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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / January 2006

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92 300E Replacing Main Light Switch

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raitster@gmail.com - 20 Jan 2006 02:48 GMT
I have a 92 300E with 160K on the clock and the main light switch (left
hand side of steering wheel on the dash) is bad ... at least, I think
so.  I need to replace it and have ordered and received a replacement.
Any advice?  Step-by-step procedures would be great ... as right now I
only know enough to disconnect the battery before I start.  Any help =
much appreciated.
Karl - 20 Jan 2006 04:46 GMT
Why do you think it is bad?
I have been at the same MB dealership just over 27 years now and I have NEVER seen one go bad!!!

The combo switch [turn signals/wipers/lowbeam-highbeam] goes bad but never the headlight switch
[that I have seen]

> I have a 92 300E with 160K on the clock and the main light switch (left
> hand side of steering wheel on the dash) is bad ... at least, I think
> so.  I need to replace it and have ordered and received a replacement.
> Any advice?  Step-by-step procedures would be great ... as right now I
> only know enough to disconnect the battery before I start.  Any help =
> much appreciated.
raitster@gmail.com - 20 Jan 2006 09:59 GMT
Karl, thanks for the prompt response.  Here's what leads me to believe
the switch is faulty.  First, only one of the fog lights now works.
I've traced it to a blown fuse, but when I replace the fuse, it blows
again immediately.  Second, the driver's side headlight wiper no longer
parks ... it is stuck in a vertical position.  Third, I recently had
trouble turning the headlights on when returning from work late one
night.  Had to hold the switch in just the right position to get them
to work.

Would appreciate any insight into removing the old one and installing
the new one.
Karl - 20 Jan 2006 11:16 GMT
The fog light fuse is AFTER the switch. ANYTHING before the fuse CANNOT blow it. Power flows back to
the battery, not away from it.

The headlight wipers are AFTER the switch. The park circuit is built into the wiper motor. If one
parks but the other doesn't, you have a BAD wiper motor.

#3 does not sound right at all. It only happened once?

> Karl, thanks for the prompt response.  Here's what leads me to believe
> the switch is faulty.  First, only one of the fog lights now works.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Would appreciate any insight into removing the old one and installing
> the new one.
raitster - 21 Jan 2006 07:13 GMT
Karl, you obviously know your stuff.  Thanks for the info.

As it turns out, yes, #3 happened only once.  Actually, the time it
happened I had to drive home with the combo switch pulled toward me ...
only way I could get headlights.

I guess I just find it strange that the three things (all related in my
mind to the main light switch) happened at the same time.

Am going to replace the switch today ... already purchased it ... so
we'll see what happens.  Likely nothing will based on the information
you provided, but I'll feel more comfortable with the new switch as
this Benz is my wife's daily driver.
Karl - 21 Jan 2006 15:43 GMT
> As it turns out, yes, #3 happened only once.  Actually, the time it
> happened I had to drive home with the combo switch pulled toward me ... only way I could get
headlights.

Aha!!!  The combo switch is AFTER the headlight switch. Originally, you made it sound as though you
had to hold the headlight switch to get the lights to stay on. You did not say it was the combo
switch.

Too bad you already bought the headlight switch, you wasted your money.
raitster - 25 Jan 2006 05:24 GMT
So, Karl ... I assume you're saying that the combo switch, the fog
light wiring, and the wiper motor went bad ... almost simultaneously?
I understand what you have said about all of these being in line after
the headlight switch, but there are 14 or so wires that plug into the
back of the headlight switch.  Couldn't a short inside the switch have
caused these problems?

Obviously, I haven't installed the switch yet, and I have all the
original packing material ... so I can likely get my money back.  What
do you recommend and how would I go about replacing the switch if I
chose to?  It's not obvious from looking at the underside of the
left-hand side of the dash.

Rgs, Steve
 
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