MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2005 Owners Manual

389 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 an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp ad-
justment.
iIf the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of
high humidity, driving the vehicle a dis-
tance with the lights on should clear up
the fogging.
iSubstitute bulbs will be brought into
use when the following lamps malfunc-
tion:

Brake lamps


Rear parking lamps


Rear turn signal lamps


Tail lamps
Observe the messages in the multi-
function display (
page 365).

390 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsBulbs Front lamps Rear lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Additional turn signal
lamp
LED
2
Halogen headlamp:
Low beam
H7-55 W
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
Low and high 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 an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
D2S-35 W
3
Turn signal lamp
2357 A
4
Fog lamp
H7-55 W
5
Parking and standing
lamp
W5W
6
Side marker lamp
W5W
7
Halogen headlamp:
High beam/high beam
flasher lamp
H7-55 W
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
High beam flasher
H7-55 W
Lamp
Type
8
Brake lamp
LED
9
Turn signal lamp
PY 21 W
a
Tail and standing lamp,
side marker
P21/4W
b
Backup lamp
P21W
c
License plate lamp
C5W
d
Tail lamp, rear fog lamp
(driver's side only)
P21/4W
e
High mounted brake
lamp
LED

391 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement


Only use 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
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Additional turn signal lamps in the exte-
rior rear view mirrors


Bi-Xenon lamps*


High mounted brake lamp


Brake lamps


Rear side marker lamps


Rear parking lamps
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 Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
iHave the headlamp adjustment
checked regularly.

392 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsReplacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to M
(page 50).

Open the hood (
page 286) (except
for side marker lamps).
1Headlamp cover for fog lamp
2Headlamp cover for high beam halogen
headlamp bulb, parking and standing
lamp
3Headlamp cover for Bi-Xenon* (low and
high beam) or halogen (low beam)
headlamp bulb4Bulb socket for fog lamp
5Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp
6Electrical connector for high beam
halogen headlamp bulb
7Electrical connector for low beam
headlamp bulb
8Bulb socket for turn signal lampReplacing low beam bulbs
Bi-Xenon* headlamp
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-
om men d t ha t y ou ha ve s uc h w o rk do n e by a
qualified technician.

393 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Halogen headlamp
Press the tab on cover3 and remove
cover.

Pull connector7 off of the lamp.

Release the retaining springs and take
out the bulb.

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 halogen high beam bulbs

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

Turn 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.

394 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsParking and standing lamp bulb
Press the tab on cover2 and remove
cover.

Pull out the bulb socket5 with the
bulb.

Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket5.

Insert a new bulb in the bulb socket5.

Reinstall the bulb socket5.

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

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.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a rear
lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to M
(page 50).

Open the trunk (
page 103).

395 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Tail lamp unit
1Black socket:
Backup lamp
2White socket:
Turn signal lamp
3Red socket:
Tail, standing and parking lamp
4Red socket:
Driver’s side: tail, parking and rear fog
lamp
Passenger’s side: tail and parking lamp

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

Loosen both screws1.

Remove the license plate lamp.

Replace the bulb.

Reinstall the license plate lamp.

Retighten screws1.

396 Practical hintsReplacing wiper bladesWiper blades in vertical position
Removing wiper blades
Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 52).

With wiper arm in vertical position, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.

Fold the wiper arm forward until it
snaps into place.

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

Slide the wiper blade sideways out of
the retainer in the direction of
arrow2.
!To avoid damage to the hood, the wiper
arms should only be folded forward
when in the vertical position.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle's on-board electronics have status
0) before replacing a wiper blade. Other-
wise, the wiper motor could suddenly turn
on and cause injury.

397 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Installing wiper blades
Slide the wiper blade onto wiper arm
until it locks in place

Rotate the wiper blade into position
parallel to wiper arm.

Fold the wiper arm backward to rest on
the windshield. Make sure you hold
onto the wiper when folding the wiper
arm back.
!Never open the hood when the wiper
arm is folded forward.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.
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.

398 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.

Set the parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn off the engine (
page 57).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:

Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button on the gear se-
lector lever once (
page 57).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the
starter switch in position0, same as
with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch). The driver’s door then
can be closed again.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
iOpen the door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
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 12 000 miles
(20 000 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.
S55AMG and Sport Package* only:
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire inflation pressure and do
not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).