How to disable trunk light
 

I have a 2011 E350, P2 package and am trying to find out if there is a way to turn off the trunk lights w/o closing the trunk. Could not find anything in the manual or was looking in the wrong place.
I had a 1999 E300 that had the light switch on the lid of the trunk that you simply pulled out to disable the trunk light. It was very handy when one needs to air out the trunk.
Thanks.

after a few min it will turn off on its own after you open your trunk.

just remove the bulb

or remove the fuse.

Still looking for an answer if one exists. My trunk light remains on and doesn't shut off as long as it's open. Also not interested in removing bulbs or fuses. Seems to me there ought to be an easier way to accomplish this.

if it doesn't turn off on it's own after car is off, then it doesn't appear possible without intervening in removing bulbs, fuse or disconnecting battery. Battery should protect itself and turn off light before going dead.

If airing out your trunk is a frequent need (not sure I want to know why), then you could always still a switch jumper inline the the fuse relay. Or maybe even a clapper so it can be done from a distance if you don't want to get too close the the trunk. Ok I made up the last one but figured it would help if it smelled real bad.

If your rear seats can collapse down, you could do that and open your door windows.

Starting to sound like an episode of Fargo going on here. Maybe haul the bodies in something other than the E would be my suggestion.

wonder if there is a black light bulb that would fit; that would be nice for while relaxing with friends

Then you might see things you may not want to see. :eek:

Hah. But you would quickly find the stains contributing to the odor.

Then you just spray it down with Lysol and call it a day.

The first question in my mind is: Why would it be a problem for the trunk lid light to be on when the lid is not closed?


Then, if the light needs to be out with the lid open the car was not designed for that. I'm probably missing the point here...

Just to dispel any rumors about my activities, I am an avid golfer and at times play in the rain. After the round, my golf clubs, umbrella, golf bag, clothing and shoes are very wet. When I return home I take everything out to dry but my trunk remains wet or damp. If I don't air it out, the trunk can get a very "skunky" smell. I typically keep the trunk open overnight to dry it out. If the light remains on overnight, I am afraid of draining the battery.

What I don't understand is why there does not seem to be an easy way to accomplish this when every other car I owned, including a 1999 Mercedes, had a convenient to turn off the light while the trunk remained open.

2011 E550, P2 and all the good stuff.

Park the car, turn off. Open trunk. The two trunk lights, mounted on the back side of the tail lights, come on.

They stay on for about 30 minutes, then turn themselves off. Magic.

I would be stunned to hear that yours does not behave the same. And if it does not, I'd bet the dealer will fix it.

HYPER! Ask that poor girl if that hurts!!

Thanks for explaining that and for being a good sport. I will sleep better tonight.

I've had to dry my trunk on occasion over the years and Mercedes floor carpets pop right out. You could also get a Weathertech liner which would alleviate your issues altogether. But, I'm sure you have thought of that option many times.

Thanks all. Left trunk open and the lights indeed shut off on their own after a little while (30 minutes?). How did you guys know? I must have missed it in the manual.

Still my 2 cents is that there ought to be a quicker way of doing this rather than having to wait for the lights to go off by themselves. Also my cautious half will always worry that it may not turn off automatically so I will keep checking the trunk until the lights are off. Hopefully, they won't turn themselves back on. :-).

It was mystery that my trunk was opened all night last Friday, and the trunk light was on until I close the trunk on Saturday morning.

I use a battery charger immediately, and nothing bad happened.

I guess the system didn't detect a low battery issue. Be glad nothing happened.

Thinking that the car was smarter than me, I ran the HVAC blower for a little while this weekend in accessory mode while inspecting the system and then the car wouldn't start. The other week the car disabled the trunk 12v socket when I was using it with an air compressor. Later the socket was working again. I don't think my car likes me.

I have the same question. My w211 is not my daily driver so i bought a trickle charger to keeo the battery alive during especially the winter. Battery is in the trunk. How do i leave trunk open to run a cord to my charger without those lights? Wish there was a switch. I thought about disconnecting the lights, but i do want them when i do use the car. I'll have to check that 30 minute rule.

This simple method worked on my SL500; maybe it will work for your E350: With the trunk lid open, take a screw driver and push it down into the trunk locking latch. This action will cause the latch to rotate to the lock position which also turns off the trunk light, and be sure to remove the screwdriver. When you're ready to disconnect the battery charger and/or close the trunk lid, just use your remote or the car's trunk release button/lever to unlock the trunk latch, and you can then close and lock your trunk lid normally.

Do you have jump points under the hood up front? I use those to charge rather than connecting directly to the battery.