1990 300sl electrical problem

[Hogweed]

i've owned this car for 3 years. bought it with 82k now has 86k. always runs well, never had any issues. last year i zapped my cluster jumping the car (doh!)
had that fixed last month and everything has been good....until last night
i came home from a 60 mile trip and parked it. i went to start it today and it fired up but the battery was weak. i noticed the right turn signal on the dash was on. i had to go to work, so i left it. i looked at it tonight and the battery was dead. i switched it out and not only is the indicator on, but the right side turn signals are on; not blinking but solid. i started the car and went looking for obvious answers.
yesterday the washer fluid light went on, so i was going to get some to fill it up, and i look back and the lights are out! great right?....not so fast. i shut her down and after 10 minutes i looked outside and they're on again!
anyone have this bizarre issues?
thanks
gregg

[tecqboy]

Your headlamp light switch might be turned to the left. There is a function which is used in Europe to turn on either the right or left parking lamps. It is activated by tuning the headlamp switch left of center on my car; one notch activates right parking lamps and second notch left lamps as required.

[Hogweed]

my parking lights aren't on, the turn signal is on.....i checked that first, btw, but that wasn't it

Originally Posted by tecqboy

Your headlamp light switch might be turned to the left. There is a function which is used in Europe to turn on either the right or left parking lamps. It is activated by tuning the headlamp switch left of center on my car; one notch activates right parking lamps and second notch left lamps as required.

[RadioTek]

When you had the cluster repaired after The Incident, did anyone check the alternator? You might want to have that done, you could have lost a diode or regulator.

There is also a widespread recommendation that an additional ground lead be added to the cluster itself, from a ground place on the cluster to a good ground on the frame of the car.


With the description, I'm leaning toward something being damaged in the alternator assembly and having given up the ghost finally. But I'm not psychic (psychotic is open to debate, though).


Scott

[Gilly]

I agree with what tecqboy is saying, unless you are sure it's the brighter element of the tail light/turn signal bulb. To make it easy, what needs to be checked is just to make sure the headlight switch knob is pointing straight up. This feature ONLY works with the ignition switch off.

My advice, is when the problem is occurring, to try wiggling the key in the ignition switch, this style of switch has been known to cause some pretty funky problems.

[Hogweed]

not trying to be disrespectful but having owned about 40 of these cars i'm familiar w/ the 5 position switch. also, i have never seen the turn signal indicator light up on the dash when the switch is turned to the left. as i said above, i thought it might be that but the switch is dead center, and the left side illumination is the parking lights; these are definitely the turn signal

Originally Posted by Gilly

I agree with what tecqboy is saying, unless you are sure it's the brighter element of the tail light/turn signal bulb. To make it easy, what needs to be checked is just to make sure the headlight switch knob is pointing straight up. This feature ONLY works with the ignition switch off.

My advice, is when the problem is occurring, to try wiggling the key in the ignition switch, this style of switch has been known to cause some pretty funky problems.