Intermittent On... Off... LED Reverse Lights. Need Assistance Please
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,261
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From: SoCaL (LA / OC)
E55 AMG (SOLD), EvoSport CLK (SOLD), 2013 GsxR 750 (SOLD)
Intermittent On... Off... LED Reverse Lights. Need Assistance Please
Has anyone come across any issues when trying to install LED's on their reverse lights?
I have the 2008 E63 tail lights. If I'm not mistaken, they're the same ones as the E350's and E550's... right?
I finally decided to swap mine out after wanting a brighter and nicer look when backing up. Probably one of the few mods I've neglected for years.
I purchased and tried 3 different sets of LED's.
- Brand 1... CANBUS LED
- Brand 2... another CANBUS LED
- Brand 4... non-CANBUS LED
After trying out all bulbs on both reverse lights (and pulling out the LED's and flipping polarity), the bulbs seem to go ON for 2 seconds... stay OFF for 3-4 seconds... ON for 2 seconds... and repeat.
I checked with my local automotive lighting store and the reps themselves didn't understand why it did what it did. "It shouldn't be doing that."
Would anyone happen to know why or perhaps have a solution to the intermittent ON and OFF issue that I'm experiencing?
For those of you who are wondering... I was also told... "Resistors aren't needed" for the LED bulbs I tried out.
Anyone using LED reverse bulbs? Size 921.
Also... I really don't know if the electrical units are the same from the AMG's and non-AMG's.
Any help is appreciated it.
I have the 2008 E63 tail lights. If I'm not mistaken, they're the same ones as the E350's and E550's... right?
I finally decided to swap mine out after wanting a brighter and nicer look when backing up. Probably one of the few mods I've neglected for years.
I purchased and tried 3 different sets of LED's.
- Brand 1... CANBUS LED
- Brand 2... another CANBUS LED
- Brand 4... non-CANBUS LED
After trying out all bulbs on both reverse lights (and pulling out the LED's and flipping polarity), the bulbs seem to go ON for 2 seconds... stay OFF for 3-4 seconds... ON for 2 seconds... and repeat.
I checked with my local automotive lighting store and the reps themselves didn't understand why it did what it did. "It shouldn't be doing that."
Would anyone happen to know why or perhaps have a solution to the intermittent ON and OFF issue that I'm experiencing?
For those of you who are wondering... I was also told... "Resistors aren't needed" for the LED bulbs I tried out.
Anyone using LED reverse bulbs? Size 921.
Also... I really don't know if the electrical units are the same from the AMG's and non-AMG's.
Any help is appreciated it.
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 917
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From: NOVA/DC
20' RCF, 18' NX, 09' E350, 07' Solara, 05' STi, 01' Ranger
I thought our bulbs were soldered onto the main board? When looking at mine non of the bulbs are replaceable at all.
Just some food for thought when we had our clk w209 I tried EVERY type of reverse bulb that was LED. I have a thread about it on here somewhere. I could NOT get anything to work without throwing an error and or the bulb flashing on/off. It was quite annoying. I came to the realization that it just wasn't going to happen. I know that's probably not what you want to hear but with MB's they are finicky with some things. I read that some people used X brand of LEDs, so I tried it, nothing, then another person would state this brand Y LED, and I tried it with no luck.
With Canbus leds they mimic that of a normal bulb as far as resistance is concerned hence why no resistors are needed because they are already on the LED board. But again our cars are picky with certain things.
If you find a set that works post up. You are probably much better finding an LED that is of good quality then wiring in some type of resistor in series with it so that the SAM thinks it's the correct bulb. The reason the leds are blinking is because it isn't pulling enough resistance so it thinks the bulb is dead, hence the on/off flashing as it's sending and cutting power to that location.
-Nigel
Just some food for thought when we had our clk w209 I tried EVERY type of reverse bulb that was LED. I have a thread about it on here somewhere. I could NOT get anything to work without throwing an error and or the bulb flashing on/off. It was quite annoying. I came to the realization that it just wasn't going to happen. I know that's probably not what you want to hear but with MB's they are finicky with some things. I read that some people used X brand of LEDs, so I tried it, nothing, then another person would state this brand Y LED, and I tried it with no luck.
With Canbus leds they mimic that of a normal bulb as far as resistance is concerned hence why no resistors are needed because they are already on the LED board. But again our cars are picky with certain things.
If you find a set that works post up. You are probably much better finding an LED that is of good quality then wiring in some type of resistor in series with it so that the SAM thinks it's the correct bulb. The reason the leds are blinking is because it isn't pulling enough resistance so it thinks the bulb is dead, hence the on/off flashing as it's sending and cutting power to that location.
-Nigel
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 371
Likes: 37
w211 03'
Same as NewShocker, our reverse bulbs are in a board soldered all together..
Op, the main difference that I know is if your car came with leds or not, for example avantgarde ones comes with leds as standard, so I can't but the led replicas because the were designed to be fitted on the non-led version (elegance and standard).
Can you please post photos of the bulb in the boar you changed, close ups and how, because to everyone here they're soldered hence not replaceable, you have to change the entire board, it's a circuit that needs the right resistance on every path from start to end.. Also, while 'changing the reverse bulb', you had any error displayed in the tach?
Op, the main difference that I know is if your car came with leds or not, for example avantgarde ones comes with leds as standard, so I can't but the led replicas because the were designed to be fitted on the non-led version (elegance and standard).
Can you please post photos of the bulb in the boar you changed, close ups and how, because to everyone here they're soldered hence not replaceable, you have to change the entire board, it's a circuit that needs the right resistance on every path from start to end.. Also, while 'changing the reverse bulb', you had any error displayed in the tach?
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 21
From: SoCaL (LA / OC)
E55 AMG (SOLD), EvoSport CLK (SOLD), 2013 GsxR 750 (SOLD)
Thanks guys.
I didn't know that your tail lights were soldered in place.
Mine are changeable.
i'll take pics as soon as i get a chance. I purchased a direct "plug and play" resistor set. Everyone says it won't help. but we'll see.
No errors ever showed up on the dash.
I didn't know that your tail lights were soldered in place.
Mine are changeable.
i'll take pics as soon as i get a chance. I purchased a direct "plug and play" resistor set. Everyone says it won't help. but we'll see.
No errors ever showed up on the dash.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 371
Likes: 37
w211 03'
Thanks guys.
I didn't know that your tail lights were soldered in place.
Mine are changeable.
i'll take pics as soon as i get a chance. I purchased a direct "plug and play" resistor set. Everyone says it won't help. but we'll see.
No errors ever showed up on the dash.
I didn't know that your tail lights were soldered in place.
Mine are changeable.
i'll take pics as soon as i get a chance. I purchased a direct "plug and play" resistor set. Everyone says it won't help. but we'll see.
No errors ever showed up on the dash.
