Instrument cluster

[V8Rumble]

Hi my S430 on a 2000 plate is giving me alsorts of grief.

The car has a battery drain which I am still trying to locate but in the meantime the parking sensors are showing two red segments, the central locking stopped working but was a fuse now sorted.

After fixing the central locking today I went to go out in it and now the dashboard is not lighting up all I get is a red srs light. As well as this the speedo or any other gauges do not work, nothing does no warning lights, mileometer, clock, absolutely nothing.
Indicators etc work but do not register on the dash as does cruise control just no indication lights.

Don't know if it is related but the boot release has stopped working as well.

Due to the battery drain I have to disconnect the battery everytime I leave it for any while.

Any help appreciated before I go out and buy a gallon of petrol and a box of matches

 

[gbjeppm]

There is a good chance that the battery drain will be the alarm siren gone duff. Its a common issue of cars this age, especially the 203.

Few things to check:
1) Does the alarm siren work
2) Pull the fuse for the Alarm, and see if the car still drains, test with multimeter if you have one.

If it is the siren you can either replace it, or just disconnect it. Not sure where it is on the S class, but probably behind the arch covers on the passenger front wheel.

The dashboard dead could be a flat battery, you did not say whether the engine was running, am assuming it was not.

 

[V8Rumble]

Thanks for the reply I have isolated the battery drain to fuse 61 which cnotrols the command but even with the command disconnected totally it still drains. I have been advised to buy a wis which I have done but the canbus world is all new to me. For now that fault is on hold as the latest thing is more important at the moment as I can disconnect the battery as a stop gap.

As far as the dash I have checked it in the dark and none of the window switches illumnate or the command controls although the radio does work and the screen illuminates.

The climate control switches are still all illuminated.

I have checked all three fuses for the instrument panel and all of them are okay

 

[gbjeppm]

Is all of this behavior happening with the engine running?

With regard to comand being the drain, just be aware you have to wait for about 20 mins before comand will fully shut off.

What is the reading, with car fully asleep, so the draw on the battery after a good hour or so.? It should be no more than 50 ma.

 

[V8Rumble]

The drain is about 1.3 amps and I have tested various things so far such as the central locking pump as when I remove fuse 61 I also loose the central locking but still have the drain.

I have also disconnected every module under the rear seat fuse box but still have the drain. I stopped unplugging stuff as I was told I could wipe the cars memory if I unplugged the wrong thing and have to go to a stealership.

I suspect that disconnecting the battery continuously has not helped the matter.

Doing a few searches and apparently the dash problem is common to the point MB did a recall mainly in the US but only up to ten years old (rip off just like the fact they will not address the rust problem) so things are looking glum.