W210: Interior lights coming on while driving!

[Bald-Pogle]

Hi!

Can anyone help me with a newly developed problem in my relatively "new to me" E Class.

The interior lights come on as I drive, mainly on accelerating out of corners or negotiating the speed humps in the supermarket car-park.

The light seems to work properly in response to the doors being opened and closed, so I am inclined to suspect something other than the door switches, but as a MB novice I am more than prepared to learn otherwise. Is it likely to be related to the alarm system or the mechanism which locks the car when in motion? If so, whereabouts on the car should I start looking for the possible culprit?

Is it likely that there is an association between this problem and the fact that I had to remove the rear seat recently to re-charge the battery?

Thanks in advance,

Bald-Pogle

 

[jberks]

Hi,
My E has done the exact same thing twice. When I picked it up from the dealer 4 years ago, it did it as I drove out of the car park. They had fitted a CD changer, phone kit etc. They checked the cables (inc removing the back seat) and told me that they "reset the computer" . I suspected wiring distrubance. It settled down and all seemed ok until I had some paintwork done on the F/N/S door 3 months ago. Then exactly as you describe, especially going round corners and roundabouts the light came on and the locks popped up. A new door switch in the front N/S door and all is well again.
As the switch is inside the door its a bit of a bugger to diagnose without disturbing the airbags. Anyone know a way of testing the door switches individually ?

 

[guydewdney]

i had this in my CL - turned out it was a loose wire in the puddle light in the bottom of the door shorting out..


heres a 97 e class courtosy light circuit diagram..

http://www.autolib.diakom.ru:8001/CAR/Mercedes-Benz/1997/E420/SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAMS/6279.pdf

 

[piestore]

interior lights

hi

sounds like a door pin switch to me, wind all the windows down close the doors and walk around the car pulling each door in turn (via the open window , not the handle)

 

[Bald-Pogle]

Hi!

Thanks for the responses folks.

Piestore - you seem to be on target! I tried the "windows down and pull" test, and found that there was a response from the driver's door. The next question is: where exactly is the door-pin switch? Also, is it something easily dealt with by an un-informed amateur?

From what jberks says about airbags, and with the thought of leather trim to get spoiled into the bargain, I get more than usually cautious!!


Bald-pogle

 

[piestore]

pin switch

hi

The pins switch is just below the door catch plate in the B pillar, they are sometimes broken or some times the door requires adjusting in, on rare occasions if the car has had body work the switch is not quite long enough the easy fix is to glue a bit on the end

 

[Bald-Pogle]

Hi Piestore,

Vigorous agitation of the door-pin switch seems to have cured the problem on those parts of local running where I was aware of it previously, although the driver's door still fails the window down & wobble test ! I have noticed though that simply opening the doors no longer activates the windows. I had noticed an occasional noise form the door pillar area behind the driver's head -is it worth getting inside the trim to tke a look there? is the trim easily removable?

Bald Pogle

 

[jberks]

Correct me if I'm wrong, its raining and I'm not going to double check now, but the pin switch isn't on the B pillar on a W210. I am pretty sure it's inside the door - hence why they needed the car for the day to swap it. I wouldn't expect the door wiggle test to work if the door is adjusted correctly - mine won't move when closed. Sounds like it needs some adjustment. Bit confused about the window bit though.

 

[Bald-Pogle]

I'm rapidly learning that one should never be surprised at where MB manage to stow their technology. There is definitely a switch on each of the central pillars on my car (1997ish W210), which I assume to be the "B" pillars?

Although the driver's door failed the wobble test, there was really no discernible movement - certainly nothing to sggest that a re-adjustment was necessary. I see that there are fuses under the back seat which are related to the interior lighting & motion sensor circuits, but I have not yet investigated - the last time I looked there it was a real pain trying to get the seat back.

Bald pogle

 

[piestore]

210

Hi

Im also confused about "opening the door no longer activates the window" coz it shouldn't on a 210

Yes the b pillar trim is easy to remove, peel of the dorr rubber's on front and rear doors and you will see the clips that hold the interior b pillar trim

 

[Bald-Pogle]

Hi Piestore

<<Im also confused about "opening the door no longer activates the window" coz it shouldn't on a 210>>

Oh dear! I must have been thinking of my previous car (a somewhat older 220E) where the door definitely activated the windows - although I would have sworn it had done in this car too. I'm definitely getting daft. still at least the car is better than Ithought!

Thanks for the guidance.

Bald Pogle