"Light Sensor Visit Workshop" Anybody every get that error?
05-04-2011, 02:10 PM
#26
MBWorld Fanatic!
is there any way to test your seat control modules to see if they are draining your battery other than just unplugging them one at a time and seeing if they drain your battery?
12-17-2014, 12:09 PM
#29
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2012 GL550
Was an old thread, but I was the original person that started this thread - if I remember correctly, it was a weak battery causing the "light sensor error" to appear. The cause of that weak battery was the passenger power seat module that was constantly draining the battery. Ended up replacing the seat module and everything was fine.
12-17-2014, 01:09 PM
#30
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Mercedes W203
bnz616, Thanks!!
I have that problem now!
My w203 have a light sensor error and my battery is very weak..
But what does the passenger power seat module do?
Do I have one too?
I have a MB W203 from 2002
sorry for my poor English, I'm from the Netherlands
regards,
Michael
I have that problem now!
My w203 have a light sensor error and my battery is very weak..
But what does the passenger power seat module do?
Do I have one too?
I have a MB W203 from 2002
sorry for my poor English, I'm from the Netherlands
regards,
Michael
12-17-2014, 01:30 PM
#31
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2012 GL550
bnz616, Thanks!!
I have that problem now!
My w203 have a light sensor error and my battery is very weak..
But what does the passenger power seat module do?
Do I have one too?
I have a MB W203 from 2002
sorry for my poor English, I'm from the Netherlands
regards,
Michael
I have that problem now!
My w203 have a light sensor error and my battery is very weak..
But what does the passenger power seat module do?
Do I have one too?
I have a MB W203 from 2002
sorry for my poor English, I'm from the Netherlands
regards,
Michael
Some others on the forum have tried unplugging the harnesses to test if that was the cause of the battery drain. I'm not sure if that affects any safety aspects, so please research before doing so.
Even before you touch the seats though, you may want to just check the battery itself. It may just be as simple as being time to replace the battery to a new one. Weak batteries have been known to set off random sensors and warnings - other ones I've seen were traction control warnings, ABS warnings, etc.
03-28-2016, 02:44 PM
#32
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MB w203 C-class 2.2
"Light Sensor Visit Workshop"
I get the same error now "Light Sensor Visit Workshop", my headlight ( lowbeam) turn on even tho i set the switch in park, interior dome light does not work, and the left licence plate error pops up, but works after 5 secounds. any1 know how to fix this problem? do i need an new sensor?
03-29-2016, 08:16 AM
#33
MBWorld Fanatic!
I get the same error now "Light Sensor Visit Workshop", my headlight ( low-beam) turn on even tho i set the switch in park, interior dome light does not work, and the left license plate error pops up, but works after 5 seconds. any1 know how to fix this problem? do i need an new sensor?
03-31-2016, 09:20 AM
#34
Super Member
Even I went through this entire thread as it will surely help for later as back up knowledge. Anyone know how you would know the seat module is taking power apart from testing the battery when the car is off? I randomly hear my seat module making a ticking like operation noise that it would make when you engage the buttons to adjust the seat. But is has a pause inbetween and continues doing so. I am sure it goes off after doing something with the seat but its like that often and thank the Lord I don't have any battery issues though in the beginning I had that tail lamp plate error which I repaired with a new bulb. I haven't had issues since thank the Lord.
09-08-2016, 05:19 PM
#35
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2007 c 230 kompresor
need some help
hey guys, today I took my 2007 c230 to the uphostery to change the headliner, as I drove away the light sensor workshop came on, can any one tell me how to fix that problem.
Last edited by Mauricio Lopez; 09-08-2016 at 05:23 PM.
