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Sooner or later you will have to change your front marker lamps; Dealership charges alot, some folks believe you have to remove the bumper/wheel well splash cover. You Don't. This video is handy.
Side marker, parking light & indicator bulb replacement in left head lamp
Very good and useful video indeed if you haven't done this before. Without knowing exactly where the side marker (shorter outer rectangular lens) and parking light (round lens) bulb holders are located, what they look like and how they come out, this can be a very long and difficult job. An inspection hole camera with a flexible snake cable was probably used in the video which provides just about all of this valuable information.
The side marker (shorter and outer rectangular lens), parking light (round lens) and indicator (longer and inner rectangular lens) bulbs in the left hand head lamp unit of our ML had to be replaced. The indicator lamp replacement is easy, but for the replacement of the other 2 bulbs I had to remove the left front wheel as well as the forward half of the plastic wheel well splash liner located inside the wheel arch. As stated in the video, the bumper and head lamp unit do not need to be removed to replace the bulbs. The side marker and parking light bulbs in the RH head lamp are lit in the attached photo of that head lamp.
The side marker and parking light take the same bulb type but the side marker takes an orange coated bulb whereas the parking light takes a clear bulb.
Last edited by 2008 ML 320 CDI; 12-21-2016 at 01:24 PM.
Very true those bulbs for the side marker lamps are orange. I've opted to put in the white ones as they look cool and don't violate any state laws where I live.
Side marker, parking light and indicator lamp replacement on left head lamp unit.
Side marker and parking light lamps on in the right hand side head lamp unit.
Left hand side head lamp unit.
Found this image showing the back of a left hand side head lamp unit.
Parking light bulb holder location on the back of the head lamp unit.
It is difficult and unnecessary to remove the electrical connector from the bulb holder while the bulb holder is still in place. It is much easier twist (anticlockwise) and remove the bulb holder/electrical connector assembly all in one piece.
The photo is somewhat over exposed to clearly see the cut-outs in the hole.
It is very difficult to reach the side marker bulb holder. Twist anticlockwise and pull out to remove.
Side marker bulb holder removed.
Indicator lamp holder removed.
Note the key on the side of bulb holder that needs to be aligned with the cut-out in the hole in order install.
The side marker and parking light electrical connectors are the same.
It says 'Turn Signal' on the label, but these bulbs are not for the front indicators on the 2008 ML.
This image shows the underside of a LH head lamp unit. Note how deep you need to reach in underneath the low beam housing to get to the side marker bulb holder when the head lamp unit is installed in the vehicle. Even the parking lamp bulb holder sits deep in compared the indicator lamp bulb holder.
Last edited by 2008 ML 320 CDI; 12-23-2016 at 01:43 AM.
Hey guys thanks for the pictures and video link. Really makes it easier to navigate the tight spaces to swap out these bulbs. I tried swapping out the indicator bulb to the sylvania LED equivalent ZEVO light. The indicator bulb now flashes a few times upon start up and I can see a nice LED quality amber light but causes a bulb error on the dash and then when I go use the turn signal stalk it will hyperflash and I noticed that the LED bulb is no longer emitting light. So it only functions for a few seconds at startup only. For now have switched the standard bulbs back in. Is there a way to work around this issue? Thanks in advance.
The system “reads” the LEDs differently than regular bulbs. Not sure if it’s a resistance reading or changes in amp draw that the computer reads, but you need to buy the LEDs that have built in resistors to “fool” the system and not throw a dash code.
12-14-2016, 04:07 PM
