tail light install
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
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S430
tail light install
Does anybody know how to remove and install aftermarket tail lights in a 2001 S430? My circuit boards are corroded and giving me erroneous fault messages. Detailed steps would be great. Thanks.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Tampa, FL
2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL
It's not written up much because it is so simple.
Remove the trunk liner on the right and left sides of the trunk.
There are four bolts held in place by four nuts on each tail light housing, around the mounting point for the light; one is near the furthest projection of the assembly along the side of the car. Remove the nuts, and be careful not to lose them.
Disconnect the wiring harnesses from the assembly, and slide the tail light units out.
The aftermarket unit (and OE MB replacements) may have an extra plastic guide pin for which there is no hole in the body of the car. Clip the guide pin, if this is the case. I used a fine modeler's saw to remove it.
You may have to relocate one a double-ended bolt on each replacement unit; this is easy, just unscrew it and put it in the same relative position you see on the old unit you have removed.
Some Asian "upgrade" units already have the guide pin clipped and the bolt relocated.
Slide the new unit into place, replace the retaining nuts, hook up the wiring, and you are done.
The OE replacement units and higher quality Asian units have the LED brake lights already in place. You won't need to change them. You may have to transfer bulbs. Doing that is pretty obvious, but there are instructions for doing it in the owner's manual.
Remove the trunk liner on the right and left sides of the trunk.
There are four bolts held in place by four nuts on each tail light housing, around the mounting point for the light; one is near the furthest projection of the assembly along the side of the car. Remove the nuts, and be careful not to lose them.
Disconnect the wiring harnesses from the assembly, and slide the tail light units out.
The aftermarket unit (and OE MB replacements) may have an extra plastic guide pin for which there is no hole in the body of the car. Clip the guide pin, if this is the case. I used a fine modeler's saw to remove it.
You may have to relocate one a double-ended bolt on each replacement unit; this is easy, just unscrew it and put it in the same relative position you see on the old unit you have removed.
Some Asian "upgrade" units already have the guide pin clipped and the bolt relocated.
Slide the new unit into place, replace the retaining nuts, hook up the wiring, and you are done.
The OE replacement units and higher quality Asian units have the LED brake lights already in place. You won't need to change them. You may have to transfer bulbs. Doing that is pretty obvious, but there are instructions for doing it in the owner's manual.
Last edited by Skylaw; Jun 30, 2010 at 12:57 AM.
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1
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S430
Apologies if this this has been asked/answered... Looking for tail light wiring diagram for a '00 S430, working on high output LED upgrade on tail/fog lights and need to install 50W 6 ohm load resistors correctly. Thanks.
