2010 Solera, clearence & rear parking lights.

[JLeising]

Originally Posted by pinkstonj

Ok I now have clearance and running light problems. I have a 2012 Solera MB24 that I am setting up a toad, and when I did my first check of the lights everything was ok. After I made up my Solera to my toad cable the running light on the Solera stopped working. So I’ve been reading about this tail light harness and module circuit board panel. Does anyone know where it is located on a MB 24? And is there any fix for the DIY’er?

I have not had this issue, so the following is sourced from this forum. "Use at your own risk".

Assuming the Murphy Bed version has the module in the same place as the "S", see this thread: http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...e-15530-3.html posts 25, 26 and 27. Behind a screwed-on cover above the sewer connection on a shelf.

If you are lucky, maybe you just blew a fuse on this module hooking up your Toad. Post #16 by Pedrodasdas on the "Running Lights Gone" thread shows a picture of the module and its fuses.

There are also several reports of uncrimped wires, a short from a screw through wires, flooded taillights, etc causing this failure and not involving a failed module.

If your module has failed, as to a DIY fix - I've noted three of interest:

1) lowandslow has posted a great work-around approach using the trailer connection. See posts 80, 81 and 82 earlier in this (2010 Solera, clearance and rear parking lights) thread. He has even added a trailer connection. I carry a trailer plug with me "just in case". Inconvenient - you have to unplug the connector to turn the lights off - but a GREAT emergency countermeasure.

2) peterfinurke successfully repaired the module by replacing a defective relay on the board in the module. Running Lights Gone thread linked above, post #54.

3) emilizik reports earlier in this (2010 Solera, clearance and rear parking lights) thread, post #11, that a Mercedes mechanic successfully bypassed the module with a relay.

Should my unit fail, after getting home with lowandslow's workaround, I will likely try this last approach. I believe a 12 volt relay connected with the coil wired between the "park in" wire and ground, and the contacts wired (fused) between the "brown wire" (running lights) and the 12 volt power input wire to the module should work.

Would value comments - particularly from Gyasi.

Let us know how you make out -

[pinkstonj]

Originally Posted by JLeising

I have not had this issue, so the following is sourced from this forum. "Use at your own risk".

Assuming the Murphy Bed version has the module in the same place as the "S", see this thread: http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...e-15530-3.html posts 25, 26 and 27. Behind a screwed-on cover above the sewer connection on a shelf.

If you are lucky, maybe you just blew a fuse on this module hooking up your Toad. Post #16 by Pedrodasdas on the "Running Lights Gone" thread shows a picture of the module and its fuses.

There are also several reports of uncrimped wires, a short from a screw through wires, flooded taillights, etc causing this failure and not involving a failed module.

If your module has failed, as to a DIY fix - I've noted three of interest:

1) lowandslow has posted a great work-around approach using the trailer connection. See posts 80, 81 and 82 earlier in this (2010 Solera, clearance and rear parking lights) thread. He has even added a trailer connection. I carry a trailer plug with me "just in case". Inconvenient - you have to unplug the connector to turn the lights off - but a GREAT emergency countermeasure.

2) peterfinurke successfully repaired the module by replacing a defective relay on the board in the module. Running Lights Gone thread linked above, post #54.

3) emilizik reports earlier in this (2010 Solera, clearance and rear parking lights) thread, post #11, that a Mercedes mechanic successfully bypassed the module with a relay.

Should my unit fail, after getting home with lowandslow's workaround, I will likely try this last approach. I believe a 12 volt relay connected with the coil wired between the "park in" wire and ground, and the contacts wired (fused) between the "brown wire" (running lights) and the 12 volt power input wire to the module should work.

Would value comments - particularly from Gyasi.

Let us know how you make out -

Thanks JLeising. I'm still looking for the module! Reading through the post before I made one, I read about some MB mechanic bypassing a SAM module mentioned in post 51, 55, 56, I was thinking maybe he bypassed a MB module (SAM) up front somewhere. Or is the module he bypassed the one in the picture in post #16 by Pedrodasdas on the "Running Lights Gone"?

[JLeising]

Don't know what was bypassed. My thought is to bypass just the running light portion of the module in pedrodasdas' picture.

[pinkstonj]

So you think the module pedrodasdas' picture is what is bypassed and is added by FR. And there is nothing to do to anything on the MB side like the (SAM module). Oh! The module in pedrodasdas' picture has turned out to be an elusive little creature. Apparently it is hid really well on the Murphy Bed model.

[JLeising]

jamiller45 (a previous Electrical Engineer for FR "C" motorhomes) said "The connection points for most of the wiring from MB to FR is in 2 plugs mounted on the crossmember behind the spare tire." Post #36, "Running lights GONE" thread. Maybe you can follow wires from that point to find your module.

My thought is that the module is actually an array of relays. In my assumption, the coils of the relays are driven by the SAM module. People have indicated that they measure 12 volts on the running light input, but zero on the output. My suspicion is the relay has failed. Note that peterfinurke repaired the module by replacing a relay. My thought is to wire a redundant relay around the defective relay on the board. Don't want to mess with the Mercedes SAM if avoidable.
Again, mine hasn't failed - so all is conjecture!

[pinkstonj]

I found it! The location of the module on the 2012 Solera 24M is behind a panel in the lower rear passenger side storage bin. There was a 10 amp fuse that had blown I replaced it with a 15 amp maybe that will handle the extra lights that I added to the toad without overloading the circuit.

[JLeising]

Great! Congratulations! Sounds like the best result - blown fuse, module okay.

[lowandslow]

I know this thread is old, but I had the problem for almost 8 years. Accordingly, I have to assume some of you also still have it. Now it is permanently fixed!

To recap: my tail/clearance lamps sometimes illuminate and sometimes they don't. When they do work, they stay on and do not flicker or dim.

I designed a "workaround" by using a trailer connector plug to connect the hot lead to the taillight lead, thus back-feeding the lighting circuit. I have been using this device to turn on the lights when they don't work.

Recently, my backup camera failed. I removed the camera and the monitor. Now the light problem is gone. The tail/clearance lights come on every time.

Turns out the camera was electronically interfering with the SAM (Mercedes-Benz computer).

[barnbnb]

Originally Posted by lowandslow

Recently, my backup camera failed. I removed the camera and the monitor. Now the light problem is gone. The tail/clearance lights come on every time.

Turns out the camera was electronically interfering with the SAM (Mercedes-Benz computer).

AND - - - The back up monitor (not camera) was also the issue with poor radio reception in the Solera models. Replace the monitor and the radio finally works as intended. Go figure!