bulb fix for euro impact strips
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Colorado Springs
2000 E55 with some stuff
bulb fix for euro impact strips
OK, so I got bored today and decided to FINALLY do something about the bulb error from having euro impact strips. I would replace bulbs and zip tie the bulb up somewhere, but weather eventually kills that, so out came the DVOM. I cut the bulb holder off and stripped back the wires, and soldered two 330 Ohm 1/2 watt resistors from Radio Shack wired in parallel (p/n 271-1113). I did the left side first, then fired the car up and turned on the lights, and the only error I got was for the right side light being out. Did the same to the right, taped them all up and zip tied out of the way. No more errors on the dash for bulbs, and with the pair of 330 Ohm 1/2 watts in parallel, its ~ 150 Ohms at 1 watt, so no heat issues at all. Now, this was just the side markers on the C32, next up will be getting rid of all the errors from LEDs on the w210 E55.
Moderator Alumni
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,255
Likes: 22
From: Seattle
w203 m112
Nice! This is very helpful and straight forward! I currently have euro impact strips and just left the bulbs in the old side markers UNDER the new euro impact strips. This has kept the bulbs relatively safe from the elements while my side markers were already color matched, thus I didnt have any light leaking out anywhere. I've had euro impact strips for almost 3 years and my lights havent gone out (knock on wood), but when they do, I will definitely be doing this.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 28
Likes: 1
From: Colorado Springs
2000 E55 with some stuff
So far so good too, I drive a lot at night and haven't had a single error get thrown for it. Save for my intermittent brake warning, the FSS has been oddly error free. Im running the same "error free" bulbs in the marker lights ("city lights") in both the E55 and the C32 that have the little resistors built in, but the E55 had one heat up and melt the solder and the little resistor chip literally fell off. The city lights still work, it just now throws an error for it. Im going to keep going through the lighting circuits until I have this all figured out and have a listing of which resistors are needed to supplement an LED, and which are needed to completely replace bulbs like I did for the euro trims. If I get this all figured out, I may start making plug in harnesses and put them up for sale cheap for anyone not wanting to cut and solder on their car. I doubt the market is big, but I know I would have jumped at it if it was offered.
