MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2003 Owners Manual

331 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp
adjustment.
Bulbs Front lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Additional turn sig-
nal lamps
LED
2
Low beam
1
1Vehicles with Bi-Xenon headlamps*: Low beam
and high beam use the same D2S-35W lamp. Do
not replace the Bi-Xenon bulbs yourself. See your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
H7-55 W
Bi -Xenon*
D2S-35 W
3
Turn signal lamp
2357 A
4
Fog lamp
H7-55 W
5
Parking and stand-
ing lamp
W5W
6
Side marker lamp
W5W
7
High beam
H7-55 W

332 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsRear lamps Notes on bulb replacement


Use only 12 volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.


Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not light
up, visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Have the LEDs and bulbs for the follow-
ing lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Additional turn signal lamps in the
exterior rear view mirrors


High mounted brake lamp


Bi-Xenon lamps*


Front fog lamps
Lamp
Type
8
Brake lamp
LED
9
Turn signal lamp
PY 21 W
10
Tail and standing
lamp, side marker
P21/4W
11
Backup lamp
P21W
12
License plate lamps
C5W
13
Tail lamp, Rear fog
lamp
P21/4W
14
High mounted brake
lamp
LED
Warning!
G
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot


drop the bulb


scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Bi-Xenon lamps,
it is dangerous to replace the bulb or repair
the lamp and its components. We recom-
mend that you have such work done by a
qualified technician.

333 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
1Headlamp cover for fog lamp
2Headlamp cover for high beam head-
lamp bulb, parking and standing lamp
3Headlamp cover for low beam
(Bi-Xenon* or halogen) headlamp bulb4Bulb socket for fog lamp
5Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp
6Electrical connector for high beam
headlamp bulb
7Electrical connector for low beam
headlamp bulb
8Bulb socket for turn signal lampReplacing low beam bulbs
Bi-Xenon* headlamp
Halogen headlamp

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 263).

Press the tab on cover3 and remove
cover.

Pull connector7 off of the lamp.

Release the retaining springs and take
out the bulb.Warning!
G
Do not remove the cover for the Bi-Xenon
headlamp. Because of high voltage in xenon
lamps, it is dangerous to replace the bulb or
repair the lamp and its components. We rec-
ommend that you have such work done by a
qualified technician.


334 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs
Insert the new bulb in the socket so
that the base is in the recess on the
lower left.

Attach the retaining springs.

Insert connector7 into the bulb.

Press cover3 onto the housing until
the tab engages.Replacing high beam bulbs

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 263).

Press the tab on cover2 and remove
cover.

Pull connector 6 off of the bulb.

Apply pressure on the bulb contacts
from above until the bulb releases from
the retaining springs.

Remove bulb.

Insert the new bulb in the socket with
the marking facing upward.

Press the bulb upward on the contacts
until it engages in the retaining springs.

Insert connector6 onto the bulb.

Press cover2 onto the housing until
the tab engages.Front turn signal lamp bulb

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 263).

Twist bulb socket8 counterclockwise
and pull out.

Gently push bulb into socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.

Insert new bulb in socket, push in and
twist clockwise.

Reinstall bulb socket in lamp and twist
clockwise until it engages.


335 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Parking and standing lamp bulb
Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 263).

Press the tab on cover2 and remove
cover.

Pull out the bulb socket5 with the
bulb.

Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert a new bulb in the socket.

Reinstall the bulb socket.

Press cover2 onto the housing until
the tab engages.Side marker lamp bulb

Switch off the lights.

Carefully slide lamp towards rear.

Remove front end first.

Twist bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull out.

Pull bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert new bulb in socket.

Reinstall bulb socket, push in and twist
clockwise.

To reinstall lamp, set rear end in
bumper and let front end snap into
place.

336 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsReplacing bulbs for rear lamps
Tail lamp assemblies
1Turn signal lamp (white socket)
2Tail, parking, standing, and side marker
lamp (red socket)
3Tail lamp, rear fog lamp (red socket)
4Backup lamp (black socket)

Switch off the lights.

Open trunk.

Turn the catch, and move the trim to
the side.

Turn bulb socket counterclockwise and
pull out.

Gently twist bulb counterclockwise and
pull out of bulb holder.

Insert new bulb into the holder and turn
it clockwise.

Reinstall bulb socket.
The bulb socket should audibly click.

Replace trim and secure with lock. License plate lamp
1Screws

Switch off the lights.

Loosen both screws1 and remove
lamp.

Replace the tubular lamp and reinstall
it.

Retighten the screws.

337 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Removing
Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 47).

With wiper arm in vertical position (see
above), turn SmartKey in starter switch
to position0.

Fold the wiper arm forward.
You should hear it snap into place.

Turn the wiper blade at a right angle to
wiper arm (arrow 1).
1Lock
2Unlock

Pull the tab in the direction of arrow2
and remove windshield wiper.
!To avoid damage to the hood, the wiper
arms should only be folded forward
when in the vertical position.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, remove SmartKey from
starter switch before replacing a wiper
blade, otherwise the motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury.

338 Practical hintsReplacing wiper bladesInstalling
Slide the wiper blade into the cutout on
the wiper arm.

Slide the tab back in the opposite di-
rection of arrow2 until it audibly en-
gages.

Rotate wiper blade into position paral-
lel to wiper arm.

Fold the wiper arm backward to rest on
the windshield.
!Never open the hood when the wiper
arm is folded forward.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact
the windshield glass without a wiper
blade inserted.
Make certain that the wiper blades are
properly installed. Improperly installed
wiper blades may cause windshield
damage.
For your convenience, we recommend
that you have this work carried out by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

339 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight-ahead position and set the
parking brake.

Move the selector lever toP.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel Preparing the vehicle

Take vehicle tool kit tray and vehicle
jack out of trunk .

Take the spare wheel out of wheel well
(page 322).
Lifting the vehicle

Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:

Place one chock in front of and one be-
hind the wheel that is diagonally oppo-
site to the wheel being changed.
When changing wheel on a hill:

Place chocks behind the downhill sides
of both wheels of the axle not being
worked on.
Warning!
G
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
The spare wheel rim is for temporary use
only. Use for over a total of 12000 miles
(20000 km) (aggregate of all uses) may
cause wheel rim failure leading to an acci-
dent and possible injuries.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily and replaced with a regular road wheel
as quickly as possible.
S 55 AMG and Sport Package* only:
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire pressure and do not exceed
vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.


340 Practical hintsFlat tire

Take the two-piece wheel wrench out
of the vehicle tool kit tray. Assemble
wheel wrench.

On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
The tube openings are located directly be-
hind the front wheel housings and in front
of the rear wheel housings.1Jack support tube cover

Move cover1 toward rear by pressing
at point indicated by arrow.

Remove cover1 carefully to avoid
damage to the locking tabs.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack tubes built both
sides of the vehicle. To help avoid personal
injury, use the jack only to lift the vehicle
during a wheel change. Never get beneath
the vehicle while it is supported by the jack.
Keep hands and feet away from the area un-
der the lifted vehicle. Always firmly set park-
ing brake and block wheels before raising
vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure that the jack
arm is fully inserted in the jack tube. Always
lower the vehicle onto sufficient capacity
jackstands before working under the vehi-
cle.