Hard time finding someone to swap headlights!!
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 513
Likes: 0
From: Syracuse
13 X3 28i M-Sport
Hard time finding someone to swap headlights!!
Okay, so the new clear projector headlights for my W203 came in yesterday...
It was 5:30 so I decided what the heck, I'll just try and do it myself... I started off by getting me a socket set and the other necessary tools... I began to follow the DIY guide for dropping the bumper and replacing the headlights that I found on one of these forums...
I got the rubber pieces under the car next to the fender off and that was about it... The next step in the guide confused me. It referenced two bolts under the hood in the center and then an additional one on each side... for the "grill"... Yea, my car looked totally different from the picture and the bolts were not where they were shown in the guide...
Got stumped, started thinking about additional troubles I may run into.... Decided I'd just take it somewhere....
Okay, so this is where the real trouble began... NOBODY wants to attempt to do anything w/ my car that requires dropping the bumper... I checked out 10 different shops and 8 of them said they wouldn't risk it (because it is a mercedes).
Wow... So finally after getting frustrated, I talked to my MB dealer and they agreed to take it in and do it today.... at their price of $95/hr labor!!!
Is replacing the headlights really this hard? Is it worth paying $165+ to do it? It's too late now.... but still... I just can't understand why BODYSHOPS... people who do this kind of work for a living won't touch it because its a mercedes
Anyway... that's my rant for the day.
It was 5:30 so I decided what the heck, I'll just try and do it myself... I started off by getting me a socket set and the other necessary tools... I began to follow the DIY guide for dropping the bumper and replacing the headlights that I found on one of these forums...
I got the rubber pieces under the car next to the fender off and that was about it... The next step in the guide confused me. It referenced two bolts under the hood in the center and then an additional one on each side... for the "grill"... Yea, my car looked totally different from the picture and the bolts were not where they were shown in the guide...
Got stumped, started thinking about additional troubles I may run into.... Decided I'd just take it somewhere....
Okay, so this is where the real trouble began... NOBODY wants to attempt to do anything w/ my car that requires dropping the bumper... I checked out 10 different shops and 8 of them said they wouldn't risk it (because it is a mercedes).
Wow... So finally after getting frustrated, I talked to my MB dealer and they agreed to take it in and do it today.... at their price of $95/hr labor!!!
Is replacing the headlights really this hard? Is it worth paying $165+ to do it? It's too late now.... but still... I just can't understand why BODYSHOPS... people who do this kind of work for a living won't touch it because its a mercedes
Anyway... that's my rant for the day.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 513
Likes: 0
From: Syracuse
13 X3 28i M-Sport
UPDATE!!!
It gets better.... they just called me. Apparently the head MB technician looked @ it and goes "ohhh.. that bumper is going to have to come off..."
Now they are wanting $275... He says even at their internal rate, he cant get it done for me any cheaper than $235... wtf.
It gets better.... they just called me. Apparently the head MB technician looked @ it and goes "ohhh.. that bumper is going to have to come off..."
Now they are wanting $275... He says even at their internal rate, he cant get it done for me any cheaper than $235... wtf.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,939
Likes: 178
From: Seattle WA
99 E320
man....i'd hold off and wait to see if you have any 203 folks living nearby.
i've not read up on 203 light swaps but that seems waaay too steep a price
to pay for the job. i feel bad for you because '99 w210 takes about 10 mins.
even if no one lives nearby that you can take to, i'm really hoping someone
can take photos or video....or something to help you out. geez...for such
a simple task, too.
i've not read up on 203 light swaps but that seems waaay too steep a price
to pay for the job. i feel bad for you because '99 w210 takes about 10 mins.
even if no one lives nearby that you can take to, i'm really hoping someone
can take photos or video....or something to help you out. geez...for such
a simple task, too.
Moderator Alumni
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,255
Likes: 22
From: Seattle
w203 m112
I got my headlights on w/o taking the bumper off. It was harder than I expected, but I was trying to avoid taking off the bumper, because I, like you, was unable to figure out how exactly to get off the bumper. It is possible to install headlights w/o taking off the bumper, but it is a bit more difficult. Taking off the bumper is just a much easier route. Thats just what Ive have read on here at least.
GL
-j0hn
GL
-j0hn
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,144
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
05 C55
dont feel too bad...
i paid $300 to get mine installed, although i thought they would program it too (which they didnt!!) so i had to pay MB $50 to reprogram, so i paid $350 total.
you live and learn.
i paid $300 to get mine installed, although i thought they would program it too (which they didnt!!) so i had to pay MB $50 to reprogram, so i paid $350 total.
you live and learn.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,239
Likes: 1
From: San Jose, CA
ML63
Hi.. I just did the swap about a month ago by myself and it took about 2 hours..
Here is what you are missing.. The DIY instructions are for a coupe. You do not have two screws right in the middle.. your screws are in the front on each side of where the hood grills rests.. (right next to the inside of each headlight. I added a pic of my bumper off. you can see where these screws go.. right to the inside of the high beam. The black brackets in the pic.)
