Euro Headlights for W123 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

steamboatsykes · #1 12-06-2012, 10:56 PM

Still considering my options for a Euro headlight replacement.

I notice that some of the Euro headlights have a vacuum adjust actuator that connect to an inside control switch.

If I want to replace my current headlights with a set of these, can this type of headlight be used without the vacuum connection? Or can the vacuum actuator just be removed?

MBeige · #2 12-06-2012, 11:42 PM

Removal of vacuum actuator is not necessary. Just hook up the electrical wires properly, and you'll be fine. That's the nice thing of having vacuum adjust equipped lights - then later on if you decide to hook them up, you can.

Air&Road · #3 12-07-2012, 08:35 AM

As long as you have the dash mounted valve, there's absolutely nothing to hooking them up. I have fournd them really useful on my 123 cars as well as my current 124. I highly recommend them.

Mark DiSilvestro · #4 12-07-2012, 10:59 AM

Ironically, my Euro wagon came with two broken Hella Euro lights, and moisture had gotten inside to corrode the reflectors, which I understand are NLA. So I installed some USA units I already had as spares for my 240D. Two of the clip-nuts in the front body-panel had to be moved to switch from one light to the other.
As I recall, I also needed to plug the vacuum lines to the headlight adjusters so the car would shut off!
I used some spare headlight harnesses to make adapters, so it's easy to convert back to the Euros. I've now got a set of Bosch Euros with the vacuum adjusters but haven't gotten round to installing them yet.

Happy Motoring, Mark

DieselPaul · #5 12-07-2012, 03:10 PM

As mentioned you can just install the headlights and not do anything to the vacuum pod. If you can find the wood piece and the switch for the dash its worth hooking them up.

I set mine up backwards so at position 3 which aims them down, it is adjusted for normal driving. But if I slide the knob up to 0 it raises the beams up for noticeably more range when driving on highways late at night.

From the factory 0 should be standard driving, and 1 2 3 will aim the beams downward to compensate for the rear of the car going down when you load it up.

MBeige · #6 12-07-2012, 04:32 PM

Paul, try not to use 3 often. If you have vacuum leaks, using 3 might make the problem worse because it bleeds more vacuum than 1 and 2. I'd only use 3 if I really needed to like when going up a steep incline and I need foreground light to see if I'm still on the road. But I do the same as you did - use 1 for normal driving, and 0 for higher visibility (w/o using high beams).

If you do not use the fader switch (wired aftermarket radio directly to speakers), then that's a good spot to use. In the W124, W201 and W126 there is a separate headlight switch bezel for this vacuum switch. In my W123 I simply removed the fader and installed the dial switch in its place.

bmwpowere36m3 · #7 12-08-2012, 09:45 AM

When I installed a set of euro headlights on my 300CD, I couldn't get them to align using the adjusters (ran out of adjustment). The beam, IIRC, was way too low. I didn't have the beam adjuster (nor did I want to buy one), so I simply ran some vacuum lines to the headlights and ran them on "full" vacuum. Only after which I was able to properly align the headlights.

MBeige · #8 12-08-2012, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwpowere36m3

When I installed a set of euro headlights on my 300CD, I couldn't get them to align using the adjusters (ran out of adjustment). The beam, IIRC, was way too low. I didn't have the beam adjuster (nor did I want to buy one), so I simply ran some vacuum lines to the headlights and ran them on "full" vacuum. Only after which I was able to properly align the headlights.

I tried that setup when I haven't yet figured out I had a bad switch. When the engine was off the lights would point down. When I started the engine the lights would point up to the predetermined position based on alignment. Sort of made the car look like it was "waking up"

Ever since permanently borrowing the functional switch from my 190E and transplanting it into my 300D, the 190E's headlights were observed to be aimed way low. So I adjusted them to proper alignment without the switch. I figure when I find a good switch and install it, the lights will now point way too high, so I'll need to readjust lower to proper level.

This confirms that adjustment of the Euro lights w/ vacuum requires a much lower mechanical adjustment range, because the vacuum pods will bring them into proper adjustment level. This also means the engine has to be running and set to the desired "default" in order to adjust them properly. Typically this is "0" but in DieselPaul's case, he used "3" as the default. So now he can adjust the lights to be aimed "higher".