Side Marker Lights for Mercedes-Benz CLS500
While headlights and tail lights are as important to your car as your engine and brake, there are additional lights that make it easier to determine the width of your vehicle when you drive at night and enter poorly lit areas. They are formally known as front or rear side marker lamps. By law, your Mercedes-Benz CLS500 requires lamps and retroreflectors to be in working order at all four points.
Do the colors matter?Laws regarding the color of these lights vary from place to place. The standard convention is for the front lights on your vehicle to be colored orange while the rear lights are tinted red. This makes identification more obvious to other drivers on the road and is usually the safest option when youre driving your automatic CLS500 coupe.
How do you replace side marker lights?Always refer to your owners manual before doing any service on your Mercedes-Benz. With a cursory read, you will find that replacing these lamps or covers is within the realm of DIY.
- Remove the rubber wheel well: You can access it by turning the steering colum all the way to one side, or you can lift the car and remove the tire from your Mercedes.
- Remove the faulty bulb: You can find it by tracing the light wiring. The bulb itself is accessible to the bare hand. Give it a quarter turn and it should slide out of the socket.
- Install the new bulb: Reverse the removal process to install the replacement bulb.
- Restore the rubber wheel well: Its simple, but do not forget to replace the wheel well.
Both original equipment manufacturer and aftermarket parts will be designed for specific car models and years. Double-check that the lights in question are for a Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class of the right year range, and you will be good to go.
Does it matter what material is used in the lenses?The original equipment manufacturer will use standardized Mercedes AMG materials that are suited for your vehicle. When purchasing aftermarket parts or potential upgrades, there are a few options.
- Translucent plastic: The most common material is translucent plastic. It will be tinted red or yellow and is made to withstand the wear of the road.
- Opaque lenses: They are less common and their legality may vary. When available, opaque lenses suffer less sun fading.
- Smoked lenses: Smoked plastic or acrylic is used to create a stylized visual. Its a common custom upgrade but is often more expensive.