Hello, everyone.
This may be old hat to many of you but might be useful to others.

I figured changing a headlamp bulb would be a breeze - just slip off the plastic cover, remove the spring clips on the bulb and replace - indeed, that's what you do on the left side. Unfortunately, the air cleaner gets in the way of the right HL assembly.

Two solutions:
1) take it back to the dealer and get them to do it, in my case under warranty (bulbs are covered), or,
2) get the bulb from the dealer (no charge) and figure it out for myself. I chose #2.

Actually, I'd already figured out how to deal with the air cleaner as I had to fix it. Someone had already assembled the short "ram-air" tube (that goes to the grill opening) incorrectly - likely an MB mechanic on a previous service! You can't snap it onto the air cleaner body once the latter is in place - the bottom snap point was distorted and part of the tube bent, fortunately not damaged.

Here's what to do:
1. Undo the top of the air cleaner and push it carefully out of the way (it helps to unplug the electrical plug going into it so that it will move back further.)

2. Remove the bottom part of the air cleaner with the "ram-air tube" still attached - the latter can be pulled out of its grill space. (At this point, I removed the ram-tube, bent the back end circular again - the bottom was crushed back a bit - and snapped it back properly onto the filter holder (there are 3 or 4 snap points.) When snapped on correctly, it rotates to that it can be aligned correctly for reinstallation - I actually greased the joint with Vaseline to make it easier to rotate it - this helps a lot, see later.)

3. Remove HL plastic housing clips (2)

4. Remove HL plastic housing

5. Open clips, remove dead HL bulb

6. Install new bulb in the correct orientation (watch how the old one went in!) but do NOT touch the glass with fingers or any greasy rag (just hold it by the contacts, then it's the correct way round anyway.) Make sure you put retaining springs into their slots correctly. Push on the bulb connector, of course.

7. Replace the plastic cover carefully - it needs a bit of care to get the rubber gasket aligned correctly with the housing. When correctly placed the clips snap back easily - so don't force anything.

8. To reinstall lower air cleaner part:
It sits on four rubber suspension rings (grommets) at odd levels. Check that these rings did not come out with the air cleaner - if so, put them back in the metal body rings first.

Here's the tricky bit:
Rotate the ram-tube on the air filter body so that it is in about the right relationship. Orient the ram-tube (still on the air filter body, as stated) so that it can be pushed into the grill hole carefully. Wriggle it in while easing the other bit of plastic away from the flared tube so it doesn't jam - at the same time rotate the air filter body on the ram-tube (that's why I greased it!) so that the plastic feet line up with the rubber rings (these are at wildly different levels, so be careful!) When all is lined up, snug done the plastic feet down into the rubber rings.

9. Plug in the electrical connection to the top part.

10. Replace the top part, snap down the 6 clips - make sure you plug in the electrical connection BEFORE you do this.

That's it.

So, how many _______ (fill in the blanks!) does it take to change the right headlamp bulb in an E320?

Cheers,


[Edited by Roger Jones on 06-26-2001 at 11:36 PM]