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For some reason the passenger side bulb stays in place nicely but the driver side bulb keeps coming out and then of course not all of the light comes out from the other side through the headlight lens. If I open the black round plastic cover behind the bulb and try to make the bulb fit into the hole snugly, it simply won't sit properly. The passenger side bulb is attached to a black retainer (correct me about the name of this thing) that seems to have the right shape (I think it is circular, can't remember now) but the driver side retainer is square. Maybe that has something to do with the problem. I will try to take photos when I get the chance. I just bought the car a month back and I don't know what the previous owner(s) was up to.
I searched online quite a bit to find if anyone else had this same problem but couldn't find information.
The driver's side HID bulb should be equipped with the black round plastic retainer ring (see picture below)? You mentioned a square ring but I'm not sure if you and I are talking about the same part. It's possible that the PO changed bulbs and replaced that retainer with the wrong style.
You are right Robert. Today I took out both lights. The one on the left side in the photo was on the driver's side. The retainer is missing. I was wrong about it being square. It doesn't have the retainer, period.
So the obvious next question is "What is the part number for that retainer?"
These rings are available from a bewildering variety of places, not just MB dealerships. Buy it off Amazon or Ebay; search for "D1S retaining ring". Or go to a local wrecking yard that offers U-Pick services and take it from any vehicle that uses D1S HID bulbs (Audi BMW Mercedes Buick Cadillac Lincoln Jaguar, to name a few). There must be local independant shops that sell replacement D1S bulbs and LED customization kits who would also stock these retainers. Or maybe even an aftermarket auto parts shop like NAPA or Pep Boys will have them.
I highly recommend that you get the retainer ASAP. I had a mechanic change my HIDs and he made the same mistake. My HID bulb shorted somehow inside the reflector and took out both the bulb and the ballast. It was a costly mistake (as I had to replace two HID bulbs and one ballast).
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