HELP! Battery and Xenon light problems
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 410
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From: MD
E500
HELP! Battery and Xenon light problems
My 99 w210 had not been driven for about 6 weeks. Car wouldn't start so I charged the battery. Still wouldn't start
I tried to jump it with another car-unsuccessful
It's strange - still had interior lights and headlights (i think)working, just the car wouldn't start
Finally after 40 minutes hooked up to another running car, i was able to start it
Problem is now the xenon headlights don't turn on (both of them)
I drove the car around for 30 minutes or so then parked it, turned it off. Tried to turn it back on-battery dead
So far the battery has been replaced and it runs fine
Xenons still don't work. I thought it was a fuse or the bulbs but that is not the problem.
Is it possible I damaged the xenons by trying to jump it so many times? The ballasts? transformer? i have no idea
Someone please advise as I have a pending buyer for the car-wants the car real bad just concerned about this. Thanks in advance
I tried to jump it with another car-unsuccessful
It's strange - still had interior lights and headlights (i think)working, just the car wouldn't start
Finally after 40 minutes hooked up to another running car, i was able to start it
Problem is now the xenon headlights don't turn on (both of them)
I drove the car around for 30 minutes or so then parked it, turned it off. Tried to turn it back on-battery dead
So far the battery has been replaced and it runs fine
Xenons still don't work. I thought it was a fuse or the bulbs but that is not the problem.
Is it possible I damaged the xenons by trying to jump it so many times? The ballasts? transformer? i have no idea
Someone please advise as I have a pending buyer for the car-wants the car real bad just concerned about this. Thanks in advance
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 178
From: Seattle WA
99 E320
if you lost power for that length of time....and there wasn't sufficient residual
to support the devices during hibernation, you may need to have a number of
the memory settings reset. it's possible.....that the HID setting needs to be
reactivated ?¿ with MB electronics, it addes another layer of complexity which
can be a bit of a headscratcher.
i've read on the various forums and boards where ESP, BAS etc warnings would
not extinguish after power interruption.
- how did you 'charge the battery, ie using what method?
- jump starting after 40 mins, then driving for 30 mins.....does squat to a
depleted battery other than giving it a surface charge
- via what method did you confirm and verify that bulbs or fuses are intact?
to support the devices during hibernation, you may need to have a number of
the memory settings reset. it's possible.....that the HID setting needs to be
reactivated ?¿ with MB electronics, it addes another layer of complexity which
can be a bit of a headscratcher.
i've read on the various forums and boards where ESP, BAS etc warnings would
not extinguish after power interruption.
- how did you 'charge the battery, ie using what method?
- jump starting after 40 mins, then driving for 30 mins.....does squat to a
depleted battery other than giving it a surface charge
- via what method did you confirm and verify that bulbs or fuses are intact?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
From: MD
E500
thanks for your reply
a)i used a home battery charger for a few hours
b)mechanic verified that the fuse was fine. he also ordered new bulbs and put them in-no results
he said it may be the ballasts but i think he's stumped
a)i used a home battery charger for a few hours
b)mechanic verified that the fuse was fine. he also ordered new bulbs and put them in-no results
he said it may be the ballasts but i think he's stumped
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 178
From: Seattle WA
99 E320
nothing strange about headlights/courtesy working, but car not working.
whereas the former uses dbl digit amps collectively, the cranking requirements
of starting a car is in the hundreds. you take your flashlight batteries out
because of dimming bulb, but you can still use them in your LED flashlight for
quite a bit longer.
the only thing I can suggest at this point is to hotwire the input lead to the
ballast....direct to battery power of 12vdc. this will serve to bypass any
headlight switch, fusing, electronic control modules etc....just pure 12vdc.
if it still doesn't light, then it'll point to ballast/ignitor....since the bulbs are
new and presumed functional.
whereas the former uses dbl digit amps collectively, the cranking requirements
of starting a car is in the hundreds. you take your flashlight batteries out
because of dimming bulb, but you can still use them in your LED flashlight for
quite a bit longer.
the only thing I can suggest at this point is to hotwire the input lead to the
ballast....direct to battery power of 12vdc. this will serve to bypass any
headlight switch, fusing, electronic control modules etc....just pure 12vdc.
if it still doesn't light, then it'll point to ballast/ignitor....since the bulbs are
new and presumed functional.
Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Riverside, CA
98 E320
What about the city and turn signals? They working? Both ballasts gone at the same time? How they wired?
I've learned to fear disconnecting the battery. Opens up another can of worms every time it happens!!!!
---------------
Today one of my Xenon retrofits wouldn't light. After getting the car home I again turned them on/off and they both lit fine. I did a quick sequence of on/off's and then saw the same Xenon bulb flickering ( I think I triggered a safety relay, I know powercompact and even metal halide ballasts do this). I let everything cool down and since then the bulb has lit fine (although something tells me I still have a ballast problem). During the time my Xenon bulb was not lit, the city and turn signal worked fine.
Then I go to troubleshoot my problem and it seems www.hidplanet has disappeared
I've learned to fear disconnecting the battery. Opens up another can of worms every time it happens!!!!
---------------
Today one of my Xenon retrofits wouldn't light. After getting the car home I again turned them on/off and they both lit fine. I did a quick sequence of on/off's and then saw the same Xenon bulb flickering ( I think I triggered a safety relay, I know powercompact and even metal halide ballasts do this). I let everything cool down and since then the bulb has lit fine (although something tells me I still have a ballast problem). During the time my Xenon bulb was not lit, the city and turn signal worked fine.
Then I go to troubleshoot my problem and it seems www.hidplanet has disappeared
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 178
From: Seattle WA
99 E320
ack....sorry to hear of your lighting problem. you were running Densos, right?
yeah, i noticed the HIDPLANET thang, too. bummer.....i like to hang out there
and pick up tips. sometimes they run over quota towards the end of the month
but seeing this is only the 4th of the month, it's something else...hmm
yeah, i noticed the HIDPLANET thang, too. bummer.....i like to hang out there
and pick up tips. sometimes they run over quota towards the end of the month
but seeing this is only the 4th of the month, it's something else...hmm
