Calling all 210/E300 Owners - Need Help to Prevent Battery From Dying

[RLGDiesel]

Hi everyone...I'm in need of some urgent advice.

I know it sounds trivial, but my rear passenger compartment dome light (interior light above the rear seats) is inoperative. I tried using the switch (both rear light and door contact), and the light would not turn on. Now, I am not sure whether the light switch is on or off. If the switch is on but the bulb is burned out, will my battery die overnight or in a parking lot? How do I prevent this?

Help!

[300SD81]

If the bulb is out, electricty will not flow weather the switch is on or off.

[Hatterasguy]

Yank the bulb, it won't draw any juice without a bulb to complete the circut.

[Matt L]

Since the 210 lamps don't run off of a simple relay, I'm not sure that there will be no power drawn without a bulb, and in fact I'm pretty sure that there will be a small draw.

Whether the draw is enough to be a problem is the question. I don't know.

[RLGDiesel]

Thanks a million. I couldn't have walked upstairs before you guys replied!

No more worrying about getting stranded...but is the bulb easy to remove...any tips since I have never removed one (do they break off easily?)

[RLGDiesel]

Thanks, Matt.

My uncle owned a '97 E420 that would die every morning, and he finally traced it down to a power draw from the seat module.

Should I do anything in the meantime...any fuses to disconnect?

[Matt L]

I'd start by checking that bulb. It could have failed. I haven't serviced the rear seat lamp, but if it's like everything else it will simply pull out of the headliner with finger pressure.

I'm not sure what fuse protects that circuit. I don't recall seeing one, although it could easily exist. If not, it is probably ganged with some other stuff. Aren't these lamps controlled by the combination control module N10-1? Does anyone know?