W203 - Facelift Tail Lights / Rear Lights

[A-AvantGarde]

Here's a question that has been in my head since Miro mentioned that rear sams come coded with alarm settings.

Would it be possible for a rear sam to be coded prior to installation? What i'm getting at is can advanced coding be carried out in another car then transferred? IF it can it may be just what some of us are looking for.

Do you know what I was thinking exactly the same thing. Perhaps we could ship out a couple of SAM's to Steve (MBenzNL). I'm tempted to go out to Holland to get some mods done but mail order mods could be a good bet if it will work!

 

[Flash]

I'm tempted to go out to Holland

You mean you fancy going out to have a good time and just need a excuse to go...!!

 

[Wully]

Do you know what I was thinking exactly the same thing. Perhaps we could ship out a couple of SAM's to Steve (MBenzNL). I'm tempted to go out to Holland to get some mods done but mail order mods could be a good bet if it will work!

Let's see what Miro thinks, if anyone on here knows he should.

Mail order mod's - how good would that be!

 

[A-AvantGarde]

You mean you fancy going out to have a good time and just need a excuse to go...!!

Busted...

Hope the wife doesn't see straight through it!

 

[Flash]

Busted...

Well IF you go then I'll just tag along even though I am not going to be doing this mod...

 

[miro]

Here's a question that has been in my head since Miro mentioned that rear sams come coded with alarm settings.

Would it be possible for a rear sam to be coded prior to installation? What i'm getting at is can advanced coding be carried out in another car then transferred? IF it can it may be just what some of us are looking for.

Part + Shipping + Coding fee and still your fuel guage may be set to the wrong values.

Short answer ... no. It is not reliable to perform coding in this way. The rear SAM (fusebox) will respond to value contained within the car when it performs a startup.

To be perfectly frank there are far too many dishonest dealers in the UK who claim all kinds of excessive coding times and many minutes or hours.

I had a client roll into my workspace the other day and ask for a new COMAND. He even showed me an invoice from a workshop that I specifically asked him NOT to visit. It all proved that my COMAND was broken. So in the end he went home with a new phone module and a very strange look on his face.

The phone module was broken (6 years old) and that was the cause of the optical ring not allowing the CD-changer to work. So in the end everything was working perfectly.

 

[Wully]

Thanks Miro

Looks like no new lights for me!

Another question Miro, how does someone get developer mode is it fee based? only asking to get an idea of how these things work.

 

[miro]

Thanks Miro

Looks like no new lights for me!

Another question Miro, how does someone get developer mode is it fee based? only asking to get an idea of how these things work.

I installed the wiring harness and new tail lights in a matter of hours. The developer mode is only for activating the extra bulb. Everything else works.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

I installed the wiring harness and new tail lights in a matter of hours. The developer mode is only for activating the extra bulb. Everything else works.

So seeing as I've got the facelfit lights in the loft, I may now just go ahead with this and get the lights activated sometime by Steve in Holland

Just need to identify the correct part no's for the loom. Anyone with a 2005+ care to help out, thing it's on tag label should be visible from the flap covering the light clusters in the boot area - unless Miro is able to confirm part nos?

 

[Wully]

Was just looking over a view old posts and came across this one.

This link takes you direct to a MB of Milton Keynes - Link

If you read towards the bottom of the ad they are offering a service to change the rear lights?? Surely they don't have developer mode?

 

[miro]

Was just looking over a view old posts and came across this one.

This link takes you direct to a MB of Milton Keynes - Link

If you read towards the bottom of the ad they are offering a service to change the rear lights?? Surely they don't have developer mode?

The pre-2005 to 2005+ difference is appearance and one light globe. There is no reason why a dealership would lose any sleep over this detail. Enthusiasts in this club would notice but most people wont.

 

[Wully]

The pre-2005 to 2005+ difference is appearance and one light globe. There is no reason why a dealership would lose any sleep over this detail. Enthusiasts in this club would notice but most people wont.

So you think they would just go for the one lamp in each cluster? Shocking - It would stand out a mile!

Thanks again Miro.

 

[Flash]

Shocking - It would stand out a mile!

I have to be honest here - I am hardcore W203 fan BUT was ignorant and thought that the only difference with the face lift lamps was the “slight” cosmetic appearance (pearls/dots in the finish - not very noticeable at all) until someone had to point out to me that the side section of the lamp on the rear quarter panel is lit up to. I NEVER noticed this until I was made aware by someone!

 

[Wully]

I NEVER noticed this until I was made aware by someone!

From looking at each model the difference i can see is that the area highlighted is illuminated by the extra lamp:-

 

[riceboy]

Hi guys,

Sorry for resurrecting this thread, I was just wondering would anyone be able to confirm part numbers for the wiring loom that allows the facelift lights to be connected up to a pre facelift car and also advise me where to get them? I’ve read through a couple of different threads and had noticed people talk about a loom/connector that means no crazy soldering has to be done,
Secondly, when the lights are installed can anybody advise me if any garage with STAR can set the 2 lamps to work at the back? Or is there anything different needs to be done to get them to work fully. If it’s a simple task on STAR would anyone have details on how to do it?
Thanks for all your help
Andrew

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Wow, this is an old thread!

The wiring loom would be the easiest & quickest way to do it (as opposed to just changing the connectors from 6 pin to 7 pin manually).

I've replaced the loom on my W203 and fitted the facelift lights. I never did get round to getting the coding looked at to make the whole bottom section light up. What year is your W203? I recall reading somewhere that what is possible to code depends upon the SAM unit fitted to the car and that some older models perhaps before 2002/3 may not support the twin lights.

As I said I've not tried to get the coding done, completley forgot about it until this thread got resurrected! All of the lights function correctly as before with just the loom being replaced.

I will have to check the part no for the loom later for you...

 

[eugekav]

Lights upgrade.

Hi,Is it possible to put some pictures of the upgrade as it sounds quite simple provided the right parts are being fitted and we all like simple but effective mod's.Thanks in anticipation.

Euge.

 

[riceboy]

Wow, this is an old thread!

The wiring loom would be the easiest & quickest way to do it (as opposed to just changing the connectors from 6 pin to 7 pin manually).

I've replaced the loom on my W203 and fitted the facelift lights. I never did get round to getting the coding looked at to make the whole bottom section light up. What year is your W203? I recall reading somewhere that what is possible to code depends upon the SAM unit fitted to the car and that some older models perhaps before 2002/3 may not support the twin lights.

As I said I've not tried to get the coding done, completley forgot about it until this thread got resurrected! All of the lights function correctly as before with just the loom being replaced.

I will have to check the part no for the loom later for you...

Thanks for the reply, I didn’t really like the sounds of replacing the connectors and had read somewhere that a loom is available for a plug and play style mod. If you wouldn’t mind having a look for the part number that would be absolutely brilliant, it would be much appreciated indeed.

My car is 2003, do you think it should be ok? Even if it is not possible I would still go ahead for the cosmetics of the facelift lights, not that noticeable but certainly freshens the car up a bit.

If you get the coding done would you mind posting up how to do it?
Thanks again,
Andrew

 

[A-AvantGarde]

The loom to make fitting the facelift lights really easy is part no: A203 540 6334

 

[riceboy]

Thank you very much indeed You're a gentleman!!