Dealer replaced HID bulb, now it's aiming down
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2003 E500
Dealer replaced HID bulb, now it's aiming down
The driver's HID headlight bulb went out, and I had it replaced at the dealer. The next night, my wife called to tell me that it was aiming at the ground. It wasn't doing this until the dealer put the new bulb in. Shouldn't the dealer fix this for no cost? I called and asked the service advisor if they could do that at no charge, and he started laughing! After that, I think that he realized that I was upset about his response, and he told me to bring it on in and he would see what he could do. Still no promise that it's not going to cost anything. How should I handle this? Shouldn't a $229 bulb change be checked before it rolls out the door, or at least be reaimed at no extra cost if there is a problem with it?
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2009 SL550 Roadster Diamond White, 2008 CLK550 Coupe Obsidian Black
The driver's HID headlight bulb went out, and I had it replaced at the dealer. The next night, my wife called to tell me that it was aiming at the ground. It wasn't doing this until the dealer put the new bulb in. Shouldn't the dealer fix this for no cost? I called and asked the service advisor if they could do that at no charge, and he started laughing! After that, I think that he realized that I was upset about his response, and he told me to bring it on in and he would see what he could do. Still no promise that it's not going to cost anything. How should I handle this? Shouldn't a $229 bulb change be checked before it rolls out the door, or at least be reaimed at no extra cost if there is a problem with it?
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223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
I'm guessing it would be the level control motor that fails sometimes. You do not need to adjust the vertical aiming after a bulb change (a check would be appropriate). It could be just a coincidence, or the work done at the shop triggered the failure that was about to come. You can still try to ask the workshop take care of it but the official fix is a new headlight assembly. The DIY fix is to replace the motor that is not a spare part for the W211 but is for some other MB model.
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209/W210 Estate /W211 modded by MBENZNL
Sounds like the Tech pushed down on the Bulb holder to hard when he installed the replacement bulb and popped the rod end that secures the headlight bulb holder to the auto level motor..seen this before
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2003 E500
I'm taking the car to another MB dealer in the area. I called the service manager there this morning, told him the story, and asked how they would handle it at their service center. He said that he couldn't believe the way the service advisor had acted at the other dealership. He said that they would have at least checked the problem for no charge to make sure that it wasn't related to the work done. If it was, they would have fixed it for no charge. He told me to call him directly whenever I scheduled for my car to be serviced.
I think that I already like this place better than the last one.
I think that I already like this place better than the last one.
Thread Starter
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2003 E500
If they can't fix it without replacing the headlight, which I'm sure is at least $1000, what is the other model that has a seperate leveling motor?
If it makes any difference in this case, when the lights come on, the driver's beam still adjusts just as the passenger's side does from the leveling motor. I believe that the motor still works, but it looks like the bulb itself is just pointing down a little too much. I'm thinking that they may have pushed it through too hard as Mike Cummins said. Will this be fixable without replacing the headlight assembly?
If it makes any difference in this case, when the lights come on, the driver's beam still adjusts just as the passenger's side does from the leveling motor. I believe that the motor still works, but it looks like the bulb itself is just pointing down a little too much. I'm thinking that they may have pushed it through too hard as Mike Cummins said. Will this be fixable without replacing the headlight assembly?
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Europe
223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
If they can't fix it without replacing the headlight, which I'm sure is at least $1000, what is the other model that has a seperate leveling motor?
If it makes any difference in this case, when the lights come on, the driver's beam still adjusts just as the passenger's side does from the leveling motor. I believe that the motor still works, but it looks like the bulb itself is just pointing down a little too much. I'm thinking that they may have pushed it through too hard as Mike Cummins said. Will this be fixable without replacing the headlight assembly?
If it makes any difference in this case, when the lights come on, the driver's beam still adjusts just as the passenger's side does from the leveling motor. I believe that the motor still works, but it looks like the bulb itself is just pointing down a little too much. I'm thinking that they may have pushed it through too hard as Mike Cummins said. Will this be fixable without replacing the headlight assembly?
It should now be even easier to convince the shop that they screw it.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2008
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2003 E500
The problem with that is that I don't think that the service center there is going to be very receptive to me blaming them for something. Maybe I can get the guy at the new dealer to call the service manager there and talk to them or something. I'll give it a try. More than the money, it's the principle of the matter. I've worked for body shops and mechanic shops before, and we would have made something like that a priority to fix at no charge, not laughed at the customer! I should have taken the time and done it myself, now I'm just getting more pissed by the day.
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