From B to A, to get me from A to B... [A200 Turbo]

[GLK]

My 169 doesn't have DRL's either and I always have the headlights set to Auto so they're on whenever the car decides they're needed.

I fitted DRLs to my A200 (2006) exactly two years ago, these are individual COB lights and very bright.
One failed recently and will be replaced, but on the whole, it proved to be a good setup.
The lights dim automatically to under 40% when dipped beam is on, I also have a manual override switch to turn them off completely, but don't use it too often (dark night, snow, fog, or torrential rain).
I also have the light switch on Auto all the time.
My sidelights are LED too, and dipped beam (nightbreakers) is not as white, but is whiter than H11 fogs, which are the original Mercedes ones (I bought new fogs for the DRL retrofit two years ago).

 

[markjay]

Now you got me started...


Best car headlight bulbs: group test

 

[markjay]

I don't think I'll get Nightbreakers again, but I might get LED bulbs when the technology matures (and becomes road legal, which currently it isn't).

Posdibly LED for the dipped beam and Nightbreakers for the main beam....

 

[GLK]

Very interesting read, thank you.
Yes, that's certainly the plan for the future - as recently as two years ago I said that, I'm giving up on trying to find long-lasting and error-free LED position lights, yet today I have them on, for four months now, and no problem whatsoever. The rear number plate lights been on for nearly a year - still as bright as new, and never any errors.

 

[tommerc49]

Very interesting read, thank you.
Yes, that's certainly the plan for the future - as recently as two years ago I said that, I'm giving up on trying to find long-lasting and error-free LED position lights, yet today I have them on, for four months now, and no problem whatsoever. The rear number plate lights been on for nearly a year - still as bright as new, and never any errors.

Can I ask which LED sidelights you have?
The first two pairs I purchased wouldn't physically fit into the headlamps (bulb part too big to fit through hole!). Third different set of bulbs fitted, but I then changed to different ones in order to try and colour-match them to my Stealth HID's. Mission accomplished and they've been working fine/ error-free for a couple of months, but upon return from holiday last week (with car being in airport car park for a month) I'm now getting a parking lamp error on the dash. Both bulbs are still working fine, bar the dashboard error.
Maybe the 5th pair of bulbs I buy will be a success

 

[markjay]

Can I ask which LED sidelights you have?
The first two pairs I purchased wouldn't physically fit into the headlamps (bulb part too big to fit through hole!). Third different set of bulbs fitted, but I then changed to different ones in order to try and colour-match them to my Stealth HID's. Mission accomplished and they've been working fine/ error-free for a couple of months, but upon return from holiday last week (with car being in airport car park for a month) I'm now getting a parking lamp error on the dash. Both bulbs are still working fine, bar the dashboard error.
Maybe the 5th pair of bulbs I buy will be a success

KillerHERTZ knows all there is to know about CANBUS error-free LED lights... and I believe can also supply them.

 

[tommerc49]

Now you got me started...

Best car headlight bulbs: group test

It seems there's an even brighter version of the Osram Nightbreakers (Laser, opposed to the Unlimited's that every one of these comparison tests seem to have used).
Whilst the lifespan still concerns me it'd be interesting to know why the lasers haven't been used in these comparison tests. Perhaps they're a new addition to the Osram range.

 

[tommerc49]

KillerHERTZ knows all there is to know about CANBUS error-free LED lights... and I believe can also supply them.

Thanks, I'll see if I can drop him a message.
My dashboard's slowly being lit up like a Xmas tree... Parking light, Airbag (only when no passenger present), brake wear (despite new disks, pads and sensor fitted only 2 months or so ago).
I'll start with the easy one

 

[GLK]

Can I ask which LED sidelights you have?

The seller I bought these from is no longer listed, but here's a pic:

They were titled "canbus, error-free", which basically means they have resistors incorporated to fool the SAM (not CANbus), which monitors the external lights.

Re: passenger airbag light - sounds like you might need a seat sensor replaced, or emulator fitted, or swap the hazard light/airbag button to a non-illuminated one (give me a shout if you want the latter - I have one).

 

[markjay]

It seems there's an even brighter version of the Osram Nightbreakers (Laser, opposed to the Unlimited's that every one of these comparison tests seem to have used).
Whilst the lifespan still concerns me it'd be interesting to know why the lasers haven't been used in these comparison tests. Perhaps they're a new addition to the Osram range.

View attachment 73430

The Osram Nightbreakers Laser can be found near the bottom of the Auto Express list... they were not impressed with it.

 

[tommerc49]

The Osram Nightbreakers Laser can be found near the bottom of the Auto Express list... they were not impressed with it.

