o2manyfish

Hi Everyone,

The massive rains in Los Angeles left my driver side headlamp all fogged up. Then this afternoon I got a message on the dash to "Check Left Low Beam".

I checked and the headlight was out. I was going to order a set of D1S bulbs.

But then tonight when I got in to drive the car when I started the car I could see the reflection of the front of my car in my other cars rear. The Low Beam and Fog/Driving light (2 bulbs) turn on / off 3 times and then both lights shut off (Driver side). Passenger side both inner and outer headlamps remain on.

At nighttime now I am getting the Check Left Low Beam light and also the Adaptive Headlight Assistance Inoperative on the dashboard.

Now I am wondering is it just a bad bulb? But if so why is the inner headlamp bulb not still on? And is it the Bulb if the bulb comes on with the start of the car and flashes 3x?

Thoughts from all those with more experience than I?

Thanks

Dave

crconsulting

Since there was condensation in the headlight assembly, it’s quite possible the bulb is bad. What usually happens though, is the excess water pools in the control module & connector area.
see thread below:

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...ght-issue.html

Wolfman

Your headlights are LED, not Xenon...
As such, no bulb replacement. If the lamp goes out I believe you have to buy a full headlight assembly but first I would make sure that the electrical connections are solid.

crconsulting

They actually are available. Technically, they’re just not called “bulbs”. The low beams are part number 2319067500 (left)
About $200.00 new or about $50.00 used USED R231 LED module The led module won’t need to be programmed, it will be plug and play.
The high beam LED availability is a problem though, but they typically don’t fail.

The dealer usually likes to replace the whole light assembly. 😀 ($1700-$2000 + labor). That way they don’t have to worry about diagnostics or immediate come backs (at the customers expense). It will also need programming.
Unfortunately there’s no guarantee it won’t leak too.

https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w222/737207-w222-moisture-head-lights.html

I would re-seal the light assy, If it leaked once, it will leak again. (only $32.00) I would also use clear silicone.
headlight seal part #

There has been varying success with using Desiccants or gel packs to dry the headlight and once dry, sometimes they function normally again. It might be worth a try. I would let everything dry THOROUGHLY before any repair attempt. The facelift LED cars have three modules total (including the one above) to check for water intrusion. You can gain access by removing inner fender well like the pre-facelift cars.

https://www.mboemparts.com/v-2019-me...amp-components

In the end the OP will have to make the call whether they feel confident to DIY, have a competent independent shop near them to handle the repair, or simply want to let the dealer handle the repair for a $3k+ bill. After all, time is money….

Good Luck.

Wolfman

That’s why I didn’t see it in my quick search. Called a Control Module…
Good find!

o2manyfish

Well it was pricey.

First was the Headlamp Assy, if it leaked once it will leak again.

Then there were 2 of 3 control modules that tested bad upon the first plug in to the computer. The 3rd module couldn't be tested till the first 2 were replaced and working - And of course it was bad too.....

The only good news is the mechanic I used bought the headlamp assy thru a local MB dealership and got them to guarantee the assy for 3 years.

Dave B

RonNSoCal

Hey Dave, Sorry to hear of your headlight issues. Maybe I should keep my little beastie out of the rain for the next few days and just drive our other car. It is raining pretty hard now and is not expected to let up for a few days. Hope your beautiful car is otherwise fine, it is a such a beauty.

rmorin49

It's downright pathetic if you can't drive your car in the rain no matter how hard it's raining. If the assemblies aren't watertight MB should hang their head in shame. JMHO

rorywquin

Pretty much like the wheel rims that cannot stand up to roads treated with salt . They seem to last for the 3 year warranty and then start corroding and MB is not interested in rectifying it.

ThatsMyDawg

Salt? haha how about the cracks that everyone and their mom got on the 5 star wheels?? I would think the cracks were a bigger more common issue than the salt damage issue. Yes, people drive in salty/snowy areas in the SL, but I would guess that snow regions are not the first, or 2nd choices to buy the SL for the average SL owner. Everyone drives on roads though snow or sunny, so most are more likely to have the crack issue than the salt issue. BOTH issues suck though! I don't get MB sometimes, but if I were another brand owner I am sure I would have gripes related to that brand....

