Dangerous lights!

[TDudette]

My 2017 SL lights are giving me the creeps due to the dampness. The weather (cold!), but maybe not quite.

Although it began in the corners, the haze has now spread across the majority of the lights.


I read several notes on this and thought that maybe turning on the fan heater to warm the lights will help. At first, I thought I had it figured out, but as soon as I turn off the heat, the condensation returns.

I suppose water evaporates to petrol when heated, but it doesn't necessarily go out of the light. Is it absorbing additional moisture as it cools down again?

Worse worse, I have just received a notice stating that my "intelligent" lighting is malfunctioning. 🤔

The installation, which involves removing the front bumper, doesn't appear to be easy, but I saw that there are second-hand units available for around £350.

My fingers are crossed that this will go away once the weather warms up, since it might be a summer/winter phenomenon.

Views, pls 👍🏻

[TDudette]

[CyberNinja]

I was wondering whether there was some sort of breather device built in to let out any trapped water vapour. What makes these lights identical?

A thorough STAR diagnosis is required to determine the source of the ILS not working message; nevertheless, considering the quantity of condensation, it is highly probable that the levelling motor has failed.


I wish you the best of luck with the solution.

[TDudette]

You can't tell the two camps apart.

[CyberNinja]

Since it's implausible that two bulbs would undergo that at the same time, it casts doubt on my theory of a clogged breather system.

[TDudette]

After I warmed them up, they were nearly transparent. It's annoying, but it's condensation, not a leak.

[ByteStorm]

This happened to me twice, but each time the problem was with the LED light controller (water ingress), not the headlights themselves.

[TDudette]

Several online sources have informed me that the engine compartment provides access to a cover located behind the light. Even after a quick scan, I failed to spot one!

[Blu_Ray_UK2007]

It finally dried out in the past few days, which is a relief because I had a similar issue on one side.
According to some online research, the trick was to put the little desiccant bags that come with certain electronics inside the electronics bit (where they wouldn't be seen from the outside).
Where did you find R231 ILS headlights that are in good working condition and priced at £350? I couldn't find any sets for less than £1200.

[WiseSage]

This was also on my R231 refresh.


The Voltage Converter was entirely submerged in water as well.

Various Headlights (A2319067900, A2539051601, etc.) for £1440 Costs £192 for a brand new voltage converter plus the cost of diagnostics, labour, a small amount of wiring, and a connector.

The water intrusion is of no concern to MB's used car warranty.