w123 euro headlight question.....bosch vs hella
i spoke with my dealer today and checked availability of the w123 euro headlights:

both hella and bosch are available ....

it turned out that the hella are a little more money...

i was wondering if they're better????, used in the later or earlier w123 cars??? or more rare?????

any input is appreciated....

can someone provide some info into the differences b/t the two brands.
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1984 euro 280e 88k garage queen DB881/056
1991 300d 80k daily no winters DB441/175

I know they're nearly identical and parts can be swapped from one unit to another. It's easier to find Bosch units though, but some Hella lights pop up once in a while.

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

theres almost no difference between Hella's and Bosch. One customer of mine has a Bosch on one side and a Hella on the other, you can't tell at all unless you read the glass up close.

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99 Jetta Mk3
07 Jetta Mk5
89 300E W124
10 E 350 W212
08 C300 W204
Benz's aren't mine

A lot of Hella parts I've seen have clear plastic that doesn't seem to last as long. I don't know if this applies to those headlights or not, but I've seen it on other headlights as well as interior dome lights. The clear plastic just isn't as good (at least when these 20+ year old parts were made).

On the balance, I guess this was a totally useless comment.

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-tp


1990 300SE "Corinne"- 145k daily driver - street modified differential - PARTING OUT OR SELLING SOON - PORTLAND OR. AREA - PM ME FOR DETAILS
1988 560SEL "Gunther"- 190K passes anything except a gas station
1997 S420 - 265k just bought it with a rebuilt trans. Lovely condition

For w123 lights, both are glass.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

Whilst I have Euro lights on my W123 300D (because it is European - and so am I!) I don't really see why almost everyone on this forum seems so keen on them.

What is wrong with the USA version(s)?
Is it just a matter of taste?
Is there some sort of snob behaviour amongst Mercedes owners?

In general, I think that European cars were designed for a look that involved big glass headlights, and in order to conform to American D.O.T. requirements, they created a second light design for the then-required US Sealed Beam headlights. So I think that the idea behind the desire for Euro lights is that Euro lights are the original and more pleasing design, and the American design is just because the U.S. required it. The same can be said for US bumpers... Certainly a lot of compromises were made to accomodate US Bumper requirements. Yech!!!

Ah ha I see. From what I know as a European about the USA (which probably isn't much despite all the American television we have here in Holland) I'm surprised that you are allowed to change the lights and the bumpers to the European specification - wouldn't you be taken to court in the event of an accident as your car no longer reaches American specifications?

Thirty years ago, my euro lights would really stand out, but since the mid eighties, US cars have been using composite headlights, so it's no longer as noticable. If you look closely, you can see that the euro lights are missing the three alignment "tits" on the lens, otherwise they appear "legal" to most people. Same goes for the turn lenses, slight color difference, and the euro does not have the side reflector. Not that noticable to someone. My cars routinely pass the VA state inspection with euro lights, no questions asked.

Legal, maybe not, but about as big a deal as eating cornflakes on Sunday in Ohio. No harm, no foul, who cares....

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

I'm glad to hear it!

(Common sense should always win in the end)

How much did the dealer want for the euro lights?

I wonder if they offer the lense only...I need one new one...

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1982 240 D, 308,000 - 321,127 miles (sold)
1982 300 TD,166,500 - 226,000 miles
1998 E 320, 120,000 - 144,000 miles
2005 C 230 K, 26,000 - 77,000 miles (sold)

Complete sealed units are for sale in Germany for about 300 euros a unit... probably not what you want to hear...