VIDEO!! W211 flickering interior and exterior lights.

[BigFactHunt]

Hi, first time poster looking for a little advice if possible.....video included below. ..

I recently bought a W211 e55 and have spent the last couple of months fixing various bits and pieces and getting it to my liking, one strange issue I've been having that I'm struggling to resolve is that the car will randomly without any pattern to it flicker all interior lighting console, dash, doors and overhead...and the nearside(offside front lights both fine)low beam and side light, and both rear lights all flicker , I did suspect the passenger footwear front sam and swapped that out (coded correctly with star) and for a few days I didn't see the issue at all... but it has returned multiple times now....

Additional attributes are :

1: only happens when starting the car and as soon as the ignition is in position 2, has never occurred once car has started normally.
2: when it happens,front lights will come on and flicker regardless of the position of the lighting switch
3: with engine still running , sometimes it stops after a few seconds , sometimes it has gone on for 10 minutes or longer.
4: when this happens ...if i try to check battery voltage when key in position 1 and press trip button three times it doesn't display the battery voltage..weird......
5: as per video the dials of the dash do not light up when it does this but the needles flicker, when it corrects itself the dials light up okay.
6: both batteries are new , MB battery's and voltage when running is at 14.0 - 14.7

I have STAR and it shows no codes of significance to this......that I can see anyhow. ...

Was hoping someone may have seen this behaviour before and could advise

W211 e55 amg lighting / electrical problem: http://youtu.be/BUpSaWZ7gyc

 

[BigFactHunt]

I should also note that there is a clicking sound coming seemingly from within the the dash that accompanies this...sound stops when the flickering stops.

 

[AMGeed]

Welcome to the forum
I'm just waiting for someone to misspell your username

Sorry I can't help with your problem. I have the same model and have never seen that occur on any car I have ever owned???
It may be clutching at straws, but have you checked every earth connection.


Edit, now you've posted a second time, is that clicking a relay?

 

[BigFactHunt]

Hi, not a relay that I can see anyhow, I've checked the ones I the front SAM and it isn't one of those clicking when it happens..... not sure what relay would cause this behaviour either.....

 

[AMGeed]

Hopefully one of the indys that frequent the forum can comment. It's a strange one for sure. Good luck getting it sorted.

 

[kalvin928]

had a quick Google for you.... possible voltage regulator, alternator issue.... similar issues were highlighted in various other sites... another possibility was faulty cd changer drawing too much power..

 

[BigFactHunt]

Interesting. ....One of the fault codes I get is Cd changer defective. ... I'll unplug it tomorrow and run it for a while without it connected ...

I did consider voltage regulator but haven't swapped it out as it seems to run at 14+ volts......

I'll unplug CD changer first and go from there.


Cheers

 

[jazzyglobe]

Have you ever used the car to jump start another vehicle or has it ever been jump started????

 

[BigFactHunt]

Yes.....when I first got the car, jumped it once due to flat battery......

Know better now from reading lots on here.

You think it might have blown something? If so what?

 

[Ted]

If you are running at 14.7 volts then that is too high.
I can't say if it would cause your flickering problems but it needs to be addressed and is a good place to start.
I would get that reading qualified and if correct replace the voltage regulator changed and see what happens.
Correct fully charged voltage at battery should be between 13.8-14.3 but some cars run a little above this.

 

[BigFactHunt]

hi, 14.1 to 14.3 seems the average but it does go to 14.6 to 14.7 now and then.....

I've disconnected the cd changer this morning and will see how that goes before changing the regulator. The only thing that has stopped me doing the regulator so far is that this issue is only on start up then goes away.... rather than being ok when started then appearing when running... which I would have thought would pointh to a regulator....then again these cars seem so electrically sensitive I am ruling nothing out

I'll report back in a week or so if I don't get it again....or sooner if it does

 

[BigFactHunt]

Have marked this as solved as I have not had a single occurrence of this since disconnecting the CD changer , many thanks to kalvin928 who got this one spot on.

 

[Mackhack]

Old thread but why opening another one?

I have the flickering on the E320. My E55 is fine. My flickering is much less but it's there. Basically every light source from headlights to tail lights, all interior lights.

I still have the first main battery in (build date 2003). The car starts fine. Sometimes the convenience features turn off while driving recently. Not always. No pattern.

It still gas the original alternator and regulator in. I don't want to just swap parts and hope it goes away. The CDC is working fine and never through error codes when I connect my SD.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

On a side note: it's crazy that the CDC would cause the headlights to flicker like seen in the video.

 

[richard]

2003 battery, i'd change that. 7 years is good, 13 years is stunning.

The battery acts as a "regulator" for the whole system stopping spikes that confuse (and potentially break) things by supplying power or by charging.

Cheers

Richard

 

[Mackhack]

I thought about it. The E55 still has the first one in too from 2003