Intermittent interior lights and door locks on E320CDI Estate

[wongl]

I am suffering intermittent interior lights coming on and the door locks unlocking on my E320CDI Estate. This tends to happen when going over a pothole or speed bumps, particular if the car is turning.

Having inspected the door sensors (the spring plunger type) I think the problem is either in the tailgate of the estate (it has the soft closing feature so no plunger senor in the tailgate area) or the controller unit.

I have dissassembled the trim from the tailgate but apart from the closing motor I cannot see any obvious mechanism to detect when the tailgate is open or not. Any suggestions?

Also where is the control module? Could this be faulty? Is this a common fault? Will the fault show up on STAR? Should I swap it to see if this will cure the problem?

Not sure if related, but this problem started to show up since the car went in to the body shop for some warranty rust repairs to the door rubbers areas and the high level brake light in the tailgate. Could the body shop have upset the wiring during the body work repairs?

It is getting worse with this problem occuring several times in a single journey. But at other times it is good as gold. Dealership said it will cost several hundred pounds to isolate problem at £90 + VAT per hour!
Thanks

 

[television]

The tail gate is the first to go and fits with the work thats been done, and I believe the last one on here was that switch

 

[wongl]

The tail gate is the first to go and fits with the work thats been done, and I believe the last one on here was that switch

So where is the switch? I have disassembled the trim from the tailgate and could not see any thing like a switch. All I can see is the wiper motor and another motor which I take to be the soft closing mechanism. (Worrying when I touch the mechansim I felt a drop or two of what appears to be water? There is no evidence of water ingress though, and the rust repair around the highlevel brake light seemed to be well protected with white antirust sealant.)

Member Banjiee PM me to tell me that on his C estate it turns out that the switch on the tailgate was loose upon investigation. He simply tighten it which fixed the problem.

I was hoping to do the same but unfortunately I am too dumb to identify the ofendign switch!

Any help in identifying the switch would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[television]

So where is the switch? I have disassembled the trim from the tailgate and could not see any thing like a switch. All I can see is the wiper motor and another motor which I take to be the soft closing mechanism.

Member Banjiee PM me to tell me that on his C estate it turns out that the switch on the tailgate was loose upon investigation. He simply tighten it which fixed the problem.

I was hoping to do the same but unfortunately I am too dumb to identify the ofendign switch!

Any help in identifying the switch would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I will post back

 

[wongl]

Took the rear trim off again today and this time took the rear locking mechanism off the tailgate - see photo. It would appear that the switch is integrated into the latch mechansim, so much so I cannot even seperate the switch from the mechansim.

All seemed to be fine, and reassembling it back to the car didn't improve things at all, so looks like time to replace the switch that is if I can seperate the switch from the latch mechasim!

Any ideas anyone?

 

[television]

It is a micro switch I believe, try and spray some non drying switch cleaner into the switch

 

[wongl]

It is a micro switch I believe, try and spray some non drying switch cleaner into the switch

Thanks. I wouldn't mind replacing it to be honest as it does takes a few minutes to remove and refit all the trim on the tailgate. Any idea how I can prise this switch off without breaking it? When I tried earlier today, a little bit of the black plastic casing broke off.

The interior lights and the soft closing all still work properly, the only problem is that if I turn right sharply while hitting a sleeping policeman, all the interior lights will come on and the door locks will pop-up. Interestingly, sometimes all the lights would comeon, other times just the rear interior lights. Could there be more than one fault since the visit to the bodyshop???

 

[television]

Sorry I for got to send you the details but you found it,,I will check the setting up of the tail gate closing thing

What was done on you car at the coach builders

 

[wongl]

Sorry I for got to send you the details but you found it,,I will check the setting up of the tail gate closing thing

What was done on you car at the coach builders

Warranty rust repairs to the tailgate high level brake light area rusty. Also rust to upper areas behind rubbers on all 4 doors and rust to wheel arches. Oh, and a new bonnet was fitted as rust was beyond repairs.

Dealership denies that bodyshop could have caused this intermttent fault to the interior lights and wants £££ to investigate.

 

[television]

Thank you,, I do not know if I will find anything, it does not look as though they had the door cards off.

I will post back very late tonight or in the morning

Are we talking a 210 here or 211

 

[wongl]

Thank you,, I do not know if I will find anything, it does not look as though they had the door cards off.

I will post back very late tonight or in the morning

Are we talking a 210 here or 211

W210 estate, year 2000.
Thanks very much.

 

[television]

W210 estate, year 2000.
Thanks very much.

Then for easy ref here its a 210226

 

[wongl]

This problem has been getting worse day by day until this week the interior light simply stays on pretty much all the time when the engine is running!

Action 1: Ordered and fitted a new switch (A2108210951) to the tailgate which made no difference what so ever.

Action 2: Stuck down the door switches with duck tape and removed one by one until fault returned. Turns out to be front passenger door switch. Remove and disassambled the door switch but couldn't see anything obviously wrong with it as spring and contact seem intact and in good order. In desperation, picked up a new door switch from dealer on Sat morning and fitted it. Guess what? The new switch cured the problem:bannana: