Mercedes-Benz A-Class 177 / CLA 118 Basic Ambient Lighting Installation Guide

This guide describes the CKCP molded replacement kit for a 64-color ambient-lighting upgrade. The source text lists 2019–2024 A-Class 177 and CLA 118, while the parts illustration is headed 2019–2022 W177. Confirm the vehicle year, interior configuration, head unit and supplied module before using these instructions; the illustrated W177 installation does not establish every CLA or later-year detail.

The source recommends coding the vehicle first and connecting the ambient-lighting module last. The hardware and coding must match. The photographs and routing diagrams do not provide an electrical pinout, supply rating or a complete coding procedure for every vehicle.

1. Identify the kit

The numbers in Figure 1 identify components, not electrical terminals:

The illustration describes a 25-light configuration. Its fourteen reference numbers are not a fourteen-piece inventory. Verify the actual kit quantities and any optional illuminated parts against the supplied kit.

2. Understand the routing

Figure 2 shows the main routing branches to the dashboard, center console, doors and footwell areas. It places the module near the passenger-side lower A-pillar, beside the front door. The colored lines are diagram routes; they do not specify physical wire colors, CAN polarity or terminal cavities.

The source diagram identifies upper and lower dashboard lighting, front vents, center-console and cupholder lighting, door trim and handle lighting, front and rear footwell lights, and seat ambient lighting. Seat lighting and rear footwell lighting are separate labels. Match each branch to the actual supplied harness and lamp. A lamp shown in this overview does not by itself establish that it is included in every basic kit.

3. Door trim and door wiring

Read the photographs from top to bottom:

1. Remove the indicated retainers in the door pull-handle area, then release the door panel. These steps concern the interior door panel, not removal of the complete door.
2. Remove the indicated trim fixings from the back of the panel.
3. The source uses a rotary grinding tool to remove the plastic heat-staked attachment points holding the original trim. These are plastic fastening points; the illustration is not an instruction to grind metal welds.
4. Replace the original trim/light guide with the illuminated replacement shown, then secure the attachment areas with adhesive as illustrated.
5. Route the front-door branches to the illuminated trim, handle lamp and storage-pocket lamp. The branch adapter shown connects into the footwell-lighting harness.
6. Route the rear-door branches to the handle and storage-pocket lamps as pictured. The source repeats a “front footwell adapter” label on this rear-door photograph; confirm the actual adapter and branch before connecting it.
7. The storage-pocket lamp is fitted through a drilled hole in the pocket. The source supplies no drilling diameter, exact location dimensions or clearance specification.
8. Remove and wrap/stow the existing handle lamp as shown in the source photograph. The source does not specify the electrical treatment of unused terminals.

The photographs show modification of the trim attachment points and a drilled lamp opening. Obtain the kit-specific fastening, adhesive, drilling and unused-connector instructions before carrying out those operations.

4. Center-console and dashboard access

The source sequence shows:

1. Release the clips on the rear center-console trim cover and remove the indicated console fixings.
2. Remove the palmrest cover and its indicated fixing.
3. Lift the center-console panel upward.
4. Remove the two T20 screws shown at the climate-control panel.
5. Use a flat-blade screwdriver at the illustrated hidden vent locks to release the central vent assembly.
6. Remove the indicated display screws. Lift the display upward, then move it horizontally to remove it as pictured.
7. Pull the side vent assemblies out as shown.

Only the climate-panel screws are explicitly identified as T20 in the source. The other photographs do not provide a complete screw-size list or tightening torques.

1. Release the left and right dashboard trim with the plastic trim tool shown.
2. Remove the original decorative light guide and secure the replacement at the illustrated attachment areas.
3. Remove the existing cupholder lamp and fit the center-console light guides shown.
4. Locate the lamp heads at the pictured positions and check that each head is firmly seated in its light guide.
5. Route the center-console harness to the light-guide ends, cupholder lamp and the storage-compartment lamp shown in the console assembly.

The source calls the last lamp a “glovebox lamp,” but the photograph shows it on the center-console/palmrest assembly. Its exact compartment identity and connection need confirmation; do not use that caption to assign a new connection at the passenger dashboard glovebox.

5. Cabin harness routing and module connection

1. Position the module at the passenger-side lower A-pillar area shown.
2. The source shows an inline adapter at connector No. 3 of the right-front door controller. “3” identifies the illustrated connector; it is not pin 3 and does not identify a third controller. The spare/reserved plug is wrapped in the photograph. No terminal-cavity assignment is supplied.
3. Route the front-vent wiring to the five illustrated front vent positions.
4. Route the upper dashboard light-head wiring and the branches toward the footwells, front and rear doors, and center console. Route the lower dashboard wiring to the three lamp-head positions shown.
5. Use the pictured upper and lower harness exit positions. Run the lamp-head leads behind the trim, including the left upper/lower dashboard locations and the lower-left close-up.
6. Route the door trim, storage-pocket and handle-lamp leads to the corresponding front/rear footwell branches as shown along the side carpet area.
7. At the rear B-pillar, the photograph shows the white plug routed through the opening. It does not show a pin insertion procedure or provide a cavity map.

