Over 90 views and no comment......? All is good I am going to lay it all out soon on how and what you will need if you want to do this. There is kits on Ebay for like $65 but this can be done for under $20. I just need to do a bit more home work.

 

Hello there thecushion77 I was thinking of doing the same but stop after hearing bad things about the LEDs causing all kinds of bulbs out errors and I think with my old 97.
E420 I will start things to going wrong and they will never stop. So I wish you the best doing your LEDs and please let us know how it goes. Thanks

 

Try these for no more "errors". They're Canbus "error free" SMD's
21 Pcs Super Bright LED SMD Interior Light Kit for Benz s Class W220 Error Free | eBay
:thumbsup:

 

YIKES!!! The LEDs will cause error codes??? Darn I was afraid of that. I did them in my BMW with no trouble. The Benz is a bit more sensitive I am becoming to learn. I may not do this project until I do more research..... Thanks for the heads up kidkid808

 

Hi, I've done many upgrades to my S320, including full LED interior mod.
For most cases it's a simple bulb replacement (T10 or festoon). But for minor cases, such as position lamps, lighting inside the trunk or license plate lights, you will need installing load resistors as consumption of LED is lower and that causes errors of flashing or malfunction. Personally, I don't recommend installing or solding load resistors because nowadays you can easily get LED lamps with built-in load resistors. The trouble is burning resistance that may ends up to undesired bulb replacement.
Give me some time and I'll upload photos and references for best match I finally got for a very low price.

 

Hi, I've done many upgrades to my S320, including full LED interior mod.
For most cases it's a simple bulb replacement (T10 or festoon). But for minor cases, such as position lamps, lighting inside the trunk or license plate lights, you will need installing load resistors as consumption of LED is lower and that causes errors of flashing or malfunction. Personally, I don't recommend installing or solding load resistors because nowadays you can easily get LED lamps with built-in load resistors. The trouble is burning resistance that may ends up to undesided bulb replacement.
Give me some time and I'll upload photos and references for best match I finally got for a very low price.

That would be great eFeJota. It looks like I'm about to pick up a 220 and this seems like a nice inexpensive mod. I've seen a lot of retailers claiming to have LEDs with built in load resistors that avoid error codes but obviously it's pretty simple for any online retailer to write checks they can't cash, so to speak.

 

Sweet bud Thanks so much for the info!!! I cant wait

 

Best test before buying. Not my case because I couldn't find anyone with experience on this theme 5 years ago. A complete set of led bulbs of all types, sizes and colours are proof. But I'm used to...
So, let me start first with LED UNDER DOOR (or whatever it is called).
Total pieces needed: 4. Type of bulb: festoon led. No load resistors required.
I installed them in orange (or amber) colour. It's my choice because all interior buttons, door handles and floor lighting are orange in W220. With open doors they fully illuminate, so any car behind you can easily see you. When doors are closed the leds dimm off. They do not turn off completely. Dim light reflects throughout the door sill plate matching the rest of orange indirect lighting. That's the reason why I prefer orange over any other colour such as white.
You can choose between two types of lamp: bulb or panel.
I think the bulb is 39mm. Not 100% sure because I uninstalled my original bulbs and I can't find them. Don't mind.
Instead of bulb I installed a 6 SMD led panel with festoon dome adapter with spring (suitable for 29-41mm dome bulb). Pay special attention to led panel dimensions to fit seamlessly into the plastic cover.
You can find thousand of references of each type on eBay.
See pics below. Hope it helps...

 

Next, the CEILING LAMPS (if so called).
The front assembly needs 2 festoon bulbs (or panels). Both rear assemblies requires 2 festoon bulbs (or panels) and 2 T10 (or W5W) bulbs each.
I replaced only festoon bulbs to white led. I preferred to leave the original T10 bulbs for rear mirrors, but you can easily upgrade them to led the same way.
So the issue is as follows.
Total pieces needed: 6. Type of bulb: festoon led. No load resistors required.
In this case I chose 9 SMD 39mm bulb instead of panel, but you can use the one you like or the least cost you.
A bit of advice: 9 SMD leds (x6 pieces) are bright enough to illuminate. May be even too.
I installed them in white because I think it's the most appropiate. Blue, red, green, orange, etc. is not my choice.
Pictures say it all...

