interior lightning
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Super Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 744
Likes: 144
From: Bay Area
W218 Stage 2, E85
interior lightning
is there a way to change the entire interior lights? This might be a a troubled question for some as i have hard time explaining things some times.
I'm just thinking if we are able to change the lights behind the navigation system and other lights that's lit in the other buttons? I am trying to see if i should go with very very light blue or soft white LED lights for dome lights and maybe a way to completely switch all the lights to one same color?
I'm just thinking if we are able to change the lights behind the navigation system and other lights that's lit in the other buttons? I am trying to see if i should go with very very light blue or soft white LED lights for dome lights and maybe a way to completely switch all the lights to one same color?
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 577
Likes: 197
From: PA
W223 S500 LWB 4-Matic, W222 S450 LWB 4-Matic, A238 E400 Cabriolet 4-Matic
I believe the interior lighting is a mix of incandescent light bulbs, surface mount LEDs and LED modules.
I've only had the main dome light apart and it had a mixture. The two large lighting fixtures lenses have replaceable incandescent bulbs where as the "Mood or ambient" lighting ring has a mixture of floating LED modules and soldered surface mount LEDs on the PC control board that illuminate the back-lit push buttons.
I would think any user replaceable incandescent lamps could be pretty easily replaced with colored bulbs or LED retrofits.
The LED modules and surface mount LEDs could be replaced if your were good with a soldering iron & SMD device replacement.
I've only had the main dome light apart and it had a mixture. The two large lighting fixtures lenses have replaceable incandescent bulbs where as the "Mood or ambient" lighting ring has a mixture of floating LED modules and soldered surface mount LEDs on the PC control board that illuminate the back-lit push buttons.
I would think any user replaceable incandescent lamps could be pretty easily replaced with colored bulbs or LED retrofits.
The LED modules and surface mount LEDs could be replaced if your were good with a soldering iron & SMD device replacement.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 577
Likes: 197
From: PA
W223 S500 LWB 4-Matic, W222 S450 LWB 4-Matic, A238 E400 Cabriolet 4-Matic
This company sells different interior LED lighting packages. I've never used them, just saw their web site...$62 for 14 light package with choice of White, Warm White, Blue or Red:
https://store.ijdmtoy.com/Premium-SM...mercedes-e.htm
"Features
https://store.ijdmtoy.com/Premium-SM...mercedes-e.htm
"Features
- Pre-configured with the LED bulbs for this car interior
- Direct replacement, plug and play
- Made with super bright 3-emitter 5050 SMD type LED lights
- 3-4 times brighter than stock car interior lights
- Long lasting with lower energy consumption
- The LED bulbs content will correspond to the trim you pick
- This page features one set of super bright, wide angle illuminating, premium 5050-SMD type car LED interior light package combo deal. This LED package will convert the car's interior incandescent bulbs into LED bulbs to give your car a brand new look with the much brighter output and cooler color.
You can also purchase some optional LED bulbs, such as license plate lights or vanity mirror lights during the checkout if there are available options."
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 917
Likes: 134
From: NOVA/DC
20' RCF, 18' NX, 09' E350, 07' Solara, 05' STi, 01' Ranger
I have a post on another forum about the LEDS for interior.
I went with these 6 months ago:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2817987770...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I tend to avoid LEDS from ebay at all costs but the guy has excellent customer service and sent me extra LEDS once we figured out 4 of them were a little too small.
I'll post what I had in the thread:
As noted above the leds in the center dash are LEDS. The overhead console ambient lighting are normal 5mm leds. Those you could swap out with other 5mm leds you'd just have to solder new ones in place.
The way the car looks now it's nice pure white look when opening the doors. Very high end looking compared to the yellow incandescent bulbs that were there before.
I'll snap some pictures tomorrow of the interior.
-Nigel
I went with these 6 months ago:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2817987770...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I tend to avoid LEDS from ebay at all costs but the guy has excellent customer service and sent me extra LEDS once we figured out 4 of them were a little too small.
I'll post what I had in the thread:
Ok well got the rest of the two leds today from the seller posted above in my link. They have fantastic customer service btw... so I will recommend them.
I was short two of the larger 39mm leds that fit in the doors. I will state that there is zero light bleeding from the door puddle leds when the car is on/headlights on. When you shut the door the leds turn off as they should and not stay dimly lit like the previous non canbus leds I had.
With my 2009 the following were done.