Connect the module only after the matching vehicle coding is complete, following the source's stated sequence. The images establish routing and adapter placement, not a verified supply/ground specification.

6. Lighting functions shown in the source

The source describes these functions for the illustrated setup:

• Single color: the front, center-console and rear lighting use the same color.
• Multicolor: the front and center console form one color group, while the rear forms another color group.
• Multicolor with dynamic multicolor enabled: the front and rear lighting alternate with a gradual breathing effect.
• Welcome: unlocking the vehicle produces white lighting for ten seconds, then a gradual return to the previous ambient-lighting state.
• Climate: raising the climate temperature produces red lighting; lowering it produces blue lighting. The source says the lighting returns to its default state after five seconds.

These are descriptions of the source configuration. Availability on a particular vehicle depends on the head unit, coding and module.

7. Coding references and module settings

The manufacturer attributes some new-installation failures to coding with the module already connected or using an incorrect coding selection. It also describes a module “memory effect” and a replacement-module recovery process. This is the manufacturer's troubleshooting claim, not proof that every unlit or unresponsive module is irreversibly damaged.

The recovery sequence stated in the source is: remove the ambient-lighting module, code ambient lighting off, lock the vehicle and allow it to sleep, code ambient lighting on again, then connect a new module. Confirm the vehicle-specific coding and the module fault with the supplier before applying that recovery or replacing parts. The source warns that an incorrect coding selection may damage its module.

Figure 9 is headed “A-Class (2021)” and shows ambient lighting enabled, effects enabled, and brightness level 10 selected for Haoyangde/CKCP products. The alternative 100 is labeled for a different product. These are the screenshot's selections, not a verified setting for every A177/CLA118 configuration. The screenshot says the feature requires additional hardware. Its displayed price and purchase controls are historical interface content, not a current quotation.

The source DTS screenshot uses an HU6 entry and the [039] Ambient Light Write domain. It shows Ambient Light Scenario and Ambient Light Effect on, Ambient Light Color Program 10, HMI Color Control Variant 8, Ambient Light on, Brightness 10, Zone Control on, Zones 1–4 on and Zones 5–7 off. These visible values describe the pictured coding session. The screenshot is not a complete vehicle-specific procedure; its byte/bit positions and displayed coding bytes must not be copied to another vehicle without the correct ECU dataset and confirmed configuration.

Figure 11 identifies an HU6 main-module setup with DIP switches 1, 2 and 3 OFF; 4 ON. The original module sticker identifies a 2.4G main module V1.36. The numbers here are DIP-switch positions, not connector pins. Confirm that the supplied module matches the illustrated version and head unit.

The C_AMBL04 V1.0.0 table separates door-module position settings from main-module vehicle settings:

Its HU6 row for A/B/CLA/GLA/GLB 177/118/247 from 2019 onward shows main-module switches OFF/OFF/OFF/ON and VID 20. The separate HU7_A177 row shows ON/OFF/OFF/ON, VID 53. Do not substitute the HU7 row solely because a vehicle is an A-Class, and do not confuse the two-switch door-position table with the four-switch main module. The table's other vehicle rows do not extend this tutorial's fitment.

An original installation video is archived with this tutorial. A corresponding English video and English DIP-switch operation video have not been confirmed for this version of the guide.

8. Source troubleshooting checks

These checks are translated from the source and require the correct electrical and vehicle procedure:

1. All retrofit lights remain off after coding: the source recommends reconnecting the module power connector, then locking the vehicle and allowing ten minutes of sleep before observing the result. An unlit system alone does not establish a failed module; confirm supply, harness assignment and coding.
2. One area has the wrong theme color: check the lamp-lead assignment and compare red, green and blue in single-color mode. The source attributes a missing color to the lamp head; confirm that fault before replacing it.
3. Lighting is dim: check that the lamp head has not come loose and is fully seated. The source also warns that black hot-melt adhesive touching the light guide can absorb light. This concerns adhesive at the guide, not welding metal.
4. Brightness cannot be adjusted and returns to zero: the source recommends reconnecting the ambient-lighting power connector and allowing the locked vehicle to sleep.
5. Colors cannot be adjusted in the interface: check the module DIP configuration against the confirmed head unit and module version.

The source does not specify supply voltage, fuse protection, wire gauge, terminal cavities, isolation/reconnection procedure, trim torque, adhesive specification or a complete final acceptance record. Those details and the model-year/configuration differences must be resolved before treating this guide as ready for technical approval.