ghaffar23

EDIT: I found an earlier thread that stated ti access the lights from within the front wheel wells. I will investigate during Thanksgiving and report my findings.

I have been searching for the past couple days on these forums, Google, as well as YouTube for instructions or pdf documents on how to replace the D1S bulbs on a 2008 W216. I didn't find anything.

I popped open the hood and at first glance, it is not instantly accessible. Would I have to remove the front bumper or remove plastic cladding in order to access the bulbs?

ghaffar23

I was successfully able to replace the bulbs, but boy, was it a tight fit!

First, let me say that the replacement was very much needed. The bulbs were replaced since the car was new 8 years ago. I replaced with a set of Osram Night Breaker Unlimited with a color temperature of 4100K, i.e. warm white.

Second, let's get to the nitty-gritty...the process.

Turn the wheel to access the plastic rivets in the wheel well. There are three or four.
Close-up of plastic rivets.
I manuvered my left hand to open up the back. It helps to open up a couple of the screws to the winshield washer reservoir for a bit more wiggle room to work.
Once the wheel well is opened, it gives a substantial amount of room. This is how I pulled the bulb and pushed the new one in. It is important to note that the bulb opening is quite toght, so take your time!
Close-up of the bulb in place with the fasteners. They must be manuvered so that you may pull the bulb out. Just bend them out of the way. The most difficult part was fastening the connector prior to setting the replacement bulb back into the holder!
Passengers side is much easier to access, since I was able to move the antifreeze reservoir via two or three screws. Easier once you're under the hood, it's obvious.

The entire process took a good four hours with breaks and mental notes. At least I paid nothing for labor and the D1S bulbs were $200 for the pair at theretrofitsource.com. They're an authorized seller of Osram and Philips , so they're authentic and cheaper than the dealer for sure! Be prepared to cough up a few hundred for labor if you're not willing to go through this process .

4100K is great for all around visibility and has the highest lumens at 3500.