Overhead center console for driver/passenger side were two 194 type leds. Be forewarned that this is a PITA to do. Note that it's not the removal of the overhead console OR the removal of the mirror, BUT, attaching the mirror back once you get everything out. It's a complete PITA pushing the mirror into the socket and getting the spring connector points depressed to click and lock the mirror in. I honestly though I was going to break the mirror in half by pushing it into it's place. Had MB used their heads they would have designed it so that you either attach the mirror first then attach the upper console OR leave a small opening with the console attached that you could fit a small flat head screw driver to depress one pin on the spring of the mirror to make it click in place. They choose to not do any of that and made something as simple as putting a mirror back in a freaking debacle. I'm still pissed at it thinking about how much of a pita it was. The actual removal of the overhead console took 10 minutes. Changing the LEDs took 30 seconds. Attaching the mirror back took me 45+ minutes for fear of something snapping.
The rear overhead console is much much easier to remove. Grab it by the front corner with a plastic pry tool and you should unclick on of them.. then there are 3 more but you should be able to pull it straight down. 5 minute job which includes putting in the LEDS and testing. *NOTE: You NEED the front overhead console plugged in, if it's not plugged in you will not get anything working in the rear. I didn't know this until I was scratching my head..lol
The door puddle lights are easy, you should be able to take off the plastic clear cover with anything that fits in the opening and simply prying down gently. Pulling the bulb out was easy, putting in the bulb can be tricky. If you have small fingers it's easy, if you have large sausage finger it will be more difficult.
The foot well lighting is super simple. Same as above but you can unplug the module if you want to change the bulbs/leds.
Vanity mirrors use the same module as above but mine were not removable, the ribbon cable is soldered onto the clear lighting module.
Trunk is the same as the foot well lighting, super easy to remove/unplug.
Things I have observed. With the normal incandescent bulbs in the foot well they would light up bright if one opened the door, then fad to s not as bright status then shut off.
*The leds mimic this exactly.
With incandescent bulbs with the headlights on, if you opened the door the foot well lighting is bright, then dims once the door is shut and stays dimly lit abet EXTREMELY dim, to the point that I didn't even know they were on at night short of putting my hand directly under the light and faintly seeing light.
*The leds mimic this exactly with the exception that they are brighter in the dim mode at night. You WILL see the light no problem. It is not distractingly bright but you can definitely see there is light in the foot wells both front/back. Some might like this while others might think it's too bright. I will take pictures this weekend to show how it looks. If you are used to not seeing any light then this will be different. If you complained about not ever seeing light then you will probably like this. If you love the cabin to be as dark as possible, you will not like this.
TLDR: 2009 E350 LED total:
Front Overhead Console - Two 194 style LEDs
Rear Overhead Console - Four 194 style LEDs
Glove Box - One 36-39mm Feston style LED
Overhead Sunvisor Mirror lights (drive/passenger) Two 36-39mm Feston style LEDs
Foot well lighting Front/Rear - Four 36-39mm Feston style LEDs
Front/Rear door puddle lights - Four 39mm Feston style LEDs
Rear trunk - Two 36-39mm Feston LEDs
Total=19 LEDS
Hope that helps people in the future and pics should be up this weekend. Interior looks way sharper with the pure white leds. Loving the door puddle lights as it looks very classy high end/modern compared to the yellow lights.
I was short two of the larger 39mm leds that fit in the doors. I will state that there is zero light bleeding from the door puddle leds when the car is on/headlights on. When you shut the door the leds turn off as they should and not stay dimly lit like the previous non canbus leds I had.
With my 2009 the following were done.
Overhead center console for driver/passenger side were two 194 type leds. Be forewarned that this is a PITA to do. Note that it's not the removal of the overhead console OR the removal of the mirror, BUT, attaching the mirror back once you get everything out. It's a complete PITA pushing the mirror into the socket and getting the spring connector points depressed to click and lock the mirror in. I honestly though I was going to break the mirror in half by pushing it into it's place. Had MB used their heads they would have designed it so that you either attach the mirror first then attach the upper console OR leave a small opening with the console attached that you could fit a small flat head screw driver to depress one pin on the spring of the mirror to make it click in place. They choose to not do any of that and made something as simple as putting a mirror back in a freaking debacle. I'm still pissed at it thinking about how much of a pita it was. The actual removal of the overhead console took 10 minutes. Changing the LEDs took 30 seconds. Attaching the mirror back took me 45+ minutes for fear of something snapping.
