C230 Kompressor taillights
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Newbie
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
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From: McLean, VA
1996 E320
C230 Kompressor taillights
I’m new to the board and just wanted to know if any other C230 Kompressor owners have problems with their taillights going out? I just purchased (basically given) a 2002 Kompressor Coupe by a family member and it seems like some of the taillights have gone out. I already tried replacing them with new bulbs to no avail. Just trying to work another option before going to spend a couple hundred at the dealership for some taillights. Also my hatchback wing light is out also anyway to change that bulb ?
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: VA
THE C350
I’m new to the board and just wanted to know if any other C230 Kompressor owners have problems with their taillights going out? I just purchased (basically given) a 2002 Kompressor Coupe by a family member and it seems like some of the taillights have gone out. I already tried replacing them with new bulbs to no avail. Just trying to work another option before going to spend a couple hundred at the dealership for some taillights. Also my hatchback wing light is out also anyway to change that bulb ?
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 818
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta, GA
'02 C230 Coupe (Me) '03 SLK320 6MT (Wife)
Check out THIS thread.
It might not be your problem exactly, but....these cars are very finicky about the resistance for the bulbs, otherwise it *thinks* there is a problem. If you look at the back of the car, you'll often see that the bulb is actually working, just generating a message.
The early Coupes had a TSB on taillight resistance issues, where they added a section to the wiring harness that was supposed to help smooth out the errors -- mine's got it and still has issues, especially in very moist weather.
Something else that has been said frequently here: The cars are very picky about what bulbs they like. I personally, have had best luck just buying bulbs at the dealership. I don't find I get as much use before one of them starts throwing errors with local parts place bulbs.
The issue appears to be, IMHO, oxidation on the contacts in the bulb carriers. I have gone nearly two years without an error after cleaning them with a pencil eraser, where as other times, mine just gets a full set of rear bulbs about every year.
This last time I got frustrated and purchased both bulb carriers and a full set of bulbs, but haven't gotten around to installing them yet. Usually I just have error messages of one bulb out or the other and replace all of them (trying just one usually just makes the problem shift to another "bulb"). This time I am actually getting the error messages in the thread I referenced above, along with the same symptoms.
It might not be your problem exactly, but....these cars are very finicky about the resistance for the bulbs, otherwise it *thinks* there is a problem. If you look at the back of the car, you'll often see that the bulb is actually working, just generating a message.
The early Coupes had a TSB on taillight resistance issues, where they added a section to the wiring harness that was supposed to help smooth out the errors -- mine's got it and still has issues, especially in very moist weather.
Something else that has been said frequently here: The cars are very picky about what bulbs they like. I personally, have had best luck just buying bulbs at the dealership. I don't find I get as much use before one of them starts throwing errors with local parts place bulbs.
The issue appears to be, IMHO, oxidation on the contacts in the bulb carriers. I have gone nearly two years without an error after cleaning them with a pencil eraser, where as other times, mine just gets a full set of rear bulbs about every year.
This last time I got frustrated and purchased both bulb carriers and a full set of bulbs, but haven't gotten around to installing them yet. Usually I just have error messages of one bulb out or the other and replace all of them (trying just one usually just makes the problem shift to another "bulb"). This time I am actually getting the error messages in the thread I referenced above, along with the same symptoms.
