I'm getting a Bulb out warning when I put my car into reverse, i've checked the bulb and it's fine, the contact points look clean, the other side works fine (right side is the one out) any ideas?

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

First, swap the bulbs left-right. If the problem moves it's the bulb, regardless of what it looks like. If it isn't the bulb, you should be able to put the car in reverse with the key on but the engine not running. That will give you a safe opportunity to remove the right-hand bulb and test the contacts to see if you are getting 12 volts. If you do, there's something keeping the (apparently good) bulb from properly contacting the socket. If there's no voltage across the contacts, you may have an unplugged or damaged wire or connector. They shouldn't be difficult to trace inside the trunk.

Jeremy

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"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

The plastic base that the rear tail lights screw into are notorious for too much Heat, causing them to melt.

You need to buy a new base and wire it in.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I will swap the lights and see what happens, I don't recall the bulb holders being warped, cracked, the fit well.. The problem comes and goes, I'll check back and report any issues

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

Still, if your bulb holders are original, it will happen. Techs at the dealers have replaced hundreds of them.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I would better place the number in the thousands.

Might be a fuse? Can't remember if those are separate but the rear tail lights are separate. I thought my right tail light was the bulb holder but then i found the 3rd fuse box on side of driver side instrument panel. Open driver door and you'll see it. Is there a right reverse light fuse in there?

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What Would Rudolph Do?
1975 300D, 1975 240D, 1985 300SD, 1997 300D, 2005 E320 , 2006 Toyota Prius

Make sure it's not a brake light. There's a slight delay before the sensor warns of a lamp out and since you have to press the brake to put the car in reverse, that delay is just enough to fake you into thinking that it's the back up lights. When you start the car, try just pressing the brake and holding it for about five seconds before shifting into reverse.

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

It may be a bad neutral safety switch. I had only the reverse light portion of mine go bad on my 1980 W116 300SD. The car would still start, but the reverse lights would not come on. I replaced the switch and they work again. You can put an ohm meter up to the connections on the neutral safety switch and test each one.

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Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

Hundreds of thousands in total.

What I meant is that each individual dealer tech has replaced 100+.

Just ask my neighbor.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Decided to pull the bulbs out and replace them, solved the issue, the old bulbs had to be pretty old, bases tarnished and contact points all scungy. replaced the bulbs, issue gone.

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

Not to point fingers but in the OP you wrote "...i've checked the bulb and it's fine..." So what actually did you do, look at the bulb and it wasn't black? We all make mistakes as we learn, it would be nice to get some learning out of your experience. C'mon, fess up!

Jeremy

__________________

"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

Odd enough, the filament inside the bulb is intact, that's what I was basing my claims on the bulb being good, I'd hazard a guess that the contact points on the bulbs were just so caked with oxidation that the energy couldn't flow, the bulbs still appear good. Ill try to post a picture later, the glass was not blackened nor milky like I've seen in other blown bulbs. Gotta love corrosion, great insulator it is

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

SO the learning is that you can't just look at a bulb and say "it looks good."

__________________

"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

You dodged a bullet.......this time........tailight assembly was pricey buying the replacement from MB, when mine malfunctioned by melting. Why it melted, I don't know. I suspect it may have been because I used a replacement bulb from NAPA, when the original bulb burned out. Since then, I buy all replacement bulbs from the MB dealer.