E-Class (W210) 1995-2002: E 200, E 220D, E 240, E 290TD, E 300TD, E 200, E 240, E 280, E 320, E 420, E 430 (Wagon, Touring, 4Matic)

third brake light out....

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Old Mar 29, 2006 | 03:08 PM
  #1  
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
third brake light out....

Hello All,
My 3rd brake light is out OUT.
I've searched thru the threads and there is NOT a single mention of the 3rd brake light replacement....I'm sure they do go out, cos, mine just did.

Has anyone have to replace the 3rd brake light for a '99 - 02 E class.
Does it have bulbs and what type of bulbs do they use???
How dod U replace them??? do I have to remove the whole back seat and the backrest to get to change OR replace the bulb/lights.

cheers!
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Old Mar 29, 2006 | 05:01 PM
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Good luck,on that one,I asked the same question a few months ago,since i wanted to change/upgrade mine to go along with my new LED's,but no one answered...I guess they don't care about me...sniff....sniff...
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Old Mar 29, 2006 | 06:27 PM
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W205 C300
Originally Posted by d2Benz
Hello All,
My 3rd brake light is out OUT.
I've searched thru the threads and there is NOT a single mention of the 3rd brake light replacement....I'm sure they do go out, cos, mine just did.

Has anyone have to replace the 3rd brake light for a '99 - 02 E class.
Does it have bulbs and what type of bulbs do they use???
How dod U replace them??? do I have to remove the whole back seat and the backrest to get to change OR replace the bulb/lights.

cheers!
They are LEDs. Check for a bad connection if all of them are out.
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Old Mar 29, 2006 | 07:56 PM
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
Rob,
what was your question then?
I upgraded mine to the new LED, it was working well until.....

Originally Posted by E-Klasse
They are LEDs. Check for a bad connection if all of them are out.
EKlass, thanks 4 your response....I F'ed up...I did the upgrade to the LED and didn't secure the connection cables...I had a short, both wires ended up together..I got the BAS/ABS warning...well I got that because of the short... It blew the brake light fuse...Fuse is now replaced, brake light & traction is working, ABS warning gone and the cables secured, but NO more 3rd brake light....
Do U think the LEDS are fried from all the wires chilling with each others???
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Old Mar 30, 2006 | 12:02 PM
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D ,what I was saying was that I wanted a newer third brake light to go along
with my newer brake lights,but I never got a response from anyone. I guess a newer than 97 wasn't available at the time. To E-Klasse or anyone else,do you need to change the whole back shelf to change the third brake light? And can you change the light from current to another kind that works,or do you HAVE to use Mercedes?? Thanks to all who reply,I want to upgrade from what I have....Thanks again
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Old Mar 30, 2006 | 12:46 PM
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
Rob,
Yes You can upgrade to the newer LED 3rd brake light...MB started putting 'em in W210 in 1999. You will have to replace the whole back shelf...it's called
"rear package tray"....reason been that its ONE piece...That's what I did.
Mine was working until I had a shot in my brake system, mainly becos I was stupid 4 NOT securing the connection cables....
Yes its do-able, U just have to find the rear package tray....USED will be cheaper....I forgot how much the stealer qoute me be4.
U are so right, it will flow well with your new LED tail light.....there U have it.

cheers,
d2!

Originally Posted by ruffrob
D ,what I was saying was that I wanted a newer third brake light to go along
with my newer brake lights,but I never got a response from anyone. I guess a newer than 97 wasn't available at the time. To E-Klasse or anyone else,do you need to change the whole back shelf to change the third brake light? And can you change the light from current to another kind that works,or do you HAVE to use Mercedes?? Thanks to all who reply,I want to upgrade from what I have....Thanks again
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Old Mar 30, 2006 | 09:24 PM
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You checked to make sure that there is power to the third brake light? Have you tried to swap the wires around and see if they work with the polarity reversed? If it was working before and you reconnected it the exact same way, then you might have fried the resistors that generate the current to light the LEDs. They are part of the brake light itself. You can get just the brake light and remove the shelf and replace it. I think they are $70 from the dealership. The whole shelf is like $350 if I remember. I got mine out of a 2001 that the owner added a rear shade. The shelf with the rear shade is 2 pieces so it has to be replaced to add a shade.
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Old Mar 31, 2006 | 12:42 AM
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
Thanks E.....I'll check this weekend...
I've got some other stuffs that I need to do on the car...like allign my
ZAM2000 Depo modified HID with Lexus Balast....

*Does anyone know the part number for the 3rd brake like assembly for the year 99 - 02 of our car??? please share...thanks!!!
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Old Mar 31, 2006 | 12:59 AM
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from that Russian parts diagram site. what do you think? looks to be at least $100
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Old Apr 1, 2006 | 02:03 AM
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
Raymond, thanks for the link and the part number info...I hadn't read rushian in a long time, it took me a while to digest everything on it....

this seems to be the item..3rd Brake Light .... I asked the seller for the part number, but what was qouted to me was a 9 digit number that started with A.....

Do U think its the same item...no other E class 3rd brake light look like that...

Last edited by d2Benz; Apr 1, 2006 at 09:32 AM.
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Old Apr 2, 2006 | 04:11 AM
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So,D, I guess from the link you posted above,you don't neccesarily have to remove the 'rear package shelf' after all,just find a compatible 3rd BL.
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Old Apr 3, 2006 | 05:20 AM
  #12  
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
Rob,

The link is the right part but wrong color for my car....mine has a TAN casing while the one in the pix is silver...so I'll be visiting the stealer...ooops, that after I've reversed the connections as suggested by EKLASS....didn't get a chance to work on the car this weekend...but will do it today be4 I go to the stealer.
I still have to remove the rear package shelf to switch the brake light...if I did fry the resistor
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Old Apr 3, 2006 | 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by d2Benz
Hello All,
My 3rd brake light is out OUT.
I've searched thru the threads and there is NOT a single mention of the 3rd brake light replacement....I'm sure they do go out, cos, mine just did.
Oh, replacing the 3rd bulb is easy. You don't have to take out anything. If you look on the cover of the light, there are two little tabs to each side. Just squeze them and pull out the cover. Just be gentle, since the cover is very fragile (under the sun a lot).
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Old Apr 3, 2006 | 01:30 PM
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From: Bowie MD
2017 GLE350 4MATIC, 2009 ML350 4matic, 2005 4maticWAGON (sold), A Pre-facelift W210(sold)
I got my 3rd brake light working again.... I re-traced the wiring and found a brake in connection...Now all the wiring are intack for good..I believe that the fuse did what it was designed to do....I blew the fuse thereby protecting the resistors inside the LED...

Huy, thanks, I've upgraded mine from the square ones to the long LED version found in '99 thru '02 W210s......
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Old Apr 3, 2006 | 01:38 PM
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Good job. I know that I am glad I found the parts to do mine.
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