Parking lamps/ light swtich

[n/a]

On the '67 230 finback I learned to drive on, when one turned the light switch counter clockwise one stop, the right side parking lamps would illuminate, two stops, the left ones would illuminate.  To highlight your position when parked in narrow spots is what this was designed for.  Now my 1970 280SL has the exact same switch but nothing happens when I use these two stops (the owner's manual even points out that nothing will happen).  Anyone know when/why this feature left?  My newer BMW even has this feature.  Just curious.


Steve Griswold
1970 280SL signal red/bamboo leather, PS, 3.27 final drive gear ratio, AC, Becker Europa stereo,

[Jonny B]

I don't think this feature left. Have you checked the wiring connections/bulbs? Are there any other electric gremlins out there. I had a bunch on  mine, some of the connectors had the wires backwards, the grounding wire (brown generally) were not connected, etc. It took some good detective work (Thanks Ted G!) to get that all sorted out.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[n/a]

quote:Originally posted by Jonny B

I don't think this feature left. Have you checked the wiring connections/bulbs? Are there any other electric gremlins out there. I had a bunch on  mine, some of the connectors had the wires backwards, the grounding wire (brown generally) were not connected, etc. It took some good detective work (Thanks Ted G!) to get that all sorted out.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

No other electrical problems, and it does specifically state in the 280SL owner's manual that those positions do nothing.  Strange to defeature a car, but they do that even with the new ones now, so perhaps this was the beginning of such a trend.  What does your owners manual say on the 250?  Do they work on yours?

Steve Griswold
1970 280SL signal red/bamboo leather, PS, 3.27 final drive gear ratio, AC, Becker Europa stereo,

[Jonny B]

I just checked the owners manual for my car, and it does state that the park lights, when the switch is rotated counter clockwise will engage. I have an early 250, and a correct 250 SL manual (not the later, combined 250/280 reprint). The lights do work correctly, but did not when I first got the car, hence the reference to the wires being switched around in the headlight connector block.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[TheEngineer]

On my car the parking lights work, except in the front: My car is the US model and the light fixtures in the front don't have the parking light bulbs or the fittings for it. But the tail lights have them and it works just as you describe it.
113044-12-007537 (Jan '69)

[rwmastel]

Steve,

If you do a search on "light switch" or some other key words, you will find lots written about this. Many people have found that a wire was simply disconnected.  If memory serves, the USA headlights may be wired differently than non-USA.  The search will tell all.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Ben]

My '64 230SL Euro has the switch, it has the bulbs and the manual says how it should work, but none do, front or rear. The manual also says it is market dependent !

Where should one look for disconnected wires ?

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi, Ben,
I have the same problem with my '65 UK 230SL (not that is running anymore  :x ).
Wiring diagram shows the wires running from the light switch to the bulbs direct (not fused) so I guess they may be tucked up behind the switch.

naj

65 230SL
68 280SL

[erickmarciano]

my 71 Euro German also does not work it drove me crazy but still did not find the problem



1971 280sl
1962 VW
1954 Allstate vespa
1958 gs150 vespa
1962 gs160 vespa

[DavidAPease]

Naj,

The parking lights are fused, though it's not immediately obvious how.  Fuse 1 feeds all of the "always hot" fused circuits on the car.  One wire from fuse 1 leads back to connection P30 of the ignition switch, which feeds through to connector Pa of the light switch, which powers the parking lamps.  (I've spent many hours pouring over the 230SL wiring diagram - sometimes I feel that I could just about draw it from memory!)  

BTW, I have a very high-resolution scan of the 230SL wiring diagram that I've color-coded and annotated - NOT according to wire colors, but just arbitrary colors for different circuits so that I can follow them more easily.  The full diagram is almost 10MB (!), but I'd be happy to post it here if it's of interest.

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL

[Naj ✝︎]

Thanks for the correction, David.

Have emailed offline asking for a copy of the diagram.

thanks
naj

65 230SL
68 280SL