1997 E 320 fog light bulb replacement - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dkarp · #1 11-03-2002, 06:19 PM

My fog lights are not working, how do I replace the bulbs ? i already opened the little trap under the bumper but because I am working blind I do not know on what and how to push to remove and replace the bulb .

vince · #2 11-04-2002, 10:23 AM

There should be a black plastic cover on the back of the light unit. Press the tab at the bottom upward and the cover should come free; it needs to "hinge" upward to remove. The back of the bulb should now be visible. Pull off the connector and unclip the wire retainer. The bulb should be a halogen H1 (55W). Be careful to align the base of the bulb when reinstalling.

dkarp · #3 11-04-2002, 11:28 AM

I looked and there is no plastic cover. the only thing I can feel is a wire retainer which I can't see because the car is not lifted and there is no posibility to see anything. The black plastic wire is at my almost 20.000$ less pricy 1992 Audi 100. These where not luxury cars, but one could replace any bulb without having to lift the car or pay 96$ an hour to the dealer. Neither was the dash board sounding weird sounds, because of a bad design for the AC ducts, nor is it vibrating after 10 people balanced the wheels and looked at the car.
My next car will be BMW, because you can disassemble and fix it like a LEGO game.

dkarp · #4 11-04-2002, 11:33 AM

As to continue the discussion. Before buying the E320 someone recommended me the BMW 540 telling me that the Mercedes is a piece of crap, I am now after 7 months sorry to say that he was wright.

aTOMic · #5 11-04-2002, 02:18 PM

UTFSF*

*Use the friggin search function.

I have taken the liberty to get this post for you

Important to note that the assembly is in TIGHT you need to use some force (with your bare hand) to remove it. You'll see...

Hope your luck with the car improves in the future!

-Tom

Behind the Star · #6 11-04-2002, 03:23 PM

Dkarp,
On the noise from the dash, Are the A/C vents open?
Just a thought.
As for the car being a piece of crap......the 97 e320 is one of the best cars ever made in my own opinion.
Brian

vince · #7 11-04-2002, 05:57 PM

dkarp, perhaps the cover was left off at some time in the past. I don't quite understand your difficulty. I removed the bulb on my 1999 E430 the other day just to go through the proceedure, on the ground, in my bathrobe (!), and it just wasn't that hard. Sorry you are having difficulty, but a BMW won't solve your problem. I agree with Behind the Star, the W210s have been pretty darn good.

dkarp · #8 11-04-2002, 10:10 PM

Sorry, but it was impossible to squeeze my head under the front bumper, and so I had to only guess what is happening at the end of the fog light. I also checked with the dealer and those black plastic covers indeed exist and are 15$ dealer price.
It seemed to me also highly unsafe to lift the car with a jack and then put your head underneath. It is much safer to lift the whole car at a shop and then only look with a flash light to the fog light and fix it. In any case, at what page of the Owner's Guide is it explained how to replace a burned bulb at the fog lights???
It is very poor, at a Mercedes Benz (a 60.000$ luxury car) that I should have to worry about how the AC ducts are interconnected in the dash, I also think that I do not have to hear the wind on the front windshield (solved only by mechanical removal of a part of the air inlet according to MB's own bulletin).
You should follow the threads published on this forum about the dashboard noises on the new 2003 E-Class??
Mercedes Benz is simply making their cars cheaper (and smaller) and their design is poorer. One month ago I just explained how because of a very common 4" american curb hitting your front spoiler (under the bumper), breaking maybe one or two of the PLASTIC clips helding it connected to the bumper makes you purchase a whole knew bumper cover , 500$+paint shop 250$+tax, instead of having a modular bumper design where you would have to replace only the broken part.
So please where is the best car in the world??

royaiii · #9 11-04-2002, 10:35 PM

I have a 97 E320 that I just spent three thousand dollars in repair to fix an oil leak and some other things. And some of the 97 e's need new transmissions which really make me consider dumping this car for a c32. I got an alignment, rotated and balanced the tires but still I get that vibration. My dash is cracked and the rearview mirror is broken. Hey dkarp, have you experienced the wonderful event in which the regulator makes your window fall down. What air inlet are you referring to?

The W210 E is a good car but not a great car. Mercedes are the best. But, the C32 has my eye. The new C32 is about 10x better than our E320s. I think especially on the 96-97 E320s, Mercedes spent more money on design than function. The new C chassis are great, interiors are excellant and solid engines.

MikeTangas · #10 11-05-2002, 01:02 AM

dkarp,

I've noticed several times in this thread that you've referred to the fog lights being burnt out, but have made no mention of the "lamp out" indicator. Seems kinda odd that both would burn out at the same time. Are the lamps actually burned out, or is there another problem that causes them to not come on when you pull the headlight switch out?

dkarp · #11 11-05-2002, 08:45 AM

Yes , when I try to turn them on, the message in the dash says "defective lamp" and beeps. I also observed that both bulbs are not lighting which is weird. I tuched the lens and one was warm the other one was cold but none was on. My presumption is that the indicator in the dash started beeping only when the second bulb burned out. Also not having the back plastic cover over the contacts made the lights very vulnerable for rain or any other liquid being spilled form the engine compartment.

blackmercedes · #12 11-05-2002, 09:21 AM

If MB quality (or lack thereof) bothers you, don't move to BMW. BMW's are more popular here than MB's, and I know quite a few owners.

While the new E46 3-series seems pretty reliable, the 5-series cars have plenty of problems, mostly electrical and expensive to repair.

Truth be told, if reliablity is your #1 factor when buying a car, the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic should be on the top of your shopping list. Mercedes will lose many long term customers due to their losing ground in the quality race. Our 1998 E300Dt was a great car to drive, but was plagued with problems, and we sold it. My wife is hesitant to buy another Mercedes product, and it wouldn't surprise me if she buys a different brand.

ccmbduong · #13 09-02-2006, 06:00 PM

(There should be a black plastic cover on the back of the light unit. Press the tab at the bottom upward and the cover should come free; it needs to "hinge" upward to remove. The back of the bulb should now be visible. Pull off the connector and unclip the wire retainer. The bulb should be a halogen H1 (55W). Be careful to align the base of the bulb when reinstalling.)

Instruction from Vince is absolutely correct, I just replaced the fog light bulb of my 96 E320 which should be similar to '97 E320. Right in front of front tires, there are 2 plastic screws which you need to turn about 180 degrees, this will open the 3"x3" plastic flaps (sp?) and expose the back of fog light housing, ... then follow above instruction from Vince. It took me 15 minutes for the whole job (10-12 mintues to jck up my car)... Good thing is you could buy the H1 at PepBoys ($7.49 each)

frankbenz · #14 09-05-2006, 01:09 PM

I have the same fog light problems. The left fog light and the left amber side marker is not working. I checked the fuses under the hood, on the side of the dash and next to the battery but could not find the problem. Changed the bulb but nothing happened. no power found on the sockets.
Is it so difficult just for a fog light? maybe MB needs to learn from toyota or lexus??
But this is a great forum, thank you to all, I learned a lot and could save some money by DIY rather than bring it to the dealer.

Frank
97 E420

raymond~ · #15 09-06-2006, 12:42 AM

best if you have a floor jack and raise the front a few inches. since it appears
you dont have a jack, consider driving right up to...and perpendicular to the
curb...from the sidewalk side. the front bumper will overhang the street which
is a half dozen inches lower. should be just enough for you to work with. oh
yeah, best that the street not be a busy one....natch.

guaranteed: if you change the bulb one time, you can do the follow up almost
blindfolded

the following is 99 E320

p.s. MB fog connectors are notorious for crapping out, burning out, etc. try
working a little upstream and get a DVM/VOM check prior to the H1 connector.
it may be the result of gremlins and the very end of the harness and if so, you
may need to make a new one but it's easy...just wire and matching spade
connectors.