dovla

I have a w203 c240 01, with installed bi-xenons (factory)... Everything worked just fine the past couple of years with automatic lightning switched on constantly. So I have enabled constant lightning in the menu but it is not turning on anymore when starting engine.

However, if I turn it on manually with the switch it does turn on.... I tried switching it back again to manual and after to constant again, but with no result...
Any ideas?

p.s. I have an error displaying that my rear lights arent't functioning, however i have replaced all of the bulbes and it displays still the same error...

samaritrey

how does an 01 have factory bi-xenons? I assume you either have plain frosty xenons or replaced the frosty xenons with bix? The constant setting should work my headlights have been on constant since I purchased my car 3+ years ago. BTW my car has bix. So the constant mode worked for awhile right then stoped. That is very starange and conbined with the rear lights not working could mean bad news. I would check all fuses first and swap out the very inportant ones. I would also take an eraser to the rear lights to see if that fixes them. which rear lights are out?

Glyn M Ruck

The light sensor on the windscreen might have failed.

dovla

Obviously I had just plain xenon before and I have had installed bixenon after.
So the lights are working just fine, when I switch them on manually. However the "constant" - function in the menu, which makes the lights switch on automatically no matter what weather condition there is (meaning dark or day time) isn't working anymore. I don't seem to understand why the sensor has any influence on this, since this function is meant to switch on your lights always automatically, when switching the car engine on. Meaning no matter if it's daytime or not.

And yes these bixenon lights have been working properly the past 3 years with no problems, switching themselves on everytime I switch on the engine.

As far as the rear lights are concerned, they work just fine, its just the error in the display which is bothering me.

p.s. I have opened even a thread a couple of years ago, questioning whether it is just plug and play for the bixenon. (with pics)

Glyn M Ruck

Sorry - I did not read the post properly. The sensor can only make a difference in AUTO mode. In the DRL (daylight running lights)/constant mode the sensor will make no difference.

Clean connections on your rear lamps. Are you running the correct wattage lamps in the rear?
If you go brighter it will trigger a message.

dovla

As far as I know, they have installed the same rearlights at the garage, guess I need to check it out whether the taillights are the same...

I'm kind of scared to go to the benz dealer to find out what it is. Every time I go there, to hear hello costs like 100euro's with not doing a thing...

tommy

In my car, I have the "constant" enabled, and the interior lights are not on when the DRLs are running. Aren't the headlights also enabled at only a certain % of strength, until the signal from the sensor tells the headlights to come on at full power?

So it's either a computer or wiring or sensor issue, or a combination of those, and the diagnosis alone will not be cheap. Good luck.

dovla

What I'm just about to write is insane... During my last drive my car started loosing power, loosing electrical power. First off, I got an warning:

-Undervoltage defective (with a battery logo on top)
very soon after my command system gave an error, that it was about to auto shut itself off.
After that I started encountering different types of errors, the display started flickering,
-abs warning
-srs restraint
-esp elec. stabil prog, visit workshop!
-brake fluid error
-bas error
my aut. airconditioning switched itself off, etc.

After a while almost all electrical things started mailfunctioning. I wanted to just drive my car back home, but after a while even the blinkers and gas pedal started lagging. At that point i parked my car and left it for a half an hour. After that, I tried to start the engine once again, it wouldn't start anymore. So I figured out that maybe the battery was dead.

I stopped a cab and this guy helped me charge my battery with cables. I started my engine, the guy left, and my engine again started lagging and loosing electrical power. And shortly after went dead. Eventually there wasnt much there I could do, so I decided to drag the car home with ropes attached to another car. Surprisingly, the car has reset itself to German language, for whatever reason.

Now, I'm in a huge stress/dillema what kind of issue it might be. My friend is thinking that the dynamo may be the problem. It might be usefull to say that it's winter here, and that its below 0 (celsius scale) with a lot of snow as well. However, the battery shouldnt be the issue since i can open and close my doors with the remote no problem. On top of that when i put the key into egnition it displays just fine all the different signs etc. It just doesnt make sense to me that if the engine is running, that the battery could be the reason for killing the engine and/or losing power. I mean I have driven cars without battery, after the car has previously been switched on.

Any ideas or anybody that has heard of anything similar to this disaster? Cost indication?

samaritrey

sounds like alternator craped out to me or a bad connection somewhere. i would get a volt meter out and a scanner and have at it.

Glyn M Ruck

Sounds like battery/alternator failure

dovla

Hello guys, here's an update:

I wanted to buy a new dynamo, but it turned out to be about 800 euros, so I had the old one revised. That was 240... The mechanic installed the "new" one, and now the car turns the engine on just fine.

