240D lights problem

Suddenly my brake and turn lights have decided to go on strike. All other lights are ok. I did a continuity test on all the fuses and they are ok. The bulbs also seem ok.

Anyone have a magic wand for diagnosing the root of this problem?

TIA

Reply to
RF
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Replace the fuse... don't just look at it.... remove it and replace it.

Reply to
Tiger

Thank you Tiger. That was very quick indeed.

Unfortunately replacing the fuse was not enough. I switched the ignition on and moved the arm to a blinker position. Then I shorted out the # 12 fuse but there was no blinking. The brake light didn't work either. Seems like I have more work ahead.

Reply to
RF

YOU MIGHT HAVE A GROUND WIRE SHORT AT FUSE BOX..MAY NOT BE 100 % GROUNDING

Reply to
pattymark

Reply to
Wan-ning Tan

Alright RF... I am staring over with you.

As for the ignition switch, the one they give you is the correct part. I punched in your part number and it came back to the exact same part you ordered. MB use the same switch for long long time until they went electronic.

I am thinking... have you change the brake switch? The switch by the brake pedal?

Reply to
Tiger

Hey, thank you Tiger. Do you ever sleep? :-)

No, I haven't rouched the brake pedal switch but I will investigate it very soon and will post the result - probably in the morning.

Reply to
RF

Hey, thank you Tiger. Do you ever sleep? :-)

I removed the cable from the brake pedal switch and moved the ignition switch to 1, but it made no difference. I'll try some more troubleshooting tomorrow.

Reply to
RF

At long last, task completed. In the last few weeks I learned more about the car than I had in the previous ten years.

After scouring the car looking for bad connections, especially grounded ones, I replaced the ignition switch and then solved the cylinder lock problem. The key would not turn because it could not go all the way in. The cylinder was about 1/16" too far out and neither it nor the key could turn. After much struggling, I eventually figured that the part, that the 2 short prongs of the cylinder lock was going into, was not the right place. I removed the cylinder lock again ( yeah, a dozen times) and I was able to rotate the part, that those two prongs fitted into, with a screwdriver. It was spring loaded and snapped into place. Then I reassembled and it worked just fine.

The worst task in that job, by far, was removing and replacing the instrument cluster, especially connecting and disconnecting the speedometer cable and the oil pressure line. There is a clamp on that speedo cable in the engine compartment but it is so far down that loosening it would have to be done from underneath the car. If the clamp had been higher up, it could be temporarily disconnected to make the job much easier. Instead, removal and reinstallation, have to be done by working a hand and arm up under the left front corner of the dash and then in behind the cluster and finally a lot of struggling. There is not enough space for a hand if the cluster is in place, so it has to be held out an inch or two from where where it would normally be located. Not only that, but there are sharp edges and points in there too.To tighten the oil pipe a 10 mm wrench has to be used and in the small space it was very tricky. Fortunately, after getting it hand-tight, less than 1/4 of a turn with the wrench is enough to tighten it. Another problem was keeping the two thick pads that are in that area out of the way. Their purpose is probably for deadening the sound from the engine.

Finally I took the little girl for a spin and we were both very happy :-)

Thanks to all who contributed.

RF

Reply to
RF

So it was the ignition switch that was the problem?

Reply to
Tiger

To be honest Tiger I am not sure, so I am keeping the original switch, just in case. I had played around so much and spent so much time installing and uninstalling the instrument cluster and the locks that I finally was too lazy to put back the old switch to do another test.

At one point I did a quick test by clamping that old switch to its harness (hanging down under the steering - not attached to the lock) and used a broad screwdriver to turn the switch to position

2, where the brake lights and blinkers come on. I left it there, pressed the brake pedal and then checked the blinkers and all were ok. This suggests that the old switch is probably ok and my cleaning up the various contacts may well have been the cure. One of these years I may have another opportunity to try the old one again but I'd rather not. If I ever have to, I'll certainly get a new clamp on the engine for the speedometer cable, so that I can reach it from above. That would make it much easier to move the cluster in and out, by far the biggest task in working in the area behind it.

Thanks again for your support.

Reply to
RF

Mmm... ignition switch wears out... the position of the key detent and the ignition switch itself may not be aligned to ensure proper operation. I'd still suspect the ignition switch.

You have to consider how old that switch is and how many cycles it has been through... it is bound to wear out.

You are welcome.

Reply to
Tiger

Probably is.

24 years and 90,300 miles. I'd guess average trip about 10 miles- maybe 9,000 switch uses.

Thanks Tiger :-)

Reply to
RF

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