PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

notfarnow · #1 02-06-2010, 11:19 AM

I'm having this trouble in my 99e300d, but I thought I'd post here just in case this is something someone had in their w210 e320 or e420.

Hopefully someone here will be able to help me wrap my head around this one. It's one of those things that could be something SIMPLE, but could just as easily be something BIG AND BAD

About 2 weeks ago, I started having these weird electrical issues:
- "clicker" for turn signal indicator wasn't "clicking", but turn signal worked fine
- indicator light for the right turn signal was dimly lit all the time, if the headlights lights were turned on
- If I had the high beams on, and used the turn signal, the speedometer would quit, and traction control & ABS would shut off.
- If I lock the car as soon as I get out (while the fog lights are on for 10-15 seconds) the alarm would go off. If I wait for the fog lights to turn off, the alarm DOESN'T go off.

Anyway, I've been just living with the issue, because this week I was going to be working on the car anyway to replace a couple glow plugs and change the oil. I figured I'd investigate and probably find a bad wire somewhere.

Skip to the other day:

Start getting the "low battery" light when starting the car. Battery is good, one year old, 950 CCA. But yeah, the car cranks slow. Car starts, I head home. 10 miles down the road, battery light comes on again, then ABS light, then power windows won't work.

I pull into my garage, and while it's running I test 10.5v at the positive post under the hood. I turn the car off and test 11.9v at the battery.

I figure I need an alternator (car has 210k miles) so I order one, put the car on the charger overnight. Next morning the car fires right up, but by the time I get to work the "Low Battery" warning is on. When I get back in the car an hour later, the car won't even crank over.

I come back into town with a fresh battery, drop it in and head home. By the tiem I get home, it's the same thing. "Low Battery" warning, power windows dead, ABS light on, and even stumbling a bit at idle. to back it into the garage, I have to go from drive, then neautral, then reverse *twice* before it actually goes into reverse.

So anyway, now my car is immobile in the garage. My questions is this... someone told me I could use toothpaste to buff the plastic headlight covers. Will that work?