulbs that some of you are
thinking of. This may not be as good as the factory system but it is cost effective
alternative.
From the research I have gathered I found out one could purchase
these systems from ebay for as little as $80.00 and up to $380 for
a H7 kit. There was a ton of claims from these sellers of which I
found out many were just outright lies to sell their kits.
o Plug and play
o Will not set off codes
o Easy installation
o Warranty return no questions asked.
It is also possible that these sellers just never had their kits
installed in a Mercedes. Fortunately I found out one way to make
many of these systems work on our cars.
After the short amount of research I pick one of the cheap kits
($120) and found out what many of you already found out. These
systems have flaws or won’t even work with the Mercedes
electronics when installed as per instructions. Some of the cheap
kits don't even have instructions!
If you are fortunate enough to pick one of the better systems, you
will not have any issues after your install.
these systems from ebay for as little as $80.00 and up to $380 for
a H7 kit. There was a ton of claims from these sellers of which I
found out many were just outright lies to sell their kits.
o Plug and play
o Will not set off codes
o Easy installation
o Warranty return no questions asked.
It is also possible that these sellers just never had their kits
installed in a Mercedes. Fortunately I found out one way to make
many of these systems work on our cars.
After the short amount of research I pick one of the cheap kits
($120) and found out what many of you already found out. These
systems have flaws or won’t even work with the Mercedes
electronics when installed as per instructions. Some of the cheap
kits don't even have instructions!
If you are fortunate enough to pick one of the better systems, you
will not have any issues after your install.
| typical low budget or inexpensive system |
| I started easy and decided to do the fog lights first. Note on my 2005 E500 I have H11 bulbs not the H1 (typo?) as listed in some of the replacement charts for automotive lights. This kit took all of 10—15 minutes installation time on each side to install. Your time will vary depending on how anal you are about routing your leads. The headlights will take a little more time. |
First raise the car to gain access to the splash shield
behind the front bumper. Remove the 8 – 8mm headed
bolts and pull off the front splash shield.
Note: Most these pictures are links to larger size
pictures. Click the pictures for a more detailed view.
behind the front bumper. Remove the 8 – 8mm headed
bolts and pull off the front splash shield.
Note: Most these pictures are links to larger size
pictures. Click the pictures for a more detailed view.
You will find plenty of room to gain access to the fog light
bulbs and room to install the ballast for both the
headlights and fog lights. The fog light bulbs are easy to
remove just turn counter clockwise about 1/8 of a turn
and pull. Check to see if you have the correct bulb in
your kit.
bulbs and room to install the ballast for both the
headlights and fog lights. The fog light bulbs are easy to
remove just turn counter clockwise about 1/8 of a turn
and pull. Check to see if you have the correct bulb in
your kit.
This is the back of the fog light with the
bulb removed
bulb removed
| The fog light with the Bulb installed |
I found that on the 211 there was a nice spot
on the radiator core support to mount the
ballast and still be close enough for the leads
to reach the headlight housings. I used the
existing bolt that was there. You want to keep
these away from the engine compartment as…
on the radiator core support to mount the
ballast and still be close enough for the leads
to reach the headlight housings. I used the
existing bolt that was there. You want to keep
these away from the engine compartment as…
| Driver's side Note two Ballast one for the Head light and one for the fog |
Passenger side fog ballast
Passenger side head light
ballast
Passenger side head light
ballast
1. Plug the Hid bulbs into the headlight housings.
2. Plug the HID bulb leads into the Ballast.
3. Connect the OEM headlight plug to the Ballast power lead.
4. Note the Brown wire is the Ground wire (negative lead) from you head light lead.
Well at this point its time to test your system out. Make sure everything is out of the way
and start the car. Turn on you fog lights. If everything is working correctly and you chose a
system with good ballast your head lights will not flicker and there will not be any codes
on the dash. Tie all the loose wires out of the way and button everything up.
Unfortunately for me my lights flickered but it was not too bad so I went ahead and did the
head lights too. When I did my head lights that's when my lights flickered a lot.
Do your headlights do this?
First thing is do not use the Daytime running
lights either the one on the headlight control
or in the main control on the dash. If you still
have this problem or have a flicker that
happens on occasion that just drives you
crazy try this next step.
lights either the one on the headlight control
or in the main control on the dash. If you still
have this problem or have a flicker that
happens on occasion that just drives you
crazy try this next step.