RonNSoCal

BMWs are also known to have issues, like rear subframes on their M Roadsters were prone to crack at the welds. My Corvette was rather poorly constructed, some parts did not fit well, but it was very reliable and even got decent gas mileage on a trip. We have owned several Hondas, and they have been among the best in terms of few issues, reliability and very good fit/finish. Unfortunately, other than the S2000, which I never owned, Hondas lacked excitement. For a fun reliable car, the Miata was a joy to own and drive.

jfrosavage5

Hello everyone I too have a headlight problem. 2017 e300 4 matic. Got the car done at the first repair shop and they didn't fix the headlight in full took it back a week later and now they're waiting on a part called the control module (DRIVERS HEADLAMP CONTROL MODULE 213-900-26-16-80) Can anyone please help me find something for this I want my car for summer.

rmorin49

Pretty disappointing to hear about these headlight issues. MB quality is a major selling point so this is not what I expected. My wife's RX is 14 years old, is parked outside and the headlights are still in perfect condition. Come on Daimler, this is pretty pathetic IMHO.

jfrosavage5

does anyone know of anyone in USA that has this control module part? Or anywhere I can get it? I have a 2017 E300 4 Matic.

deaslership says this is the part. Been on back order for 4-6 weeks now.

vin: WDDZF4KB4HA171138

DRIVER'S HEADLAMP CONTROL MODULE 213-900-26-16-80

--Nick Haupt Aristocrat Motors lmk boys

Wolfman

just check for complete headlights on eBay if you can’t find the part. Should be cheap either way and Eclass headlights should be not common…

Montreal300

Well I've now joined the list of people with R231 headlight issues. The original left headlight turn signals failed so I took it apart and jumpered the bad LED module (out of three) and got them to work again. Then the left main beams went weird. They would turn on for a few second and then turn off. Then the left turn signals died completely. I was getting a "signal not received" for each function and the "inoperable" positioning motor when scanning the headlight.
I bought a used headlight with modules online and plugged it in. Everything worked except the positioning motor started to make some grinding sounds then failed completely. Then it would only light up for a few seconds after "ignition on" then die. Through all of this, the parking lights worked on both left headlights.
So, a new MB headlight, no modules, was ordered and installed with the modules from the original headlight. Everything worked for about 15 seconds then it joined the other two. So i replaced the modules with the ones from the used headlight. Same thing. 15 seconds and then dead.
I'm also reading the same, "signal not received" for all of the new headlight bulbs/LEDs. Parking lights work. Yay.
My front facing camera needs calibration. Could the problem be caused by the camera no working?
Is this behavior of a new headlight mean a trip to the dealer for programming??

Thanks for any and all input.

crconsulting

That sounds like a tough situation….


There are several components that are also part of the headlight aiming system. One in particular to check is the Headlight Range Adjuster Control Module.(see image) It’s located under the steering column. Are you scanning these with XENTRY or “generic” scanner? Any trouble codes?
When swapping used components, it can be difficult to determine if the “new” used part is defective, but the new one should work with no issues. Though I have gotten new defective parts. This would be unlikely…
Also worth checking is the suspension height sensors. There are 2- one front and one rear. Do you have ABC? Also check wiring to them and connectors are clean with no corrosion. Are you (or do you drive) in snow country?


also see attached PDF’s regarding headlights & components.

Montreal300

Thanks CR! I only have problems with the left side. The right side works perfectly. Do your comments apply if only one side is out to lunch?
Scanner is X Tool D8

crconsulting

Just to give you an idea, attached are some XENTRY screen shots of (run in simulation mode) some of the tests and component interactions that can affect the headlight system. You can see many function tests available in XENTRY that can make electrical diagnostics testing a little easier….

Good Luck!

Montreal300

As always, really good information. I think I'll take the car to someone with XEntry. Does the nose have to be put into service position?

Best regards,

crconsulting

height sensor probably not, but if the wiring to them is an issue that could potentially affect one side.
I have to double check the wiring but, the Headlight Range Adjuster Control Module on the other hand could very well affect just one side….

Did you clear all the codes before installing new light? ( there may be codes you can’t see without XENTRY) 😕

Montreal300

Hi CR. Yup cleared the codes and then that's when it worked for 15 seconds then back to square 1. The ABC sensors are all functional and I have no lights or codes. If I take it to a specialist, could he see which modules are defective?

Hey, thanks again. I don't know how we would all do without you!

Regards,

crconsulting

The Headlight Range Adjuster Control Module N71/1 definitely has LIN electrical connections to BOTH headlights.
It’s entirely possible that module can cause a failure to just one side…
You have to either bench test it or test on vehicle with XENTRY.

See Function schematic attached. (You’ll need to increase the size of second page)

crconsulting

As long as they are proficient with XENTRY they should be able to test all the electrical components/functions listed in the screenshot in post #19

​​
I don’t think ABC is an issue here….

Haha we haven’t fixed it yet 😀. But at least you have a little more insight on where to look 👀

let us know what you find when you finally get it resolved….

Good Luck!

Montreal300

Well it turned out to be a fuse not making good contact. Everything works now.