Licence Lamps and 3rd Brake Light Warning

[barneybeardsall]

Normal routine this morning for me to get into the car before the slog to work... open the boot.. drop the gear in and then get into the car and drive off.... only to presented by 3 Malfunctions on the display... Left Licence Lamp, Right Licence Lamp, 3rd Brake Light warnings displayed on the cluster... Knowing that the W211 suffers with computers and bugs... I thought... ok... stop the car and manually check the lights, both are out... so I tried to open the boot to take a closer look... no joy... no noise or anything.... so I lock the car and wait and then unlock it... tries to open the boot... it opens as normal... I think ok... computer bug.... jump back in and drive off.... warnings re-appear on the cluster.... so I just continue as normal and decide to post on here to try and get answers....

 

[barneybeardsall]

Just a thought.... I've been having some problems with the boot catch that doesn't always open electronically... i.e the latch makes the normal shuffle noise... but doesn't release.... maybe the latch is now faulty and drawing too much current.. causing the car to shut down the circuitry to the boot lid.

 

[Dieselman]

Sounds like there may be a break in the boot lid wiring at the hinge.

 

[barneybeardsall]

Does anyone have the wiring diagram for a W211 Saloon.. so I can track down the offending wires...

 

[television]

I think that you have the fault where water enters the high mounted rear stop lamp and causes malfunctions in the lighting and or water is coming into the floor of the boot

 

[barneybeardsall]

I think that you have the fault where water enters the high mounted rear stop lamp and causes malfunctions in the lighting and or water is coming into the floor of the boot

thinking about this.. this is quite possible... we had so much rain yesterday am... along with a rear end shunt a year ago... after that I had water in the floor under the spare wheel... but this went back in for this about 1 year ago... I will check later to see if there is any water in the floor again...

 

[barneybeardsall]

Thanks for all your help guys... I tracked down the problem to a broken wire on the boot arms:bannana: :bannana:

 

[showki]

Right-hand licence plate/Left-hand licence plate/3rd brake lamp

Hi all,
I have the same kind of problem reported here maybe a forum member would be kind enough to offer some help/suggestion.
Car E320CDi 2003 W211 Saloon.

Last week opened my boot using the Merc FOB after closing it and returning 5 mins later I noticed that it would now not open again using the same FOB.
Thinking it might be the battery in the FOB I used the spare which I know to be good, however without any luck.
when starting the car I noticed 3 error messages on the console
Right-hand licence plate lamp
Left-hand licence plate lamp
3rd brake lamp.
On visual inspection I confirmed that they indeed were not working I also noticed that the internal boot release in the drivers door did not work as do not the internal boot lights, the only way I can open the boot is to use the emergency key within the FOB.

thanks in advance.

Showki

 

[Dieselman]

Thanks for all your help guys... I tracked down the problem to a broken wire on the boot arms:bannana: :bannana:

Here is the answer.

 

[showki]

Thank you!
Brown wire (guessing live feed) to the base of the left boot arm nearest to the fuse box, had become worn. Weak as it was I presume my last action of opening the boot had just finally pulled it apart.