W204 Parking lights intermittantly on

[reflexboy]

Evening-On my Dad's 2009, W204 the offside parking lights intermittently come on for a few seconds then go off. The headlamp switch is in the off position when this happens. I have wiggled the switch thinking is may be going bad but that seems to have no effect and I cannot replicate the problem. I was thinking, with it in the off position and with me wiggling it, the parking lights may come on proving the switch is faulty-No such luck.
Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Mine did this the night I bought mine, couldn't work it out

Left it on 'A' ever since and problem solved

 

[amiller81]

Check he's not left the indicator on!

 

[MancMike]

The wires aren't powered permanently. The system "tries" applying power for a few seconds, and if it doesn't seem right, stops.

I had this with dodgy 501 LEDs. They'd light, then go out, then light, in a kind of random fashion. If you put a multimeter on the pins, you'll get no voltage, as the system won't apply power if it's not the expected load.

If it's got LEDs, try regular 501 bulbs to test as it could be that.

 

[reflexboy]

The wires aren't powered permanently. The system "tries" applying power for a few seconds, and if it doesn't seem right, stops.

I had this with dodgy 501 LEDs. They'd light, then go out, then light, in a kind of random fashion. If you put a multimeter on the pins, you'll get no voltage, as the system won't apply power if it's not the expected load.

If it's got LEDs, try regular 501 bulbs to test as it could be that.

Just the standard 501 bulbs, no LEDs. Will tell him to put the switch to 'Auto' and try that. He's old fashioned and likes everything to be 'off' including lights, wipers, radio, A/C+heater etc before he turns the ignition off.

 

[reflexboy]

Check he's not left the indicator on!

The parking lights operate from the headlamp switch, not the indicator stalk

 

[whitenemesis]

But the indicator stalk tells the system which parking lamp to illuminate?

 

[reflexboy]

But the indicator stalk tells the system which parking lamp to illuminate?

I don't think it does. The are two positions on the headlamp switch to turn on the nearside or offside parking light.

 

[Ted]

This was a common feature from german built (includingFords) from the past.
You used to see it often where someone had pulled in and left the indicator arm on, so the lights were illuminated on the 'wrong'side.
Mercedes have had this on the light switch for some time.

It still isn't legal as if you are required to have parking lights on, then all lights should be illuminated. Legal if you aren't required to have parking lights.

 

[Roomym]

W204 light switch is a known problem, lots fail from a certain period and I think that your car falls under that time frame.