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  #1  
Old 07-15-2016, 02:18 PM
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1996 E300D reverse light not working

Hey Guys,

I have a problem with the reverse lights not working on my 96 E300D. I just replace the reverse light switch which is mounted to the side of the transmission, but that did not resolve the problem.

I will start looking into this more, but was wondering if anyone has a drawing that shows this circuit. That would help quite a bit.

I will start checking voltage etc, fuses and so on, but it would be good to get a drawing or diagram if anyone has it.

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  #2  
Old 07-15-2016, 02:48 PM
jay_bob's Avatar
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The 96 was a transitional year for the W210.

Early production got the 722.4 transmission as used on the later 124s.

They transitioned to the 722.6 sometime in the 96 or 97 MY from what I have read.

The 722.4 version in a 210 most likely used the NSS based backup light switch on the side of the transmission that has been in use since the earliest days of the automatic.

The 722.6 is a completely different animal. The transmission is electronically controlled and does not have a traditional NSS. The neutral safety switch is part of the conductor plate and communicates a start/no start status to the transmission controller which then passes it along to the engine controls.
The backup lights are handled by a micro switch inside the shifter.

One quick way to tell if you have the shifter based NSS is to pull up the console wood (just grab a corner from the cup holder opening and gently pull up). Look at the rear end of the shifter box, if you have a 2 pin connector with gray-blue and pink-red-white wires, that is your reverse switch.

Jump the 2 pins in the plug with the key on and see if the reverse lights come on. If so you need a new range switch. The shifter has to come out and be disassembled but it is relatively straightforward.

The 210 bulb sockets are notoriously bad, make sure you don't just have bad contact x2.
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  #3  
Old 07-15-2016, 11:02 PM
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I had a similar problem with my '96 E300D; turned out to be the environmentally-friendly insulation in the transmission's wiring harness. Rebuilding that solved the problem.

AFAIK 1996 got the 722.4 4-speed transmission; 1997 got the 722.6 5-speed electronic marvel. I suppose a few late-1996 cars might have snuck out the factory with 5-speeds—it would be interesting to hear from someone with that factory combination. The 1996 E400 (V8 engine) DID get the 5-speed, it's mentioned in the factory sales brochures. Theoretically, one could put a 722.6 into a 1996 E300D or E320 gasser but some kind of electronic controller would be necessary. Wonder if the Europeans have invented such a gadget?

Jeremy
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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
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  #4  
Old 07-23-2016, 10:55 AM
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Hey Guys,

I have been looking, but have not found the problem.

I pulled the bottom cover off under the dash to get to the light control module. I then pulled the connectors on the module and was able to find online a layout drawing with pin numbers. I put 12 v on those wires on the connector to see if the reverse light would light up which they did. So far so good. I then checked the fuse replaced it just in case. But it would still not work. I found the cables also that are coming from the reverse switch to the connector, but they are showing always open regardless of where I put the shift lever. They never go to a closed contact.

I took the reverse switch out and tested it with a ohmmeter. When I put it in park position I could measure the connection go from open to closed. When I put it in reverse or any other position the other set of pins never change state. They are always showing an open. Keep in mind that this is a new switch. I still had the old switch and I checked it also, but exactly the same behavior.

I then decided to short the pins on the connector that connects to the switch to see if that would make the reverse lights come on thinking that I may have a bad switch, but that did not do anything either. I tried to follow the cable from the connection but it disappears somewhere in the firewall.

Jeremy, do you know how it is routed? where did you have to rebuild your cable?

Also is the switch behavior normal? Do i have a bad new switch?
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  #5  
Old 07-23-2016, 11:15 AM
Jeremy5848's Avatar
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The part of the cable I rebuilt extends along the transmission from the switch forward and disappears up into the chassis alongside the engine. This job was done in 2008 so I'm sorry I don't remember more about it.
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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
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  #6  
Old 10-20-2016, 11:14 PM
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Hey Guys, I am back at trying to resolve this reverse light problem.

Does anyone have any drawings for the reverse light or a pin layout diagram for the light module, so that I can figure out which wire is what. I might just run a new cable from the reverse switch directly to the light module under the dash.

If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.
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  #7  
Old 11-10-2016, 01:41 PM
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Hey Guys,

I found some wiring diagrams on-line and have the following question. From the neutral safety switch it appears that the cables are routed or connected to a harness and then the cable color code changes by the time the cables are ran to the illumination module. When I find these cables at the illumination module and check the resistance on these cables at the light module the resistance never changes from the neutral safety switch, while I am switching gears.

Here is the question that I have. If you take a look at the attachment here i circled in red which appears to be a connector between the cables from the neutral safety switch to the illumination light box. Does anyone know where this connector is located? That would be very helpful in trying to find this problem.
Attached Thumbnails
1996 E300D reverse light not working-mercedes_reverse_lights.jpg  
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  #8  
Old 11-10-2016, 03:01 PM
funola's Avatar
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Quick googling found this:

96 E300 Diesel Starting problems

diagram in #4 different than one you found.

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  #9  
Old 11-11-2016, 10:03 AM
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Alright. It is working. Thank you guys for helping out on this. The connector under the hood was ok, but I found that one of the wires (the gray wire) from the connector to the illumination module must have had a break somewhere. There was no continuity from the connector to the pin on the connector going to the illumination module. I ran a new cable from the connector to the illumination module and it works now.

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