 

Next, the CEILING LAMPS (if so called).
The front assembly needs 2 festoon bulbs (or panels). Both rear assemblies requires 2 festoon bulbs (or panels) and 2 T10 (or W5W) bulbs each.
I replaced only festoon bulbs to white led. I preferred to leave the original T10 bulbs for rear mirrors, but you can easily upgrade them to led the same way.
So the issue is as follows.
Total pieces needed: 6. Type of bulb: festoon led. No load resistors required.
In this case I chose 9 SMD 39mm bulb instead of panel, but you can use the one you like or the least cost you.
A bit of advice: 9 SMD leds (x6 pieces) are bright enough to illuminate. May be even too.
I installed them in white because I think it's the most appropiate. Blue, red, green, orange, etc. is not my choice.
Pictures say it all...

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Hey dude!! Nice write up. I did my interior in royal blue. Everything except the map lites. Can not get those tiny bulbs out so i just left them in. Did you get your out? I have a question is that a video screen up on the roof of your ride. Did the sunroof get in the way? Just wondering?

 

Great post bud THX!!

 

Thanks to each of the contributors. Added this to the Encyclopedia.

 

Now the TRUNK LAMPS.
The inside lighting needs 2 festoon bulbs (or panels) and the light up next to the triangle requires 1 T10/W5W bulb (or panel).
One of the two, festoon or T10, must be error free (load resistor built-in) or original bulb.
If you want you can easily replace the 3 (2+1) pieces to led.
Total pieces needed: 3. Type of bulb: 2 festoon led + 1 T10/W5W. At least one error free bulb, eather the festoon or the T10.
I installed all three in white colour to get clearer light inside trunk. I have not used panels, but bulbs. Faileth probably changing the T10/W5W bulb by a panel in orange colour. Not the case by now.
The festoon bulbs I assembled are 39mm and error free type. However, the T10/W5W is not error free required because they are the festoon.
You could do it backwards: festoon leds without load resistor built-in but T10/W5W error free.
Use whatever you want.
In my case both festoon are 6 SMD led error free. Light with 12 leds get more than enough to find anything in the trunk.
I put some pictures best...

 

Now the TRUNK LAMPS.
The inside lighting needs 2 festoon bulbs (or panels) and the light up next to the triangle requires 1 T10/W5W bulb (or panel).
One of the two, festoon or T10, must be error free (load resistor built-in) or original bulb.
If you want you can easily replace the 3 (2+1) pieces to led.
Total pieces needed: 3. Type of bulb: 2 festoon led + 1 T10/W5W. At least one error free bulb, eather the festoon or the T10.
I installed all three in white colour to get clearer light inside trunk. I have not used panels, but bulbs. Faileth probably changing the T10/W5W bulb by a panel in orange colour. Not the case by now.
The festoon bulbs I assembled are 39mm and error free type. However, the T10/W5W is not error free required because they are the festoon.
You could do it backwards: festoon leds without load resistor built-in but T10/W5W error free.
Use whatever you want.
In my case both festoon are 6 SMD led error free. Light with 12 leds get more than enough to find anything in the trunk.

Any idea how to change the lights under the dash for the front floor board lights or in the lights in the rear floorwell down by your feet?

 

Great stuff here! ThX and I will report back

 

great thread! perfect timing

 

eFeJota, that pure white interior looks gorgeous. could you comment on the change in intensity in the bulbs you moved to and possibly tell us the specifications of brightness that you purchased? I just don't want to end up with something blinding and it's always difficult to tell via pictures.

Also, one of the primary things I would like to change are the incandescents in the headlight assembly. Has anybody done those and could comment on what the upgrade looks like?

One last thing. I am electrically challenged. I dissect formal social science models using calculus all day but when it comes to the physics of how electricity works it's like a serious rain-man type dichotomy. With the load resistors will these still be drawing incandescent levels of power or the minimal LED draw? From perusing the encyclopedia a dead battery sounds like something to avoid so if I go camping or something it would be nice to know if I can keep the lights on for a quasi extended period or need to continue being an electricity miser.

 

I have installed all LED bulbs in my interior but the map light is the only one giving me problems. None of the LED bulbs will work in the socket and if I dont leave the original bulb in dome lights wont work. If I leave the LED bub in the socket then the dome light bulbs stay lit at all times, it is dim but they are definately on. I do like the look of the white LED's but I wish I could get that old yellow map bulb to to switched over to LED also. Does anyone know what can help with this?