There are also two torx screws, one on each side, inside the fender near the tire. Once those rubber plastic pieces are removed you can see them up close to the fender right above where the top of the rubber piece screws in. You will need to unscrew these. There is a 10" bar that these torx screws go into. Basically the bumper and the fender are joined with this piece. This piece can be removed when taking the screws out or you can wait and gently pull your bumper when the rest of the screws are removed. They will fall out at that point.
Next there are two bolts by the fog lights. These need to be removed.
That's really about it. It shouldn't take more than 30 or so minutes to remove the bumper.
Two screws on top of the bumper near the high beams, one screw by each fog light, 1 torx screw per side in the wheel well.. Total of 6 screws and some clips.. You don't need to completely remove the bumper but it makes it a little easier.. (Make sure to remove your bumper marker lights so you don't ruin the wires. Also check temp sensor in the bumper. Disconnect if necessary. You don't want to rip those wires either)
Good luck..
Here is what you are missing.. The DIY instructions are for a coupe. You do not have two screws right in the middle.. your screws are in the front on each side of where the hood grills rests.. (right next to the inside of each headlight. I added a pic of my bumper off. you can see where these screws go.. right to the inside of the high beam. The black brackets in the pic.)
There are also two torx screws, one on each side, inside the fender near the tire. Once those rubber plastic pieces are removed you can see them up close to the fender right above where the top of the rubber piece screws in. You will need to unscrew these. There is a 10" bar that these torx screws go into. Basically the bumper and the fender are joined with this piece. This piece can be removed when taking the screws out or you can wait and gently pull your bumper when the rest of the screws are removed. They will fall out at that point.
Next there are two bolts by the fog lights. These need to be removed.
That's really about it. It shouldn't take more than 30 or so minutes to remove the bumper.
Two screws on top of the bumper near the high beams, one screw by each fog light, 1 torx screw per side in the wheel well.. Total of 6 screws and some clips.. You don't need to completely remove the bumper but it makes it a little easier.. (Make sure to remove your bumper marker lights so you don't ruin the wires. Also check temp sensor in the bumper. Disconnect if necessary. You don't want to rip those wires either)
Good luck..
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Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 182
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From: St. Louis, MO
02' C240 Luxury Model
Originally Posted by mj50
u don't have to remove the bumper completely... u can just loosen it enough to access the screws... this is DIY job...
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Newbie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area, CA
HELP!!!! Please
NEED HELP!!! (please)
I'm in the middle of swapping out headlights on an 04 C230K sedan.
I followed all the instructions on all the threads/website I found but I still cannot get the bumper off.
Here's what I did:
1) removed all bolts, pushpins to get plastic fender off
2) removed (2) torx screws
3) removed black metal clip (2)
4) removed (2) bolts on top of bumper
5) removed (2) bolts near foglights
6) uncliped bottom of bumper.
7) ?????
What am I missing?
Seems to be held on at the sides still.
EDIT: looks like there are two rivits on each side holding the bumper to the top fender where I took off the black clip...(what should I do???)
I'm in the middle of swapping out headlights on an 04 C230K sedan.
I followed all the instructions on all the threads/website I found but I still cannot get the bumper off.
Here's what I did:
1) removed all bolts, pushpins to get plastic fender off
2) removed (2) torx screws
3) removed black metal clip (2)
4) removed (2) bolts on top of bumper
5) removed (2) bolts near foglights
6) uncliped bottom of bumper.
7) ?????
What am I missing?
Seems to be held on at the sides still.
EDIT: looks like there are two rivits on each side holding the bumper to the top fender where I took off the black clip...(what should I do???)
Last edited by dv/dt; Aug 20, 2006 at 04:23 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
c230k
Originally Posted by dv/dt
NEED HELP!!! (please)
I'm in the middle of swapping out headlights on an 04 C230K sedan.
I followed all the instructions on all the threads/website I found but I still cannot get the bumper off.
Here's what I did:
1) removed all bolts, pushpins to get plastic fender off
2) removed (2) torx screws
3) removed black metal clip (2)
4) removed (2) bolts on top of bumper
5) removed (2) bolts near foglights
6) uncliped bottom of bumper.
7) ?????
What am I missing?
Seems to be held on at the sides still.
EDIT: looks like there are two rivits on each side holding the bumper to the top fender where I took off the black clip...(what should I do???)
I'm in the middle of swapping out headlights on an 04 C230K sedan.
I followed all the instructions on all the threads/website I found but I still cannot get the bumper off.
Here's what I did:
1) removed all bolts, pushpins to get plastic fender off
2) removed (2) torx screws
3) removed black metal clip (2)
4) removed (2) bolts on top of bumper
5) removed (2) bolts near foglights
6) uncliped bottom of bumper.
7) ?????
What am I missing?
Seems to be held on at the sides still.
EDIT: looks like there are two rivits on each side holding the bumper to the top fender where I took off the black clip...(what should I do???)
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area, CA
Thanks but I got the torx already.
I figured it out, there are 2 clips attached to the bumper that clip onto the very front of the top fender. It took a bit more force than I anticipated but it came off.
I figured it out, there are 2 clips attached to the bumper that clip onto the very front of the top fender. It took a bit more force than I anticipated but it came off.
