Door interior light switch

[zdr]

Hi -

When my driver side door is opened, the interior light of the car does not light up, nor does the red light on the dash.  When the passenger door is opened, both of these things happen.  The interior light can also be manually turned on.  I'd assume from this that I have a faulty switch on the driver's side door jam.  I haven't been able to figure out how to remove that switch as there are no screws on it, but what look like little rivets. 

Any advice?

Thanks,
David
'69 280 SL

[Benz Dr.]

Use a small screw driver or something with a thin edge to pry the switch out of the A pillar. Some switches are chrome plated brass and some are plastic but neither should break easily. The electrical cable unplugs from the contained switch and it's pretty easy to change out.

[zdr]

Heck - that was easy, thanks!

Definitely that switch is bad - swapped the two sides and the problem moved too.  Also, the driver side switch has a nasty rattle inside when I shake it, so something is loose.  Is this serviceable or something I should just get from MB?

Interestingly (or maybe not), the plastic "plungers" on the two sides are different colors.  The driver/broken is grey, and the other is black.  Looks like that one may not be original.  Does it matter what color that is?

Thanks

[Benz Dr.]

I imagine that early cars are metal and late ones are plastic. It maters if it works and I would try to find one that matches the working one - not that anyone would ever notice how they look.

[scoot]

Heck - that was easy, thanks!

Definitely that switch is bad - swapped the two sides and the problem moved too.  Also, the driver side switch has a nasty rattle inside when I shake it, so something is loose.  Is this serviceable or something I should just get from MB?

Interestingly (or maybe not), the plastic "plungers" on the two sides are different colors.  The driver/broken is grey, and the other is black.  Looks like that one may not be original.  Does it matter what color that is?

Thanks

The plungers are black and sometimes fade to grey.  You can't fix the switch if it is rattling, although trying to spray contact cleaner in it might help.  Buy used off ebay (which I assume is much cheaper than dealer). 

[zdr]

Thanks everyone - I'll try finding one.

[Benz Dr.]

Any old sedan from that era would use the same very common part.

[Jonny B]

Ebay is the place to find these. Curious on one item. Did your switch (on the driver's side) have four contacts or two? My 280 SL had a black plastic faced switch, and I wanted to get one with the chrome finish. I found one easily enough, but the black switch that was in the car had four contacts, the replacement only two. I went with the replacement, as I believe the other two contacts were for the ignition key buzzer. I just fit the four hole receptacle on the two poles of the switch, and good to go.

[zdr]

Mine has two contacts and some sort of metal (nickel?) face plate.  All of the ones I've seen online have black face plates.  I ordered from from MB for $75, not sure yet if will match mine or not but parts guy thought it would (but didn't know for sure).  Will let you know next week when it gets here.

[Scottcorvette]

I need a couple for mine , when I enquired to MB about a new one it was the black plastic type, not the metal one. I would like a couple of good metal ones.

[Benz Dr.]

You would probably need pre 280SL to get that. I'm not sure when they changed the early ones are chrome plated brass.

[Jonny B]

Here are a couple of US ebay numbers
172065143161
262026523782

[zdr]

As suspected, the part from MB was black plastic and not correct.  Will get one of the available used ones I've found.
Thanks everyone!