There are cheap ways to install city lights into US DOT headlight assemblies. First is the Hella H4 conversions that have city lights. You'll have to tap the park light to get power for the tiny city light bulb. No cutting of the headlight bucket.

The other way is to get city/town light adaptors that fit snugly in tandem with the H4 bulb, like a collar. Just the same, tap the park light function (then just tape off the other contact on the double contact bulb for the park light if you wish, so it only flashes and does not turn on with the city/park lights). Though I haven't done this I doubt if this will require cutting the headlight buckets as well.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

Not sure if it's clear enough but this is probably how the city lights would look on the US DOT assemblies. In the image below my car has Hella H4's with no city lights (must be the ambient light). So when I switched to Euros... (see next image)



And this is how the city lights look with the square Euro lights:



As you can see even in broad day light the city lights have a distinct appearance to them. A bit like DRL's to me in a way, rather than turn on the headlights. The city lights basically allow you to be seen easier.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

My '84 190D 2.2, 5 Speed, operates with the Fogs independent of the headlights. I like that arrangement, and the visibility in thick fog is far superior to the '85 300D with the low beam on along with the fogs. I had assumed that this was simply how the W201 cars were supposed to operate. I have had no indication that my 190D is anything other than a car built for the US market.....vin works in searches, and I had a friend at the MVA check it....it was originally part of a fleet in Florida.

Thanks for that link to the write-up on the conversion.....I definitely will look into doing it sometime in the future.

I didn't consider doing "city lights" when I ordered the Hella's, mainly because I live way out in the boonies, and rarely spend any time, in any city! However I have spent a great deal of time in Europe, and I know that the automotive public has a way different outlook on roadway courtesy. Most folks here in the USA don't even understand the "parking lights", rotation of the light switch counter clockwise from "off"...my Eicher tractor even has euro parking lights.....

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

Folks,

Since we have wound up discussing rearranging our wiring to conform to Euro W123's......has anyone hooked up the "rear foglight"? The light switch has the second detent when pulled, and the position for the bulb is in the taillight assembly.

I would think that the US wiring harness would not be all that different from the Euro harness....so perhaps the wiring is all there as well.....if so, then it would only be a matter of installing a bulb socket into the taillight assembly and hooking it up.....

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

there is a pictorial here

many of us not in extreme climates felt that the brake light mod was a better use of the extra light socket location (interior red lens on the w123), although with some fairly advanced wiring you could probably have both.

A guy on ebay sells a kit which makes it super easy to add the additional brake light.

Thanks for the link to the ebay seller for the brake light mod. When I did that mod a few years ago, I had to look thru several junk yards to get undamaged sockets. One of these days, I'll add two diodes and the extra wiring so they can be used for both extra brake lights and rear fogs.

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Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

Can you take a picture or describe how the fogs are attached to the bumper/body on the 115? My 240 does not have them and I'd like to install some. I was looking for a set off of another car, but I may as well just get a new set of Hella 500's.

I also swapped my sealed beams for some Bosch H4's that my mechanic had. They are a great improvement and I like the flat look of them as well.

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1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now

I tried the Hella H4 conversions with city lights in my W123. They didn't fit without needing some cutting. I put the Hella's in another vehicle that I own.

I didn't really like the quality of the city light collar conversion so I didn't even check to see if they would fit without cutting. Eventually. I went to a DRL conversion that runs the low beams at about 75% for long bulb life.

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Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

Ive bought from Susquehanna before. I have 5 3/4 E-code Hellas on my E30 BMW and love them. Ive run Bosch and Cibie E-codes on my W123s. Supposedly Cibies are the best beam pattern, but they are all better than sealed beams. Id run Hella E-codes.

The bosch lights I had in my 83 included city lights. Honestly there is no point if you have to tap into the parking lights. The whole point is to have them as a DRL of sorts or specifically for use in the city. IMO if youre not going to hardwire them in (even if via a different switch), there is no reason.

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (116k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
2008 ML320 CDI (199k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (267k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K), 1985 300D (233K), 1993 300D 2.5T (338k), 1993 300SD (291k)

I have 7" bosch "ecode" lights with osram 55/60w and bought the 5 1/4 hella ecodes from them that I replaced my yellow fogs with. I have 55w hi/lo hids in them that are switched by the factory fog light switch and the solenoid that controls hi beam is triggered by the factory high beams.

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83 300CD- sanden, dual p/f condensers, 160a alternator, ect
91 300TD- 722.6, #22 head, 3.5L IP, w140 manifolds, ect

I must be the odd one out. I've ordered from Rallylights several times. Every single time they've screwed up the order and every single time they've been near impossible to get in touch with.

Daniel Stern for me. I also like the Cibie sealed beam conversions better than Hella.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

My last order from them was problematic. Hella H4's (spares) that arrived were all made in India!

Folks have also had problems with Daniel Stern also in terms of response time (due to his unique system).

Could be a case-to-case basis.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

I've ordered from these folks,
Rally Lights, Hella, TerraTrip, Hans, WRC, ZAMP - RallyLights.com
no problem, that was a long time ago tho.

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83 SD

84 CD

I've definitely had that issue with Stern as well. Sometimes he replies to my email in minutes, sometimes I never hear back.

Seems like, when it comes to high quality lighting, it helps to "know a guy."

Incidentally, Candlepowerforums has an automotive lighting section. Great source for information, moderated by someone who seems to be pretty high up in the industry. You have to either seriously know your stuff or have some thick skin, those guys don't suffer fools at all and will tell you in brutal clarity why you are wrong.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap