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LED Headlight bulbs

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3.3K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  Daveg2812  
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#1 ·
I'm sure you've got this question a million times, but I couldn't find the exact answer to my question.

I just replaced the low beam and high beam H7 bulbs in this 2009 SLK 300 and now I have a bunch of bulb error messages in dash and the low/high beams only stay on for a few seconds then turn off. I even have bulb errors for bulbs i didn't even touch. I removed the entire housings to replace the bulbs so everything did get unplugged, but it was plugged back in when I was finished.

From what I can tell I need to buy canbus error free bulbs. but I don't see any that are fanless, How can I install the high beams, don't need that bracket/adapter thing the bulb plugs into? The bulb goes into it, then it seats and locks into the housing, then the wiring harness plugs into it. Do you of any options for this?

590894
590895
590896
 
#2 ·
error free for external lights of course

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What are error free led bulbs and why are they needed?

What are CAN-bus Error Free LED bulbs? CAN-bus Error Free LED bulbs are LED bulbs that have resistors that are internally/externally attached. European vehicles are the typical candidates for these types of LED bulbs as the electrical system on these European cars have sensors that detect...
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#5 ·
In short you can't, there are no "error free" bulbs for the wattage you'll need that can be placed in a housing and not melt it (you could change the parking bulb as that is 5 watts).
Also almost all Led bulbs will result in unacceptable light patterns, I'm not aware of an H7 led bulb that will produce adecuate lighting and fit inside the housing.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
 
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#6 ·
VII7 said:
In short you can't, there are no "error free" bulbs for the wattage you'll need that can be placed in a housing and not melt it (you could change the parking bulb as that is 5 watts).
Also almost all Led bulbs will result in unacceptable light patterns, I'm not aware of an H7 led bulb that will produce adecuate lighting and fit inside the housing.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Not necessarily the answer I was hoping for, but in that case, do you have a recommendation for a halogen bulb that will be brighter & whiter than a stock H7? I've not bought halogen bulbs in many years now. I'll use whatever bulb I can to get better visibility and adjust the alignment some. The left is definitely a bit lower than the right.
 
#7 ·
VII7 said:
In short you can't, there are no "error free" bulbs for the wattage you'll need that can be placed in a housing and not melt it (you could change the parking bulb as that is 5 watts).
Also almost all Led bulbs will result in unacceptable light patterns, I'm not aware of an H7 led bulb that will produce adecuate lighting and fit inside the housing.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
All led headlamp bulbs need to dissipate a lot of heat and will have some sort of heatsink and usually a fan as well.
The H7 bulb also has a very small light source and it's position inside the headlamp is very critical, get it a mm or 2 off location and the light output is all over the place. Most of the H7 led bulbs have a light source led that is nowhere close to the size or position it needs to be, I tried a few in my car and gave up as they were a lot worse than the standard h7 bulb.
The only ones that I would try would be the Philips or 20/20 ones but I know that getting them to fit inside the headlamp complete with fans would be difficult!
 
#10 ·
sam_sig said:
Not necessarily the answer I was hoping for, but in that case, do you have a recommendation for a halogen bulb that will be brighter & whiter than a stock H7? I've not bought halogen bulbs in many years now. I'll use whatever bulb I can to get better visibility and adjust the alignment some. The left is definitely a bit lower than the right.
Click to expand...
I use the new Philips +200% H7, plenty of light but the trade off is shorter life.
 
#11 ·
get part numbers here, post it and then we can maybe find them for you


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#14 ·
jbanks15 said:
get part numbers here, post it and then we can maybe find them for you


also free datacard

Claim your free gift!

FREE!! Post your vin in the Vehicle Datacard Request section to get a free datacard (options on your car). You must update your profile with vehicle info and your location and post an introduction first.

FREE!! How to get a free datacard!
Click to expand...

171-885-17-53
I'm pretty sure that's the part number even though the diagram picture doesn't quite look right. I cant find an actual photo of the part. I don't really need the whole left grill insert, just that chrome ring. It may not be possible to buy it by itself, ehich is fine, I'll buy the whole insert if needed. I just want to make sure its the correct part before purchasing.
 
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#17 ·
VII7 said:
As mentioned there are options by the major manufacturers that balance life VS brightness. Stick to the main brands (I personally use Phillips) and do not get over wattage bulbs as this can result in wiring issues or damaged housings.

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Click to expand...
So what is a safe wattage to buy? I've seen 55W and 100W, I'm assuming the 100W are over wattage
 
#19 ·
Probably not a lot of use to you as you're over the pond, but I stuck a pair of these into another car, they really are white compared to the ones I've used that are rated 4300 deg K. still not LED white though. Can't tell you how long they will last but given that the R171 is a bugger to change the bulbs in, wouldn't want to do it too often.
Must be somebody in the US with the same(ish) product.
BP
 
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