'87 420 SEL. For the last 4 months the yellow dash light indicating the headlights are on stays on all the time when the engine is on, taunting me with "You can rebuild the front end of this car but you will never turn me off, you wuss!!" All the headlights, brights, fogs work as they are supposed to. Where should I start to look to see whats keeping this indicator light on?

I don't know of any "headlight indicator" on an '87 Benz. Do you mean the "lamp out" indicator?

Be sure to check those often overlooked lamps, like the 3rd brake light (some models had two bulbs), license plate lamps (2) and those little bitty side marker bulbs in the sides of the tail lights. If the lamp out MIL is lit you have a bulb out somewhere or incorrect bulbs drawing too much/too little.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Thanks for you reply Mike. I was surprised to read that I did not have a headlight on indicator light. So I checked all my lamps and it turned out that a rear tail light had been burned out – I guess for the last 4 months causing the dash indicator light to remain on at all times. I replaced the bulb and the indicator light did not come on when the engine was on. And when I turned the headlights on, the indicator light came back on, just like it has been coming on for the 4 years I have owned the car, just like I thought it was supposed to. Only now I find that, according to your post, and the user manual, this is not a headlights on indicator light! So I walk around my car 4 or 5 times checking all the lights with the help of my friend and can not find any other lamps that are out. Then I realize the high mounted stop lamp is not coming on when the brakes are pressed. Turns out this lamp has been burned out since I bought the car 4 years ago and I have never noticed it!!