04-08-2017, 12:05 PM
#36
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2005 C230
Has anybody every gotten the "Light Sensor Visit Workshop" error? I got it about a week ago and it came up again today. Is it referring to the light sensor that senses if its dark outside to set the nav display to dark, turn on fogs when you unlock the car, turn on headlights on AUTO mode, etc? Everything seems to be working fine. Anything that could be causing this error to come up? I also keep getting the "Left License Plate Light" error but everything is fine.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Hi I received the same message on my C230. I popped off the cover of the sensor just under the rear view mirror. It was very easy to see that there was a wire unplugged. I plugged it in and Wallah. Five-minute job
04-08-2017, 12:08 PM
#37
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2005 C230
I had C230 had an error that said light sensor out drive to shop. After a little research I popped the cover off just under or behind rear view mirror. I found that there was a wire unplugged. I plugged it in it works just perfect. By the way I am not a mechanic
01-12-2019, 06:10 AM
#38
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MB C180
I bought this 2003 C180 used about 2 years ago and love this car but I must sell it and I really need to know that I've fixed the issue before I hand it over to someone else.
In the chill of the fall of the first year, I started to have the same intermittent "Light Sensor" error. IF it appeared, it was after I hadn't driven it for at least 8-10 hours. I saw it most often when it was cold and/or damp outside. The error would often clear itself, or after a quick ignition off then restart. Everything on the car always appears to work just fine except for the error messages. I am bothered when things don't work exactly right, so I took it to the shop right away, and they said the battery could be overcharging and recommended I change the battery even though it was only 3y old. The advice didn't sound right, but I did as they suggested but it didn't fix it. With everything functioning well except the warning, I kept driving it trying to figure out some pattern that would help me isolate the problem. The weather warmed up the issue nearly went away completely - I only saw the light sensor error msg about every 2-3 months.
Now that it's cold again, it is happening much more frequently, and it also is often associated with second a bright red screen indicating an electrical problem. I ran an ODBII check and found nothing. The new battery only has a few months on it. The shop already did an alternator and battery test and they can't find anything.
I thought I was onto something when I would make sure that the wipers, and especially the HVAC fan was off when I started it. I thought this because I noticed that it would start just fine, idle and if the error kicked in, the radio would go silent and the HVAC fan would stop. I tried this trick and it completed the engine warm up without error, until I went to drive a way, turned on the heater and got the error. The symptoms usually only last 2-3 seconds and then go away. I don't have power seats. Checked the condition of the wires in the rear view mirror connector box. The shop said that they checked my battery and voltage regulator. I'm at a loss. Is there a place I can go in order to find a proper troubleshooting guide for this symptom?
In the chill of the fall of the first year, I started to have the same intermittent "Light Sensor" error. IF it appeared, it was after I hadn't driven it for at least 8-10 hours. I saw it most often when it was cold and/or damp outside. The error would often clear itself, or after a quick ignition off then restart. Everything on the car always appears to work just fine except for the error messages. I am bothered when things don't work exactly right, so I took it to the shop right away, and they said the battery could be overcharging and recommended I change the battery even though it was only 3y old. The advice didn't sound right, but I did as they suggested but it didn't fix it. With everything functioning well except the warning, I kept driving it trying to figure out some pattern that would help me isolate the problem. The weather warmed up the issue nearly went away completely - I only saw the light sensor error msg about every 2-3 months.
Now that it's cold again, it is happening much more frequently, and it also is often associated with second a bright red screen indicating an electrical problem. I ran an ODBII check and found nothing. The new battery only has a few months on it. The shop already did an alternator and battery test and they can't find anything.
I thought I was onto something when I would make sure that the wipers, and especially the HVAC fan was off when I started it. I thought this because I noticed that it would start just fine, idle and if the error kicked in, the radio would go silent and the HVAC fan would stop. I tried this trick and it completed the engine warm up without error, until I went to drive a way, turned on the heater and got the error. The symptoms usually only last 2-3 seconds and then go away. I don't have power seats. Checked the condition of the wires in the rear view mirror connector box. The shop said that they checked my battery and voltage regulator. I'm at a loss. Is there a place I can go in order to find a proper troubleshooting guide for this symptom?
Last edited by Bizywk; 01-12-2019 at 06:20 AM.
08-10-2020, 03:43 PM
#39
I am grateful for all the maintenance and troubleshooting-related posts on this forum, and would like to provide my contribution to this topic.
I drive a 2002 C230 Kompressor coupe, and the vehicle now has 190,000 km. I purchased the vehicle in 2005 with 49,000 km.
