[W208] Problem with side lamps

nodger

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The 'exterior lighting bulb failure' indicator lamp has been coming on quite frequently, the problem usually being with one of the side lamps (same housing as full beams - light switch to position 1?).

Tonight, neither of the lamps will come on but the license plate lights come on fine, as do the instrument cluster lights. I don't think the problem is with the bulbs though, because the full beams come on when I push the 'combination switch' stalk forward, and I assume they're the same bulbs (?)

Anyone seen this happen before?

Also - does the orientation of the bulb matter when you insert it into the socket? Do they have polarity?
 
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Miffy

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CLK 320 CAB Elegance C208
Side lights are not the same bulbs as the Main Beam, and no, they are not polarity sensitive
 
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nodger

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Side lights are not the same bulbs as the Main Beam, and no, they are not polarity sensitive

Right, I'm confused. The main beam bulbs used to illuminate 'dimly' when I turned the switch to position 1. I assumed that these were called the side lamps. I'm talking about the light marked with the star in the attached photo, just in case I'm using the wrong names/terms. :)

There don't appear to be any other bulbs blown, so am I looking at a fuse/wiring issue?
 

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dieselman

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Right, I'm confused. The main beam bulbs used to illuminate 'dimly' when I turned the switch to position 1.
No they didn't. You have separate 5w lamps in there. Have you read the manual?
 

Miffy

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The Main Beam will be a H7, the side lights will be either be an all glass 501, or a offset pin BAX9
 
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nodger

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No they didn't. You have separate 5w lamps in there. Have you read the manual?

Well, this is embarrassing :) I''d read the manual a few years ago but didn't see the reference to the separate bulbs, and never noticed it when changing the beam bulbs. Thanks for the pointer!
 


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