2013 GLK 350 headlight bulb replacement.
 

Bought two H7 bulbs for the GLK (one is burned out) and I am having a heck of a time trying to replace them.

This does not have the spring thing. I found one video that said that you just need to pull the light bulb assembly out. No dice. I tried pulling, twisting. Tried a pair of needle nose pliers. Flat head screw driver as a wedge. Nothing seems to want to come out without breaking.

I tried both sides and the issue is the same.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Does yours look like this one?
https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class-x204/623527-2013-glk-350-low-beam-headlamp-replacement.html

Yes. That's what I have.

I'll try tilting the bottom. I thought I tried what the link suggested but I will try again. If not .. Parkplace Mercedes here I come.

Thanks for the info.

Went to the dealer. They even said the lights are a PIA to replace compared to most other models. I brought my own bulbs and they put them in at no cost.

Problem solved.

Thanks

I can attest that they are a pia to replace for some reason but once it snaps in you wonder why it was so complicated:rolleyes:.

It's stuff like this that give engineers a bad rep.

A bad rep to the un-initiated.

Early in my MB career I used to question design decisions all the time. After over thirty years with the brand I can tell you that MB engineers have good reason for everything they do. I've travelled, trained, and worked with quite a few over the years, and I've had many discussions about this subject. I've always come away humbled, and a bit smarter.....

Both of the tech who came over to help said the design was ****. Soooo there is that.

Usually I think they get it right. Every now and then ... no. In this case, I thin it is obvious it was a cost cutting measure. Get rid of the spring that hold the bulb in place. Anytime a pair of pliers and a screw driver is needed to remove a bulb.... its a design flaw.

Another example is the cruise control. I think the MB cruise control was the best in the industry. A simple 4 way stalk. The CC never needed to be turned on and I have no idea why it should need to be turned on. You could control the system by feel. You did not need to search for the small button on the wheel or take your eyes off the road. Now, they made it like all the other POS on the road and you have to look at the wheel to make sure you are hitting the right button. Had a loaner for a week. Hated it.

My dad (worked on cars for 50 yrs) said that if engineers had to work on the stuff they designed, things would be quite different.

This one probably had no input for an MB engineer. MB went to Hella and said “Give me a Scheinwerfer that fits.” Hella said “Halogen”?, MB said “Ja”, Hella said “$98.70?”, MB said “$95!”, Hella, said “OK, but for that price you get this PIA clip.”, MB: “Abgemacht!” And that was that.

My point exactly, the Tech's aren't qualified to make that call. They can agree that it's a PITA but calling it a design flaw is way above their pay grade.

Believe me, I've seen plenty of Tech's question the engineers during training courses (sometimes through a translator) only to be given a very clear and polite explanation of the logic behind their thinking. It's actually quite impressive. The Tech's always get taken to school by the engineers. After that they rephrase their questions to a much milder tone. I've seen it happen many, many times......:)

The techs absolutely are qualified to make that call. The hallmark of a GOOD design is that it serves the function intended without any undue hardship. In the case of a light bulb, it is inherent that the bulb will need to be changed multiple times over the life of the vehicle. A good design would have the bulb retained well, but also easy enough to replace. Excessive force or potential breakage is the sign of a bad design. Even worse is when you have to disassemble half the car to get to the bulb to change it (ever changed a headlight on a Honda?).

I don't really care what the engineers intended or how condescendingly they talked down to the techs. The engineer designed it in a computer in an office/lab/warehouse, the tech had to make it work in the real world. This goes on in virtually all industries, btw.

Whether it's 'above someones pay grade' is a matter of opinion.

Sure, making something more difficult to service while eliminating a very effective spring mechanism (my 190 was 30 yrs old and the E300 was 20 yrs old) which had a very low failure rate and were simple to service makes perfect sense.

Putting a gas tank right behind the rear bumper is an excellent design.

Placing a fuel filter on the underside of a vehicle and require suspension removal to replace it is a really great idea (Mazda RX7).

Just a few that I can think of.

I get it. You like engineers. Great for you. More times than not they get it right. Screw ups now are less frequent due to auto CAD where they can see it in 3D and get input from people who work on stuff. They do still screw up. The head light fitting is a perfect example.

The idea that engineers, MB or not have a reason for everything they do is just foolish. That is like saying mangers have a reason for everything they do and that the labor just does not see the big picture. Utter nonsense.

As I posted, Tech's can agree that some designs are a PITA but they're in no way qualified to make engineering decisions.

I never said I liked engineers, I do respect them though.

The reason I replied to this thread was simply to share a bit of the knowledge I've gained over the last few decades. I've spent the last thirty-five years working on MB vehicles exclusively. I understand the business, the methods, and the process in a way that not many people ever will.

I LOL every time I see some self-proclaimed engineer on this Forum start blabbing about design flaws......:cool:

So you think that maybe two years of trade school qualifies one to be an engineer?

Condescendingly? You were obviously speed reading when you scanned my previous post, just sayin' :rolleyes:

And I lol every time someone like you seems to think that engineers walk on water. I have been friends with the service manager for a while now. He works on this stuff day in and day out. Engineers screw up just like everyone else. They make designs that are flawed. It happens. It would happen less if they worked on the stuff that they designed.

I am an end user. I have changed light bulbs on cars for years. Never had an issue with it. It's a basic user function. This time me and two senior techs had an issue with it. A fragile glass bulb had to be forced. That is a design flaw. Not sure why you refuse to admit that.

You're new to how engineering works aren't you? The engineer is rarely the one who designs the final product. He gets the credit, he had the project in his name, he did the basic design work, but it was a tech/lab-rat who did the trial fitment and the final revisions. The engineer signed off on it, usually with extreme prejudice against anyone who would say ANYTHING constructive or disrespectful towards their precious design.

Just for a second, let's pretend you're a general tech at a dealership with that "two year degree". Day in and day out you lube/oil cars, you change light bulbs, you replace various parts as the service manager says. Then along comes this car with its stupidly designed headlight. Wouldn't you think that's a poor design? Maybe not a "flaw" but certainly not a "good" design.
Yes, condescendingly. Just like your posting here. I didn't speed read or skip over anything. Just because you say something with a nice voice and bat your eyelashes doesn't take away the meaning or intent.

As an engineer working in paper mills for 30+ years who is occasionally responsible for equipment and machinery layout I always try to make sure anything I install is maintainable. I learnt that by working on Mercedes:).

Best solution is to remove those H7 halogens and put in some quality LED replacements, huuge difference in lighting and they'll last much longer!

Funny you should bring this up. I was that "general tech" with a two year degree (worked my way up to Master Technician, now Shop Foreman) and I came across many designs that I thought were idiotic. After spending thirty-five years in the MB Service business I've seen more than anyone I've seen on this Forum.

The big difference between myself and the armchair engineers here is that I've actually gotten to meet, and speak with many MB engineers over the years, unlike the opinionated "experts" here.;)

That's cute. I grew up as a tagalong kid working oilfield jobs with my dad. I moved into working in electronics production, went to school and got my education, been to multiple training facilities around the world, and for the last 18 years have been the head engineer designing motor drives and electric switchboard controls. If I took the same attitude as MB (or you), I wouldn't be in business. When you get feedback from the technicians installing and servicing your equipment YOU LISTEN.

The only reason MB can get away with crap like that is because of their reputation and snobs like you defending poor design "because it was meant to be that way" instead of "yeah, it's a lame design and could have been done better, but that's how they did it".

In reading ILUVMILS post he does not come accross as a snob to me. Actually I have gotten a lot of good information from his post.

From what I have read this is not really a good idea. The reflectors are designed for the way an incandescent disperses light. LED's do it in a very different way and the light pattern will be off and result in glare and blinding for on coming cars. There is also a heat issue.

I stuck with conventional lights. Not willing to screw up the cars electrical system.

definitely not a good suggestion absent any testing with a SPECIFIC LED brand and design
and pairing it with the reflector bowl of that model car. notwithstanding that such an LED
modification is technically illegal in nearly all of the US on public roads, there is no standard
on LED design so the focal point of the LED emitter will almost always produce unwanted
glare.

if you take two magnifying glass models and try to start a fire, the odds are that each
will be held at different distances from the target media. why? focal point

in order to produce a quality light beam, spread and controlled focus (minimum glare)
the light must be calibrated.

I agree. I was one of those that put HID lights in my stock 201 and was embarrassed every time someone flashed me. I ended up correcting the problem, albeit it took several years to test and correct it, but much happier with the output and I haven't been flashed since. I'm always amazed that there are cars post-2010 that still use halogen bulbs. I wonder if the new California law will do away with them for cars being made after 2020.

This is correct. Subpar results are always to be had when sticking a LED in a hole where a halogen bulb belongs.

https://i.imgur.com/mQfWRyQ.png

I am using these along with the CAN bus adapters they sell: https://www.boslla.com/

Light pattern is great because the LED module is specifically designed to place the two LEDs exactly where the filament in a halogen would be located (and is on a copper substrate of equal thickness) No one flashes me, when I installed them I went through aiming them and ended up dropping the beams about "5 full turns" of the adjustment in the downward direction. Not because the LED's cause high light pattern, but because the stock pattern when multplied by 4x the lumens ends up with a bit too much high level light unless you drop them a bit.

Works great. I guess I'll enjoy my LED's and you can all drive around with your prehistoric lighting. :D

Zero errors on the computer either using the can bus adapters (and there wasn't without them either but the lights would flicker slightly). Flicker is gone with the adapters. I've been running them for almost 5 months problem free.

Unless that LED unit happens to place the LED chip exactly where the halogen filament used to be, then its just the same light pattern with 4x the light output and better color.

Unfortunately, there is no LED bulb that actually places the chips exactly where the filament used to be.

Most people are stuck thinking in 2D:

https://i.imgur.com/oAwCbZ7.png

Unfortunately, most things in real life are 3D:

https://i.imgur.com/vJw0JH2.png

It may be a 2D light source, but my Seat of the Eyes meter says I can see about twice as far down the road with better clarity than I could with those fancy 3D halogens. :D