Xenon lights

[CLK500K]

The xenon lights on my 2004 CLK500 keep flicking on and off, sometimes they both go out together and I daren't drive at night now, I have changed both bulbs and the ballast on one side but they still falter, I have seen a repair kit on eBay and I wonder if anyone on here has fitted one of these and was is successful?

 

[Craiglxviii]

The best thing to do is to take the car to an MB Indy and have fault finding done...

 

[A.J.]

Hi CLK500K, welcome to the forum. I too would be making my way to an MB Indy as I am not at all techie.

 

[CLK500K]

Will the fault show up on star?

 

[Naraic]

Most likely a poor earth.

 

[EmilysDad]

The best thing to do is to take the car to an MB Indy and have fault finding done...

Hardly worth the effort of a forum if the answer is always ..... take it to an Indie & plug the car into Star

 

[EmilysDad]

The xenon lights on my 2004 CLK500 keep flicking on and off, sometimes they both go out together and I daren't drive at night now, I have changed both bulbs and the ballast on one side but they still falter, I have seen a repair kit on eBay and I wonder if anyone on here has fitted one of these and was is successful?

Swapping parts from one side to the other can help ie does the fault move? Were the parts you fitted known to be OK?

 

[CLK500K]

I swapped the ballasts to prove the faulty one, I bought a genuine Bosch ballast with the same part number to replace it then I fitted some cheap bulbs and it still flickered so I bought two new Philips bulbs and it seemed ok but a couple of months down the line it's flickering again and it has now become dangerous as I was on the motorway late at night doing 70mph and all the lights went out, sometimes it will be ok for a while but then they both go out again, and then they will come on and start to flicker.

 

[EmilysDad]

I'd do as Naraic suggests next & check wiring and earth connections.

 

[LostKiwi]

I seem to recall the headlight switch or stalk are prone to failure. Also have checked fuses and the headlight relay?

 

[CLK500K]

Thanks to all, I'll check the earth etc, how can I check the relay?

 

[LostKiwi]

A quick check suggests your car doesn't have a relay (but I'll check further tomorrow). There are several hits on the Web for failing light switches causing your issue. Try popping out the switch and filling it with switch cleaner (as opposed to Co tact cleaner). Operate the switch out of the car a dozen or so times then flush again. Refit and see if it's improved it.

 

[CLK500K]

Thank you

 

[Craiglxviii]

Hardly worth the effort of a forum if the answer is always ..... take it to an Indie & plug the car into Star

When my washer pump failed it was due to a resistor in a replacement sidelight bulbholder drawing the voltage down across the shared bus at. This also prevented the sidelights from working. I spent 4-5 weekends probing everywhere and couldn't find the cause.

My point is, the lighting system on these cars is fairly complex. That's me speaking with my automotive lighting system analysis engineer hat on. So for the sake of an hour's labour its most likely quicker and easier to have the fault diagnosed by someone with experience in the multiple weird failure modes that these lights have.

 

[EmilysDad]

When my washer pump failed it was due to a resistor in a replacement sidelight bulbholder drawing the voltage down across the shared bus at. This also prevented the sidelights from working. I spent 4-5 weekends probing everywhere and couldn't find the cause.

My point is, the lighting system on these cars is fairly complex. That's me speaking with my automotive lighting system analysis engineer hat on. So for the sake of an hour's labour its most likely quicker and easier to have the fault diagnosed by someone with experience in the multiple weird failure modes that these lights have.

But if you share your experience/problem with others, you save them £60 that they might be able to better spend elsewhere.