One of three reasons I found why the headlights flickered was due to the power feeding the HID system actually is not a consistent or
'clean' 12 volts and the voltage varies up and down. We do not see the headlights dim and brighten on traditional system because the
filament stays lit and is slow to react. On the other hand the HID system is very quick to sense the voltage drops and we see this as a
flicker.
The second problem is with the headlight warning system. I installed a capacitor in attempt to fix this problem and it seems to work.
When you first start up the lights the capacitor will power up acting like a load (not sensing what it considers as a burnt out bulb) and
not set off a code. Because the headlight warning system sees the load it will continue to power the lights instead if flickering. Note
your results will vary but for the 9 additional dollars spent it is better than throwing the HID system in the trash.
You may ask why not just use a resister like so many other people use to fool the headlight warning system into thinking it is powering
a 55 watt bulb? Because a resister causes heat and if you use a large enough resister it will get hot, very hot! A resister can be used
on turn signal or a brake light (on for a short time) but on a headlight that could be on for more than thirty minutes at one time? You
may be able to know what to do if you were to smell burning plastic but what if your wife, mom, dad, girl friend, or someone else driving
your car were to run across the same situation?
The last reason other than bad connection is a bad ballast or bulb you will notice one headlight flicker but not the other. Swap the
ballast and then the bulb. If the flicker follows the bulb or the ballast you found your problem. Ask if you can return your ballast or bulb
for warranty. And good luck with that...
The Capacitor works kind of like a additional battery and gets powered up when you start the system, excess voltage is stored in the
capacitor and when the voltage drops it will discharge and fill in the gap when the voltage is low. I found a Capacitor from Radio Shack
to work out well for $4.50 each. I got the 2200 uf rated at 35 volts part number 272-1020. I used one for each Ballast or head light.
'clean' 12 volts and the voltage varies up and down. We do not see the headlights dim and brighten on traditional system because the
filament stays lit and is slow to react. On the other hand the HID system is very quick to sense the voltage drops and we see this as a
flicker.
The second problem is with the headlight warning system. I installed a capacitor in attempt to fix this problem and it seems to work.
When you first start up the lights the capacitor will power up acting like a load (not sensing what it considers as a burnt out bulb) and
not set off a code. Because the headlight warning system sees the load it will continue to power the lights instead if flickering. Note
your results will vary but for the 9 additional dollars spent it is better than throwing the HID system in the trash.
You may ask why not just use a resister like so many other people use to fool the headlight warning system into thinking it is powering
a 55 watt bulb? Because a resister causes heat and if you use a large enough resister it will get hot, very hot! A resister can be used
on turn signal or a brake light (on for a short time) but on a headlight that could be on for more than thirty minutes at one time? You
may be able to know what to do if you were to smell burning plastic but what if your wife, mom, dad, girl friend, or someone else driving
your car were to run across the same situation?
The last reason other than bad connection is a bad ballast or bulb you will notice one headlight flicker but not the other. Swap the
ballast and then the bulb. If the flicker follows the bulb or the ballast you found your problem. Ask if you can return your ballast or bulb
for warranty. And good luck with that...
The Capacitor works kind of like a additional battery and gets powered up when you start the system, excess voltage is stored in the
capacitor and when the voltage drops it will discharge and fill in the gap when the voltage is low. I found a Capacitor from Radio Shack
to work out well for $4.50 each. I got the 2200 uf rated at 35 volts part number 272-1020. I used one for each Ballast or head light.
| To keep things simple I used heat shrink and wire taps to install these onto the wires leading to the Ballast. On this capacitor the Ground wire is the one where the arrow is pointing to. Warning: Do not install the Capacitor backwards as it may get hot and explode. |
Here is a diagram I was sent from one of the
members of MBWorld.org Forums' No_Clue
(thanks Richard) since my Photoshop is
currently not working.
Install the capacitor in between the factory
headlight plug and HID Ballast.
members of MBWorld.org Forums' No_Clue
(thanks Richard) since my Photoshop is
currently not working.
Install the capacitor in between the factory
headlight plug and HID Ballast.
The capacitor installed
on the wires leading to
the Ballast
on the wires leading to
the Ballast
| Here is the rest of the install for the headlights for those of you who do not have it and would like to see some of the benefits of HID |
After removing the back cover for the headlight case ...
Remove the headlight bulbs turn counter clockwise when looking at the back of the
connector about a 1/8 turn and pull
It should look like this. Use a small blade screw driver to remove the connector.
Save the metal retaining clip and do not allow it to fall into the engine compartment!
Bulb on the left is the HID in the plastic container. Leave it in there as long as
possible to keep any oils (like the natural oils on your hands) off of it.
