Hey guys, what the OEM replacement bulb for a 2005 E320 cdi?

My wiring harness at the bulb seems very brittle and there is exposed wiring that I must repair. I got the bulbs from Amazon which are H-11s but they don't look like the bulb that I'm replacing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

yours are either H7s or xenons.

Yes the wiring bakes out from the heat from the H7 light bulbs.

I ended up replacing the entire headlight assemblies on both my son's 2008s due to the cooked wiring situation. I tried to rewire them but it's pretty much impossible, since the enclosures are glued together, and so you can't access the entire length of the wire from connector to socket.

If you do that be sure to get genuine HELLA lights not the eBay counterfeit junk. They run about $250-300/ea. from online parts sellers (like this forum or the f c p e u r o guys).

On top of that, the outside plastic lenses were getting worn out. You really only get one free polish on these and then in a couple months it looks 10x worse.

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The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

Faced the same wiring issue and came to the same conclusion as Jay. I replaced both of my headlights and they look great!

I cheaped out and bought the generics from Rock**Auto for $87/ea. Figured for that price it was worth the gamble. What arrived were Eagle Eyes and they look 100% to me. One of the lights had a broken adjustment screw but Rock**Auto sent a replacement with no fuss. Overall I am happy with them for what I paid.

See attached for a photo comparing the old vs new.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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2009 E320 Bluetec - 242k miles and a work in progress!

Thanks for sharing this WaarrEagle. I am facing the same wiring issue and I have a few questions. How are your el cheapo modules from ******** holding up? Did they come with the wiring and bulbs? Did you stick with halogen or go a different route? How complex was the job overall? Did you have to remove the front bumper? Thanks

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2006 E320CDI- current dd
1999 E300TD - retired
Wilmington, NC USA

Still going strong, no issues. They did include all wiring and bulbs and I have not changed anything. I did remove the bumper for the install. It was my first time removing a bumper so I went slow but not bad overall. There are some good DIY's online explaining how the side clip works on the bumper - that is the only tricky part.

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2009 E320 Bluetec - 242k miles and a work in progress!

Thanks for the update. I need to go ahead and take care of this sooner than later but I am still on the fence about whether I should go with the cheap modules or get some more expensive ones. Longevity is my biggest concern with the cheap aftermarkets, and I am planning on keeping the car for a while. I'm also still on the fence as to whether I'm going to try to tackle the job or if I'd be better off paying my local Indy shop to do it and this got me wondering if there are any "might as well do it now" items to address while the front bumper is removed. Certainly there has to be some things that are fairly routine that are much easier to address while the front bumper is removed. Can anybody think of any? My car is an 06 E320 CDI

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2006 E320CDI- current dd
1999 E300TD - retired
Wilmington, NC USA

Not certain but most likely the bumper needs to be off to change your radiator?

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92 e300d2.5t
01 e320
05 cdi
85 chev c10

Yes the bumper has to come off on a 211 to get access.

Not that difficult really.

Jack up front, put on stands, front wheels off
Remove fender liners
Remove bottom front under cover
Unplug cables for temperature sensor, fog lights, parktronic if you have it
There is a fastener on each side that clips the sheet metal fender to the plastic bumper cover, there is a Torx screw that holds it in, then pivot the fastener inward and unhook it.
There are bolts in the front center remove those
With a helper grasp cover and pull forward and set aside

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech