Dear friends:

I have never paid attention to different colors that a car's tail light has. Today, when I was trying to check my 300SD's tail lights' bulbs, I noticed that there are 3 different colors: RED, ORANGE and WHITE.

For either the left or right tail light, the order of these colors are as follows (counting from outside to inside):

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|red|orange| red |white|red|
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I know that the big middle red is for darkness illumination and brake light (it has 2 different bulbs of 21W with a reflector, and 10W). The red area of the left (above drawing) is also for darkness illumination (10W bulb). However, I don't know what the purposes of the orange area, the white area, and the red area on the right side (above drawing) are. There is a 21W bulb in the orange area, a 21W bulb in the white area and no bulb in the red area on the right side. The strange thing is that I never saw the bulbs in the orange and white areas lighting up.

Could someone explain the purpose of each color?

Thanks a lot.

Best regards,

Eric

Eric:

Orange is for the turn signals, makes them much easier to see.

The white is the back-up lights, light things up so you can see what is behind you while reversing. I can remember when these were uncommon -- backing up could be a "touchy-feely" experience!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

There are also separate running and brake lights in red. I always figured the only reason third brake lights are effective in the US is that many American cars use the same bulb to serve as the running, brake and turn signal light, albeit with a double filament bulb. If a segment of tail light is not lit, it's easy to tell when it lights. If a segment of tail light is lit, it's not so easy to tell when it gets brighter. Most European manufacturers seem to stick to this thinking.

The innermost segment is the rear fog light. Only the driver side is used in Europe. It comes on when you pull the light switch out two clicks. US MBs through 85 didn't have a bulb in the left fog light position. US MBs from 86 did... or so it seems. What the purpose of a rear foglight is on US roads besides annoying and confusing other drivers is beyond me.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

Dear psfred and sixto:

Thank you very much for your very clear explanations. I learn a little bit more about my cars everyday thanks to helpful people like you.

sixto seems to be very knowledgeable with all tiny things about cars. You killed both of my 2 quizzes in no time flat :-).

Thanks again.

Best regards,

Eric

It's not knowledge, it's google.com

All my brain capacity that should contain logic contains trivia. Fun but not profitable.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

Logic is not something stored by a brain. A brain has many inter-related segments, and one of them is responsible for performing logic processing on the data acquired and stored in memory.

A brain's logic performance is acquired and enhanced by the continuous practice of thinking and reasoning. Our brain's memory capacity is almost unlimited, but the biggest problem is that our brain does not have a very reliable and super fast "search" function like a supercomputer :-)

Hey, it's not easy to search google.com for information about Mercedes fog light tidbits (what year, what bulb etc... :-)

I like trivia!

Eric

Here's a question...would anything be negatively affected (i.e. cruise control) if the bulb-less rear fog light was re-wired as a second brake light? I've idly thought about doing this, but wasn't sure if it was such a good idea...

Beats having a part of the light assembly sitting there doing nothing, eh?

Just an idea...thanks!

Dear the Warden:

There would be absolutely no problem with anything in your car. Also, remember that brake usage is intermittent, so current consumption is negligible.

Eric

Warden
I have read here and in other places that MB warns about using most of our domestic brands of brake light bulbs. Seems they draw too much current and will fry the cruise amp. The recommendation is to use Bosch bulbs.
I don't know wha the effect of wiring an extra bulb in that circuit, but I would want to bet my rebuilt cruise contol amp on it.

This is why I asked the question.

Actually, I think I've seen it done before, on another 123 sedan, but it was a rare 280E...one of the few gas 123's I've seen around...I rememebr more lighting up when the brakes were hit than I've seen on most 123's.

eric,

I'm not sure the analogy is really applicable. Not to nitpick, but memories in the brain (neural networks) are not stored sequentially like a computer (or the internet) but by association. This type of memory is called associative memory and distinguishes itself by having an "address" that is formed by a functional summation of the inputs (i.e. search parameters). Memories are associated with certain inputs by being trained based on sample data.

The "memory" is recalled exactly--not based on an inferior search algorithm--and only fails if the functional summation is not trained correctly. This training depends on two things (1) whether sufficient examples of correct reponses has been presented to the neural network and (2) whether there is enough neurons involved in storing the "memory" given the number of possible outcomes.

JMHO,

Sholin

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What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

I've been told (rather forcefully, in fact), that the brand of bulb in the taillight has no effect on the CC amp. Needless to say, I use only Osram. I still believe that a low resistance filament can cause trouble with the circuit in the amp, by allowing too much current flow.

Call me picky, but I have no intentions of spending extra money on a blown amp to prove the point. Besides, the Osrams last longer, too.

Not using Osrams will give you fits with the bulb out warning on Volvos, too!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

psfred - Just got back from a road trip and noticed that my cruise control (92 W124 400e, now 64K) only works with the headlights (or any exterior light for that matter) OFF. Is this a related problem? Just started happening this past week. Worked just fine until then. Any thoughts?

My 2 cents.

The inner most red light is a rear fog light. Required in Germany. If a bulb was in there AND the switch is wired in your year car. Then when you pull the light switch out to the first detent, the front fog lights come on, yellow. The pull to the second detent turns on the rear fog light. It is only on the drivers side and red.

Dave

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Old Navy modified his 123 brakelights using his empty bulb slot. Do a search on Old Navy. He posted pictures as well.

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Bruce

73 220D (never left Germany)
81 300D (totaled)
84 300D (Purchased '03, sold '17)
85 300SD (purchased 10/01/03)