...how the hell does the housing open to replace it?

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

There are clips holding it on the left side and the right side, BE VERY CAREFUL when you take it off.. 99.99 percent of them break when you try and take it off because the plastic clips are so dried out.

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2007 BMW 328XI

Heck! The WHOLE housing dries out!! I sourced others because of how brittle the original was...came apart in several pieces. I'm on my third brake light housing now!

The replacements were just as brittle...right now I have clear packing tape holding everything together!

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Well, I guess I fell into the 99.99 percent category. Both my clips broke. It seems to stay together without them though.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

yeah it happened to me with my last 300E and my friends and many people on here. It's all good though lol...

It might keep falling off every time you brake so if you want, you can put a little bit of tape where the clips held onto the housing and it'll be reinforced and won't budge.

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2007 BMW 328XI

haha I hear ya.. the packing tape does work wonders!! Makes me wonder though how much that part would be from Mercedes?

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2007 BMW 328XI

Mine's already cracked. I can assume that somebody before me tried to open it to change a bulb.

I'm also curious how much a new one is (or whether you can get one). Also, if it's just as brittle, is that gradual from sitting in the sun, or from the type of plastic they use?

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1982 240D, sold 9/17/2008
1987 300D TurboW124.133 - 603.960, 722.317 - Smoke Silver Metallic / Medium Red (702/177), acquired 8/15/2009
262,715 and counting

I haven't been able to get new ones...so I purchase "decent" ones from others who are parting out similar models.

Unfortunately, those have had as much exposure to the heat as my original, so they tend to be as brittle.

Seems odd that this is a Mercedes part, as it's the only shoddy component I have run into so far...I might consider swapping out with some aftermarket alternative if I can get it to work with the "bulb out" indicator.

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

The cover on my W210 also shattered when I removed it, man that thing was brittle! Has anyone priced a new one at the dealer? I'm currently driving without the cover, and it looks totally ghetto with the wires hanging off. There has to be a better way...

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Tabs broke on my W124 when installing new bulb. I put a small dab of shoe goo where the tabs were to hold it together till I can find unbroken light and now I find out they all break. GRRR!

Mine wasn't totally brittle. I guess I got off lucky as only the ends of the tabs broke off.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

I got tired of tape/glue failing to hold the housing on. And when the housing is off, and you brake, the light shines in rear view mirror and is annoying/safety hazard.

So...I fashioned side tabs out of metal - @ 1 in long by 1/2 in wide. Drilled 2 holes in each tab - near the end. Using small machine screws, I attached the housing cover to the base. The tabs fit into the indent where the tabs normally go on the base.

Barely noticeable. Keeps the housing on tight, free of rattles.

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Syntax26

1995 MB E420 (lowered)
1989 MB 300SE (sold to brother)
1975 MB 280 (sold)
One damn fine jacked-up golf cart

check with your dealer on those arts. I wanted to get one from the dealer some time ago for my c280 as the heat from the bulb melted the lense but you couldnt just buy the lense. They are color coded per the color interior at least on the c class and if I remember right were over $100.

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1994 C280
2009 VW Tiguan
1993 Toyota X-tra Cab SE-5


1973 220D ... Gone, but not forgotten
1991 Alfa Romeo 164L Gone, wife MADE me forget it

2006 Hyundai Tucson... just straight out FORGOTTEN!