[cal45fan]

I just bought OEM projectors but no ballasts. Currently installed, it takes an H7 bulb. Is this the ballast for it? Where is it installed? I know that I will need an H7 to D2S adapter. Now, how do I get the flickering to stay away? I know aftermarket HID dealers sell anti-flicker. Would that be a good option?

Thanks.

 

[pdxgrease]

i had OEM projector HID's on mine... now i have stock non projector headlights with DDM Tuning h7 hid's with ballast. By far the aftermarket lights even in junky 1999 reflectors are brighter. Don't be woooh'd by oem.. just skip that oem crap and get a ddm tuning kit. $50 and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Brettriehl101]

i had OEM projector HID's on mine... now i have stock non projector headlights with DDM Tuning h7 hid's with ballast. By far the aftermarket lights even in junky 1999 reflectors are brighter. Don't be woooh'd by oem.. just skip that oem crap and get a ddm tuning kit. $50 and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

or you could decide to not blind everyone else on the road and use HIDs in the correct housing (projector) like they are made for.

And let me get this straight... you have an H7 bulb in your oem projectors? those sound like ebay projectors because OEM should have D2S bulbs. Those ballasts you bought will be perfect for OEM because they are made to plug into the back of a D2S bulb.

also, you should not need anything for anti-flicker. if they are flickering when you get them hooked up, check into your wiring.

 

[pdxgrease]

Actually Mr assumer.. they dont blind people at all. I NEVER get flashed. I actually had the courtesy to test it out. They are bright.. actually look pretty boss and yet they dont blind. Why assume I'm being an assh*le? Remember when you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME. I did polish my headlights with a 3m kit though so maybe that helped. ...some ppl.

 

[gwwaterman]

Interesting to hear you dis the very OEM model headlights you sold me Mr grease. I suppose you did have to have a reason to unload them, but I can dismiss this because after having used OEM HID and now OEM projector HID, I am quite pleased with the POS OEM crap you sold me; broken tab not withstanding. An odd endorsement perhaps, but true none the less.

That tab was quite the PITA to repair by the way. I could find no glue on earth that would stick to this plastic and hold strongly. I finally gave up and just machined a part.

 

[pdxgrease]

Well sir I sold them ONLY to make some money for a trip. My appreciation for ddm tuning came only after trying to find a cheap solution to my vastly inferior oem 1999 yellow headlights. By comparison the oem hids are quite nice. They definitely have a crisper beam pattern. But the ddm lights are way brighter. Again I was not trying to unload some junk lights on an unsuspecting victim. And as far as the tab breaking... I certainly packed those lights up ridiculously well. I am very sorry that happened as I expressed at the time and was happy to file an insurance claim (then) but never heard back and assumed the best. Now you knowingly bought the oem projector hids that were in perfect shape from me (broken tabs from the shipper aside) and I didn't make you buy them. Again I'm sorry and I can not see how you construed in any way that I handled the situation in a shady or unscrupulous manner.

I still think ddm tuning plus oem or eBay projectors will give more light output than Bosch oem bixenon. You have to realize when I sold the lights they came off my ml and I was back with hardly being able to see. At the time I had thought oem bixenon hid's were the best lights you could put on. Now in hind sight I am really happy with the light output of the cheaptastic ddm kit. Also I lost money on those lights and you got them for a song. I still think the light output could be better and I thought it better to share my opinion in that regard even though it offended you.

 

[gwwaterman]

Well, I don't think I understand your rational for selling them now any more now than I did when they arrived broken, but whatever... One thing I can ASSUME is that this statement isn't exactly accurate:
...I certainly packed those lights up ridiculously well... - ridiculous maybe, but sufficient; well, I kinda knew what I was likely getting into..
Water over the dam. They're in, they work and I like them. It's just my luck that the one broken lens I had (driver's side) turned up to be the same one with a broken tab from your set.

Did cal45fan get his question answered? I don't think so. That does look like the ballast to me (see below - this is the inside of my original OEM HID lens with one of the rear covers removed).

And what does he mean by flicker? Loose connection flicker or unsupported filament flicker?

 

[pdxgrease]

why are you airing your dirty laundry 10 months later? I wish you had been the person to unpack them. You would have seen that i had bundled those lights up with many layers of heavy duty cardboard and foam. I think few sellers would have gone to the lengths I went. I spent nearly 1 1/2 hours wrapping them up meticulously. I was selling them to a forum brother - I was trying to do right and I friggin cut you a hella good deal (sorry pun intended) I left no dead air space and did the very best job i could. Then you reported that tabs had cracked in transit and I was very sad to hear it. IIRC I was the one to follow up on you first. I offered to file a claim when i found out (which we could have done!!!). I was there for you. Never heard a word again. And now you have to be a dick on the public thread. When i bought those lights for more than you paid I was happy. I sold them happy too. I needed to free up some cash. Later I discovered to my delight that the ddm kit (which was meant as a tide over until i could get a proper oem projector set up again) was really really good. In fact I believe the actual light output to be greater. So in the spirit of sharing information I said as much to the OP. Now you are all sour grapes and its not my fault. You are slandering me and I have done nothing to deserve it. wtf?

I'm really sorry that my $50 light bulbs put out more light.

 

[cal45fan]

No, I have OEM projectors that seemed like the previous owners of it took the ballasts out. I currently have H7 in there with its holder (oem). Can that be replaced with a D2S holder or an adapter (H7 to D2S).

Also, I think my adjusters are broken. I can only adjust so much height and they are not able to be aligned. Is there a way to replace these adjusters? A link to a DIY will be good.

