Kgillkehoe

Just picked up an 03 w210 E320 wagon with only 43,000 miles. Black on black. Car is super clean. It has the rain sensing wipers. For some reason they are not working. The two faster modes work. Anyone know a common reason why? Everything else in the car works I'm wondering if it could be a fuse?

RichardM98

A bad fuse would affect all speeds. Possibly the sensor needs replacing. Also, the combination switch on the steering column could be defective.

FYI - When turning the wiper to position 1, the blade will make one pass then stop. It must be raining for the wiper to continue.

desired_speeds

is the windshield aftermarket?

Kgillkehoe

Yeah, we were driving in rain last weekend and when turned to position 1 it would make the one pass then that's it. Plenty of rain hitting the windshield but no wiping. Not sure if windshield has been replaced or not

Musikmann

These things have issues and mine has never worked to my satisfaction. As mentioned it's most likely your sensor or if the windshield has been replaced, it was the wrong one. There needs to be an area where the sensor mounts that enables the sensor to "see" the rain.

mwakabaga

E200,2000 since I changed wiper now once turn possition 1 ,the waiper wipe 4 to six times then it stops anyway eg middle,and then I switch off and on again,then it starts again then stop it self,but if I switch to possition 2 it doesn't get stop even if I switch off it keeps going till I switch off the car,can somebody please assist me ! Thx

cbpeck

Does your car have a rain sensor? If so, pos. 1 is the sensor. When you turn it on it will always wipe once, then it is supposed to wipe when it deems necessary. Pos. 2 is constant on, so it will keep running until you turn it off or stop the car. Pos. 3 works just like pos. 2, but is a fast constant setting.

I hope it helps.

mwakabaga

Yes it has rain sensor,Pos 1 can wipe four to six times then stops it self,Pos. 2 is constant on,Pos. 3 works just like pos. 2, but is a fast constant setting .Last ,wiper fuse sometimes cut off, so I have been changing the the fuse most of the time. So sensor might be the reason?? Thanks

mwakabaga

strange ,now the wiper works fine with the sensor but only if the engine its off[Not in silence]
But once I turn the engine on I.e stays on silence the wiper dosn't work proper
Misbehaving ,any suggestions will be preciated,thx

RichardM98

It's a long shot but try 'resetting' the CAN bus by disconnecting the battery for at least 15 mins. (maybe 30 mins to be safe). Be sure you have the the radio security code and procedure for resetting the windows express feature and sunroof.

cbpeck

I can't confidently tell you what the problem is, but it sounds like your rain sensor. A new one is about $125 from M-B in Annapolis, MD (one of the cheapest dealerships in US), so they're kinda pricey, but my understanding is that they are very simple to swap out.

mwakabaga

Rich ,and what about the fuse ,bcoz I found 2 fuses with deferent curent Amps ,might also be the reason?

Lancelot

I was under the impression it's generally a bad idea to disconnect the battery just like that on a W210, since it's often causing electronic gremlins?!

mwakabaga

Ohh yah,but am bit worry concern changing of the sensor due to the nature of problem I rmb happend when we changed wiper blade and radio system,I can ask again Bad fuses can be the reasons as well?

RichardM98

If you need a fuse chart let us know and I'll post copies or just search for fuse charts in this forum.

Many electrical consumers in the W210 have more than one fuse. Assuming you have tested the fuses and not 'eye-balled' them, they will not be affected by disconnecting the battery.

RichardM98

Not really, the mechanics at the dealership disconnect the battery any time when working with or near electrical circuits.

Of course, as I mentioned, disconnecting the battery will cause you to have to resync the express window feature and the sunroof. And maybe turn the steering wheel lock-to-lock if you get a brake warning on the cluster. Takes about 30 secs.

Generally, what I refer to as 'electrical gremlins' are the spurious error messages and loss of 'sync' caused by LOW battery voltage which is often an indication that the battery needs replacement.

Think of disconnecting the battery on a CAN bus car as 'rebooting' a PC because that's exactly what you are doing.

ejsheltra

Main issue is not disconnecting the battery before replacing the shifter assembly. If you don't it will fry the circuits rendering your new shifter useless. ALWAYS disconnect the battery before working on any electrical component of the W210.

mwakabaga

i manage to replace the Sensor but still the same problem,but again same time i can see ABS,BAS,ESP starts to light on now,but if i drive for a short distance then it switched off it self.Any idea ?Does this relate to each other? Thanks.

RichardM98

If you are driving on a smooth straight road and the tires are the same size and same pressure, then maybe your battery is on it's way out.

mwakabaga

Hello,Still i have problems with my wiper,if i switch On either pos 1,2 or 3 ,the wiper doesn"t go Off if i switch to pos 0, Any idea i will appreciated.thx

RichardM98

Well, as I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, the most likely culprit is the combination switch. They do go bad. Replacing it yourself is not too hard. Let us know if you want detailed instructions and what tools are necessary.

mwakabaga

Please assist me with instructions....

RichardM98

Begin by reviewing the procedure in the W210 section of benzworld

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...ignal-fix.html

Before starting bear in mind that the air bag is an EXPLOSIVE device.

First, if you have an electrically adjusted steering wheel move it to a position which allows enough room to loosen the torx screws from the back. Once that is done disconnect the battery ground either thru the access panel just below the right rear seat cushion or at the battery itself.

The screws holding the air bag on are T30 in early models and T27 later. Not sure when the change-over occurred. The bit needs to be about 2 1/2" long since the screws are recessed. The screws don't actually come all the way out but just release the air bag.

Remove the wire connector from the air bag and set the air bag in a safe location. Under no circumstances insert the key in the ignition with the air bag detached or you'll be making a trip to the dealer.

The steering wheel mounting bolt requires a 10mm hex bit and a breaker bar. You may also need a piece of pipe to put on the breaker bar and even a butane torch to heat the bolt in extreme cases. Before removing the steering wheel scribe a mark on the splines so that it can be put back in exactly the same position. Being off by one spline will result in the steering wheel obstructing the instrument cluster. Also, support the steering wheel with something to take the load off of the column lock when attempting to loosen the mounting bolt. You can cut a piece of wood (2x4) to length from floor to bottom of left spoke.

Remove the additional components until you get to the combination switch. Don't worry to much about electrical connectors as each one has a different shaped fitting.

Remove the combination switch and replace with the new one.

Tip - The bracket which holds the combination switch is held in place with a pinch screw (phillips). It's common for that screw to become loose and cause the turn signal lever to rotate. Since you have it apart it's a good idea to put a little thread locker on that screw. Be careful not to disturb the position of the bracket on the steering column or you may hear a squeaking sound when turning the wheel.

Reverse the steps to reinstall everything.

The torque for the steering wheel mounting bolt is 80Nm and the torx screws for the air bag are 8Nm.

mwakabaga

Quick question,i went through your picture but i cant seem to know/location where COMBINATION SWITCH are? or on the last picture is combination switch?

RichardM98

They are not my pictures but the next to last one shows 3 phillips screws about 120 degrees apart. They hold the combination switch in place.

If you have the new combination switch prior to starting, you will have no problem identifying the old one.