License plate lights

Larms

Member
Trying to locate the origin of the wires going to the rear door buttons for my license plate lights. Also. High beams do not work unless I hold the stalk rearward. Ideas please folks. I'm needing to get this sprinter inspected this next week. I've gotten almost everything else finished. After this little stuff is done I'll be working on body work. Oh one other item on my bucket list. Instrument panel doesn't light up. No amount of dimming works for it.
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
Have you tried rotating the end of the light stalk forward (counter clockwise on the stick)? That turns on the headlights and dash lights. Pushing the stalk forward with the switch in this position will turn on the high beams. The license plate wiring is buried in the rear DS pillar. But should turn on with the headlights. The daytime running lights don’t include the license plate lights. If turning on the circuit doesn’t do the job check your fuses and relays under the drivers seat
 
Trying to locate the origin of the wires going to the rear door buttons for my license plate lights. Also. High beams do not work unless I hold the stalk rearward. Ideas please folks. I'm needing to get this sprinter inspected this next week. I've gotten almost everything else finished. After this little stuff is done I'll be working on body work. Oh one other item on my bucket list. Instrument panel doesn't light up. No amount of dimming works for it.
On most vehicles, the instrument panel illumination is powered by the tail / running / marker / parking / license plate lamp circuit. Do your tail / running / marker / parking / license plate lamps illuminate?

And I'd be wanting to have a look at that multifunction switch regarding your high beam concern.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
You didn't provide your model year, so here are:
the 2003 service manual: http://www.diysprinter.co.uk/reference/05 service manual.pdf

the 2006 service manual: http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/2006-VA-SM.pdf

... the wiring diagrams are section 8W, and the end of that locates the connectors.

Check all of your fuses on the fuse block under the steering wheel ... the rear lights are spread across many of them.
Theoretically, they come from fuse 1 (10 amps) on that block.

A not-uncommon failure is for the wire in the pillar (or door) to pop off the back of the springy pin assembly.

--dick
 
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Larms

Member
Sorry mine is a 2005. I know how to turn the lights on. High beams do not work when the stalk is pushed forward. Checked all fuses. Are the high beams on a relay? And found the wiring for the license plate light. Its dead. How far forward I don't know yet. I have checked fuses under drivers seat. I have not checked for others. The hardest part for me is coming home after work and having about 1 hr of daylight left to work on the van.
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
Sorry mine is a 2005. I know how to turn the lights on. High beams do not work when the stalk is pushed forward. Checked all fuses. Are the high beams on a relay? And found the wiring for the license plate light. Its dead. How far forward I don't know yet. I have checked fuses under drivers seat. I have not checked for others. The hardest part for me is coming home after work and having about 1 hr of daylight left to work on the van.
Have you tried pulling the DRL fuses and trying the multifunction switch? If the headlights don’t go on with the switch in the on position then you probably have either a bad relay or switch connections. Try swapping the light control relay with its neighbor and see what happens. If you can confirm good contacts at the relay but it’s not functioning then the answer is most likely in your steering column.

The DRLs make things a bit needlessly complicated, I think there’s a fuse for every build lol
 

220629

Well-known member
This has come up before. There is a common circuit for the dash lights and the license plate light. I don't recall the details though. Be certain to double check all of the FB#1 fuses under the steering column. Visual inspection may not be good enough. The fuse element can open and still look ok visually. The fuse map on the cover isn't to be trusted as the information there is sometimes incomplete. Check ALL of the fuses.

:2cents: vic
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I have checked fuses under drivers seat. I have not checked for others.
The fuses involved (for the headlights and license plate lights) are not on the driver's seat.
They're under the steering wheel.

(a surprising number of owners don't know that there are some there)

--dick
 

Larms

Member
Ok instrument panel lights and license plate lights working. Now to swap relays and see if that works.
 

Larms

Member
Ok no dice so far on getting highbeams. I really didn't want to have to buy/change out the multifunction switch
 

Larms

Member
Have you tried pulling the DRL fuses and trying the multifunction switch? If the headlights don’t go on with the switch in the on position then you probably have either a bad relay or switch connections. Try swapping the light control relay with its neighbor and see what happens. If you can confirm good contacts at the relay but it’s not functioning then the answer is most likely in your steering column.

The DRLs make things a bit needlessly complicated, I think there’s a fuse for every build lol
Ok not certain of location of light control relay. All lights work now. Except highbeams.
 

Cheyenne

UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
Ok not certain of location of light control relay. All lights work now. Except highbeams.
Have you checked the bulbs? It's not uncommon for them to both blow at the same time, one blowing seems to cause a surge and blow the other!

Keith.
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
Ok not certain of location of light control relay. All lights work now. Except highbeams.
I dug around and found that there does not seem to be a relay for the high beams under the seat or anywhere else, the two relays I was thinking of are for the DLR system. Seems that this is all through the multi function switch. The circuit diagram shows the multifunction switch is connected to the body control module under the seat. Good troubleshooting on your part, you seem to have worked through the possibilities. what was going on with the license plate lights?
 

BrennWagon

He’s just this guy, you know?
I just had a stupid idea. Try spraying some compressed air into the switch by the joint. There may be a little piece of something keeping the switch from moving all the way forward and actually making contact. If you aren’t driving the van right now you could certainly pull the switch out and play with it to see if you can get it serviceable again.
Who knows, a little contact cleaner might even do the job but I don’t know how it would interact with those particular plastics (probably just fine) and it would likely wash away whatever grease the mechanism wants for smooth operation. This is only a suggestion if you have some time on your hands and feel like tinkering.
You could also test the switch with a multimeter and confirm that it’s bad before ordering a new one.
 

220629

Well-known member
For clarification.
The 2 ea. relays under the seat are definitely for the low beam DRL controls only.

Without DRL the contacts in the MFS twist select directly control both the low beam and high beam headlamps.

I agree with checking the lamps, and fuses if not already verified as good.

Another possibility is the connector contact fingers within the MFS/FB#1... not that there aren't other possibilities too.

:2cents: vic
 

220629

Well-known member
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10876

An interesting dissection of the multifunction switch
Not that you asked...

Based upon my one time experience, "interesting" is as far as I would go with dissection of an MFS. It is not an easy part to systematically disassemble, repair, and return to operating condition. The part is commonly available for about 65 - 100 bucks. Worth the purchase price in my opinion.

The heavy currents of the headlamp circuits seem to be an Achilles heel. If you like a challenge, rebuilding the MFS is likely possible.

:cheers: vic
 

Larms

Member
I have to agree. The multifunction switch is bad. License plate lights and instrument panel lights were the fuse panel itself. Terminals had been pushed back. All set there now. All clean contacts on fuse panel. Big thanks for all the help folks.
 
I have to agree. The multifunction switch is bad. License plate lights and instrument panel lights were the fuse panel itself. Terminals had been pushed back. All set there now. All clean contacts on fuse panel. Big thanks for all the help folks.
You're welcome. Happy to help. :thumbup:
 

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