 

[Mike's ML]

No, I have OEM projectors that seemed like the previous owners of it took the ballasts out. I currently have H7 in there with its holder (oem). Can that be replaced with a D2S holder or an adapter (H7 to D2S).

You have the OEM Halogen projector light fixtures, not the OEM HID Xenon projector light fixtures. ML's over the years were available with both types of fixtures. From the outside they look the same but they are completely different inside. H7 Halogen bulbs do not require any ballasts. The H series bulbs are halogen and the D2 series bulbs are HID Xenon. The OEM halogen fixtures can be converted to HID Xenon by adding D2R, not D2S, bulbs and associated ballasts. If you search this forum you can probably find posts where it has been done correctly.
The Bi-Xenon OEM fixtures are again something completely different from the Projector fixtures and use the D2S bulbs.
The focal point of the D2S and D2R are different an should never be interchanged.
The OEM headlight fixtures were made by Heller not Bosch.
Mike

[EDIT] PS: The type of bulb the fixture was designed for is molded into the top of the clear plastic cover just under where the hood closes over the light fixture. H7 or D2S. You will not see D2R since that is an aftermarket HID retrofit bulb for the H7 bulbs and is not OEM. You will also see the DOT approval in the same area.

 

[bocabenz]

No, I have OEM projectors that seemed like the previous owners of it took the ballasts out. I currently have H7 in there with its holder (oem). Can that be replaced with a D2S holder or an adapter (H7 to D2S).

Also, I think my adjusters are broken. I can only adjust so much height and they are not able to be aligned. Is there a way to replace these adjusters? A link to a DIY will be good.

Just to clarify... projector does not automatically mean xenon. That said, do what Mike suggested and check whether these were originally halogen housings. My suspicion is they always were.

As for the adjustors, there are a set for the vertical and another for the horizontal. I just want to verify that you have found both sets, correct?

 

[cal45fan]

Mike has mentioned that D2R are not OEM, it actually is. The difference between D2S and D2R is the base (see this link...XENON EXPERT #5). D2S is used by BMW and D2R is used by Mercedes Benz. D2R and H7 uses the same bulb holder. Since I have Halogens in my headlights, I can just put in D2R bulbs plus the Hella ballasts that I have.

Now that my question has been answered about retrofitting, I need to know if there is a DIY for rebuilding the headlight adjuster. I am familiar with BMW headlights and its rebuild process. I would imagine that my ML's headlights can be rebuilt as well since Hella is the manufacturer for both carmakers' headlights. I just need the actual DIY link. Thanks.

 

[Mike's ML]

Mike has mentioned that D2R are not OEM, it actually is. The difference between D2S and D2R is the base (see this link...XENON EXPERT #5). D2S is used by BMW and D2R is used by Mercedes Benz. D2R and H7 uses the same bulb holder. Since I have Halogens in my headlights, I can just put in D2R bulbs plus the Hella ballasts that I have.

The difference between D2R and D2S is more than the base. The focal point of the D2S is calibrated to the shape of a HID Xenon reflector in HID light fixtures. The focal point of the D2R (R for reflector) is calibrated to the shape of the reflector in a light fixture designed for Halogen bulbs.

The D2S IS a Mercedes OEM bulb. That is what I have in my 05ML500 OEM Xenon Hella fixtures. That is what is molded into the Hella fixture and DOT approved. And that is what is printed in my Owners Manual for a replacement bulb.

Too much BMW information and not enough Mercedes information.

The flickering could be the result of the AAM/EAM needing to be coded for Xenon Present. If they are coded for Halogen (not Xenon present) the Xenon bulbs will flicker.

Good luck. I really do hope you end up with a successful, and correct, Halogen to Xenon conversion.

Your "XENON EXPERT" is not entirely correct and looks to me as more of a marketing person than any kind of expert.

Mike

 

[bocabenz]

The difference between D2R and D2S is more than the base. The focal point of the D2S is calibrated to the shape of a HID Xenon reflector in HID light fixtures. The focal point of the D2R (R for reflector) is calibrated to the shape of the reflector in a light fixture designed for Halogen bulbs.

The D2S IS a Mercedes OEM bulb. That is what I have in my 05ML500 OEM Xenon Hella fixtures. That is what is molded into the Hella fixture and DOT approved. And that is what is printed in my Owners Manual for a replacement bulb.

Too much BMW information and not enough Mercedes information.

The flickering could be the result of the AAM/EAM needing to be coded for Xenon Present. If they are coded for Halogen (not Xenon present) the Xenon bulbs will flicker.

Good luck. I really do hope you end up with a successful, and correct, Halogen to Xenon conversion.

Your "XENON EXPERT" is not entirely correct and looks to me as more of a marketing person than any kind of expert.

Mike

Mike is exactly right, and especially about that last statement.

What does your headlight housing say on it? H7?

 

[Sveina]

D2S is used by BMW and D2R is used by Mercedes Benz.

The difference between D2R and D2S is more than the base. The focal point of the D2S is calibrated to the shape of a HID Xenon reflector in HID light fixtures. The focal point of the D2R (R for reflector) is calibrated to the shape of the reflector in a light fixture designed for Halogen bulbs.

Both D2R and D2S is used by MB, just depends on what type of lamp you have, and what years they produced them. It's the style of lamps which makes the use of which bulb correctly. If you have a H7 option, you should get some 35W igniters to a xenon conversion H7 bulb (as these are often better priced than the D2's).