wierd electronic problems just started yesterday

[johnnybravo]

hi guys
i have a c200 esprit 99T manual and last week, the driver-=side rear passsenger electric window got 'stuck' and wouldn't go up or down. i could hear the 'motor' whirring/ticking when the window button was pressed but no movement. so i pshed the window as high as it could go to temporarily hold it so i could source a new window mechanism, this left a small 5-10mm gap at the top of the window where it wouldn't go any further up. a week passed and a couple days of rain meant a few drops did get in, but i didn't think it was anything significant.

last night i noticed my auto-door light wouldn't come on when the doors were opened. all the lights work ok otherwise but even setting the auto-door light on the top console wouldn't make the lights go on when the door is opened.

also, i have noticed now that all the doors don't open when i open the driver's door with ignition running, they all remain unlocked and i have to press the button on the dash to open it.

thirdly, i have noticed the lights don't flash three times when i remotely lock the car anymore, even though the car IS locked. when centrally unlocking, the lights flash once as normal and the car is unlocked.

i'm thinking something is up with my electrics and could be linked to that gap in the window i left for a week.

how can i go about diagnosing the problem? thanks

[Sulaco]

These problems used to be easy on my pre-update 1994 C280. The sunroof leaked on that thing for more than 8 years and never caused any electrical problems inside. Sometimes I'd forget to park under a cover, and it would rain. I'd come out to my car later to find the front seats with a pool of water in them and the entire dash/center console completely covered in rain water = never a problem.

[Sulaco]

These problems used to be easy on my pre-update 1994 C280. The sunroof leaked on that thing for more than 8 years and never caused any electrical problems inside. Sometimes I'd forget to park under a cover, and it would rain. I'd come out to my car later to find the front seats with a pool of water in them and the entire dash/center console completely covered in rain water = never a problem.

Edit: sorry for being unhelpful. have you checked fuses?

[johnnybravo]

ive checked fuses and because all these symptoms came at the same time im thinking it could be a vacuum leak or my vacuum in the trunk on the right hand side, should i disconnect the battery and reconnect to do a re-set? would really like some instructions from an expert!

[strictlyspeakin]

Start by fixing what you know went wrong. Take the door panel off and find out what's wrong with the lift.

I doubt that the rear door getting a little wet has anything to do with it. I'd suspect the switch on the top console for the first problem.

My 190 used to do open the locks when the driver door opened, but I've never really tried in my 220. A reset couldn't hurt. A vaccuum leak wouldn't manifest itself like that. You'd notice 1 door acting strange, or 4 doors only working while the car is running.

[johnnybravo]

Start by fixing what you know went wrong. Take the door panel off and find out what's wrong with the lift.

I doubt that the rear door getting a little wet has anything to do with it. I'd suspect the switch on the top console for the first problem.

My 190 used to do open the locks when the driver door opened, but I've never really tried in my 220. A reset couldn't hurt. A vaccuum leak wouldn't manifest itself like that. You'd notice 1 door acting strange, or 4 doors only working while the car is running.

thanks for the reply, the buttons on the top console all work as normal, even the auto-door light button works but doesn't on doors open. ive sourced a window winder so will put that in on monday, i'm even stalling disconnecting the battery because i understand all four windows have to be reset after doing this but because my driver rear is stuck i dont want to do the battery disconnection before sorting the window

as for the central locking lights not flashing three times when remotely locking, its stumped me because the car locks/unlocks as it should

[hipnimahop]

the reason why you dont get your 3 flashes is because the system thinks one or more of the doors is not locked. so it might be that your windows mecanism brocked the vaccume lines inside your rear left door, but its steal working so it means its leaking or the line is almost blocked. as for your door light, it might just be the black botton (door sensor) that is brooken, it happens. it takes 5 min to change it. so start by opening your door cover and take a look.
sorry for my bad writing, I speak french. :D

[johnnybravo]

hi guys, ok i removed the door card and found the actual window winder wire had rusted and snapped, hence the window not working, so i put in a new winder, disconnected the battery and reconnected then reset all the windows in the correct manner, however my car still wont flash three times upon lock, the autro-door light still doesn't work and the door lock button on the dash still doesnt lock all the doors, although all doors auto lock when the car starts moving. am i missing something? maybe an ecu reset? vaccuum pump? all the symptoms are the same except the window is now fixed and working.

[hipnimahop]

if your car locks all the doors when you start driving, that means the vacuum pump is working. tell me which doors are not locking ?? always the same ones ?? have you tryed it with you spare key ??

[johnnybravo]

hpinimahop, the vacuum pump is defo working, all the doors unlock/lock as they should with the key fob, they don't lock/unlock with the dash button, the car doesn't flash three times when locking and the auto door lights dont come on when i open the doors slthough all the buttons/lights on the overhead console work fine, this all started when the drivers's rear window winder broke.

[hipnimahop]

have you got the smart-key ?? and have you checked the switch on the dash to see if its defective ??

[johnnybravo]

i have the smart key yes. all buttons work fine including the trunk release. im sure the button on the dash is fine, the car thinks one of the doors/windows is still unlocked hence it not flashing 3 times when locking with the key fob? if you read from the start of this thread you will see how the problems only started when the rear window winder snapped.

[johnnybravo]

maybe you're right about the window mechanism damagin a vacuum line inside the doorr. what colour are these lines, what am i checking for?