Take note to see how the retaining clip was clocked or phased on the old bulb.
Remove the old retaining clip and install on your new bulb.
This will be a pain to put on and you will most likely need to cut off the dust plug
(big round plug on some of the wires these kits have) to install. Note you should
not need to cut or damage any part of the wires or ends. Again be careful not to
touch the bulb. If you think the bulb touch anything you can dip the bulb in some
rubbing alcohol.
On the drivers side there is a small screw that holds the coolant reservoir in. Be
careful removing it because it will disappear if you let it. Make sure the coolant is
cool before doing this step. Pull up and move the tank to one side so you have
room to work on the driver's headlight.
If you require the capacitors install them now on the power leads to the Ballast.
Plug in the wires.
Look at the inside of your engine compartment the inside of your headlight will look
like this in time of you let dirt and dust in there. I recommend notching a slot into
the back cover or drilling a hole to allow the wires to pass thru the headlight
housing. Reinstall the cover. This will keep dust and moisture out of the headlight
assembly. Reinstall the other components.
Adjust the Headlights if necessary on level ground. Noting not to aim them higher
than the headlight itself.
If you have problems and all the connections are rechecked especially if the
problem is just with one light you may have a problem with the product itself. Check
with seller's trouble shooting list as you may have a problem with a bulb or Ballast.
Please use this information at your own risk. I do not teach or publish books and
this was just to help out a few friends. If you have questions or have some input
please email me at
healthservices@cox.net
Please note I have run across a couple people who had problems and after going
over everything we find the capacitor has loss connection. Please check this as
well as your other connections if you have problems. Good luck!
Remove the headlight bulbs turn counter clockwise when looking at the back of the
connector about a 1/8 turn and pull
It should look like this. Use a small blade screw driver to remove the connector.
Save the metal retaining clip and do not allow it to fall into the engine compartment!
Bulb on the left is the HID in the plastic container. Leave it in there as long as
possible to keep any oils (like the natural oils on your hands) off of it.
Take note to see how the retaining clip was clocked or phased on the old bulb.
Remove the old retaining clip and install on your new bulb.
This will be a pain to put on and you will most likely need to cut off the dust plug
(big round plug on some of the wires these kits have) to install. Note you should
not need to cut or damage any part of the wires or ends. Again be careful not to
touch the bulb. If you think the bulb touch anything you can dip the bulb in some
rubbing alcohol.
On the drivers side there is a small screw that holds the coolant reservoir in. Be
careful removing it because it will disappear if you let it. Make sure the coolant is
cool before doing this step. Pull up and move the tank to one side so you have
room to work on the driver's headlight.
If you require the capacitors install them now on the power leads to the Ballast.
Plug in the wires.
Look at the inside of your engine compartment the inside of your headlight will look
like this in time of you let dirt and dust in there. I recommend notching a slot into
the back cover or drilling a hole to allow the wires to pass thru the headlight
housing. Reinstall the cover. This will keep dust and moisture out of the headlight
assembly. Reinstall the other components.
Adjust the Headlights if necessary on level ground. Noting not to aim them higher
than the headlight itself.
If you have problems and all the connections are rechecked especially if the
problem is just with one light you may have a problem with the product itself. Check
with seller's trouble shooting list as you may have a problem with a bulb or Ballast.
Please use this information at your own risk. I do not teach or publish books and
this was just to help out a few friends. If you have questions or have some input
please email me at
healthservices@cox.net
Please note I have run across a couple people who had problems and after going
over everything we find the capacitor has loss connection. Please check this as
well as your other connections if you have problems. Good luck!
| When aiming your fog lights pull up twenty to thirty feet from a wall on level ground and adjust you lights. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR LIGHTS TO SHINE HIGHER THAN THE HEIGHT OF YOUR BULBS!!! Otherwise you will be blinding everyone! |
Use a long Phillips screwdriver here to
adjust your fog lights
adjust your fog lights
Have not bought yet but thinking about it?
Click here.
Click here.
o It will keep the clutter down in the
engine compartment.
o It will make it easier for the tech to
work on your car.
o It will hope fully be so out of the
way that the tech will never see it.
Meaning no warranty issues.
o It will keep the Brakes and SRS
system away from electromagnetic
interference that some of these cheap
ballast give off.
engine compartment.
o It will make it easier for the tech to
work on your car.
o It will hope fully be so out of the
way that the tech will never see it.
Meaning no warranty issues.
o It will keep the Brakes and SRS
system away from electromagnetic
interference that some of these cheap
ballast give off.