SL350 / R230 LED Tail Lamp Flicker + dash error message

[Danny_Labrador]

So I have a dash board fault message - brake light fail and RH tail light out and then LH tail light out

The rear LED light flicker - the right hand one more then the left and the RH one sometimes goes out.

have read quite a bit about this problem today and have come to the conclusion that its eighter water / fault in the tail light units OR a faulty rear SAM unit. Its has been exceptionally wet here.

I have taken one of the tail light units off the car and it looks OK and whilst not absolutely dry its not wet. Tomorrow morning the other one comes off for the same treatment.

From my limited experiece its looks just like a poor connection BUT where??

Any further suggestions please.

Also where is the rear SAM unit located.

Is it a good idea to get it connected to a Star unit for diagnosis ?

 

[Danny_Labrador]

Update I have had it on a STAR diagnostic computer and there are no fault codes reported as such but when asked it does say that there are bulbs out in the tail light clusters.

The guy I use is very bright and after mucking around with his computer he thinks its an earth problem - maybe specific to the LED strip.

Where do the R230 rear lights earth please??

 

[star]

Rear Sam is behind drivers seat but I would suspect it’s the lamp itself,

 

[Danny_Labrador]

I have not made any serious progress during this holiday period but I have been thinking about the issue.

The thought in my head is that this is still an earth / grounding issue.

In the image above the one illuminated block at low level is, I am pretty sure the end LED on the strip of LED circuit boards that make up the whole of the bottom area of the light.

I would have thought that the earth connection on each of the circuit boards would have been common (they are all daisy chained with ribbon cable) there isn't enough width of ribbon cable to earth each board I dont think.

So the query in my head at the moment is why are these two LEDS illuminated and the rest not ??

Anyone shed any light (sorry) on this ? Could it still be a supply issue ?

 

[Danny_Labrador]

These are the daisy chained circuit boards I am thinking of - it seems that the very end one (furthest away from the connector) is working properly

There must be some logic here ??

 

[SL63 Mark]

Logic ?

 

[Danny_Labrador]

Logic ?

Please read all the thread

 

[SL63 Mark]

Please read all the thread

I did. You are suggesting there is some logic in the operation of the R230 electrical system,

It works by magic, not logic. Sorry, should have explained. Little signals (electrons) move all over the car, and magically congregate where they are needed, via a selection of black boxes (SAMS/CANs) that no one really understands, and usually fill up with water.

You may seek to apply logic, (like old fashioned wires going from a switch to a bulb via a fuse and a battery) but that simply does not apply in the 230.

Sorry should have explained.

Only an experienced technician armed with STAR can have a hope of interrogating the system, and understanding what is wrong.

Alternatively, you may get lucky, wiggle something, and it all starts working again for a bit. Again, logic plays no part.

 

[Danny_Labrador]

I did. You are suggesting there is some logic in the operation of the R230 electrical system,

It works by magic, not logic. Sorry, should have explained. Little signals (electrons) move all over the car, and magically congregate where they are needed, via a selection of black boxes (SAMS/CANs) that no one really understands, and usually fill up with water.

You may seek to apply logic, (like old fashioned wires going from a switch to a bulb via a fuse and a battery) but that simply does not apply in the 230.

Sorry should have explained.

Only an experienced technician armed with STAR can have a hope of interrogating the system, and understanding what is wrong.

Alternatively, you may get lucky, wiggle something, and it all starts working again for a bit. Again, logic plays no part.

Ah get it now. ....................Yes I am probably being a little optimistic in hoping that by looking at the individual elements of the problem I can somehow be delivered to a logical conclusion.

The Star computer says that there are no fault codes on the SAM's but does report the lights are not working (which I can see) so I will bash on I guess in the hope that something magical will happen for me.

 

[Larkone]

Failed LED driver - new lamp unit required unless you can find an electronics person to fix
Had this on my CLS and wife's BMW

 

[Danny_Labrador]

I think I may have found the issue: