kss86

Hello,

Sometime on my E550 I'll get a notification on the center screen that "The front right side marker lamp is malfunctioning", or that "The front left side marker lamp is malfunctioning". This only happens sometime, not all the times and only recently started happening. When I look at the marker lamps, the right one does appear to be out, but the left one is on. The error messages come and go but the left is always on (even if it says it is the one malfunctioning) and the right one is always off (weather it says it is malfunctioning or not). Is there some central place that these both wire into that could be causing these to errors to popup every once in a while? I was planning on changing the bulbs just incase, but I fear the problem is elsewhere, plus the manual says this BS:

"Since replacing the side marker lamp bulbs is a technically highly demanding process, we recommend you have the side marker lamp bulbs replaced by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. "

Since when was changing some bulbs highly demanding lol

Any help will be appreciated

Thanks!

cetialpha5

It's a well known problem. The socket rusts out. You can just buy a new socket around $10 or so and just replace it. Or you could try cleaning it, but it'd be a short term fix. I did that and after about a year the same thing happened with the new bulb. I guess the cover isn't a good enough seal and either water gets in or the socket just tends to rust out easily.

kss86

Ah, ok good to hear. I have new bulbs and was going to replace them this weekend while doing an oil change. If the sockets are only $10 I might as well see if I can replace them at the same time. Thanks for the advice.

Edwin 550

I am sure it’s a design fault. Leaking water and high temperature halogen bulb destroys socket fast.
and, there’s no way to use LED due to flickering.
i swapped a pair of 100ohm 10W cement resistors and solved the problem permanently.