M-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 Center 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

Front bulbs

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

Rear bulbs

	Bulb	Type
	Third brake lamp	LED
	Brake lamp	P 21 W or LED*
	Turn signal lamp	PY 21 W or LED*
	Foglamp/tail lamp/parking lamp or	P 21 W or
	Rear fog lamp Side lamp/parking lamp	W 16 W* LED*
	Foglamp/tail lamp/parking lamp or	P 21 W or
	Rear fog lamp Side lamp/parking lamp	W 16 W* LED*
	Reversing lamp	P 21 W or W 16 W*
	Licence plate lamp	C 5 W

Vehicles with an exterior spare wheel bracket*

	Bulb	Type
	Third brake lamp	LED
	Reversing lamp	P 21 W
	Rear fog lamp	P 21 W
	Brake lamp/tail lamp/parking lamp	P 21 W
	Turn signal lamp	PY 21 W
	Licence plate lamp	W 5 W

Before changing bulbs

You can replace the following bulbs:

Dipped-beam headlamps (vehicles with halogen headlamps)
Main-beam headlamps
Side lamp and parking lamp
Foglamps with/without cornering light function*
Turn signal lamp (front)
Brake lamp
Reversing lamp
Rear foglamp/tail lamp/parking lamp
Turn signal lamp (rear)
Licence plate 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.


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

Changing the front bulbs


ML 500: the fuse box in the engine compartment must be removed before a bulb is changed in the headlamp on the right-hand side. Have the work carried out at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.

Replacing dipped-beam headlamps (vehicles with halogen headlamps)

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Housing cover for dipped-beam headlamp

resources/font_symbols/mbsymb5/mbsymb5_0032.png

Bulb holder for dipped-beam headlamp

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise and pull it out.
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder .
	Insert bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
	Align housing cover and turn it clockwise.

Replacing the bulbs in the main-beam headlamp

Housing cover for main-beam headlamp

Bulb holder for main-beam headlamp

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

Replacing side/parking lamp bulbs

Bulb holder for side/parking lamp

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise and pull it out.
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder .
	Insert bulb holder and turn it clockwise.

Replacing the bulbs in foglamps without cornering light function/AMG Styling package* foglamps/foglamps on the ML 63 AMG

Cover

Front foglamp

Foglamps without cornering light function

	Switch off the lights.
	Carefully detach cover using a suitable object, e.g. a screwdriver.
	Cover disengages.
	Remove cover .

Cover

Front foglamp

AMG Styling package* foglamps/foglamps on the ML 63 AMG

	Switch off the lights.
	Slide a suitable object, e.g. a screwdriver, carefully into the recess between cover and the bumper.
	Detach cover and pull it out. If necessary, carefully use the screwdriver to prise it off.

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Foglamp screws

Front foglamp

Remove screws resources/font_symbols/mbsymb5/mbsymb5_0033.png .


Only remove screws . Do not turn the front foglamp adjustment screws. If the adjustment screws are turned, the front foglamp adjustment must be checked at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.

Remove front foglamp resources/font_symbols/mbsymb5/mbsymb5_0032.png .

resources/font_symbols/mbsymb5/mbsymb5_0034.png

Bulb holder for front foglamp

Front foglamp

	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise to the stop and remove it.
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder .
	Insert bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
	Insert front foglamp .
	Replace and tighten screws .
	Insert cover and press in firmly.
	Cover snaps into place.

Replacing the bulbs in foglamps with cornering light function*

Front foglamp

Cover screws

Cover

	Switch off the lights.
	Remove screws .
	Remove cover with foglamp with cornering light function.

Bulb holder for front foglamp

	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise to the stop and remove it.
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder .
	Insert bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
	Insert cover with foglamp with cornering light function.
	Replace and tighten the screws .

Replacing the turn signal lamps

Bulb holder for turn signal (PY 5 W)

Bulb holder for turn signal (P 21 W)

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Turn bulb holder or anti-clockwise and pull it out.
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder or .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder or .
	Insert bulb holder or and turn clockwise.

Changing the rear bulbs

Opening and closing the side trim panels

You must open the side trim panel in the load compartment before changing the bulbs in the tail lamps.

Left-hand side trim panel

Release catch

Side trim panel

To open the side trim panel: turn catch resources/font_symbols/mbsymb5/mbsymb5_0031.png 90° in the direction of the arrow and remove side trim panel .

Left-hand stowage compartment

Release catch

Stowage compartment

	To open the stowage compartment: insert a suitable object, e.g. a coin, into the slot of release button .
	Turn release button 90° in the direction of the arrow and remove the stowage compartment.
	To close the stowage compartment: insert the stowage compartment and turn release button in the opposite direction to the arrow until the slot in the release button is in a vertical position.
	To close the side trim panel: insert the side trim panel and turn catch 90° in the opposite direction to the arrow.

Right-hand side trim panel

Release catch

Side trim panel

	To open: insert a suitable object, e.g. a coin, into the slot of release catch on side trim panel .
	Turn release catch 90° in the direction of the arrow and remove side trim panel .

To close: insert side trim panel resources/font_symbols/mbsymb5/mbsymb5_0032.png and turn catch 90° in the opposite direction to the arrow.

Changing the tail lamps

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

Brake lamp

Reversing lamp

Rear foglamp (left)/tail lamp/parking lamp

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Turn signal lamp

Tail lamps without LEDs*

Reversing lamp

Rear fog lamp

Tail lamps with LEDs*

	Turn the corresponding bulb holder anti-clockwise and remove it.
	Take the bulb out of the bulb holder.
	Insert the new bulb into the bulb holder.
	Insert the bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
	Close the side trim panel more.

Vehicles with an exterior spare wheel bracket*

On vehicles with an exterior spare wheel bracket*, the following lamps are located in the bumper:

Tail lamp
Parking lamp
Brake lamp
Turn signal lamp
Licence plate lamp

Lamp cluster

Bumper

	Switch off the lights.
	Insert a plastic card into the gap between the bumper and lamp cluster .
	Push the plastic card in the direction of the arrow.
	Lamp cluster pops out.
	Remove lamp cluster .

Bulb holder for turn signal lamp

Bulb holder for tail lamp/parking lamp/brake lamp

Lamp cluster

	Turn the corresponding bulb holder anti-clockwise and remove it.
	Lightly press the bulb into the bulb holder, turn it anti-clockwise and remove it from the bulb holder.
	Insert the new bulb into the bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
	Insert the corresponding bulb holder and turn it clockwise.
	Insert lamp unit and press in firmly.
	Lamp unit snaps into place.

Changing the bulbs in the licence plate lamps

Licence plate lamp

Screws

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the tailgate.
	Remove screws .
	Remove the licence plate lamp.
	Replace the bulb.
	Insert the licence plate lamp.
	Replace and tighten screws .