Whoops, I didn't scroll that far

The seller I bought these from is no longer listed, but here's a pic:

They were titled "canbus, error-free", which basically means they have resistors incorporated to fool the SAM (not CANbus), which monitors the external lights.

Re: passenger airbag light - sounds like you might need a seat sensor replaced, or emulator fitted, or swap the hazard light/airbag button to a non-illuminated one (give me a shout if you want the latter - I have one).

I see, thanks. That's the same sidelight bulbs I have now. I'll purchase another pair.. perhaps one has just become faulty.

RE the airbag light, I probably didn't explain that very well... it's not the airbag light on the dash, but the "SRS" one on the instrument panel. When the passenger seat has someone in it the light doesn't appear, but with the seat empty I get the red SRS light on (and an SRS visit Workshop message).
I've not had time to investigate it yet but I'm hoping it's just a loose connection under the seat

 

[GLK]

RE the airbag light, I probably didn't explain that very well... it's not the airbag light on the dash, but the "SRS" one on the instrument panel. When the passenger seat has someone in it the light doesn't appear, but with the seat empty I get the red SRS light on (and an SRS visit Workshop message).
I've not had time to investigate it yet but I'm hoping it's just a loose connection under the seat

Ah, sorry - I misunderstood. It could be a broken flexible link in the occupancy sensor - i.e. it touches the connecting point when under the weight of a passenger, but flexes up and brakes connection when free, hence the error?

If you don't need to occasionally deactivate the airbag (as in no infants ever travel in this seat), you can fit an emulator - it tell the SAM the seat is always occupied.
There's of course, an option to remove and repair/replace the seat sensor, but it's a rather fiddly exercise.

I had the same problem on my old car (it was actually a full leather interior I bought to replace 'half-leather' artico-fabric original), and I even bought a new sensor, but never got around replacing it, and the 'temporary' emulator solution lasted two years, so I sold the car with a spare sensor included, back in June 2015. Pretty sure it is still a spare

If you go for an emulator, don't buy [expensive] 'universal' ones, get a specific type (SRS3 or SRS6, etc) - not fancy, but works better.
I had just a PCB with wires, not even a box. It was perfect.

 

[tommerc49]

Ah, sorry - I misunderstood. It could be a broken flexible link in the occupancy sensor - i.e. it touches the connecting point when under the weight of a passenger, but flexes up and brakes connection when free, hence the error?

If you go for an emulator, don't buy [expensive] 'universal' ones, get a specific type (SRS3 or SRS6, etc) - not fancy, but works better.
I had just a PCB with wires, not even a box. It was perfect.

Thank you GLK. That sounds about right and no, I never need to deactivate the airbag. Do you know if it matters which emulator I buy (SRS3 or SRS6), or will they both work?
I've seen both the PCB-only versions and also others which have a plastic outer box, but since I'm not sure where this would need to be fitted I can't make up my mind which would be best to purchase. If there's a little slot, compartment, or somewhere out of the way to fix it to, I assume the PCB-only type will be fine, otherwise if it's just going to sit on the floor under the seat I'm thinking one of the other ones will be a wiser choice (to save it possibly getting damaged).

ps. Managed to get rid of the two other dashboard errors (sidelights and brakes)...
I replaced the sidelights with some Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs (quite bright for sidelights but quite yellow in comparison to my stealth HID's/ LED fogs so will likely change them back to LED's again at some point).
As for the brake warning, I just replaced the wear sensor (front) when I changed the brakes recently. It seems i mustn't have fitted the last one correctly as it had worn right down (though pads/discs are still fine).

I also treated the car to some shiny new Brembo rear disks and EBC pads, flushed and bled the brake and clutch fluid with some Brembo DOT4, and attempted to fit my new Crankshaft sensor (old one wouldn't come out!). The error code doesn't seem to be coming back for the crankshaft sensor so I'm just going to see how I get on with it.

 

[GLK]

The correct SRS type is important, so you'd need to double-check with the supplier.

When I fitted my emulator, I created a 'reversible' install with connectors, so that the emulator can be removed later on (an improvised casing served perfectly well too):

 

[tommerc49]

The correct SRS type is important, so you'd need to double-check with the supplier.
When I fitted my emulator, I created a 'reversible' install with connectors, so that the emulator can be removed later on (an improvised casing served perfectly well too):

That's a lot neater than I had in mind! Good job.
I'll speak to the suppliers and see if I can find which one I need then have a better look under the seat and figure out how I'm going to fit it. Hopefully the fact my front seats are electric won't mean I have a lot more wires to contend with