I have a 92 300E with 160K on the clock and the main light switch (left hand side of steering wheel on the dash) is bad ... at least, I think so. I need to replace it and have ordered and received a replacement. Any advice? Step-by-step procedures would be great ... as right now I only know enough to disconnect the battery before I start. Any help = much appreciated.
Why do you think it is bad? I have been at the same MB dealership just over 27 years now and I have NEVER seen one go bad!!!
The combo switch [turn signals/wipers/lowbeam-highbeam] goes bad but never the headlight switch [that I have seen]
Karl, thanks for the prompt response. Here's what leads me to believe the switch is faulty. First, only one of the fog lights now works. I've traced it to a blown fuse, but when I replace the fuse, it blows again immediately. Second, the driver's side headlight wiper no longer parks ... it is stuck in a vertical position. Third, I recently had trouble turning the headlights on when returning from work late one night. Had to hold the switch in just the right position to get them to work.
Would appreciate any insight into removing the old one and installing the new one.
The fog light fuse is AFTER the switch. ANYTHING before the fuse CANNOT blow it. Power flows back to the battery, not away from it.
The headlight wipers are AFTER the switch. The park circuit is built into the wiper motor. If one parks but the other doesn't, you have a BAD wiper motor.
#3 does not sound right at all. It only happened once?
Karl, you obviously know your stuff. Thanks for the info.
As it turns out, yes, #3 happened only once. Actually, the time it happened I had to drive home with the combo switch pulled toward me ... only way I could get headlights.
I guess I just find it strange that the three things (all related in my mind to the main light switch) happened at the same time.
Am going to replace the switch today ... already purchased it ... so we'll see what happens. Likely nothing will based on the information you provided, but I'll feel more comfortable with the new switch as this Benz is my wife's daily driver.
way I could get headlights.
Aha!!! The combo switch is AFTER the headlight switch. Originally, you made it sound as though you had to hold the headlight switch to get the lights to stay on. You did not say it was the combo switch.
Too bad you already bought the headlight switch, you wasted your money.
So, Karl ... I assume you're saying that the combo switch, the fog light wiring, and the wiper motor went bad ... almost simultaneously? I understand what you have said about all of these being in line after the headlight switch, but there are 14 or so wires that plug into the back of the headlight switch. Couldn't a short inside the switch have caused these problems?
Obviously, I haven't installed the switch yet, and I have all the original packing material ... so I can likely get my money back. What do you recommend and how would I go about replacing the switch if I chose to? It's not obvious from looking at the underside of the left-hand side of the dash.
Rgs, Steve
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