Dellmon

I own a 2010 w204 and I purchased the 2012 w204 LED tail lights.
When I received them in the mail I quickly plugged them straight into my car. And oh course as you all know I was getting the "Rear fog light Error"

So after being frustrated I went on this forum, updated my profile and started to join in on some of the talk about the 2012 LED tail lights retrofitting. There was all this talk about a group deal buying the tail lights and then shipping your SAM to some guy named WHIPPLE in Seattle. So then I kinda felt relieved that there was a solution to my issue. So I wanted to know more details.

I didn't even really know what my SAM was a first but then I figured it out. Then I asked in one of the forums if it would work with my year (2010). And someone replied with "No only the 08-09". So then I was like what the ****! So I started to call all the custom Mercedes Shops in my area (Los Angeles, CA) and they said I would need SEN coding to be done, and its not a guarantee it would even work. Oh yeah they also said it would run me about $180 depending on how long it took.

Once again Im like WTF! Then suddenly I had an idea. I went out to my car, and found out what bulb on my 2010 tail lights was my rear fog. I found it, pulled the bulb out, started my car. Got the classic Error Message "Check Rear Fog". Then I went back to to my tail light and figured out what color wire was making the bulb light up.
Found it, the green one. Then I got my 2012 LED tail lights and followed the trace to see where the green wire leads to. Found it.

Now before I go on, let me explain how error messages happen on the Mercedes. When you start your Mercedes the computer knows how much voltage is being sent out to anything that is electrical. The rear fog light for example is 12v 5w, and that's how much the car is sending to that bulb. And for the car to know that the bulb is working properly it sends back 12v 5w, it completes the circuit. So when you get an error message its because the right voltage is not being sent back to the computer.

Then I got my 12v 5w Load Resistor that I purchased weeks before I even thought of this and got my soldering iron and soldered the Red Wire (Positive) to the green wire trace. Then I soldered the Black Wire (Negative) to the ground on my 2012 LED tail lights.



Then I used Velcro to stick the resistor to the back of the plate along with a zip tie to hold it in place. Now some of you are thinking well the resistor will get really hot and it will start melting anything that it touches. Well the resistor that I used is glued in a material that prevents it from getting to hot.




After I was done I quickly ran out my car, plugged it in, and SMILED. It worked. NO ERROR MESSAGES!!! I couldn't even explain how relieved I felt. But to be certain, I drove around the block a few times, used every light possible, then let my car run for 15 minutes to double check that the resistor didn't get to hot. And it didn't! I won!








So in conclusion,

I DIDNT have to send my REAR SAM to a Stranger in Seattle.
I wasn't out of a car for a week.
I didn't spend over $100 to make a ERROR Message go away or for a light to work properly.


I spent UNDER $25 for two LOAD RESISTORS and got the job done.

BOOM!

DELLMON Out!

LandSeaAir

Nice! This will be a big hit on here. Now the question is will it work on 2008-09 cars?

victort

cool thanks for doing this!!!

caligreenzzz

thats how my tails looked BEFORE getting them done the right way...

caligreenzzz

and after getting the SAM programmed correctly they look like this


you get what you pay for...

Dellmon

You do, but if you look at a 2012 w204 the lights are how mine are. What you have done to your lights is not how Mercedes programs them.

But yes yours does look very clean.

But also for under $25 i dont mind how mine look.

caligreenzzz

thats great, but dont misled people...your lights look just as mine did before getting them programmed, all you have seemed to have done is remove the error message...

snarlingchicken

I wouldn't say he's misleading. He just found a way to do what you had to pay $100 to get done for a lot less and with a bit of good 'ol nerdy elbow grease. I think someone else had actually used a method similar to this though as I recall seeing it on the LED Tail lights thread in the C63 section. Though I think this would be simpler as it seems to involve only 1-2 wires of soldering with little to no need to rip/cut other wires out.

To the OP Great post. If I ever decide to upgrade I might just do this method. Better bust out the soldering iron.

