eddieo45

I had eBay clear corners I used on my silver CLK for quite a long time. I used to see condensation in them so I know they're not as water-tight as OEM, but I never had issues on the old car. When I got the black one last spring I smoked the clears and bought amber bulbs (unlike some, I'm happy to comply with the USDOT amber light regulation; I just want the cleaner look during the day). I found it odd when the bulbs failed in a matter of 8 months or so, but figured they were just cheap bulbs, and I bought some nice amber wedge-LEDs from Michael at AZN. Turns out there's a ton of corrosion and/or mold in the sockets, and the drivers side won't light at all:



I tried to clean it up with a toothbrush and an old jigsaw blade, but it still won't light, and now it's not even throwing the "light out" message. Thoughts?

Rudeney

Hmm, I have clear lenses on both the CLK and C240, and like you I use amber bulbs (error-free LEDs). I've never had any issues like that. And I do see moisture in the lenses from time to time. That corrosion almost looks like a chemical reaction, like you see on battery terminals. I'd try cleaning it with baking soda and peroxide, then put a drop of oil on the connector to keep it from corroding again.

clkcdnfirstbenz

I have a similar problem, although I am still getting the message.

I wonder if cleaning it did the trick?

DanielFD

I had the same issue with my drivers side. I just bought it used and replaced the assembly. its really simple to change out. Try ebay maybe?

Fatz

Ditto on the baking soda and peroxide. If that doesn't clean it up enough you can try wd40 and/or goo gone then flush it with an electrical contact (or MAF) cleaner and use a rag on the end of a plastic or wooden piece. I would avoid scraping it with any metallic objects until last resort.

You should probably clean the rubber seal with any auto rubber/tire protectant before reinstalling and ensure that you twist it into it's locked position when you reinstall it. Then check that the seal is compressed.

eddieo45

Mine was too far gone to clean; bought a new one on Amazon from Daytona Mercedes (great source for dealer parts, BTW), about $16. I had started another thread about how to wire it HERE.

TechSuperstar

Agree with eddieo45. I was having the same light issues with stock ones. Found the connector was so corroded inside that one of the contacts had actually broken off. Buy a new connector and wire it on, your problem will be solved.

TechSuperstar

On a side note.... How does everyone get at their side marker lights? I end up cracking a piece of plastic off of the covers half the time I try to take them off. The stealership told me I'm supposed to go there to have them change the lights and said your not supposed to pull them off. He said they go in through the wheel well to get at the back of the cover. Is this true? I'm not bringing my car in to wait an hour for them to change a $2 light bulb. Also.. they wanted to fail my inspection because I had aftermarket clear covers with amber bulbs and tried to sell me the original covers. Needless to say I went two blocks down and got my inspection sticker.

DanielFD

They just pop out. Use a wedge object (preferable plastic) and pry them out from the corner towards back of the car. There is noooo reason to go into removing the wheel well..

megacrazy

Sounds to me like you need to stop going to the dealer.

Sometimes they're hard to pop off and it would be easier to remove from the back...BUT I'd rather risk breaking off a 10$ part than spend 30 mins jacking up the car and removing unnecessary parts.

eddieo45

my E Class is a headache to get at; THAT model is better accessed through the wheel well. I don't even try to get inspections at the dealer; they of course follow the rules very strictly. You might as well ask them to install Akebono brake pads!

I go to a neighborhood gas station for my inspections with my "front" license plate sitting on the dash and blacked out side markers.....