W166 ML lights - Europe adjustment

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sp00ky

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Dec 22, 2008
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The online interactive manual shows a manual lever in the light housing to switch over for driving in Europe - seems like an excellent idea. I just had a look and cannot see this. The main dealer said it is only for Xenon, but those would have a setting in Comand as far as I am aware and the manual says this lever is for the halogen (standard) bulbs. Knew I would regret not having the Xenon...

Any ideas? Surely I don't have to try and stick something on the front of the rather large front section of the lights?
 
I have the bi-xenon adaptive lights and they are adjusted from the instrument cluster for left or right hand traffic.
 
Indeed - wish I had got them. Unfortunately I have the standard halogen bulbs and the manual says there is a lever - anyone with standard lights that can confirm if the online interactive manual is correct?
 
Have you got the range control at the side of the lighting switch? If so then the lever should be in the headlight unit behind a round cover which you have to screw off.
 
Beside the cover there is something that looks like it can be screwed - light in colour. There are 2 covers that can be undone on the passenger side - no idea how to get to the outside one on the drivers side but I expect it is not relevant. Access is very difficult for the dipped beam housing (I believe this is the outside of the two housings on the passenger side) and it is certainly not possible to see inside.
 
The lever is inside the light unit behind the black cover. Quite small and quite fragile...
 
Thanks. Is that the outer unit on the passenger side? If so then it has to be by feel as there is no way to really see inside. Tough to find!
 
You will have to do both off-side and near-side.
 
Outer driver's side cannot be accessed - I have a feeling that perhaps it might be through the wheel arch (surely not - changing a bulb would be interesting)? No way to see inside the outer passenger side unit and very difficult to get a hand in there. When I looked at the manual I thought they had made it easy...

The dealer has been no use and suggested that I book it into the workshop or pop along before 4pm during the day for a technician to have a look.

EDIT: Just checked the manual and I was right - driver's side through the wheel arch... nice...
 
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Dealers often do this adjustment FOC
 
They originally told me I had to put stickers on the front. I'll pop it in and I would be surprised if there is a charge - the service department have been good from a customer service point of view over the years, although their technical knowledge can sometimes seem somewhat lacking.
 
Intrigued by this I thought I'd have a look at the ML250. I found there were black covers on the light housings about 10cm in diameter that were easily accessible from the engine compartment. These seem to access the main beam and the sidelight. The covers behind the dipped beam do need to be accessed via the wheelarch... I think I'd go to the dealer as well!
 
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Intrigued by this I thought I'd have a look at the ML250. I found there were black covers on the light housings about 10cm in diameter that were easily accessible from the engine compartment. These seem to access the main beam and the sidelight. The covers behind the dipped beam do need to be accessed via the wheelarch... I think I'd go to the dealer as well!

Thanks for looking. You had some pictures earlier that I now cannot see (you seem to have removed them)? Your post prior to editing appeared to indicate that you had seen the levers - were you mistaken and they were simply the long parts by which you remove bulbs?
 
Thanks for looking. You had some pictures earlier that I now cannot see (you seem to have removed them)? Your post prior to editing appeared to indicate that you had seen the levers - were you mistaken and they were simply the long parts by which you remove bulbs?

Yep I found some easily accessible covers to the light housings, so posted pics of those, but on closer inspection the covers to the dipped beams were further round, and the black lever things looked like what you said - bulb removal levers. So I took the pics down as I didn't want to be misleading.

Interesting exercise all the same...
 
Did anybody resolve this? I have to do the same in a couple of weeks, and it looks like a pig of a job.
 
Hi everyone on this thread - thanks for the really useful info. WRT accessing from the wheel arch, on my car there is a little flap set into the front of each arch. Pop out the trim clip at the bottom, and the flap will then come free allowing your hand in to access the dipped beam cover. I am lucky enough to have airmatic, so i raised the car. I reckon just putting steering on full lock should give clearance - otherwise just pop the wheel off.

I haven't tried the adjustment bit yet as it is late, fingers crossed for tomorrow. Thanks again all who posted really useful questions and answers - especially that online manual - truly brilliant!
 
OK - took me 20 minutes to do one side, 2 mins to do other side... easy when you know how...

Remove maintenance flap from inside font wheel-arch. This needs a trim removal tool of the flat fork type to pull up the button of the single fastener. Remove fastener, slide flap upward an inch until the sides disengage, bend flap on its length to unhook completely.

The 'SWITCH' is actually a little silver metal lever. It looks like one of the spade blades that are the flat terminals on an automotive bulb. It is located deep in the housing, where the central bulb shieldd begins to join the headlamp housing proper. It took me 15 minutes with an illuminated inspection mirror to find it first time. Gently apply a little pressure outward, away from the bulb, then push it gently in the direction of its sharp side, rotating round the bulb a short distance, maybe 8mm. Thats it. Repeat on the other side.

It will only move one way. (and back of course ) I did it with dipped beams on and watched the illumination shape change on my end wall.)
 

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