 

Only original (incandescent / filament) bulbs are OK for the W220.
If you are combining LED and incandescent bulbs you often get consumption enough to cheat the omnipresent electrical system of the W220.
If you only install LED bulbs, power consumption falls to a minimum value that the W220 translates it as a failure (= defective bulb). Then the W220 autoprotects itself by cutting power and LEDs don't work. This fact is common to european cars.
So, try to combine LED and incandescent bulbs. Particularly, I left the original bulbs for the map lights and updated all dome lights to LED. If you prefer only LED choice, try to replace the incandescent bulbs installing LEDs with load resistor built-in. Get that way to convince the W220 system it's not a defective bulb, but LED one working/consuming as an original.
That's what I previosly detailed and explained to update trunk illumination to LED. Hope it helps.

 

sorry to re chime on a sticky subject :/ but just to confirm to trunk lights are also 39mm??

 

Yes, both are 39mm for inside the trunk.

 

Back again and finally to this full led interior thread... the FOOTWELL LAMPS upgrade to a more luminous ambient light.
This is not a conversion from halogen to led, since original lamps are already led. So it's just a change of look to improve that stock poor result.
The W220's got 4 of these footwell lamps. I assume that anyone interested in this topic knows exactly where each are located. Each lamp is supplied with a built-in single orange/amber led pointing to one side rather than down. This is the reason (besides the led type) why original ambient light is, let me say, useless.
As I did for the open-doors led upgrade, I think orange/amber is the most appropiate colour according to W220 interior. At first I tried white leds, not my choice if you ask me.
Let me show a few things you'd better now if you decide to go on with this upgrade.

This is the oem part. Pay attention to connector

Compare the two parts removed from an Audi Q7 footwell and the one from the W220 S-Class. Here's the key

What do you have to do? Simple, just get one of these led panel (with male connector, not female)

Attach it to the top of the oem part and connect the led panel directly to the wiring of the car. The original part becomes now just a trim to hold and hide the led panel. Not to do anything else. See pic below to compare original and upgraded, before and after

You won't find anything as simple and cheap for the W220s. There are many aftermarket complete pieces for W204 and nowadays Mercedes, Audi and BMW. Much more expensive. Not direct replacement for W220 and mostly white and blinding lights (not for ambient).
You can get 1 piece of amber/white/etc led panel on eBay for $1 or $2.
I will post more pics to see full effect at night time. Really worth it.
I hope I have helped :thumbsup:

 

the FOOTWELL LAMPS upgrade to a more luminous ambient light. The W220's got 4 of these footwell lamps. I assume that anyone interested in this topic knows exactly where each are located.

2 are in rear footwell. 1 in center console. Where is the fourth one?

 

Very nice. Thanks for the info

 

sorry to be a bother, but a link or type of panel would really help me (and other people) quickly get this done. as opposed to searching the web for something that looks close to that and finally get it and it be wrong.
and i really do appreciate your work on putting this thread together it has helped me a lot and probably a lot of other people.
thank you kindly.

 

i think i found it picture matches perfectly.

T10 T13 6 SMD 6SMD 5050 CAR Truck Amber LED Interior Dome MAP Light Bulb Panel | eBay

 

Hi 'Whiteys500'. Yes, your link redirects to one of the sellers for this led panel.
As I always say, try a search on eBay. Keywords: "amber led panel". You'll also find it as "orange".
It depends on where you are from for shipping cost. Try a seller in your country or continent. I'm from Spain (Europe) and it's cheaper for me buying in China than in USA. Maybe it's not your case.
From my experience, more than 6 SMD LED may be too much light for an ambient purpose.

 

I just want to clear here... Do I need the Audi Q7 footwell lense ? Or do I use the Mercedes one? I read the post like 5 times and still unclear. Thanks

 

The picture is just to compare the two separated pieces of the Audi Q7 and the single one of the Mercedes W220, but same connector.
You only have to buy the led panel and attach it to the clear lense of the W220, connecting now the cabling to the led panel. The connector of the OEM piece will have therefore no use. I thought it was easy.

 

Cool ,Thanks now I understand

 

To sum up, there are in total 24 bulbs to replace.

Here you can buy a full set from China for 60$ (free shipping). I have bought this kit and it works fine without any errors so far:
24 Pcs Super White LED SMD Interior Light Kit for Benz s Class W220 Error Free | eBay

 

Footwell LED upgrade

None of the W220 interior LED kits include replacement for footwell lights, since they are already LED (W220 has 5 of them - 2x rear, 2x front, 1x in center console). Unfortunately, at least the front footwell lights in their original performance are completely useless. Here is a simple upgrade to 5050 orange SMD. The light is just a bit brighter - but enough for background light and to find a fallen coin.
The original LED consumes 18 mA, the 5050 SMD upgrade - 40 mA.

 

THX for the info guys