About 3 months ago (January) I recalled the first "Light Sensor Visit Workshop" error message. This message appeared when I would first start the car on a cold morning (e.g., less than -10 degrees Celsius). Over the next few weeks the message would appear more frequently, until it ultimately appeared every time the engine was turned-on. I did not think very much of the message at the time as all my lights were functioning properly; however, the error message was becoming more irritating.
About 8 weeks since the inception of the first message, upon starting the vehicle, the transmission got stuck in the first gear on two separate occasions. This occured within one week. The vehicle jerked into drive or reverse, and the W/S button didn't have any response when the vehicle was in the Parking gear. Likewise, when the vehicle was stuck in first gear, the "tiptronic" shifter did not respond. On both occasions I parked the car, turned off the engine, started-up again, and all mechanical functions operated without any noticeable problem.
To respond the re-occurring error message and the two noted transmission failures, I postulated that the car battery may be the root-cause, as the "starts" were hesitating more with time, and the lights were dimming during "start-up". I assumed that the light sensor (located on the windshield, behind the rear-view mirror mount) was the last electronic device in the vehicle circuitry. Consequently, the light sensor would be receiving the weakest signal (e.g., inadequate current) to perform its complete function.
Two weeks ago I changed the car battery. The change took no more than 20 minutes. The "Light Sensor Visit Workshop" message has not re-appeared since. The transmission functions without any issue.
Upon changing the battery, two functions had to be reset. The "ESP" needs to be reset by moving your steering wheel from knock-to-knock three times and the panoramic sunroof also needs to be reset. Consult your Driver's Manual for those details. It takes no more than a few minutes to complete both activities.
P.S. Two weeks before diagnosing the problem myself, I asked the Mercedes Dealership to perform a diagnosis and to rectify the issue. The technician "cleaned" the contact point with ground and tightened a bolt. This did not solve the problem and I was refunded the cost after I determined the actual root-cause. I presume an (inexperienced) apprentice technician tried to diagnose the problem; someone with experience should have noticed the hesitating start-up and dimming lights, and consequently, first checked the voltage.
Hope this information helps!
I drive a 2002 C230 Kompressor coupe, and the vehicle now has 190,000 km. I purchased the vehicle in 2005 with 49,000 km.
About 3 months ago (January) I recalled the first "Light Sensor Visit Workshop" error message. This message appeared when I would first start the car on a cold morning (e.g., less than -10 degrees Celsius). Over the next few weeks the message would appear more frequently, until it ultimately appeared every time the engine was turned-on. I did not think very much of the message at the time as all my lights were functioning properly; however, the error message was becoming more irritating.
About 8 weeks since the inception of the first message, upon starting the vehicle, the transmission got stuck in the first gear on two separate occasions. This occured within one week. The vehicle jerked into drive or reverse, and the W/S button didn't have any response when the vehicle was in the Parking gear. Likewise, when the vehicle was stuck in first gear, the "tiptronic" shifter did not respond. On both occasions I parked the car, turned off the engine, started-up again, and all mechanical functions operated without any noticeable problem.
To respond the re-occurring error message and the two noted transmission failures, I postulated that the car battery may be the root-cause, as the "starts" were hesitating more with time, and the lights were dimming during "start-up". I assumed that the light sensor (located on the windshield, behind the rear-view mirror mount) was the last electronic device in the vehicle circuitry. Consequently, the light sensor would be receiving the weakest signal (e.g., inadequate current) to perform its complete function.
Two weeks ago I changed the car battery. The change took no more than 20 minutes. The "Light Sensor Visit Workshop" message has not re-appeared since. The transmission functions without any issue.
Upon changing the battery, two functions had to be reset. The "ESP" needs to be reset by moving your steering wheel from knock-to-knock three times and the panoramic sunroof also needs to be reset. Consult your Driver's Manual for those details. It takes no more than a few minutes to complete both activities.
P.S. Two weeks before diagnosing the problem myself, I asked the Mercedes Dealership to perform a diagnosis and to rectify the issue. The technician "cleaned" the contact point with ground and tightened a bolt. This did not solve the problem and I was refunded the cost after I determined the actual root-cause. I presume an (inexperienced) apprentice technician tried to diagnose the problem; someone with experience should have noticed the hesitating start-up and dimming lights, and consequently, first checked the voltage.
Hope this information helps!
Thanks will try the swap for new battery
