About two months ago the "lamp Defective" warning light came on - i found the problem to be a headlight out and i replaced the bulb - Now, a month later the "warning" has come on again and i cannot find a light out anywhere - its weird in that sometimes i can drive it for 30 mins. without the alarm sounding and other times it will go off every 2mins. Last night i checked all the lights again - nothin' out .... its rather annoying - i have to reset it each time otherwise i don't have my display - what could this be ? Any ideas?

Check your brake lights, It maybe like mine, which was the socket which the lamp resides within. I believe they are pink in color. I used a dielectric grease to coat the socket contacts.
Also check if the lamps have a eliptical contact. I have been told the "standard" lamps with round contact will be problematic.

Good Luck,

__________________
Gary
Experience is something you get, Just after you needed it....
'99 E300 295K, '83 300D 220K, '75 240D 185K sold
'80 MCI Bus Conv DD 6V92TA, w/4 cyl. Kubota diesel GenSet 12.5KW

My front parking lights cause this to go off every so often. The connectors are kind of poor.

Usually, I just walk up front and give the one that's out a smack with the palm of my hand and it comes back on. It's a shame to have to resort to redneck mechanics with these cars.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

As Gary had mentioned......some of the newer replacement double filiment bulbs are problematic. I believe the originals had oval contacts with a brass casing. The ones I had used as replacements the last couple years had round contacts and steel/tin casings. There must be just enough difference in resistance at times that it fools the computer into thinking a bulb is burned out. Just try using some very fine sand paper and clean up the contact plate around the socket holes on the tail light fixtures and put a thin coat of dialectric grease on them before twisting the bulb socket back in. The problem on mine is keeping good contact between bulb and socket and socket to the contact plate on the fixture.

Happy Holidays!

__________________
FRED

Daily Driver: 98 E300TD 199K
Hobby Car: 69 Austin Mini
Past Diesels: 84 300SD, 312K
87 300SDL, 251K
94 Chev. K-1500 6.5Ltr.TD, 373K

The parking light inside of the headlight is a known problem. The sockets melt and cause poor connections. Mine used to show the warning only on very damp days until I found the bad socket and replaced it. They sell a kit just for the sockets so you don't have to replace the entire headlight assembly. I would recommend you inspect both sides.

Also, don't forget the rear license plate bulbs as they will also trigger a warning if one goes out.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Remember that a flaky brake light or turn signal light won't activate the warning until you use that function. That is one way of creating the time variations you are seeing.

I had a bulb with a broken filament; it was solidly attached to one post and just touching the other post. Whenever it got shaken it would flicker, triggering the alert. My mechanic finally found it.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I'll second the license plate light. I have to rap on my license plate lens about every other time I start it.

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Mark in MA
05 MB E320CDI 402k Granite Grey Metallic
05 MB E320CDI 267k Black
05 MB E320CDI 232k White
05 MB E320CDI 209k Tectite Grey
99 Dodge 2500 Cummins 5sp 148k
62 Jeep CJ-6 120k

I will "third" the license plate light - and tell you they made that thing very difficult to replace.

Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

I have been having the same issue, I traced mine to brake light. It seems there was some corrosion on the socket, I removed and installled the offending light and the warning went away.

__________________
Dennis
2006 E320 CDI Black/Black Leather. Nav, HTD Seats HK stereo 32000 miles.
2000 VW Passat 1.8t 300,000 miles as of Dec 09, 2009 original owner
1997 E300d Silver 300,000 miles As of Jan 05, 2010
3rd owner SOLD

Thanks everybody - the weather has been crap here and i haven't had time 2 check any of the above possibilities - will post my findings eventually ...