There are other issues, however. The SRS restraint error is still displaying, along with another new one: Display error. Meaning that it doesnt display things correctly. It displays that I'm out of gass, so I went to the gass station to fill it up, but there was enough gass... After filling up it still displayed like empty... Other issues, is the wiper unit (left handle next to the steering wheel) doesnt function. Meaning wipers + idicator not working. But the centre button for the 4 blinkers isnt working either.

The xenon is working now just fine regularly with the " CONSTANT " option in the menu, as well as the automatic airconditioning. All other errors dissapeard. Except for the taillights and as mentioned SRS +display errors.

THe other thing is that the car won't open and close with the remote, but instead I had to put the mechanical key to enter and close...

I gave the car back to the mechanic and he said he is going to have a look at it tomorrow. He is a nice guy but doesn't have any experience with benzes whatsoever and frankly, I'm not sure he's going to find out what the problem is by himself. So please, if anybody has an idea please let me know, to give him a hint where to start looking....
He thinks that the car computer has to be uploaded again with some software, because he thinks that the complete battery failiure caused the car to lose vital information in regards with its hardware.

ANY IDEAS? PLEASE ALL ARE WELCOME

samaritrey

sounds to me like the rear sam was blown during electrical work. the early w203s rear sams are notorious for blowing when disconnecting and reconnecting the battery.
That would explain the turn signal lights, gas gauge not working etc.
sorry to say they are expensive like $1000 USD from my understanding.

Glyn M Ruck

+1 - likely

dovla

Are you guys sure that it is the sam unit? And if so, might it also be possible, like with the alternator to have it repaired? (since you guys expect it to be like a 1000) Or can I buy a second hand sam and have it installed by this mechanic? Or does it require reprogramming? If it does, I gues benz will not reprogramme a second hand sam unit?

To put it bluntly, I'm sick and tired of repairing this car, as it has costed me twice the price I've bought it for the past 3 years. So, what's the cheapest way to get it fixed?

By the way the mechanic had a look at it (and he couldn't solve it as expected obviously). However, he did notice that in the fuse compartment, several fuses jumping out of the fuse box constantly when putting them back in... So he said there must be some kind of short-circuiting. Does this ring any bells? But the strange thing is, that I have not been involved in any kind of car accident whasoever, and didn't have the car damaged at all, not now and not since I own it (3 years now).

Glyn M Ruck

Yes - unfortunately 2001 was Benz at their worst although the E class gave more trouble than the C. My car has been the most reliable car I have ever owned but all the problems had been sorted out by 2003 - on SA built cars at least.

There are module rebuilders that can repair your SAM or a secondhand unit is OK from a newer model after they changed them. Just make sure you can return it if it does not work. I don't know where you are live so you are going to have to check wherever you are in Europe.

A SAM does need to be adapted with a STAR. I don't see why a dealer should not do this for you on a reconditioned or secondhand unit.

dovla

Which sam unit is "the newest" sam unit that I can use on my car? I mean if I go for an used unit, which are all compatible to use on my car. Preferebly I would choose for a "newest" model, to make sure that I won't need to change another one in a couple of months....

samaritrey

dovla where are you located? the rear sams are wired my 01 has never had an issue but others have (i have the best 2001 out there) If you want i will dig up some companies i found that rebuild sams i was reserching some other componetes and came across a few. they are all in the usa though but one might have been out of the uk.

dovla

I'm in Amsterdam, the Netherlands...

Glyn M Ruck

I know you can use up to 2004. I think they changed at the facelift with the change from DB2 to MOST.

dovla

Ok guys,

so after ordering a new rear SAM unit (300euro) and installing it partially the problems were solved, the display was still not working properly along with some other defects. So I had the SAM unit reprogrammed at the benz dealer (another 100 euro) and fit back in and all the problems were solved.

So now you know for the alternator you can better bring it for a repairment (with guarantee) costed me 250 euro and the the rear sam unit 400. (labor costs depend on your mechanic).

All in all I would like to thank all forum members for the great help, since I think there are no better diagnose makers than you guys!

samaritrey

Wow glad we got that fixed now go enjoy it but before you do that post some pics

yamin05

m
i have a c class w203 2004cdi i had it for 2 years but later today my left and right brake light ent working but the middle light working

my right rev light not working but left is working
both side bake light not working
my auto switching not working

i had my car off for 2 months as i was away i had to jump start it and 2 days after this is what happen

can any one tel me what this is

Glyn M Ruck

You have likely blown a SAM by jump starting.