Right and left parking lamps (front and rear) are individually fused (#7 and #10 respectively in the side dash fuse panel). I would check power on those fuses with the parking lights turned on. If none of the parking lights work when the switch is turned on, the common area is the switch / module.

 

thank you i will try this today and get back to you on the results.
another issue im having is finding a brand new switch/module, the used one i bought to use as a replacement hasnt given me any good results, it could be that both modules have issue

 

i have a 1997 e320 sedan with oem xenon headlights.
problem is the lights work intermittently completely random as far as i can tell. Parking lights all round stop working along with headlights. I still have working hazards/turn signals brake lights and reverse lights.
ive checked the fuses and they are a in working condition, ive tried a used headlight switch replacement with no success. Rotary switch moves fine, not completely smooth not stuck, seems to have good resistance. Looking in the headlight all wires & connections look good look good.
anything else i should look into?
Tia for the help.
Yes i have done research and thats how i was able to eliminate a few things, im stuck now.

As you stated, for the 97s, xenon, you may also want open the tesa wrap and inspect the wiring insulation itself, going back as far as you can.
Tailend of th eco crap wiring.
For our e50, a few years ago, I did a thorough inspection of that area when I pulled the xenon HL assembly out. It gets hot back there, so, overtime, the wiring insulation get brittle and cracks up. I re-wired and tesa re-wrapped about 3 feet of that section and re-wired the HL assembly itself too (because I'm anal)

 

As you stated, for the 97s, xenon, you may also want open the tesa wrap and inspect the wiring insulation itself, going back as far as you can.
Tailend of th eco crap wiring.
For our e50, a few years ago, I did a thorough inspection of that area when I pulled the xenon HL assembly out. It gets hot back there, so, overtime, the wiring insulation get brittle and cracks up. I re-wired and tesa re-wrapped about 3 feet of that section and re-wired the HL assembly itself too (because I'm anal)

ok great thanks for that ill add that to the list. i absolutely hate that tesa wrap, driver side foot well is a mess with that stuff (car is new to me about a week) i plan on re doing it as much as i can.

 

Ok im using this Multimeter. What should i be testing for exactly?
Im testing fuses 6,7,8,10.

 

You own one, that's good.
Basics:

 

Connect black tip to the chassis ground (the ground stud under the hood behind the driver's headlamps assembly. With the red tip measure the voltage on both sides of the fuses, with the function inactive and active (parking lamps turned on etc.).

You should read 12V on both sides of each of those fuses when function is active, or maybe even inactive). This will show that the headlamp unit is has power for the functions.

 

I am getting -11.8

 

OK, power is not the problem then. The headlight module (it is actually called Illumination Control Module or ICM) supplies each light power individually. But a short in one of the supply lines to ground may affect the others. I would check the resistance to ground at the parking sockets (the 12V sides), with everything turned off and key out. Fist measure if there is voltage across the socket connections, if there is none, then measure the resistance between the 12V connection on the sockets and the chassis ground.

Was there anything you did on the lights (change bulbs etc.) prior to this problem ?

 

OK, power is not the problem then. The headlight module (it is actually called Illumination Control Module or ICM) supplies each light power individually. But a short in one of the supply lines to ground may affect the others. I would check the resistance to ground at the parking sockets (the 12V sides), with everything turned off and key out. Fist measure if there is voltage across the socket connections, if there is none, then measure the resistance between the 12V connection on the sockets and the chassis ground.

Was there anything you did on the lights (change bulbs etc.) prior to this problem ?

Im in good communication with the previous owner and he says it happened without any warning or input from him.
he thinks the issue could be the combination switch on the steering wheel column.
Another note. Rear fogs work, however when i switch the ignition to on position they turn off does that mean anything?

 

There is only one rear fog lamp (left), and it should be on when the fog lamps are on.

The combi switch is for turn signals and high beam flash. These work, right ?

If the two ICMs behave exactly the same way, I think someone messed up with the wiring.

 

I apologize, the rear fog(left) does not work.
When i turn the light switch left the P lights work individually, when i turn the ignition to on they turn off.

No Low Beam!! Light Switch? or Combination Switch?

Is there anyone who comes upon no low beam after turning on light switch in a W124 E320? I have checked Fuses, Ground points at each side...and found nothing unusual... Light switch is good for Car standing (Right & Left), Foglights (Frong & Rear) and only bad for Low Beam:mad:. Combination...

www.benzworld.org

yes high beam flash and hazards/turn signals work.
Ive checked all the connections at the rear and the front nothing looks out of place insulation looks good. I haven’t checked the fog lights doing that next. Front side markers were eliminated and the sockets wrapped with electrical tape, im undoing those and taking a look for possible corrosion.

 

New development.
hit some imperfections on the road and lights came on, i pulled over to inspect bulbs but when i kicked the ebrake, lights went out again, so i released the ebrake and lights came on. And i can do this repeatedly now. I inspected the ebrake mechanism in drive’s footwell and it all looks good no cables interfacing with it. I will inspect under the car and at the rear following the brake cable and update later.

 

New development.
hit some imperfections on the road and lights came on, i pulled over to inspect bulbs but when i kicked the ebrake, lights went out again, so i released the ebrake and lights came on. And i can do this repeatedly now. I inspected the ebrake mechanism in drive’s footwell and it all looks good no cables interfacing with it. I will inspect under the car and at the rear following the brake cable and update later.

Yeah, more likely a wiring issue, when you say lights, do you mean the parking/city lights or the xenon headlights ?

 

Maybe the headlight control module?

Had to use 1998, cannot find diagram for 96.

 

Im curious what these have to do with the lights, can anyone educate me please?!

 

Sensors are used to keep lights level.

 

HID up to '97 diagram and legend.

 

my car is a base model retrofitted with the oem xenon but not wired for the leveling, i can see there is no plug coming in to the headlights for that.
is there anything in the rear related to the headlights/parking lights that the ebrake mechanism could be interfering with? as stated above when i engage the ebrake i loose the headlights/parking lights and when i disengage it lights come back one. i managed to engage the ebrake about 2-3 clicks without the lights going out, any further than that and the lights go out.
i will investigate further later on but for now im happy i have working lights.
thanks all for the replies and the help trying to narrow this down. hope this helps someone else in the future.

 

There are two terminal blocks that the ICM is powered from . One is at the left side footwell (always on) and the other is at the left front door sill (hot when in run and start). The parking brake cable is possibly passing through the same conduit at the left side, and may be moving a cable to cut the power off from the ICM. Test the parking brake movement with the key out, and lights turned on too.