2009 W204 C220 - Loose nearside headlight

[gremlyng]

Just wondering if anyone here would be able to impart some advice please........

I bought my W204 C220 a few months back, I've noticed at night when driving that the nearside headlamp is moving as I go over bumps in the road which here in South Wales is all the time.... I'm thinking that there are probably some tabs or something on the headlight that locate it. I opened the bonnet last night to have a look and there is so much shrouding there that it is super difficult to know where to start really. Doese anyone know where the mount points are on the headlights specifically where I should be looking to see if there is a loose bolt or snapped tab or something? It feels like the light is mounted correctly across the top edge but the bottom edge seems to hinge up if I push the light upwards by hand.

I'm guessing it's going to involve taking the front bumper off which I'm not looking forward to.

Is this a common occurance or has my car had a bump maybe :-/

 

[DSM10000]

Just wondering if anyone here would be able to impart some advice please........

I bought my W204 C220 a few months back, I've noticed at night when driving that the nearside headlamp is moving as I go over bumps in the road which here in South Wales is all the time.... I'm thinking that there are probably some tabs or something on the headlight that locate it. I opened the bonnet last night to have a look and there is so much shrouding there that it is super difficult to know where to start really. Doese anyone know where the mount points are on the headlights specifically where I should be looking to see if there is a loose bolt or snapped tab or something? It feels like the light is mounted correctly across the top edge but the bottom edge seems to hinge up if I push the light upwards by hand.

I'm guessing it's going to involve taking the front bumper off which I'm not looking forward to.

Is this a common occurance or has my car had a bump maybe :-/

It sounds as if the car has had accident damage. Did you run a pre purchase check with HPI or Car Vertical or similar?

Some manufacturers sell repair kits for broken headlight securing lugs.

 

[gremlyng]

It sounds as if the car has had accident damage. Did you run a pre purchase check with HPI or Car Vertical or similar?

Some manufacturers sell repair kits for broken headlight securing lugs.

Yes no doubt it's probably had a bump at some stage in the past 16 years.... I bought it from a garage in Southampton and did a check on it and nothing showed up.... but a fender bender in a supermarket on the corner potentially would have seen a minor accident and it not reported and possibly a repair centre cutting corners on replacing the headlight due to snapped tabs or something to save money. I bought the car as a stop gap car it's 16 years old but has only just covered 61K with full service history,

I would be interested in the repair kits you mentioined, wonder who those companys are? Any ideas? I was wantiong to find where I should be looking at mount points, how much hassle it is to check etc...

 

[DSM10000]

I know that BMW and VW make them for their models.

Might be worth asking Mercedes if they do or search on line.

 

[gremlyng]

I found this on Aliexpress - Cheap Chinese repair kit.... I guess it's debatable as to the quality will be ok or if they will indeed even fit but I might take the gamble at sub £10 ...... Almost certain something has snapped on the underside of the nearside headlight there is no way it should be moving as it does.