The rear overhead console is much much easier to remove. Grab it by the front corner with a plastic pry tool and you should unclick on of them.. then there are 3 more but you should be able to pull it straight down. 5 minute job which includes putting in the LEDS and testing. *NOTE: You NEED the front overhead console plugged in, if it's not plugged in you will not get anything working in the rear. I didn't know this until I was scratching my head..lol
The door puddle lights are easy, you should be able to take off the plastic clear cover with anything that fits in the opening and simply prying down gently. Pulling the bulb out was easy, putting in the bulb can be tricky. If you have small fingers it's easy, if you have large sausage finger it will be more difficult.
The foot well lighting is super simple. Same as above but you can unplug the module if you want to change the bulbs/leds.
Vanity mirrors use the same module as above but mine were not removable, the ribbon cable is soldered onto the clear lighting module.
Trunk is the same as the foot well lighting, super easy to remove/unplug.
Things I have observed. With the normal incandescent bulbs in the foot well they would light up bright if one opened the door, then fad to s not as bright status then shut off.
*The leds mimic this exactly.
With incandescent bulbs with the headlights on, if you opened the door the foot well lighting is bright, then dims once the door is shut and stays dimly lit abet EXTREMELY dim, to the point that I didn't even know they were on at night short of putting my hand directly under the light and faintly seeing light.
*The leds mimic this exactly with the exception that they are brighter in the dim mode at night. You WILL see the light no problem. It is not distractingly bright but you can definitely see there is light in the foot wells both front/back. Some might like this while others might think it's too bright. I will take pictures this weekend to show how it looks. If you are used to not seeing any light then this will be different. If you complained about not ever seeing light then you will probably like this. If you love the cabin to be as dark as possible, you will not like this.
TLDR: 2009 E350 LED total:
Front Overhead Console - Two 194 style LEDs
Rear Overhead Console - Four 194 style LEDs
Glove Box - One 36-39mm Feston style LED
Overhead Sunvisor Mirror lights (drive/passenger) Two 36-39mm Feston style LEDs
Foot well lighting Front/Rear - Four 36-39mm Feston style LEDs
Front/Rear door puddle lights - Four 39mm Feston style LEDs
Rear trunk - Two 36-39mm Feston LEDs
Total=19 LEDS
Hope that helps people in the future and pics should be up this weekend. Interior looks way sharper with the pure white leds. Loving the door puddle lights as it looks very classy high end/modern compared to the yellow lights.
The way the car looks now it's nice pure white look when opening the doors. Very high end looking compared to the yellow incandescent bulbs that were there before.
I'll snap some pictures tomorrow of the interior.
-Nigel
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 577
Likes: 197
From: PA
W223 S500 LWB 4-Matic, W222 S450 LWB 4-Matic, A238 E400 Cabriolet 4-Matic
Had the overhead dome light unit off the other day and noticed that there is a removable sliding plastic cover trim piece floating on the mirror shaft. Part of the plastic two piece cover stays on the mirror shaft, but the removable sliding section can stay off until the end of the re-installation.
With this "sliding trim piece" removed until the end, you can easily access the mirror mounting pegs/spring to re-install the mirror.
Just slide the one side of the mirror peg into place in the recess then simply push on the other spring loaded peg with a flat blade screwdriver to compress the spring and it pops right into place without having to wrestle the thing. You can then just slide the trim piece back into place when completed. This looks to be a factory planned way of re-installing the mirror with out much fuss as others have had.
With this "sliding trim piece" removed until the end, you can easily access the mirror mounting pegs/spring to re-install the mirror.
Just slide the one side of the mirror peg into place in the recess then simply push on the other spring loaded peg with a flat blade screwdriver to compress the spring and it pops right into place without having to wrestle the thing. You can then just slide the trim piece back into place when completed. This looks to be a factory planned way of re-installing the mirror with out much fuss as others have had.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 917
Likes: 134
From: NOVA/DC
20' RCF, 18' NX, 09' E350, 07' Solara, 05' STi, 01' Ranger
This video helps show what you are talking about:
I still couldn't click the mirror in when reinstalling it with the piece removed. I have a ton of tools and I still couldn't depress the spring to click it back. If the time ever comes to remove it again I'll check it again but I'm not removing it to check now..lol
-Nigel
I still couldn't click the mirror in when reinstalling it with the piece removed. I have a ton of tools and I still couldn't depress the spring to click it back. If the time ever comes to remove it again I'll check it again but I'm not removing it to check now..lol
-Nigel
