C Class tail lights can catch fire
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 107
Likes: 3
From: NY
2000 E55
C Class tail lights can catch fire
Just saw this in the news re: 08-09 rear tail lights
http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/fla...icle-1.1398866
http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/fla...icle-1.1398866
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Joined: Apr 2010
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2017 Mini Cooper S Clubman ALL4 - British Racing Green
Old news, both of mine already caught fire and have been replaced (okay, smoldering, no actual visible flame.)
It is the connector for the tail light that is the problem, not the SAM module.
It is the connector for the tail light that is the problem, not the SAM module.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 107
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From: NY
2000 E55
I hope you reported your case! The article says NHTSA opened the investigation on July 11. Hopefully it becomes a recall so 08-09 owners dont have to worry about smoking tail lights lol
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Texas
10 C six trizzle
you've got to be pretty ignorant to let it catch on fire. Typically it will just start to melt the connector at the ground wire since its overloaded, and give you a warning message for taillamp bulb failures. Its not something that just instantly ignites, it would take a long time. plastic and copper dont make good fuel for fire. Im sure the fire cars if there are any, are ones that warned that the lights were burnt out and didnt give a **** about. They drove around for years without taillamps or brake lamps because they dont care about anyone but them selves. Preying to get rearended and a nice lawsuit setttlement bam there car caught fire.
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Joined: Apr 2010
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2017 Mini Cooper S Clubman ALL4 - British Racing Green
I did get the tail light warning, and then I took it to MB. Wierd thing was, before I got the tail light warning, I was getting a front parking light warning, and there was nothing wrong with it. The moment I got the tail light warning I took it in and they gave me a loaner. I did not drive around extensively with a fire hazard tail light as I already knew what the problem was when my passenger side light did the same thing about 2 years ago.
FYI, the warning only pops up once the wires are actually shorting. The fault is actually high resistance in the ground connector, not an overload. The high resistance causes heat which melts the molex connector, once the connector comes into contact with the wires around it, then a short occurs and you get the warning. So unless you look at the connector daily, you would not notice it. You would also not smell it as melting != burning, until the short, then you get that lovely electronics on fire smell.
FYI, the warning only pops up once the wires are actually shorting. The fault is actually high resistance in the ground connector, not an overload. The high resistance causes heat which melts the molex connector, once the connector comes into contact with the wires around it, then a short occurs and you get the warning. So unless you look at the connector daily, you would not notice it. You would also not smell it as melting != burning, until the short, then you get that lovely electronics on fire smell.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 107
Likes: 3
From: NY
2000 E55
I did get the tail light warning, and then I took it to MB. Wierd thing was, before I got the tail light warning, I was getting a front parking light warning, and there was nothing wrong with it. The moment I got the tail light warning I took it in and they gave me a loaner. I did not drive around extensively with a fire hazard tail light as I already knew what the problem was when my passenger side light did the same thing about 2 years ago.
FYI, the warning only pops up once the wires are actually shorting. The fault is actually high resistance in the ground connector, not an overload. The high resistance causes heat which melts the molex connector, once the connector comes into contact with the wires around it, then a short occurs and you get the warning. So unless you look at the connector daily, you would not notice it. You would also not smell it as melting != burning, until the short, then you get that lovely electronics on fire smell.
FYI, the warning only pops up once the wires are actually shorting. The fault is actually high resistance in the ground connector, not an overload. The high resistance causes heat which melts the molex connector, once the connector comes into contact with the wires around it, then a short occurs and you get the warning. So unless you look at the connector daily, you would not notice it. You would also not smell it as melting != burning, until the short, then you get that lovely electronics on fire smell.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
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From: DFW
Tesla 3, E30, CayenneS
Well tonight I got a error on my instrument cluster. It said my right hand blinker was not functioning correctly. I had previously just fixed my car by turning it off then back on and the problem would go away. Tonight that didn't work and since I read about the recall on autoblog I decided to check out my lights. Here is what I found in my trunk...
Well that don't look too good lol.
Well that don't look too good lol.
Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 97
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From: Waterloo, On
09 C63 K2
FYI, the warning only pops up once the wires are actually shorting. The fault is actually high resistance in the ground connector, not an overload. The high resistance causes heat which melts the molex connector, once the connector comes into contact with the wires around it, then a short occurs and you get the warning. So unless you look at the connector daily, you would not notice it. You would also not smell it as melting != burning, until the short, then you get that lovely electronics on fire smell.
I fixed mine by putting a wire parallel to this connector, unloading it. Never had this problem after.
