Hi all. I apparently have LED tail lights. But according to my manual, my tail lights, brake lights, and reverse lights all take a P 21 W bulb. Does that make sense? How can a traditional bulb be an LED?

Also, what about turn signals? I see no mention of bulbs or replacement instructions for turn signals for rear lights or front lights. I do see instructions for halogen headlight replacements though.

Turn signals deemed by MBUSA too complicated for DYI?

Thanks!

 

Only the turn signals are LED in the rear. Brake lights, reverse, parking lights are all halogen. For the front turn signal, if you have the lighting package then they are all LED. If not the its pretty hard to reach.

 

Weird, I was told I have LED tails standard. That's why my brake lights and tails are a solid red color (no visible bulb like 2008-2011 models). That's why I thought the manual was odd....how can it give instructions for replacement when it's LEDs?

Thanks for the info!

 

Definitely something fishy going on. Even the MBUSA website says ALL C class for 2013 come with LED tails, and the picture they show is my car. Two "solid" red strips with "dotted" turn signals in the middle. Those are standard, the "lighting package" deals with headlight clusters.

Maybe I need to figure out what LED means. Can an LED bulb look like a traditional p 21 w bulb, but just be LED instead of incandescent?

I find it hard to fathom that they would print their owners manual wrong, but I guess it's possible if non-U.S. markets have traditional tails for 2013.

 

The 2 strips and turn signals are led powered but thats it for taillights. Only the E class and up come with FULL LED. Sucks but that's how they made it.

 

As far as I see, only brake lights and the reverse lights are using regular bulbs. Personally, I like the LED tails of the C class more than those of the E class no matter that they are full LEDs.

 

What's weird is that, from the outside, I would say none of my back lights (tails, brake, reverse, or turn signals) look like traditional lights. I guess they can be traditional bulbs (brake, tail, and reverse) disguised by really clever plastic lenses. From the outside, they look like light "tubes" - different than the fron LED strips that have actual light "dots" across them.

So....when turn signal bulbs burn out - does that mean the entire light assembly must be replaced? No mention of turn signal bulbs in manual.

 

Yes, if the turn signal diodes burn out, everything must be replaced or at least that's how it is supposed to be. Anyway, someone should be able to replace just those diodes that have burned out but I am not sure about that.

The light tubes are LEDs, they are not regular bulbs. Unlike the E class tails, they are using LED tubes just like BMWs' tail lights do.