One of the lights that appear on the instrument panel signals that an “exterior light” is not working. I went bulb-hunting and replaced two burned-out bulbs, but the light stayed on. Apparently there is a small light inside the trunk that qualifies as an exterior light. The bulb is missing. Since I don’t have the proper owner’s manual I would like to know what the number of the bulb is that goes there.
Autozone et al should be able to look up the part number for you (though the part finder on their website doesn’t have info for your car).
Be sure you get European spec bulbs (they typically have a stainless steel base as opposed to a brass base). The USA spec bulbs (brass base) will cause the “Light Bulb” light to illuminate, even though they are not burned-out. My wife has a 91 Benz and it took me a long time of chasing bulbs and whatnot to realize this.
Link for the shop manual which will go into much more detail than the owner’s manual. Best money I have spent in terms of repairing my own cars…
Thanks for the tip. 
I can’t afford that manual right now–$94.00 is a bit too steep.
I did, however, find the light bulb I want! I ordered it immediately.
Now if I could only find a right-hand side-view mirror, in black…
I have seen links for pdf versions that run for about half that; my personal preference is for the paper copies but the advantage of computer based is you can print off fresh sheets as you need them. Another option would be AllData, where a subscription gives you unlimited access for a year for about $25.
I have tried to download a manual, but Adobe Reader is screwed up and I have no idea how to get Fox-something-or-other to open a pdf file.
You should be able to re-install Reader by going into your program manager assuming you are using Windows.
I have not been able to get this car’s horn to sound. In fact, I don’t even know where the horn is! :o
The bulb in the trunk is not an exterior light. Most likely you have mismatched bulbs side to side. As has been mentioned, US bulbs draw different amounts of current than a European bulb. Put European bulb on one side of the car and a 'Merican bulb on the other and the bulb failure light will detect the difference and light the bulb failure light.
Important question for you, Dougie:
Has your visceral reaction to all these problems been “Hey, another fun adventure!” or “Dammit, this should be simpler. I wish this would just work!”
Because you are about to spend years hunting down the causes of dozens of little mysteries… some of which will become big problems.
I know, If I hadn’t had a wonderful Mercedes mechanic who really understood my car, I would’ve needed anger management therapy. And meds.
And I could NOT have afforded the very expensive parts if he wasn’t willing to give me cheap alternatives: “Now, I should’ve gotten that uniquely-sized belt from Mercedes for $335 installed, but I tied a shoelace around the gear, which should hold you for a year or so… that’ll be $1.69 and five bucks’ worth of labor.”
Be that as it may, after I got a bulb and managed to install it, the warning light on the instrument panel stopped showing. I had to disconnect the light in the trunk, however, since the trunk will not latch and I don’t want to take a chance on the trunk lid staying open and leaving the light on, thus running the battery down. Until I can get the lid latch fixed the light stays off, the warning light on the instrument panel notwithstanding.
Besides, this car gives me better gas mileage than any other car I have ever driven!
I have located a blown fuse. Considering the cost of replacing it, I know it’s not as simple as putting in a new fuse–whatever blew the old one might blow a new one. What procedure (and tools) does a mechanic use when tracing the possible cause?
P. S. This kind of fuse costs $5.00.
This morning a mechanic who services Mercedes cars checked out my car’s dashboard instrument panel. (He said I need to replace it.) He said the car’s idle speed is high, set in “emergency” mode, whatever that is. He mentioned a “throttle” something-or-other that must be adjusted, repaired or replaced to correct the idle speed. Can anyone tell me the exact name (I forgot the term the mechanic used) for this component and describe what probably must be done? Thanks.
Wouldn’t it be easier to call the mechanic back and ask him? Maybe take notes, and umm, pay attention this time? Once you have his information you can ask questions about it.
This is true…:o
I will be talking to this mechanic Monday; I’m expecting the replacement for that dashboard component on Monday, and he would be installing it…
I should have written it down.:o
I found out that the component I referred to is a “throttle body.”
What is this, and is it complicated to adjust?
I was looking this morning for the automatic transmission fluid dipstick. I thought it would be a good idea to keep tabs on the fluid level, as I have done with every other car I have ever owned. Any ideas about where it might be?