E-Class (W124) 1984-1995: E 260, E 300, E 320, E 420, E 500 (Includes CE, T, TD models)

Electrical demons

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Old 01-23-2009, 08:18 PM
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Electrical demons

Ok simple when i step on the brakes there are no Brake lights with the ignitons off. But when I turn the key or start the car and step on the brakes, the brake lights work.However At the same time the front parking lights come on with the brake lights. At the same time the blown bulb indicator comes on on the dash,but all bulbs are fine. But if I turn on the l head lights when i step on the brakes the blown bulb light does not come on. So i check the fuse box. The fog light fuse is melted,so I take it out clean,up the mess ( i dont use the fog lights so I left it out). There is no damage to the fuse box.So I take the screws out and check the wires inside the box for burning and make sure they are tight. All checks out well,however now my radio doesnt work . So tomorrow i will take the radio out of the dash and see if there are burnt wires. The shorts come and go and have been with the car sence i bought it. The car runs good now I fixed all the vac lines and cleaned the rotor and adjusted the fuel/air mix. As for the radio every since i bought the car,random speaker would go off and on from time to time. At first when you would turn the radio over 25 it would cut out. However today I turned it up to 40 with no problems before it went out after the fuse box. The car had had the light problems for a while before the radio prob.

Last edited by White300sport; 01-24-2009 at 01:22 AM.
Old 01-23-2009, 11:38 PM
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92 500e, 95 E34 525I Touring
Hey I would like to help, but its difficult to really understand what youre saying here.

Try to reword the symptoms into different situations, and be more specific when you use the word light. It gets confusing when youre talking about brake lights, head lights, bulb-out light etc.

Example:
-When I press the brakes with the headlights off, the bulb-out light comes on.
-When I press the brakes with the headlights on, "----".
Old 01-24-2009, 01:39 AM
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92 500e, 95 E34 525I Touring
A lot of the fuses in our cars have more than one purpose. Theres a chance the one you took out may also effect the radio in some way.

If you still have the old exposed-metal fuses, they should be updated as soon as you have the opportunity. When they blow, they dont always look blown. That can also explain your intermittent issues. You need to remove every fuse 1 by 1 and check the metal on those fuses to make sure it is entirely intact.
Old 01-24-2009, 01:50 AM
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I checked all the fuses and cleaned them, I didnt know there where any other fuse options besides the old german type.Still didnt fix the isues,but have not replaced missing fuse. I have to go to the part store tomorrow. Hopefully that will fix it but if not what else could it be,and what would melt the fog light fuse.I mean to whole fuse was melted to a puddle in the box. And i never use to fog light,the only reason i checked the fuse box was the brake light isues. I will rewire the whole stereo system from the battery i guess if this doesnt fix it. Really dont want to do that,its a pain in the ***.
Old 01-24-2009, 01:55 AM
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92 500e, 95 E34 525I Touring
Originally Posted by White300sport
...what would melt the fog light fuse.
My only guess would be fire.
Old 01-24-2009, 01:57 AM
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That doesnt sound good that means its somewhere in the car i cant see. More fuN LOL. Im going to fix this tomorrow if i have to take the whole car apart and rewire it by hand LOL.
Old 01-24-2009, 02:17 AM
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1992 300e 2.6
I had a 89 W124 and there was a fire in the dash. turned out the fuse blew but the metal somehow stayed connected. Whoever owned the car before me decided to stick a more powerful fuse in the car. the fuse that had blown melted to the upper and lower connectors and the car burned to a crisp on the side of the freeway.. I was soooooooooo SAD! make sure the fuse is the right size.

take out the carpet under the driver side and look around at the wire harness there was a recall back in the day from wires that would rub agents the metal and wear through. the dealers fix was only to wrap them in electrical tape.

I myself in my current car still have a short somewhere. I have never found it. made all my interior lights Including Dash not work. so I just stuck some lights in the dash and wired it to the sig lighter LOL
Old 01-24-2009, 04:06 AM
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'16 E350 ‘07 S550 ‘21 GLE580
Exclamation

The brake lights don't work with the key off, the horn doesn't either. They were designed that way.

Originally Posted by Cinnyman
take out the carpet under the driver side and look around at the wire harness there was a recall back in the day from wires that would rub agents the metal and wear through. the dealers fix was only to wrap them in electrical tape.
The recall was for the wiring harnesses under the passenger side metal footrest. The legs of the footrest could rub through the insulation on the wires and cause the engine to stall or the airbags to deploy. The fix was the reroute the wires and to wrap the feet of the metal footrest with felt tape. If any of the wires had damage the dealers replaced the whole affected wiring harness, they didn't just wrap tape around them.
Old 01-24-2009, 03:48 PM
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I will check this today and see i hope this in not it but if so I will get some spray tape and fix it.

Thanks
Old 01-24-2009, 11:07 PM
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Found out what it was,some Einstein wired the radio to the cigarette lighter. And Grounded it to the SRS box below the radio. I dont know how the air bags didnt go off in my face, I am going to call the dealer i got this from and tell them. I had to run new ground lead from the batt. And Connected the radio right with a wire harness for the w124. Not only did this fix many of the shorts but it mad the car run so much better. I use to have cold start problems they are now gone. It still has a short somewhere I will have to find another day. I turned a corner and the bulb out light came on again,stopped at home checked lights,none out. Turned off car restarted and bulb out light didnt come back on and all lights worked. When i get time and money Im am going to rewire the hold radio system. New monster speaker wire,leads and grounds,I am about 100% sure the jackass that wired this system burnt something. Oh there is better news in the trunk,under the deck there are wires tired together with plastic nuts. Looks like I am going to have to go threw most of the car. Does anyone know where i can find a wiring diagram.

Last edited by White300sport; 01-24-2009 at 11:10 PM.
Old 12-08-2020, 01:08 AM
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ML320
Wheel speed sensor

Hi Khomer2
please see attached the tech reason for requiring new wheel bearing !! ( attached)



Last edited by Newjerseyfrank; 12-08-2020 at 01:09 AM. Reason: Wheel speed sensor
Old 04-07-2023, 10:50 AM
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2002 clk430/2001 e320 both silver
Originally Posted by rivcal4life
My only guess would be fire.
So the only thing that will "melt" a fuse is poor contact on blades. While trying to get good contact there is a small spark and after time it melts

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