C-Class rear light - melting issue.

[Mikey_W]

MBUK will cover the full cost of these repairs.. We had a bulletin sometime last year

[AMG Merc]

Mikey_W said:

MBUK will cover the full cost of these repairs.. We had a bulletin sometime last year

Yes they will now but people like me had to fight for over a year to get them to admit what was common knowledge on global forums - that they'd used a cable spec unable to carry the current safely. In fact it took them until AFTER the US NTSC forced a recall. I think they work like the airlines: calculate potential deaths versus compensation. In this case individual claims versus the cost of a full recall.

[minddmind]

[quote=Mikey_W]MBUK will cover the full cost of these repairs.. We had a bulletin sometime last year [/quote


Hello Mikey,

I am having this same problem with my car Mecedes C-Class 08 model and have been charged a ridiculous fee right. If there any way you can help please. To my understanding this a factory fault and am not convinced with the quotation as all the symptoms are just exactly similar to what I have read on the forum.

Thanks

[sja]

I have the same issue, melted earths. Emailed vosa, same replay. Now trying merc uk. I'm at the local dealer on Wednesday for a non related issue, may print off vosa email see what they say. My lights at the rear are dimmer on one side, checked clusters, burnt earths on bathe.

[sja]

Emailed mercedes uk, no response as yet..

[sja]

Merc uk said no recall so they won't do anything..

[AMG Merc]

sja said:

Merc uk said no recall so they won't do anything..

That is so wrong

[AMG Merc]

sja said:

Merc uk said no recall so they won't do anything..

That is so wrong

[anonymous-user]

Our SLK was in for its first service today. Within an hour of leaving it I'd had a phone call telling me it was in the service bay and being worked on (?) and a video by e mail, of it up on a ramp showing the underneath was all well and the tyres had plenty of life left. (I kid you not)

Reading this thread one can't help but think MB have their priorities wrong.

[sja]

I have email from vosa confirming an issue. Not given up, emailed local dealership who are trying to get goodwill, but they want detail of every service. Not sure of the connection between a 12k oil change and melted earth wires in boot.. Story continues..

[sja]

Lots of emails to merc dealer.. They put goodwill claim into Mercedes uk which has now been accepted.. So if anyone else has this issue don't give up and replace cables clusters etc out of your own pocket.. It's a fault and I think they could be more helpful, lady from merc uk was quite curt, but hey ho, resolved now hopefully. Taking car on Thursday

[SAPDaniel]

Just wanted to thank contributors to this thread for helping me secure a FOC replacement of my melted rear bulb carrier from Merc UK. All it took was one email to the dealership that sold us the used C180k - including a link to this thread - and I received a phone call the following morning to ask the car's service history (MB for the first 4 years and then MB approved 3rd parties) and mileage (59k) and a second call shortly afterwards to confirm that MBUK would cover all costs related to the fix. They came and collected the car from my home, performed the work, washed the car and returned it the same day. I was prepared for a long slog but the ground work by people like "AMG MERC" seems to have paid off (in my case, at least). Thank you.

[nudda]

i am having this problem in my 2008 w204 *sigh*
the left indiactor flickers when on. Relevant error in dashboard.
Is there something solid I cn take to the dealer to fix this? The cars a 2008 but only done 29k miles. I cant digest a cost fo £200 to fix a factory issue.

Bulletin/recall would be most helpful as I'm planning to take the car to MB for a service next week anyway.

Am in the UK!

Thanks

[merc0711]

Thanks for all your previous posts on this. This thread has probably helped loads of people who have researched the issue and never posted but thought I'd join so I could let you now how valuable the forum is. I too had a regular bulb warning on my 11 plate C250 and noticed the bulbs on one side were really dim. looked at the unit and could see the burning of the plastic unit from the wire. A quick email to Mercedes with me stating it was a known issue and they called back the next day saying they'd cover the cost. Only problem I had was Watford Mercedes couldn't fit it in for a month but all good now. Thanks again guys

[Mitsa123]

