Dear Baffled,

Welcome to the forum. For future help, please complete your profile with car year and location.

This car has a tendency to throw codes on and off right before the part actually fails. This is especially true on the light bulbs in this car. You will get turn signal errors on and off for months before the part actually fails forever.

As far as removing the mirror housing, there is a clip underneath the mirror glass but above the mirror plastic, dead smack in the middle bottom of the housing.

If you don't exactly know where I'm talking about, there is a video in the stickies in the top of the forum called Body Panel Removal. The mirror housing is one of those. Good luck.

 

Thanks! I will check out the video.

 

Hi, if all LED's in mirror housing ares working fine the the related SAM module is defective.

Identify with DAS which one generates the error message and replace it.

Cheers, Frank

 

Hey folks, wanted to reply to this as I have recently gotten this error about "MIRROR TURN SIG., L" check bulb

The LEDs are not lighting up on the driver's side mirror. I checked the encyclopedia, had the same problem as the OP here. There is no catch. I screwed around for like 10 minutes and had no luck.

I logged into StarTEK and found the procedure. The one in the encyclopedia (there are two videos for it) works fine for VINs up to 316716. For any LATER than that (i.e. my car), there is a different procedure.

Remove the mirror (described in document# AR88.70-P-9020M - remove/install mirror glass)
1) Basically you tilt the mirror down and get a long flathead screwdriver. You'll see a spring on the top. Push that up so that the mirror releases.
2) Remove the 3 electrical connections that go to the mirror. Label them or whatever you want so that you connect them back the same way when you put back together.

Mirror is now off. Now removing the plastic bit (described in document# AR88.70-P-9040M - Remove/install outside mirror cover)

3) There's a spring in the top left of the assembly. Push it inwards (towards the back) and then you can easily slide off the mirror cover.
4) Remove the LED part from the plastic assembly and replace it if needed.

I looked the part up in EPC and (for the drivers side) it's part# 220 820 05 21. Parts.com has this available for $34.20

 

Thank you for the update, Mr. Clifton. I'll annotate the Encyclopedia.

 

You're welcome I also documented how to sign up for and use EPC if you're interested in adding that too. Here's a link:
Benz on a budget

 

Yes, thank you. The EPC sign up, WIS access, and parts information have been in the Encyclopedia for quite a while.

 

Procedure to fix the LED module

Hello,

I have had spent some time with the error message and was able to document how I fixed the LED module without buying any parts. BTW, it appeared from the outside that the lights were working, only to see that some of the LEDs worked, and some were very dim.

This is for a S430 2001 model, no idea if it applies to any other years than to '00-'03.

Both my mirrors gave me errors (started with driver's side, once I fixed that one, the passenger side gave me the same error). Both I fixed in the same manner.

This procedure requires:
- The right size torx screw driver, or creative use of a flat-head screw driver
- Intermediate skills with a soldering station or iron
- Preferably solder flux, but you can also use additional solder
- small diagonal cutter

The problem I found with the LED assembly is that the soldering joints between the individual LEDs and the PCB (the board) are cracking (so-called cold-solders). The fix is quite simple, simply reflow the solder and you're good to go. The challenge is to get to the solder side inside the LED module. The pictures below will illustrate how I did it.

First follow the instructions in the stickies on how to remove the mirror cover. The mirror indicator assembly is part of the cover. (http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w22...rums/w220-s-class/1544686-body-panel-removal-interior-exterior.html#post4351769)

I decided to put the instructions inside the pictures. I hope that you can read the text. I tried to adjust the color to the background.

Note that at the end of step 8, you should make sure the assembly works by going back to your car and doing a test. The test is purely to make sure that you did it right and that the LEDs work. You likely will still see the error. After you have put the cover back (after step 9) and have driven the car, the error goes away. I can not explain that need to drive the car once before the error clear, but it did so for me.

I hope this helps someone out there with this problem.

- Edwin

 

Remaining steps

Steps 6-9

 

Thank you for the superb documentation of this fix!! I have highlighted it in the sections of the Encyclopedia dealing with lights and mirrors.

 

I have this same problem and these very good posts certainly make fixing it clear but I'm not sure I'm into successfully removing, soldering the cold joints and replacing the LED unit so am wondering if anyone can advise :-
1... Approx. cost and part number(s) of a new LED unit ?
2...If there is any way of disconnecting or bypassing these lights as they are certainly not necessary here in Australia ?
Any advice is welcome!

 

I have just come across my last post in this thread and realised I should have updated it as, preparing to follow the procedure outlined a little earlier in the thread by ebisek, I removed the mirror's cover, cleaned the electrical contacts which are opened up when the mirror's removed, and refitted the cover just to be sure I could do so later on.
I then had to use the car and the fault had vanished. It has not reoccurred in something like 6 months making it fairly clear my particular problem was dirty or misaligned contacts so I'm updating it now in case it happens to help anyone else.

 

My humble contribution: if the led cluster partially working and some are out, the culprit is most of the time water/moisture at the cluster base.
With age, insulation gets weak.
Remove the the mirror housing, get a hair dryer and blow warm air all around the cluster base 15- 20 minutes. LEDs tolerate the heat pretty well,
but if you use a heat gun, be very careful and keep distance.
After drying the clusters (there are actually two) apply a generous amount of clear RTV silicone adhesive and sealant or the black RTV silicone gasket all around the clusters.
Liquid electric tape also serves well to keep the moisture away. Let the sealant settle and slide the housing back on place. The error message is gone.
Note that the larger and better visible rectangular cluster may have all the rows shining perfect, yet the error message may claim malfunction, since the other, linearly arranged cluster at the wide end of the housing is out. The same treatment applies as described.

