3rd brake lamp: was yours dead or intermittent?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 5
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CLK 550
3rd brake lamp: was yours dead or intermittent?
I get the message every now and then. I have stood at the back of the car while a helper mashes the brake pedal and sometimes it lights while other times it doesn't. Mine is not cracked. I don't know the history of trunk slams by POs. My situation seems like a bad connection. Do connections go bad in the assembly or the wiring leading up to it? What were your symptoms?
MBworld Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,782
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NO LONGER ACTIVE
Mine did this and so I removed it and separated the lens,expecting to find some broken wiring or bad solders. I found nothing. I thoroughly tested each LED and all wiring, put it back together (using silicone sealant to reattach the lens) and all was well. Note that the bracket should not be over-tightened. It just needs to be torqued enough to hold the light in place. Otherwise, it can put stress on the assembly and cause failures.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2008
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Supercharged CLK500,ML500,S580
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 434
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From: Midlands, UK
CLK W209
Both my CLKs have been fine with the 3rd brake light. Don’t wish to jinx myself however.. it would drive me mad, knowing it looked crap. I do see a few Benzes on the road with failing clusters though.
