Interior Lights
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: High Point, NC
'86-300E, '62 Porsche 356
Interior Lights
I just bought an 86 300E not 3 days ago and the Dashboard lights and the console lights dont light up. My first thought was that it could be a bad fuse, so i replaced #3 and the lights still dont work.. I also saw that #3 controls the back headrests, and those work.. so what would you guys reccomend? could the fact that the lights were just 17 years old and need to be replaced anyways or does the dimmer switch conrol all of the lights and maybe that broke???
Thanks,
James
Thanks,
James
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: High Point, NC
'86-300E, '62 Porsche 356
thanks man ive been doing research on here before i bought the car and you guys seem really knowledgable... now on to the problem..
Yeah i have tried that knob (rehostat..sp?).. thats what i was referring to when i talked about the dimmer switch.. but is it normal for neither the dash nor the console lights to not work together? are they all connected?
Thanks,
James
Yeah i have tried that knob (rehostat..sp?).. thats what i was referring to when i talked about the dimmer switch.. but is it normal for neither the dash nor the console lights to not work together? are they all connected?
Thanks,
James
Almost a Member!
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: san francisco bay area
300e
try this for your light problem
to check the dashbord lights, pull the headlight switch and find the wire that sends juice to the dashlight array. If you have a repair manual they will contain wiring diagramsand tell you what color wire that is. Or you can screw around with the volt meter.
The console lights are powered by a grey wire with a blue stripe. They all meet at a junction box behind the ashtray. There are about six of these grey/blue wires. There will be one that brings the juice into that junction box. Check for a short there.
I had these problems on my 88 300E, I hope this helps you.
the shemdogg
The console lights are powered by a grey wire with a blue stripe. They all meet at a junction box behind the ashtray. There are about six of these grey/blue wires. There will be one that brings the juice into that junction box. Check for a short there.
I had these problems on my 88 300E, I hope this helps you.
the shemdogg
Almost a Member!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 47
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From: FL
86 300e
Work your rheostat back and forth a few times
if that does not work...you may need a new one. Yes, it does control all those lights.
Another possibility could be that you have a short. Unfortunately, depending when your car was built in '86, you may or may not, have a red fuse (looks like a lught bulb but, it is red) behind the instrument cluster. I think, MB started to install these fuses in early '87. Yes, the instrument cluster has to come out for this one.
Good luck!
Another possibility could be that you have a short. Unfortunately, depending when your car was built in '86, you may or may not, have a red fuse (looks like a lught bulb but, it is red) behind the instrument cluster. I think, MB started to install these fuses in early '87. Yes, the instrument cluster has to come out for this one.
Good luck!
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Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 9
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From: High Point, NC
'86-300E, '62 Porsche 356
ok guys.. now this is weird.. i went out to dinner with all my friends.. and the dashlights come on when the rear passengers door is open... whats up with that?
Thanks,
James
Thanks,
James
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Super Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 629
Likes: 2
From: West Chester, PA
All of the above
Hi 86 124
My dash and console lights went out recently on my 91 300CE.
It was the "Instrument cluster illumination control switch"
Part # 000-542-38-25 Should be about $35-40 for the part and about 1 to 1.5 hours for labor.
It was the "Instrument cluster illumination control switch"
Part # 000-542-38-25 Should be about $35-40 for the part and about 1 to 1.5 hours for labor.
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
1986 300e
Lights
Simple problem. As time passes the wires that power the rear window motor and actuating switch chaff (especially on the early cars) inside their protective sheath (in the door-jam). More than likely this is causing the intermittent failure, when you open the door the wires move and shorting stops. The illumination for the rear switch is tied to the rest of the cars lighting system. I had some serious wiring issues with my lights,and ended up rewiring much of the system with the correctly coded wiring and adding a few more grounds while I was at it.
Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 232
Likes: 3
From: Seattle
2005 E320 CDI
I had no dash lights about a year ago. Try this....
1. Check your rheostat (replace or repair if necessary. Repair is easy, just jump the connectors....did this on my mom's car, now her dash is super bright)
2. Check your fuses...both under the hood and behind the dash. (Best to just invest 10 cents and just replace them with new ones)
3. Attach a ground wire to the back of the dash (this solved my problem)
1. Check your rheostat (replace or repair if necessary. Repair is easy, just jump the connectors....did this on my mom's car, now her dash is super bright)
2. Check your fuses...both under the hood and behind the dash. (Best to just invest 10 cents and just replace them with new ones)
3. Attach a ground wire to the back of the dash (this solved my problem)
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 302
Likes: 1
From: Salem, OR
08 Lexus GS350 AWD. 08 Lexus RX350 AWD - wife's. 94 MBZ E320 - still have it.
Don't buy a new one. Usually you can fix the old one by re-soldering it. Pull instrument cluster out and take a look at it.You'll have to pull it out to replae the rheostat anyways.
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Well, I have replaced the rheostat for my 300e, but it's still didn't work. Is there a fuse some where behind the cluster? I have a 1991 300e. What else could happened? My next steps is to change the headlight switch even thought I don't that's the common problem. Please let me know what should I do to diagnostic my car. Is there a ground wire for the climate panel, radio, and window console? Maybe the ground wire came lose some where. Please advise me what to do next. Thank you
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 0
Mercedes-Benz w124
try what i did. all that jerry did was disconnect the cruise control. it is just two wires held together by their own force somewhere in the engine bay. i don't know what or where but the lights came back on just fine.. but of course no cruise control. if it doesn't work, you can just connect them back... i think.
