S-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.

Risk of injury

HiP bulbs are pressurised and may explode when you change them, thereby injuring you.

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


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

Overview

Front bulbs

	Bulb	Type
	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.)
	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
	Main-beam headlamps or	H9 65 W
	IR projector* (with Night View Assist*) or	H11 55 W
	Main-beam spot lamp* (Vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps.*)	H7 55 W
	Cornering light*	H7 55 W
	Front foglamp	H11 55 W
	Turn signal lamp	PY 24 W

Rear bulbs

	Bulb	Type
	Third brake lamp	LED
	Rear foglamp	HiP 19 W
	Brake/tail lamp	LED
	Licence plate lamp	W 5 W
	Reversing lamp	HiP 16 W
	Turn signal lamp	HiP 16 W

Before changing bulbs

You can replace the following bulbs:

Left dipped-beam headlamp (vehicles with halogen headlamps)
Main-beam headlamps (vehicles with halogen headlamps)
Replacing the bulb in the main-beam spot lamp* (vehicles with bi-xenon bulbs*)
Changing the IR projector*
Cornering light* (vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps*)

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

Removing/fitting the washer fluid reservoir

You must remove the washer fluid reservoir from the engine compartment in order to replace the bulbs for the front left-hand headlamp.

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Retaining screw

Washer fluid reservoir in the engine compartment

Removing

	Turn retaining screw anti-clockwise.
	Remove the washer fluid reservoir from bracket.
	Put the washer fluid reservoir to one side and leave the lines and hoses connected. Make sure that no washer fluid escapes.

Fitting

	Guide the lower retaining lug into the rubber grommet on the longitudinal member and fit the washer fluid reservoir into the bracket.
	Turn retaining screw clockwise.

Housing cover for dipped-beam headlamp

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Housing cover for main-beam headlamp/main-beam spot lamp*/IR projector*

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Housing cover for cornering light*

Headlamps

Replacing the bulb in the left-hand dipped-beam headlamp (vehicles with halogen headlamps)

Bulb holder for dipped-beam headlamp

Cable duct for dipped-beam headlamps

Halogen headlamps

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Remove the washer fluid reservoir more.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it more.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise until it is released.
	Remove bulb holder .
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder .
	Insert bulb holder into the guide in the headlamp.
	Cable duct of bulb holder must point to the right.
	Turn bulb holder clockwise until it engages.
	Cable output must be pointing down and to the right.
	Align housing cover and turn it clockwise more.

Replacing the bulb in the main-beam (vehicles with halogen headlamps)

Bulb holder for main-beam headlamp

Bulb holder handle for main-beam headlamp

Halogen headlamps

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Remove the washer fluid reservoir more.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it more.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise until it is released.
	Remove bulb holder .
	Push aside the retainers in the connector.
	Take the bulb out of the connector.
	Insert the new bulb into the connector.
	Insert bulb holder into the guide in the headlamp.
	Handle of bulb holder must point downwards and to the right.
	Turn bulb holder clockwise.
	Handle of bulb holder must be vertical.
	Align housing cover and turn it clockwise more.

Replacing the bulb in the main-beam spot lamp* (vehicles with bi-xenon headlamps*)

Bulb holder for main-beam spot lamp

Cable duct for main-beam spot lamp

Bulb holder handle for main-beam spot lamp

Bi-xenon headlamps*

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Remove the washer fluid reservoir more.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it more.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise until it is released.
	Remove bulb holder .
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder .
	Insert bulb holder into the guide in the headlamp.
	Left headlamp: cable duct must be pointing up and to the right. Right headlamp: cable duct must be pointing down and to the left.
	Turn bulb holder clockwise until it engages.
	Handle of bulb holder must be horizontal.
	Align housing cover and turn it clockwise more.

Replacing the bulbs in the IR projectors*

Bulb holder, IR projector

Cable duct, IR projector

Headlamps

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Remove the washer fluid reservoir more.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it more.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise until it is released.
	Remove bulb holder .
	Push the two detents on the right and left of bulb holder and pull the bulb from bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder until it engages.
	Insert bulb holder into the guide in the headlamp.
	Lead output must point down and to the right.
	Turn bulb holder clockwise until it engages.
	Cable duct must point down and to the left.
	Align housing cover and turn it clockwise more.

Replacing the cornering lamp* bulbs

Bulb holder for cornering light

Bulb holder handle for cornering light

Cable duct for cornering light

Bi-xenon headlamps*

	Switch off the lights.
	Open the bonnet.
	Remove the washer fluid reservoir more.
	Turn housing cover anti-clockwise and remove it more.
	Turn bulb holder anti-clockwise until it is released.
	Remove bulb holder .
	Pull the bulb out of bulb holder .
	Insert the new bulb into bulb holder and push it down as far as it will go.
	Insert bulb holder into the guide in the headlamp.
	Left headlamp: cable duct of the bulb holder must be pointing down and to the left. Right headlamp: cable duct of the bulb holder must be pointing up and to the right.
	Turn bulb holder clockwise until it engages.
	Handle of the bulb holder must be horizontal.
	Align housing cover and turn it clockwise more.