El Cid

Took a trip and at a little over one hour of using the cruise control I slowed down and then pulled lever to resume. Got a message "Cruise Control Inoperative." This happened a year ago also.
Both times, I pulled over, turned off car, waited a minute and restarted and system worked fine since.
Made a stop and pressed button on Smartkey to lock doors. Didn't work. Tried it several times. Used the manual key, went into a store, came out and tried Smartkey to open it. No luck. Drove to next destination and Smartkey working fine and has continued to. Used it several times on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Battery in Smartkey is about 3-4 months old. The Smartkey battery check per manual shows good.
This week-end did a lot of driving with cruise on and set, but disengaging by slowing down and then resuming. No problems.
Today drove over 125 miles with cruise on and no problem even though slowing down and resuming cruise. I did stop once for about 10 minutes after an hour or so.
Parked car in garage about 1:00PM and locked it with Smart Key. Went out through garage several times today and car just sitting there. About 8:30PM, my wife was in garage and noted right rear light and central (total mileage) display in instrument cluster were on. When I went out, rear brake wasn't on, but display was. Got in and started car (with garage door open) and let it run for a few minutes. Right high beam light was blinking off and on. Turned car off and light continued to blink. Started it again and turned headlights on with the switch and turned on high beams. Then turned lights off and they all went off. Turned car off and everything is off as normal.
UPDATE!Checked car at 10:00PM. No lights on, but then central display light came on and I walked to hood and heard a "fan" type noise from under hood. Noise stopped and light went out. Used Smartkey to open and lock car. Everything normal. After a few minutes, fan noise started and ran a couple of minutes and then stopped. Display on while fan on.
High today was 97 when on road and is still 87 in garage per car temp display.
Understand there is an automatic fan of some type? But, I have never heard it before. Maybe just never noticed it.
Probably not related, but guy next door started grilling earlier and really filled air with smoke and odor. Smoke smell still fairly heavy.
Will call MB dealer, but any body got a thought on what is causing these problems????
Car Battery is not 2 years old. 2010 with less than 20,000 miles on it.
Thanks for any advice.

Arrie

Next time it happens take a video of the high beam light blinking as there should be no moment that the high beam blinks on one side only. You will need the video as when you take the car to MB service they need to be able to reproduce the problem before they can do anything. If your car is out of warranty they will be clad to diagnose it for money though.


If one rear light is ON and/or one high beam light in front blinks there definitely is something wrong with the car.

CarolinaBluetec

Have not had any display or light gremlins. Did go out to garage about an hour or so after parking and heard a noise like fan running under the passenger side of hood. Opened driver door and fan noise stopped.

thefisch

These seem like unrelated issues - concerning but unrelated. Agree that you would need video to document the light problems, but if not present all they would do is observe. Dealership could always check to see if any codes were stored.

In the meantime, I would add some holy water to the windshield washer fluid reservoir.

KEY08

The fan noise is the evaporator fan and is normal. It comes on after the car has sat for awhile. Yeah, the other issues need an excorcist.

C230Brit

I've never encountered the headlight blinking, but have experienced the front right headlight 'on' and one rear light - that was when I had my car valet parked at a sox game.

I seem to recall that the light switch position indicator had been moved. I think the valet had either not turned the car ignition all the way off and/or then tried to turn the lights off, but that won't work with the lights on set to 'auto' and the car still turned on (in a dark parking garage).

I agree that I would see about recording the behavior if you can, otherwise, I would suggest try fully turning off the lights by setting the switch to '0' (off) and turning off 'auto' lights in the console....

As KEY08 said, the fan noise is normal.

El Cid

My car has the older switch that has both off and automatic settings. I leave it on "O" for off all the time. If DRL's are enabled, lights automatically come on anyway when it gets dark even if not set on "A."
I assume the central instrument display comes on when the evaporator fan comes on?
Things still running normally now so just observing to see if repeats.
Thanks for your input.

El Cid

Drove car yesterday with no problems. Car has not moved from garage in about 30 hours. Came in through garage and then went back out 30 minutes later. The garage door was closed. Garage door has closed on its on before, but not in a long time. Could be errant signal from anywhere, but wonder if the Homelink in car sent it?
More troubling, head and taillight of car were on again. Narrowed it down and after reading several sections of the Op. Man., concluded they were the right side parking/standing lights. Forgot I had them and the bulbs are in with the high beam lights.
Have never used the parking lights at all, much less the left vs. right.
Still do not know why they should have come on as car was locked. Smartkey was in house about 25 feet from the car.
Will contact dealer, but trying to get as much info. as possible.

KEY08

Well, I think it's time to get the torches and pitchforks out. Why don't you post your home address and I will gather up the troupes and come pay this car a visit. Ha!

El Cid

I have a DVD with car commercials from the 50's and 60's. One of them is for Volkswagon bus and shows the mob with torches and pitchforks approaching the castle. The mad scientist escapes out the back with his "family" in the VW.
DVD also has one on it for early Toyota pick-up which called it the Frankentruck.

KEY08

^ ahahahahaha! Perfect!
I seriously hope you get this one figured out and let us know what the cause or causes are. It's freaking me out.

El Cid

It's cursed! Wife came in from garage last night and said there is sand all over top of your car. Huh?
Went out and checked it, there was a lot of something white between moonroof and windshield. Cleaned it off with no problem, but what was it?
There is a partial loft above parking area and I looked up. There was a dirt dobber nest on one of support posts for the loft. Under it was a white area where one had been. Must have fallen when garage door closed.

thefisch

Actually that might be a blessing. Your problems are over. The demon has taken a new form.