2003 SL55 Xenon - Replaced everything still flickering!
08-23-2019, 02:16 PM
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s55 amg
2003 SL55 Xenon - Replaced everything still flickering!
I have a 2003 SL55 AMG (R230). It only has 35k miles on it and runs great - except...... The Left (Drivers) side headlight doesn’t work. At first it was intermittant - now it is out all together.
I know this isn't the exact correct place for this - but I'm assuming that these headlights are about the same if they have xenons and I thought more people would see this to respond!
Here are the symptoms:
- Sometimes when the car is off the light will come on for a while but with a different color than the right and eventually go off.
- Sometimes when the car is running the light will flicker for a few tries then turn off and not "re-try" unless the car is turned off.
And all the stuff I have replaced:
- Bulb
- Ignitor
- HID control unit
- Switched LH and RH headlight assy - still same issue on LH side (so that tells me it isn't the first three items!)
- RH SAM module - and reset codes as well. I believe this controls the LH light on the Xenon version of the car. (the regular halogen version is controlled by the LH SAM) As mentioned, the original SAM does try to ignite the light and sometimes will even fully light (for 30 seconds in a different color) if the car is off (I'm guessing the lower voltage has something to do with it?). When I determined it needed something other than anything in the headlight - I bought a used SAM. When I put it in the light would not even try to come on at all. I did some research and realized that it had to be programmed for Xenon lights for it to work. I bought a second SAM that came from a car that had xenon lights - this one worked exactly as the original one did by allowing the light to come on when the car was off for a short period of time then doing its normal flickering when the car is running.
New, fully charged batteries and alternator charging well. Even after changing all this stuff the symptoms are exactly the same.
I was trying to avoid the dealer if at all possible due to distance and cost. I was able to borrow a modis(snap on) and read and reset codes on the modules. I reset the codes in the RH sam to no avail. I was hoping on here someone would say "oh yeah thats a common issue on that car - just check -----" I understand it needs a computer hooked to it I was just hoping there was something simple to check first.
I have checked some grounds and some voltages Left to Right on the lights and it all seems the same. I do not have a wiring diagram so that cripples me a little bit.
Please help - I'm usually pretty good at this stuff but this one has me stumped!
Thanks!
I know this isn't the exact correct place for this - but I'm assuming that these headlights are about the same if they have xenons and I thought more people would see this to respond!
Here are the symptoms:
- Sometimes when the car is off the light will come on for a while but with a different color than the right and eventually go off.
- Sometimes when the car is running the light will flicker for a few tries then turn off and not "re-try" unless the car is turned off.
And all the stuff I have replaced:
- Bulb
- Ignitor
- HID control unit
- Switched LH and RH headlight assy - still same issue on LH side (so that tells me it isn't the first three items!)
- RH SAM module - and reset codes as well. I believe this controls the LH light on the Xenon version of the car. (the regular halogen version is controlled by the LH SAM) As mentioned, the original SAM does try to ignite the light and sometimes will even fully light (for 30 seconds in a different color) if the car is off (I'm guessing the lower voltage has something to do with it?). When I determined it needed something other than anything in the headlight - I bought a used SAM. When I put it in the light would not even try to come on at all. I did some research and realized that it had to be programmed for Xenon lights for it to work. I bought a second SAM that came from a car that had xenon lights - this one worked exactly as the original one did by allowing the light to come on when the car was off for a short period of time then doing its normal flickering when the car is running.
New, fully charged batteries and alternator charging well. Even after changing all this stuff the symptoms are exactly the same.
I was trying to avoid the dealer if at all possible due to distance and cost. I was able to borrow a modis(snap on) and read and reset codes on the modules. I reset the codes in the RH sam to no avail. I was hoping on here someone would say "oh yeah thats a common issue on that car - just check -----" I understand it needs a computer hooked to it I was just hoping there was something simple to check first.
I have checked some grounds and some voltages Left to Right on the lights and it all seems the same. I do not have a wiring diagram so that cripples me a little bit.
Please help - I'm usually pretty good at this stuff but this one has me stumped!
Thanks!
