This guide covers replacement illuminated midrange speaker covers for Mercedes-Benz C-Class 205, GLC 253 and E-Class 213 vehicles with factory ambient lighting or a retrofitted 64-color ambient lighting system. The replacement covers work with the vehicle's ambient lighting function.
Before starting: read Section 3, Installation precautions, before removing or fitting the trim.
1. Parts overview
The parts photograph illustrates the C-Class 205 kit. The model-year label in this photograph applies to that illustrated kit; confirm the correct components for your vehicle before installation.
2. Installation procedure
2.1 Front door trim removal
2.2 Rear door trim removal
2.3 Front door speaker cover installation
2.4 Rear door speaker cover installation
3. Installation precautions
Before fitting the replacement trim, check that the foam inside is intact and correctly positioned. Leave the internal white foam in place. Removing it can affect the result and require the trim to be removed again.
Use the illustrated left/right cover positions and the wiring arrangement appropriate to the factory or retrofitted ambient lighting system.
4. Troubleshooting
4.1 Vehicles with factory ambient lighting
- Both the illuminated cover and the factory door ambient light are off: lock the vehicle and allow it to sleep for 10 minutes. Disconnect the adapter and restore the factory wiring. If the factory light now works normally, the adapter is faulty. If it remains abnormal, check the factory lighting signal and any other added adapter connections.
- The factory door ambient light works, but the cover does not: check for loose plugs and bent or deformed pins. Swap in a known-good adapter. If the cover then works, the original adapter is faulty; otherwise, check the LED unit. Compare the terminal positions for misalignment.
- Single colors work, but mixed colors do not match: check the LED unit identification. Code 16 is for E213, code 17 for C205, and code 18 for GLC253. Replace an LED unit whose code does not match the vehicle. Figure 7 shows the identification location.
4.2 Vehicles with retrofitted 64-color ambient lighting
- All ambient lights and the covers are off: first check that the ambient lighting function itself operates normally.
- One door's retrofitted ambient lighting works, but its cover is off: check for a disconnected adapter and bent or deformed pins. Swap in a known-good LED unit. If the cover then lights up, the original LED unit is faulty.
- Both the cover and ambient lighting on one door are off: check the plugs on the added lighting module and confirm that the module works correctly.
- A mixed color is abnormal: test red, blue and green separately in the single-color menu. A missing basic color indicates an LED-unit problem; also check terminal alignment. If all three colors are present, check whether the ambient lighting system requires its color-synchronization procedure.
Help us improve this guide: use the comments below to report an unclear step or a difference on your vehicle. Include the model, model year, market/region and figure or step number.
CKCP tutorial reference: CAOLIAO-238020209