My driver’s side headlight won’t turn on and a new bulb didn’t fix it

ANSWER : Your vehicle has a recall on the headlight wiring connectors and bulbs. If the connectors do not have a made in Mexico tag on them, then they will need to be replaced with new bulbs and connectors as per recall E04 dated March 2005. The recall has to be performed by a qualified dealer and should be free of charge. However, if this doesn’t solve your problem, have a certified technician check your headlight’s out. They will be able to diagnose the issue and make any necessary fixes.

ANSWER : Hello. Ironically, I happen to have a 2000 CLK 430 as well and I experienced an almost identical scenario as you did. I had a fog light out on my vehicle, thinking it was a bulb I went ahead and replaced the light bulb but once I replaced it it still did not fix the issue. Upon further inspection of my vehicle I found that the some of the insulation around the wiring leading to the fog light was brittle and causing wires to be exposed. I taped the wires with some electrical tape because Mercedes-Benz has a very sensitive electrical system and if a wire is exposed it will cause resistance. If the electrical system senses too much resistance it will cut power off to that component to help protect other electrical parts. I suggest to have a technician such as one from YourMechanic inspect the wiring of your fog light that is out, check the fog light fuse in the side fuse compartment, and also check the clearance light bulb. The clearance light bulb is a small bulb located under the fog light and is integrated into the fog light circuit. If the clearance light is out it will interrupt the fog lights power. On my vehicle it was a clearance light being out and the damaged wiring to the fog light causing my fog light to be inoperative. You are able to find a technician and schedule an appointment to evaluate your vehicle here https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fog-or-driving-lights-are-not-working-inspection

ANSWER : The common thread between the headlights and the signal lights is the combination switch. The combination switch controls your signal lights, turns the headlights on and off, as well as controls the high beam function. Most like;y the switch or wiring to the switch has an electrical short. This can cause constant power going to the functions the switch controls. While the combination switch is the most likely cause, wiring can also be a problem so I suggest having a certified technician look into the lights staying on to determine if there is a wiring issue before replacing any components. If the combination switch is found to be the culprit, the technician can replace it for you.

ANSWER : Hi there. These door issues are common on this vehicle. Most of the time the main issue is the master door lock switch on the driver door. It sounds like you already replaced that. As for the sliding door problem, most of the time, this is a failure within the door module or it can be a connection issue.

I typically take the door apart and check the connections on the module and inside of the door just to make sure that there is nothing apparent in there. If the connections and the wiring are fine, then I use a scan tool to check the module to see what the inputs and outputs are doing. If you need to have this looked at, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your door problem and recommend a repair.

ANSWER : Hello, and thank you for writing in. There are several reasons why your vehicle may pull to one side or the other while braking. The first thing to consider is a warped rotor or faulty brake pads. When you replace the pads and rotors on the vehicle you need to replace two or four of them at a time. Replacing just the one on passenger side will not be adequate. With that being said, you are more concerned about the rotors then you are the calibers. The calibers hold the brake pads to the rotors when needed. It is a warped rotor or a bad brake pad that will cause the vehicle to pull. You should start with the full service brake job including machining the rotors to flatten them out if needed, and all new brake pads. If the problem continues after that, get an alignment done on the vehicle. For more help contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : Hi there. The symptoms you’re describing with your boyfriend’s 2002 Grand Cherokee appear to be related to a broken or worn out ignition switch or relay. The ignition switch on the inside of the steering column is attached to multiple electronic connections that send signals to a relay box; which in turn, sends the signal to the individual components. The issue could be related to the ignition switch, the relay, or any of the components in between. If you want to have the fault pinpointed in person, I would have this starting issue inspected by a trained professional to ensure that the correct repair is made.

ANSWER : The steering rack and pinion assembly is mounted in rubber bushings; they may be deteriorated and allowing the rack and pinion to contact the sub frame making the knocking noise.

The other component to look at is the struts upper bearing and rubber bushing. These get dry of lubricant and should be lubed with a teflon grease when installed so the rubber will not get damaged.

Have someone feel the top of the strut mount under the hood while the steering is turned back and forth to see if the knocking or popping is in the strut. The rack and pinion bushings should be inspected from under the vehicle.

If either or both are bad then they will need to be replaced.

A mobile mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, can come to your home or business to inspect the knocking noise at your home or business.

ANSWER : The most likely components to cause this may be the headlight relay, headlight switch, or the ignition switch itself. The relay is an electro-mechanical switch. The headlight switch sends a power signal to it. It then switches on internally to send power to the headlights. If the relay is sticking either in the on or off position, this can cause the lights to stay on or not turn on. If the headlight switch has failed, it may not be signaling the relay properly. With the ignition switch, if the mechanical tumbler portion is worn, it may not be fully moving it’s internals to signal the electrical portion of the switch to turn the lights on or off. Or vice versa, the electrical portion of the switch may have shorted internally.

Since one or more components may be at fault, it may be best to have a certified technician properly diagnose why the headlights are not working to find the exact cause.