I have a serious headlight problem.......

[Bruce R.]

More to the point, I don't have headlights. My wife brought the 190E home last night using only the fog lights.
The blue high beam indicator lamp is lit in the instrument cluster, and stays on for both hi and lo light positions on the combination switch. When I flash the lights (ignition off) the SRS light flashes, and I can hear a relay click, but no lights. I checked and replaced all four headlight fuses even though they looked and tested fine.
I have an idea that the problem might be the combination switch, but I'm not interested in spending $250 to change parts only to find it's something else....... Any ideas??? The car is a 1987 190E 16 valve.

[cool]

do you know how to take out the switch and the hi lo beam lever switch? it can be serviced, also check that your bulbs are all working, use a good quality contact cleaner and pencil eraser to buff off corossion on the contact area before spraying with cleaner.

[Bruce R.]

To pull the switch, you have to pull the steering wheel. Troublesome and annoying, but not that hard, there's only three screws to remove inside and then the wiring harness to unplug.
From what I can see in the wiring schematic there is only the combo switch and the rotary light control switch in the circuit, no control relays. The relays would have been my first choice, but since there are none, the next likely suspect is the combo switch. The intent is to replace with a salvaged part, and if all is OK eventually replace with new..... I just don't now these cars well enough to pop for very expensive new parts in an attempt at a repair.

[carnut]

Have we used a circuit test light to verify no voltage to the headlights themselves? The presumtion is no voltage. You need to verify voltage is present or not, at the plug that connects to the lamp.

[Bruce R.]

As it turns out, while I was changing out the Combo switch, I found a broken wire. That apparently was the problem. Naturally I found the wire AFTER I pulled the most of the car apart..... Headlights work fine now.
One more question: The wires to the headlight bulbs look to have high temperature insulation. How often has there been a failure in that area, and with the bulb sockets in general????