Bugster

Hi

I have Xenon lights on my -01 W203. The inner bulbs and park bulbs were so yellow, so tonight I bought two new H7 4700K bulbs and two LEDs with electronics to fool the can-bus and make the lights look more like the Xenons.

Ok, first I replaced the H7s. Quick job. So far so good. Then I replaced the front right park bulb with the LED version and tested it. Nice bright and white light. Worked a treat! Then I went for the left side park bulb. Took out the old one (which was in working condition, but kinda yellow). Put in the new. Turned on the lights. No light. Malfunction warning in the display. Wiggeled the bulb a bit. Got a light. Put the cover back on, and sat down in the drivers seat ready for a test drive. Started the car. Got a new error message about "left front park". Checked it again. No light. Took it out. Put back the old one. Still no light. Thought: "Must have blown a fuse". Checked the fuse panel overview which said: "Parking lights - Electronics", instead of a fuse number. S**t!

With the new LED now in place, the error message actually disappeared again, but I still have no light. What the heck have I done?

How to resolve this?

Moral of the story: "If it works, don't fix it."

Bugster
(Please excuse my english. Not my native language.)

Moviela

The incandescent lamp is a wedge based lamp and can be inserted in either direction. Polarity does not matter. The LED is polarized in that you must insert it with the anode connected to the (+) voltage source. If you connect the anode to ground, it will not illuminate.

If you installed the LED backwards, it would not light. If you left the resistor installed and replaced the incandescent lamp, it would probably not light because you are drawing more than 5 watts when you add the resistor and lamp consumption together. It might also throw the error message.

Double check the LED and see if the polarity is marked. The (+) should be connected to the wire that is NOT brown. The wire color is different for left and right side.

Good Luck!

Bugster

Thanks. I appreciate your advice. I knew about the fact that LEDs are polarized. I put the incandescent back in (after confirming it was OK by connecting it directly to a 12V battery). Still no light, and still error message. My mechanic friend says "check the fuse", but as I wrote in my first post, the fuse panel overview says: "Parking lights - Electronics", instead of a fuse number. So which fuse? I will check them all just to make sure.

Any more advices? Disconnect battery and hope for a ECU reset?

mleskovar

There's a TSB for your year that involves splicing in a new ground wire for the parking lights.

Bugster

Thanx.

Went back to the stock bulbs. Problem solved.
Guess there is something fishy about those expensive LEDs I bought.

Stockers are yellow and ugly. But at least they work.

Moviela

You can use theatrical blue bulb dye to remove the yellow color. That is what I do. Dye comes from Rosco. http://www.rosco.com/us/scenic/colorine.cfm

Moonlight Blue #80 is closest.

drtyjrzy

I've never used the dye but I've used stained glass spray paint from an arts and crafts store to change my rear turn signals to red. it was like 7 bucks for a can and I have enough to do every turn signal bulb for the life of the car. I was planning on doing the city lights with a shade of blue. I'll let you know how it turns out.

BF_JC230

I almost don't want to ask this...but my hand will not physically fit in the head lamp housing...so...

HOW DID YOU CHANGE THE PARKING LAMPS!!??!? I seriously can not get my hand in there to rotate and remove the lamp.

I have a 2005 C230 with OEM Bi-Xenon and an intermediate front left parking lamp...so I went to change both today - and I just can not reach...

Tips, thoughts, ideas...my wife joked she will try as her hand is 1/2 the size!

Thanks!
Jake

drtyjrzy

front left parking lamp? I am guessing that's what I call a city light? it's the little one in the housing with the high beam? if so, the first time is definitely the hardest, I just pinch the base and yank. no turning, no clips, just held in by pressure.

BF_JC230

Thanks...I'll try again tomorrow...I seriously can not get my hand in there other than to just touch the connector...I could not get two fingers on it...let alone my thumb...I'll give it another go - it has to be doable!

drtyjrzy

I do have small hands, it works to my benefit quite often. i don't want to tell you that it's safe to pull by the wires, but those things are not in there real tight, there's not much chance the wire would pull out before the bulb.

ChrisBrown

It was painful and difficult getting my hands and fingers in there to do my turn signal lamp on the driver's side last night. I feel your pain.

drtyjrzy

I just did turn signals tonight too, although getting the bulbs out was not the hardest part, it was modifying the 7507 chrome bulb to fit in my 2357 socket. stupid sylvania bulb finder. next time I'm gonna stop being lazy and use the owners manual.

ptaborada5321

Does anyone know where the right parking light fuse is?? My car does not have a diagram. I have been looking for a while it is making me angry.

SweeneyD24

I have a 2001 C200K and i recently traded the stock headlights to a projector one. It worked great till yesterday when i decided to put some 5W led parking light bulb. Started with the right one and it tested ok. Then i moved on to the left one and replace the stock bulb. It didn't work. So i swapped it with the right one and everything worked.
So today i took the car out during lunch time at work and as the weather was a bit cloudy, i noticed 3 errors on the instrument cluster.

1. Left Parking Light
2. Left Low Beam
3. Left High Beam

I immediately google it at work and found this thread. Once home, i took the led bulbs out and replaced them with the stock bulbs hoping that everything would be back to normal.

What i've noticed:

• Everything on the right side was working flawlessly
• Everything on the left side was dead
• Left Parking Light would switch on periodically
• Left Low Beam dead
• High Beam dead
• When switched to Left Parking Light (only), if the Left Parking Light bulb would not light up, the left fog would. If the Left Parking Light bulb did light up, then fog light would not. I guess the system would automatically bypass the Left Parking Light in case the bulb is dead and switch on the fog light. Point to be noted.
• Left Parking Light would light up when i wiggled the wire a bit. Looked like some loose connection.
• Removed the big plug and put it back
• Now everything is back to normal
• Still have the 3 errors on the instrument cluster though. I figure they would probably go if i disconnect the battery and re connect it again.

So there you go. Hope it did fix it for good and it may help someone.

SweeneyD24

Ok. The problem is still here. And i think it got worse.

Took the car out during lunch time today as well. On my way back, the weather was partly cloudy and the 3 errors appeared again. I then noticed that my Right Low Beam was on while driving even though the switch was in the 0 position. I tried every position on the knob but nothing would change.
Switched off the engine, everything was out.
Started the car again and switched on the headlights but only the right side worked.

Any ideas how to fix this?

A simple job of swapping the stock 5W bulbs to 5W leds turned into a nightmare. I should never have replaced the stock bulbs with 5W leds.

mleskovar

There's an early engineering change involving the lighting problems you are having. Make sure it's been done. Too long ago for me to remember but search is your friend.

SweeneyD24

In my case, the large plug was a bit loose, causing all this intermittent issue with the lights. My dad tightened the pins and everything is now working as it should.

Hope this may help.

donny79

Jdfeathe

I just bought a 2010 E350. The left parking light is out. Replaced it, no dice. I haven't been able to figure out what Fuze is for the parking lights, but I also can't imagine this parking light has its own either. This one has new stumped.

Michel255820

Hii sweeneyD24

WHat do you call 'large plug" ?
where is it located ?
Thks, I have similar problem, left side parking light no longer works, even if replaced by tested original led component, and left fog light takes over§.

Thks for the help,
Michel