Rain sensor

[miragecy]

You have pm.

And you have pm as well!

Andy

 

[mapleleaf]

When I had my 203 I too thought I had a rain sensor - but alas when I complained that it wasnt working the dealer took great delight in telling me there wasnt one there. Bottom line, as fuzzer says its not standard but the openings are there so I guess its fairly easy to retrofit the unit & plug it in.

I just got back from a week in Limassol - sunny but Bl**dy cold

 

[miragecy]

And will get colder within the next days...

Andy

 

[miro]

As far as I know all W203's had the rain sensor as standard. I suspect from what you say that your sensor is either faulty or dirty. Give the whole area a good clean, turn the switch to I and cover the sensor with your hand. See what happens

Even if you only had intermittent wipe, the wipers should move constantly on 'I'.

The rain sensor was never standard on the Classic until some time in 2004. From 2000-2001 there was a clip on the glass and the retrofit took no more than 10 minutes.

From 2002-2003 there was only a plastic cover with blank plate and no "lens" for the rain sensor or clip.

From 2003- the sensor clip was the Hella variant which was an all-in-one design and once again a fast retrofit. From 2004- it was standard.

The rain sensor lens has a violet patch in the older BOSCH types. If the glass area for the sensor is all the same colour then the lens is missing and can not be reftrofitted without a glass change.

 

[R2D2]

The rain sensor lens has a violet patch in the older BOSCH types. If the glass area for the sensor is all the same colour then the lens is missing and can not be reftrofitted without a glass change.

Like mine

 

[miragecy]

Like mine

And mine

Andy

 

[fuzzer]

The rain sensor was never standard on the Classic until some time in 2004. From 2000-2001 there was a clip on the glass and the retrofit took no more than 10 minutes.

From 2002-2003 there was only a plastic cover with blank plate and no "lens" for the rain sensor or clip.

From 2003- the sensor clip was the Hella variant which was an all-in-one design and once again a fast retrofit. From 2004- it was standard.

The rain sensor lens has a violet patch in the older BOSCH types. If the glass area for the sensor is all the same colour then the lens is missing and can not be reftrofitted without a glass change.

Ill agree with everything you said except its never been standard on the C class W202 or W203 ever !! maybe on the C32 or C55 , but its always been about £100 quid. Don't believe me? look on the mercedes website and check out the pricelist. £90 for a rain sensor.

IT was i believe part of the comfort pack which was avalible with headlamp wash , rain sensor and folding mirrors .... but never ever standard.

Rain sensor is standard on W211.

Alfie .. you must have a generous dealer who is giving away options for nothing.

 

[nigel cross]

Reading Miros feedback, does that mean I can retrofit mine as it is a 2001 avantguarde. Is the cost about?? and do the stealers have to enable it?
:bannana: :bannana:

 

[Rory]

Ill agree with everything you said except its never been standard on the C class W202 or W203 ever !! maybe on the C32 or C55 , but its always been about £100 quid. Don't believe me? look on the mercedes website and check out the pricelist. £90 for a rain sensor.

IT was i believe part of the comfort pack which was avalible with headlamp wash , rain sensor and folding mirrors .... but never ever standard.

I think we realise that the feature isn't standard, but what I wondered (and am still somewhat confused about) is whether or not the sensor is actually present (either on it's own or combined with the light sensor) and can simply be activated using Star Diagnose.

 

[fuzzer]

Reading Miros feedback, does that mean I can retrofit mine as it is a 2001 avantguarde. Is the cost about?? and do the stealers have to enable it?
:bannana: :bannana:

its about £100 for a sensor.

 

[fuzzer]

I think we realise that the feature isn't standard, but what I wondered (and am still somewhat confused about) is whether or not the sensor is actually present (either on it's own or combined with the light sensor) and can simply be activated using Star Diagnose.

In the picture you posted above , only the Light sensor is present.

 

[miro]

Reading Miros feedback, does that mean I can retrofit mine as it is a 2001 avantguarde. Is the cost about?? and do the stealers have to enable it?
:bannana: :bannana:

The Classic and the Elegance was always the same green glass. So the very early W203 got the same glass as the Elegance. They then brought out the cheap Classic version without the sensor fittings.

The Avantgarde has always had 2 versions - with and without sensor with Blue Band Filter.

After 2003 all cars came with Hella all-in-one unit units which were easily replaced.

In Australia ..... ALL W203 came with rain sensor, UHI and parktronic at no extra cost mid 2004.

Since my W203 is a 2000 model then I was able to clip on the sensor. If I ever change my glass for any reason I will get the Hella version.

 

[Alfie]

The rain sensor was never standard on the Classic until some time in 2004. From 2000-2001 there was a clip on the glass and the retrofit took no more than 10 minutes.

From 2002-2003 there was only a plastic cover with blank plate and no "lens" for the rain sensor or clip.

From 2003- the sensor clip was the Hella variant which was an all-in-one design and once again a fast retrofit. From 2004- it was standard.

The rain sensor lens has a violet patch in the older BOSCH types. If the glass area for the sensor is all the same colour then the lens is missing and can not be reftrofitted without a glass change.

I have two C180 W203's. Both are Elegance models both were ordered from new without specific reference to any rain sensor. Both have the rain sensor and the light sensor. Both were ordered in the same county but not from the same dealership. One is a 51 plate pre facelift W203, the other an 05 facelifted W203.

Perhaps the rain sensor is an 'elegance' standard feature.

 

[R2D2]

I bet thats it Alfie, I bet its an Elegance feature thats not on an Advantgarde that would explain the reason why cars of different ages do/dont have it!

 

[Tan]

Does this sensor come as part of the comfort pack?

 

[miro]

I have two C180 W203's. Both are Elegance models both were ordered from new without specific reference to any rain sensor. Both have the rain sensor and the light sensor. Both were ordered in the same county but not from the same dealership. One is a 51 plate pre facelift W203, the other an 05 facelifted W203.

Perhaps the rain sensor is an 'elegance' standard feature.

It would seem logical that the elegance would always have the rain sensor since the windscreen always had the sensor clips.

 

[tonks]

In the back of the service booklet you should have a vehicle data card with a list of 3 digit option codes. If you have code 345 then you have rain sensors.

For the record, my W03 is an elegance and comes with rain sensors (code 345).

A list of option codes can be found on this or similar links

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~mtor/mbcodedsc.html

 

[miro]

In the back of the service booklet you should have a vehicle data card with a list of 3 digit option codes. If you have code 345 then you have rain sensors.

For the record, my W03 is an elegance and comes with rain sensors (code 345).

A list of option codes can be found on this or similar links

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~mtor/mbcodedsc.html

Now where is the fun in that .... we want to pull pieces off the car to see for ourselves !