C-Class Interactive Owner's Manual [In depth | Practical advice

Changing the bulbs

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Notes on changing bulbs

Bulbs and lamps are an important aspect of vehicle safety. You must therefore make sure that all bulbs function correctly at all times.

Risk of injury

Bulbs and lamps can be very hot. You should therefore allow them to cool down before you change them. Otherwise, you could be burned if you touch them.

Keep bulbs out of the reach of children. Otherwise, they could damage them, for example, and injure themselves.

Never use a bulb which has been dropped. Such a bulb may explode and injure you.

H7 bulbs are pressurised and could explode when you change them, particularly if they are very hot. You should therefore wear eye protection and gloves when you are changing them.

Risk of injury

Xenon bulbs are under high voltage. You could get an electric shock and be seriously or even fatally injured if you touch the electric contacts on xenon bulbs. Do not, therefore, remove the cover on xenon bulbs.

Do not change xenon bulbs yourself, but have them replaced at a qualified specialist workshop which has the necessary specialist knowledge and tools to carry out the work required.

Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose. In particular, work relevant to safety or on safety-related systems must be carried out at a qualified specialist workshop.


Do not change the LEDs yourself. You could otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the vehicle.

Overview

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Estate

Front bulbs

	Bulb	Type
	Additional turn signal lamp	LEDs (These bulbs must be replaced at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.)
	Side lamp/parking lamp	W 5 W (Blue Vision)
	Side lamp/parking lamp	W 5 W (Blue Vision)
	Turn signal lamp	PY 21 W
	Dipped-beam headlamp	H7 55 W (Vehicles with halogen headlamps.) or D1S 35 W (Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps*: always have these bulbs changed at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.)
	Main-beam headlamp	H7 55 W
	Front foglamp	H11 55 W

Rear bulbs

	Bulb	Type
	Third brake lamp	LED
	Side marker lamp Rear foglamp	W 5 W P 21 W
	Turn signal lamp	PY 21 W or LED*
	Brake lamp/tail lamp	2 x P 21 W
	Reversing lamp	P 21 W or W 16 W (Vehicles without LED turn signal lamps are equipped with these bulb types.) (Estate)
	Licence plate lamp	W 5 W

Before changing bulbs

You can replace the following bulbs:

Dipped-beam headlamps (vehicles with halogen headlamps)
Main-beam headlamp
Side lamp and parking lamp
Turn signal lamp (front)
Reversing lamp
Brake lamp/tail lamp
Rear foglamp
Turn signal (rear)
Side marker lamp

Observe the following points:

Use only the bulb types specified here.
To prevent a short-circuit, switch off the lights before changing a bulb.
Only hold bulbs with a clean, lint-free cloth.
Do not work with wet or greasy fingers.
If the new bulb still does not light up, consult a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.


Due to the location of the bulbs in the front headlamps, it is best to have these changed at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.


Have the headlamp setting checked regularly at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.

Changing the front bulbs

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Bulb holder for turn signal

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Housing cover for side/parking lamps

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Housing cover for side/parking lamps

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Housing cover for main-beam headlamp

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Housing cover for dipped-beam headlamp

Halogen headlamps

Bulb holder for turn signal

Housing cover for side/parking lamps

Housing cover for main-beam headlamp

Housing cover for dipped-beam headlamp (bi-xenon headlamp)

Bi-xenon headlamps*

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Bulb holder for side/parking lamp

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Bulb holder for side/parking lamp

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Bulb holder for main-beam headlamp

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Bulb holder for dipped-beam headlamp

Halogen headlamps

Bulb holder for side/parking lamp

Bulb holder for main-beam headlamp

Bi-xenon headlamps*

Replacing dipped-beam headlamps (vehicles with halogen headlamps)

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it.
	Disconnect the connector from the bulb.
	Gently push in the retaining spring of bulb holder and detach it downwards.
	Remove the bulb from bulb holder , holding the base (not the glass tube).
	Insert the new bulb so that the base fits flush in the recess in bulb holder
	Clip in the retaining spring of bulb holder .
	Attach the connector to the bulb.
	Place housing cover back on and turn it clockwise until it engages.

Replacing the bulbs in the main-beam headlamp

Bulb holder for main-beam headlamp

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it.
	Push down the lamp on the connector until it is released.
	Remove the bulb from bulb holder , holding the base (not the glass tube).
	Disconnect the connector from the bulb.
	Attach the connector to the new bulb.
	Put the new bulb in at the bottom and push it up until it clips into place, so that the base fits flush in the recess on bulb holder .
	Place housing cover back on and turn it clockwise until it engages.

Changing the bulbs in the side lamps and parking lamps

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn housing cover or anti-clockwise and remove it.
	Pull out bulb holder or with the bulb.
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder or .
	Push the new bulb into bulb holder or .
	Insert bulb holder or into the headlamp and push it in.
	Place housing cover or back on and turn it clockwise until it engages.

Replacing the bulbs in the turn signal lamps

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise and remove it along with the bulb.
	Turn the bulb anti-clockwise, applying slight pressure, and remove it from bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder and turn it clockwise.

Marking

Retainer

Bulb holder for turn signal

	Place the bulb holder in the headlamp so that retainer is upright and mark is at the top.
	Turn the bulb holder clockwise until it engages.

Changing the rear bulbs

Opening and closing the side trim panels

You need to open the side trim panel in the boot/luggage compartment before changing the bulbs in the tail lamps.

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Release catch

Side trim panel

Left-hand side trim panel

Release catch

Side trim panel

Right-hand side trim panel

	To open: turn catch 90° in the direction of the arrow and remove the side trim panel .
	To close: insert side trim panel and turn catch 90° in the opposite direction to the arrow.

Estate

Handle

Side trim panel

Left-hand side trim panel

Handle

Side trim panel

Right-hand side trim panel

	To open: turn release button in the direction of the arrow and remove side trim panel .
	To close: insert side trim panel and press firmly until it snaps into place.

Changing the tail lamps

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	Switch off the lights.
	Open the boot.
	Open the side trim panel more.
or
	Open the left-hand* or right-hand stowage compartment in the boot.

Retaining lugs

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	Simultaneously press retaining lugs in the direction of the arrow and slightly pull out the bulb holder with the bulbs.
	Vehicles with LED turn signals: disconnect the cables of the LED turn signal from the connectors of the bulb holder.
	Remove the bulb holder with the bulbs.

Rear foglamp/side marker lamp

Side marker lamp

Turn signal lamp

Side lamp/brake lamp/tail lamp

Brake lamp/tail lamp

Reversing lamp

Saloon: bulb holder without LED indicator lamp

	Rear foglamp/turn signal lamp/parking lamp/brake lamp/tail lamp/reversing lamp: press the respective lamp back and turn it in an anti-clockwise direction to remove it from the bulb holder.
	Side marker lamp: pull bulb out of the bulb holder.
	Rear foglamp/turn signal lamp/parking lamp/brake lamp/tail lamp/reversing lamp: insert the new bulb into the bulb holder and turn it in a clockwise direction.
	Side marker lamp: insert the new bulb into the bulb holder and press it in.
	Vehicles with LED turn signals: connect the cables of the LED turn signal to the connectors of the bulb holder.
	Reinsert the bulb holder and lock it in position.
	Close the side trim panel more.

Estate

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the luggage compartment.
	Open the side trim panel more.

Retaining lugs

Estate

	Simultaneously press retaining lugs in the direction of the arrow and slightly pull out the bulb holder with the bulbs.
	Vehicles with LED turn signals: disconnect the cables of the LED turn signal from the connectors of the bulb holder.
	Remove the bulb holder with the bulbs.

Rear foglamp/side marker lamp

Side marker lamp

Turn signal lamp

Side lamp/brake lamp/tail lamp

Brake lamp/tail lamp

Reversing lamp

Estate: bulb holder without LED indicator lamp

	Rear foglamp/turn signal lamp/parking lamp/brake lamp/tail lamp: press the respective lamp back and turn it in an anti-clockwise direction to remove it from the bulb holder.
	Side marker lamp/reversing lamp: remove bulb / from the bulb holder.
	Rear foglamp/turn signal lamp/parking lamp/brake lamp/tail lamp: insert the new bulb into the bulb holder and turn it in a clockwise direction.
	Side marker lamp/reversing lamp: insert the new bulb into the bulb holder and press it in.
	Vehicles with LED turn signals: connect the cables of the LED turn signal to the connectors of the bulb holder.
	Reinsert the bulb holder and lock it in position.
	Close the side trim panel more.