GotDaBenz

It recently dawned on me my 2003 does not seem to have a light under the hood. Isn't that a glaring omission by MB? It is not exactly a rarity is it?
Any thoughts?

04mbc230

Neither does mine. I have a 06.

My previous 04 didn't have it either and a recent 07 I help purchase does not.

So perhaps it can be concluded that the c230 does not have underhood lighting. Nice idea though, but don't know if that would serve a purpose when you actually work on your car, there's either daylight or have some other light in my garage.

FrankW

this is a joke, right?

LILBENZ230

Frank - my thoughts exactly. As though one would be casually working on the W203 through the night.

OP - no lights. The hood will stand up to a 90 degree angle, though.

zerocover

I have never had a car with underhood lighting. Seriously who works on their car in the dark.

T.N.Hawk

Had a couple of way older cars that would have a little bulb just kinda hanging there.
I don't think it was meant for working on your car but checking fluids at the gas station.

Glyn M Ruck

Alfa's used to have under hood lights. They were about as useful as **** on a bull.

blkamgsl55

Most newer vehicles DO NOT have underhood lights. Inasmuch as you can't check engine and trans oil levels from under the hood there usefulness is questionable. Besides Mercedes doesn't want you looking under there. You might find something that the stealers screwed up the last time they serviced your vehicle.

GotDaBenz

I'm kind of surprised at the scoffing from you guys. It appears some have not had all that much experience with cars as they would have us think. No offense but the world of auto mobiles did not just spring up in the last ten years. To those of us of a certain age, an under hood light was/is a nice convenience that was on some cars. I have owned such cars myself. It's not to work on the engine at night. Did anyone ever break down at night? or have a need to check under the hood in the dark?

tommy

For most Benz owners, their cellphones work just as well to call Roadside Assistance in the dark as they do in the daytime.

I do have a Maglight in my center console (blue, of course), just in case.

FrankW

that's because my LED flash light works just as fine that can clip onto my collar AND i don't work on the car in the dark.

Moviela

This is not an omission, this is by design. The parts department will sell you a nifty little torch (British for flashlight) for $ 59.00!

Glyn M Ruck

Indeed ^ - MB being cheap. BMW used to fit them free in the cubby hole. (British for glovebox)

Boom vang

cars in the past had hood lights because it was always a challenge to find the small buried hole to put your dipstick in when checking your oil at night. Today most of the functions that you would need to see are done electronically.

It would however help here in the winter with the short days to help see as you pour your washer fluid as you go through tons in winter driving and usually it is at night that you have to fill. Something those that live in South Africa or south of the Mason Dixon would never understand

LILBENZ230

I don't have any problem seeing the windshield washer reservoir at night..

People open the hood on broken down modern cars out of habit. There's little to see and really nothing can be done = no need for underhood light.

drtyjrzy

if you really want underhood lighting you could always get euro impact strips and try to relocate the side marker bulbs under the hood. just a thought.

Moviela

I remember those days, after the football game with......

Glyn M Ruck

ncmudbug

I remember many years ago, the Datsun 240Z had a light in the engine compartment that had a long wire. I believe it was long enough to give you some light to change the rear tire. That seems like it could be useful. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it since.

Matt's right about not being able to do anything under the hood if your car breaks down. It is a little odd that the company that thought to give you a pair of gloves so you don't get back in the car with dirty hands after changing a tire doesn't think to give you a light so you can see the tire to change it!

LILBENZ230

I don't think that's the idea, ncmudbug.. until very recently (and it is still the case for a lot of them) every Mercedes had roadside assistance for the lifetime of the vehicle. So there was no need to change your own tire.

Then they changed eligibility. Now the cars have to be bought from MB dealers to qualify for that.

ncmudbug

That makes sense. I guess it's the idea that they take care of everything, but then what are the gloves for? Anyway, if I'm thirty miles away from the nearest town, I'm not sure I want to wait around for their roadside assistance to change a tire even if it is free.

If/when you roll off of free roadside assistance, it would be nice to give you a flash light as a parting gift! (But then, that would get in the way of their message that you're on your own, now...)

LILBENZ230

As long as you buy from a Benz dealer, you'll never roll off! When the eligibility changed, I no longer qualified so I joined AAA.

ncmudbug

Yeah, I know. I don't blame them, but I don't think it makes sense to pay their ridiculous rates if I don't have to. So at some point - maybe now - I probably won't use the dealer unless I'm not comfortable doing it myself or taking it to an indy. I guess I'll be using my insurance company's roadside assistance if I need it.

My wife's car is a CPO so she'll probably qualify for some time and for the piece of mind, I may "arrange" for her to qualify for much longer.

LILBENZ230

Oh if your wife bought her car CPO from the Benz dealer, she's covered for as long as she owns the car regardless of how old it gets or how many miles are put on it. I wouldn't use the free towing from MB Roadside because they tow to the dealer, but I'd use them for fuel delivery, batteries, etc.

ncmudbug

Thanks, Matt. That's good to know. I just figured she was in the same situation I was in (I knew I should have saved the letter I got from them about it!).

They also told us they would come pick up the car for service but we've never taken them up on that...

Thanks again for the heads up!