 

Good one boney !

 

Hi all, I am about to do this fix on my side mirror LED's.

Does anyone know if the PCB's (only the PCB's, I know the plastic housing is side-specific) from either side are interchangeable? Or will this result in the lights not working/generating an error?

 

Hi all,

Further to the above, I had a "spare" side mirror cover which I was able to use to practice removing the PCB from. Removing the board wasn't so difficult but I suspect the hard part will be the resoldering. Unfortunately the one I practiced on is from the wrong side so I can't use it to replace my faulty one (with cold solders on it), and even the PCB is side specific because it won't slot in to the plastic housing that surrounds it neatly if using the other side (it looks like the plastic is moulded around the solders, the housing has gaps in it lining up with where all solders are).

When fixing my faulty one I intend to remove the PCB from the housing completely (unlike the instructions above which leave one side of the board, i.e. two wires) connected to the mirror. This will allow easier soldering of the board.

 

For those who run into a different form of this issue, when someone removes the cover and then starts up the car, the car's computer--I'm guessing the front SAM--will decide, "ah, there's no load there, so I'll just shut down that circuit." Then, when you put the mirror cover back on, the mirror turn signal doesn't work anymore. I just had this happen with the project S500; while I may not own it anymore, I'm still apparently the "mechanic" for it!

In that situation, I discovered by accident that if you hit the turn signal for that side and leave it on for a minute or two, the car apparently rechecks if there's a load and, if present, will reactivate that circuit. Light works fine now. This happened two days ago, and 15 minutes ago, I got back from getting the car inspected (it passed w/ flying colors).

 

"...while I may not own it anymore, I'm still apparently the "mechanic" for it! "

An excellent reason for not selling a vehicle to friends or family. They always have an unlimited lifetime warranty.

 

Oh, I assure you, it's an act of love. I did this by choice. There's no-one alive I'd rather have done that for.

Though you do raise a good point!

 

Thanks for the infomation cowboyt - sounds like it's better not to turn the indicator on with the mirror cover off, if possible - although it seems the error quickly clears once the cover is back on anyway. Glad your car passed

 

One example on how to fix moisture in the LED casing:
https://w220.ee/Exterior_mirrors#Turn_signal_light

 

Thanks, polseva. Do you maintain the w220.ee site?

Do the facelift indicator light strips fit into a pre-facelift mirror case? The pre-facelift indicator light strips are no longer available.

 

Thanks, polseva. Do you maintain the w220.ee site?

Do the facelift indicator light strips fit into a pre-facelift mirror case? The pre-facelift indicator light strips are no longer available.

Hi,

I thought they did by holding them next to the Mirror, turns out they don't unless you are into major plastic surgery

I bought them for mine :wink

The EBay cheapo Chinese Copies, (around £10 for both)...........................

They don't have the correct wiring plug, making them a PITA to get plugged in as you refit the Mirror Cover. Also they are the worst "fit" in the world, with gaps and tight spots.
They do work without error however, (in hot weather), once you finally get the plug in, (not waterproof like MB one)

I tried a set and ended up binning them, like most of the Chinese stuff I have bought off EBay over the years :laugh

Then I bought MB ones, and they looked externally like they would fit.
Some time later I found they don't actually fit :wink

I ended up buying another set of Chinese ones, lengthened the wires and soldered on the original MB plug !!

I then carefully filed and fettled the edges, which improved the fitment

Later down the line, as the weather got cold they put an error on dash. A 150 ohm resistor across the 2 wires has cured this, and no errors hot cold etc for ages now.

MB ones are not as costly as you would think around £30 each, (in UK), with a bit of discount from the Dealer, one day I may look at if a set of Post Facelift Mirror Covers will fit the Pre Facelift Mirrors :wink

Cheers Dave

 

Thanks for the info Dave. Good to know there is a genuine option still available that fits pre-facelifts. I saw the Chinese ones on eBay but was never keen on them...the original ones work well when all LED's are operating.

The right side mirror I bought on eBay has already had the re-soldering done (I could tell by the way it looked on the inside of the cover). I work with an electrician who has better soldering skills than I do, so for the left side I will probably "outsource" the soldering to him in return for a bottle of his favourite booze

Sorry, I got it wrong way back, see post #24

 

^^ Dave, you just saved me again. I was just about to post this question. Will buy some genuine ones on MBOemParts.com (free shipping till Dec 31, 2018!).

Sorry, I got it wrong way back, see post #24

 

The problem with the Chinese mirrors is not just the poor fitting. They copy the design ( more or less) but replace solid metal parts with plastic.
The mirror worked OK for a while but the plastic threw in the towel after about 9 months (for me).

 

Ahhhh,

Oh F !!

I'd forgotten I wrote that

Yes, this is the trouble with resurrecting an old thread, my post #24, I hadn't actually physically fitted the MB ones, had just held them next to the Mirror Covers on the Car.

Some time later I found that aside from lots of filing, body fillering the covers and then glue to hold them in, nope, the MB ones don't fit !!

I ended up fettling the Chinesiums with a nail file, got them to fit and line up pretty good, and then soldered a 150 ohm resistor across it's terminals, now looks good and works without popping up faults intermittently, I found it popped the faults more on a cold morning than a hot day

The 150 ohm resistors cured this, it is minus 6 outside and I just moved the Car, no errors :grin

I will go edit that post right now, and sorry for causing confuddlement

Cheers Dave