Remove the bulbs and pop the light cluster assembly out. On a Benz or Volvo, there are little nuts accessible via the trunk or rear of wagon that let the whole light cluster drop out towards the rear of the car.

Then tote that poor l'il smokey dude over to your wife's sink. Best she not be there ...

Pour in a tablespoon or so of raw rice into each light reflector via the bulb hole. Add a few drops of dish detergent in each hole.

Then fill each up with very warm water and shake the whole mess around for about 10 minutes.

The hard rice kernels get into all the little darkened areas of your tail light lens and reflectors, removing the soot. Pour the mess out, rinse it with soft water a few times, then let it dry in a warm area overnight, and you have tail lights that look nearly as good as new.

Take a few minutes to be sure that the lens is still well glued to the reflector. In the case of Volvo and Benz, the lens assembly often separates from the reflectors. This makes the cleaning job easier. After cleaning, I glue it all back together with silicone seal or 3M adhesive trim glue.

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Thx/Reno
An American in France
88 300TD 5spd Sportline (lowered factory susp) - totalled by a flying deer
89 Range Rover V8 - the 4wd beast
02 Toyota minivan
05 Peugeot Partner 4x4 Dangel
88 International Harvestor 633SA
--Gone but not forgotten:
1970 250/8 C (sold to buy 450 SLC)
1972 450 SLC (sold after battling wiring harness problems too long)
1971 300 SEL 6.3 (sold after destroying two *very* expensive rear LS diffs)
1986 560 SEL (now my little brother's pride and joy)

Then serve with Peking Duck

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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

Reno,

White or brown rice? long grain or short?

Actually, thanks for the tip, and since you're on the subject of MB and Volvo lenses; any tricks for restoring the clarity of the back-up lenses on MB or headlight doors on Volvos? (I've used all the polish techniques; Flitz, 3M, micron cloths, etc., and am looking for something more). Thanks.

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

I wish I could help you on those questions.

When a rear light cluster fades, polishing won't bring back the color. I just buy a new one. Generally they are available and not too expensive, thanks to fender benders.

As for frosted headlights, I bet you're referring to the plastic aero lights Volvo started using in the late 80s. The light they throw is so bad that I look for any excuse to junk them. I fit in Euro lamps or older US light buckets assemblies where you have individual replaceable lights.

Mercedes US lamps might not be as good as their Euro lamps, but at least they always threw decent light and didn't frost up badly after a few years of use. The lights on my US 560SEL were original and worked OK for DOT lamps. I melted the bulb connectors with hi-watt bulbs, but replacing them with higher-quality connectors solved that problem.

__________________
Thx/Reno
An American in France
88 300TD 5spd Sportline (lowered factory susp) - totalled by a flying deer
89 Range Rover V8 - the 4wd beast
02 Toyota minivan
05 Peugeot Partner 4x4 Dangel
88 International Harvestor 633SA
--Gone but not forgotten:
1970 250/8 C (sold to buy 450 SLC)
1972 450 SLC (sold after battling wiring harness problems too long)
1971 300 SEL 6.3 (sold after destroying two *very* expensive rear LS diffs)
1986 560 SEL (now my little brother's pride and joy)

I think this would be a good sticky topic. A lot of diesel benzes I see suffer from "sooty tail light syndrome", in some cases so severe, the left tail light lens is jet black (doesn't look so good when you park your 300SD next to a 560SEL). I for one would like to get my tail light lenses clean again.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

My execuse is "i'm in the process of smoking my taillights, just got the left one done so far :p "

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Jason

00 Subaru Legacy (fun wagon)
96 Nissan Sentra (disavowed)
82 300SD (garage queen, will run again hopefully)
87 300DT (Gone: 10/15/2010)

Make sure you don't inhale ...

__________________
Thx/Reno
An American in France
88 300TD 5spd Sportline (lowered factory susp) - totalled by a flying deer
89 Range Rover V8 - the 4wd beast
02 Toyota minivan
05 Peugeot Partner 4x4 Dangel
88 International Harvestor 633SA
--Gone but not forgotten:
1970 250/8 C (sold to buy 450 SLC)
1972 450 SLC (sold after battling wiring harness problems too long)
1971 300 SEL 6.3 (sold after destroying two *very* expensive rear LS diffs)
1986 560 SEL (now my little brother's pride and joy)

it worked!!!!

__________________
have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it