ALSO: Quick edit. Do the rear fogs still work as intended however?

snarlingchicken

I gotta say though, this is a really clean shot.

Dellmon

Thats correct, and created an alternate solution that is affordable, but yet easy enough to do it your self.

caligreenzzz

his bottom brake lights are half way lit up at all times....guess you cant see that...need glasses???

OP's lights on left, reprogrammed SAM on rights, can you see the difference???

caligreenzzz

its only clean cuz the lights are programmed correctly, otherwise it would look sloppy like the OP's....

caligreenzzz

or you could have cut the fog wires for free and pressed the OK button to cancel out the error...

but to get it done the right way, the way the lights come on a 2012 model, hit up whipplem....otherwise just roll with the sloppiness

Dellmon

Roll with sloppiness? Look at a 2012 c250, the tail lights are exactly like mine. The brake light is half way lit.

So I guess mines sloppy like the rest of the OEM c250's in the US.

But I know where your going here. Yes, YOU ARE BETTER then mine.

YOURS are WAY COOLER.

I envy you and your tail lights.

My tail lights are Garbage.

Are you satisfied or you wanna keep writing stupid SHlT like a child.

Domm

Its great that someone took the time to figure out a simple DIY method. Its always nice to have an alternative to having it professionally done.

Both tail lights are great, appealing to people who want show-room quality or those who just want LED brightness at a quarter of the cost.

Good job

caligreenzzz

acr2001

Wrrooonnnggg!
Their method IS how Mercedes programs them. Yours is not. I know this because I have a 2012 and I can verify how the lights are supposed to look, not to mention the other 2012 models I see on the roads here in NYC.

This is a very childish response, makes it hard to respect you. If there is anyone who started with a "better than you" attitude it was YOU when you posted in your original post that you didn't spend $100 followed by "BOOM! DELLMON OUT!" Grow up!!

Either way, it's nice that you figured out how to solder in a load resistor (this is old news).
I honestly think it's great that you posted a how-to and people should be thankful that you spent the time doing that.
At the same time, your lights do not look right as the brake lights are falsely lit. This is a potential safety issue.

Are they only dimly lit (do they get brighter when you hit the brake pedal)?

Dellmon

Its not a safety issue, once the brake are pressed the halogens get much brighter. If I just had the original tail lights no LED, its the same thing when the lights are on. The brake likes are dimmly lit till the brake is pushed.

caligreenzzz

well said......

caligreenzzz

and that is because your SAM needs to be programmed correctly....

Sportstick

....and once again, I find that I am asked to intervene in a thread with the same name coming up. I am trying to find a balance between maintaining our goal of civil and polite treatment and stepping aside to allow free-flowing conversation. This thread has some great information about the OP's attempt to solve a problem. Dialogue about whether he has the best, or even an optimal solution, is fine. Here's what is NOT fine...

- accusing someone clearly motivated by an attempt to share of misleading people.
- sarcastically asking if someone "needs glasses"
- language such as "stupid s**t"

Whether someone is struggling with uncontrollable anger or simply lack of maturity, this level of conversation is not acceptable. Please go work out frustration somewhere else...go for a run, hit the gym...not here! The same technical counterpoints could have been made without the snideness. Please treat each other with more courtesy, whether agreeing or disagreeing on technical issues. If anyone feels this approach is "too sensitive", so be it...we all have different barometers, but we're not going to coarsen this forum. Personal attacks are not going to be tolerated, but it would be nice to stop at this point and not elevate this to official warnings.

Happy Sunday and have a good day!

caligreenzzz

really??? then explain why my tails light up the same as the RS spec C63..

Dellmon

Next time you google pictures make sure their in the US. Look at the license plate, and look at what side of the road hes driving on.

You live in Irvine.

caligreenzzz

sooo fresh, sooo clean....thats just how they are supposed to look, straight from CALI



https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...ck-series.html

caligreenzzz

and another w204 with 2012 tails, with no half way brake light lit up....



https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...c63-owner.html