2002 C240 License Plate Bulb Error?
08-24-2013, 03:52 PM
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2002 C240 Classic
2002 C240 License Plate Bulb Error?
I git a message the other day saying my license plate bulb was out on the left side, as it was when I checked. I bought new bulbs and changed both as a pair, the error still won't go away and both bulbs are working, I don't understand why the code won't go away.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
08-24-2013, 04:31 PM
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2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
Did you get the exact lamps specified in your owners manual? The specification for the lamps differs slightly between Europe and America. Auto parts stores often show a bulb that has the same envelope but the current is different from the European spec. In many applications this would work just fine, but Benz measures the current flowing in the lamp.
If you do have the correct lamps, you could still have a current flow problem caused by corrosion on the lamp socket, or a poor ground connection.
This is easy to check with a volt meter. Open the trunk and connect the black lead of the meter to the ground post in the left side of the trunk near the rear SAM. Remove the license lamp cover. Turn the lamps on and measure both ends of the lamps. One end should be near the battery voltage, about 12.5 volts. The other end should be near zero. 0.050 to 0.100 volt would be normal depending on the meter. If that voltage is higher than that, the ground connection is poor. Either the socket for the lamp, or the brown wire running to the chassis connection.
If you do have the correct lamps, you could still have a current flow problem caused by corrosion on the lamp socket, or a poor ground connection.
This is easy to check with a volt meter. Open the trunk and connect the black lead of the meter to the ground post in the left side of the trunk near the rear SAM. Remove the license lamp cover. Turn the lamps on and measure both ends of the lamps. One end should be near the battery voltage, about 12.5 volts. The other end should be near zero. 0.050 to 0.100 volt would be normal depending on the meter. If that voltage is higher than that, the ground connection is poor. Either the socket for the lamp, or the brown wire running to the chassis connection.
08-24-2013, 07:47 PM
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2002 C240 Classic
My car is from Quebec and the entire manual is in French so I can't read anything in it.
I took out the old bulb, went in to get a new one, found the same length bulb in 12v 5w just like the bulb I removed from the car said on it, changed both bulbs as a pair and it still says the left side bulb is out but both are functioning just fine.
I'm going to try and check the voltage right now to see how that goes and hopefully it's just corrosion, I have had this car for less then 2 weeks and every single day something new has gone wrong.. I'm almost ready to get rid of it
I took out the old bulb, went in to get a new one, found the same length bulb in 12v 5w just like the bulb I removed from the car said on it, changed both bulbs as a pair and it still says the left side bulb is out but both are functioning just fine.
I'm going to try and check the voltage right now to see how that goes and hopefully it's just corrosion, I have had this car for less then 2 weeks and every single day something new has gone wrong.. I'm almost ready to get rid of it