Interesting thread, I too have the same problem the rear tail light bulbs kept on fusing and I was unsure of what was causing it I then started to do some research and found out to my shock that the earth wire is too thin and this is a common fault on the Mercedes W204. The wrong gauge wire can cause melting of the block and in some cases in the United states of America it has caused fires. I also contacted Vosa who sent the same response to me as detailed in one of the above replies that they have investigated it and the cause of the fault is the Earth wire/block connector . I contacted Mercedes via email first of all who had no knowledge of this issue I then replied back stating I was surprised that they were not aware and quoted the vosa response. They then said take it to a local Mercedes dealer to have a check. I attended my local Mercedes-Benz dealer and described the issue they informed me that I would have to pay a £100 diagnostic charge. I refused to pay this on the basis that this is not normal wear and tear and for the same issue other cars and other countries have been recalled and as such this is a health and safety issue. On this basis they checked The lights and confirmed that there was indeed an issue however upon realising that I did not use Mercedes-Benz for all the servicing and I quote that I am not a loyal customer that they would not do this for free. This is totally on fare I am not in a contract with Mercedes and I should be able to service my car with any garage I choose. Somehow, I fail to see the correlation between an annual oil change and using a wrong gauge wire on the rear lights. Out of interest, are many people are also aware that there has been a record because the airbags on this Mercedes can go off without notice. I took in the Mercedes to have the SRS actuator (I think) changed. And thought that whilst I was there they could also check the rear lights. I think the only way forward is to contact perhaps watchdog and VOSA again. I have had various forums online which shows that there are many people suffering the same issue and have been to the dealers without success. So in summary, Mercedes-Benz have acknowledged that there is an issue and will only rectify the issue if you have been "A loyal customer to them".

[AMG Merc]

Hi Mitsa 123

Where your vehicle has received service throughout its life is an irrelevance regarding the bulb carrier issue. Whilst its a fact that MB (UK and elsewhere) and UK VOSA (plus the US NTSA) all know about this MB will still make it challenging despite the bad smell customers can create for them. It defies belief that MB acts this way with something so obvious - and so potentially dangerous. It's German based warranty department is notorious for denying claims off the bat. In fact, stage 1 is done by automated software and you're lucky to get human intervention!

Remember too that most MB dealers are factory supported indy's (franchisees) so you can't expect them to help much as it's not their fault. Its different for one of the UK's 6-7 full factory owned dealerships though as they are technically the factory so you can rant at them all you like

Mail me if you need any advice but I'm thinking, unless you want months of grief, best maybe to go to an Indy and get them to supply the bulb carrier cage and re-solder the cables. It should be an hours labour plus a £15 part. Not fair I know.

BTW - Please do some post paragraphing next time mate - blocks of text are bloody hard to read - especially on a mobile device!

Edited by AMG Merc on Tuesday 10th January 18:53

[steve-V8s]

The rear light cluster problem is just one of the many of the things which have failed with boring frequency on my 204.

Usually when you get the bottom of a problem, actually to the nitty gritty why it failed it is usually fairly obviously poor design presumably to save money. When you take a closer look the whole car has been very much built down to a price.

The good thing is most of the problems are common so when you consult the inteweb about the latest issue there is usually a plentiful supply of info.

In addition to the cheap plastic tat nature of the car the main dealers in my experience are so up themselves with self importance and inability that it is funny. Or at least it would be if I hadn't given them loads of money.

With the light cluster there is fairly easy fix. Simply clean up the common ground bar in the cluster and solder a wire onto it. Stick a crimp terminal on the end, remove the ground wire from the inadequate connector (where merc saved 5p a car) and put a matching crimp on there. Takes 5 mins and costs next to nothing.

[cunningjames11]

I too have become aware of this problem. I have a 2007 C220 CDI. Both sides show the same problem, although the drivers side melted the plastic like one of the other contributors has shown. Both light clusters still working, so long as I wiggle the connector in just the right position. In both cases, the problem melted the lead off of the bottom of the brake light bulb, needing a replacement.

However, today my car developed 3 new faults, which I wonder if anyone else has had experience of:

1) The fuel gauge is not working
2) Key fob doesn't work against sensor in centre of windscreen (can only unlock car by pointing at sensor on drivers door handle)
3) Dashboard is telling me that rear indicators are not working - they are, but when engaged using the steering columns stick, the clicking in the dash is rapid. Putting hazards on, they click at the regular rate, but in either case they always flash correctly from the outside.

Are these faults unrelated to the light cluster earthing issue? Has anyone experienced this before, or just my bad luck to discover a new fault all of my own.

Thanks in advance.

[Jacko67]

Hi there,

did you get your melting issue sorted on your rear lights? I too have the same issue where the instrument panel is telling me my rear right indicator bulb is out (even though tits the LED type)? I have a C220 CDI sports estate and when I looked at the bulb cluster and multi pin plug was astonished at how melted it was! The earth pin has completely become detached from the rest of the plug.

Reading what some of the other people had put about the same issues I was horrified to see that the UK doesn't appear to acknowledge it as a re-call issue whereas the USA & Canada have?

Did you manage to get yours sorted out by MB, if so how much did it cost?

thanks RJ

[SirMel]

I had a UK Registered RHD Mercedes C class 2011 model I had a fire in the trunk and it destroyed the car an burnt mu house down has anyone had a similar experience ??