For any 500E (and E500) owners living in right-hand-drive countries, I have a question regarding headlights. I am aware that the 500E (and E500) were only manufactured in LHD. I am also aware some are used on RHD roads (eg. UK). I am wondering if these cars have had the headlight lenses replaced with RHD versions (ie. with a low beam cut-off pattern like this \_\_ instead of _/_/). If so, do these lenses still have virtually clear driving light sections for the long range high beam lights rather than the usual heavily fluted fog light lenses? I am specifically intersted in those for the 500E rather than the E500 as I have a '90 300TE and I live in a RHD country (I think you can see where this is leading). This leads to my next question. Does anyone know if the 500E driving light reflectors are the same or different to the standard W124 fog light reflector? I also believe 500E lights were all Hella whereas those in my 300TE are Bosch. Are Hella and Bosch headlight parts interchangeable (eg. can Hella lenses be fitted to Bosch housings)? Finally, if there are true 500E RHD headlight lenses (ie. with driving rather than fog lights), does anybody know the part numbers?

Thanks,
Greg

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107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

Although the 500E was only manufactured in LHD it was officially imported into the UK ( and possibly Japan). For this reason RHD headlights are available, and they do have the driving lights incorporated.

My car was sourced from Europe, and the previous owner had bought RHD headlights, so with a bit of luck I may still have the receipt in with the service history. Otherwise I can have a look for the part number on the car, do you know if the part number is easily accessible on W124 headlights?

I’ll have a look later when I get home.

Martin.

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92 500E

Just been out to the garage to look at my 500, luckily the previous owner had kept the original boxes that the RHD must have came in ( I use them for storing my LHD lights). Both sets are Hellas.

I checked my lenses and the driving light on both my RHD & LHD sets are quite heavily fluted, so I'm not sure if this is exactly what you are after, but here are the codes anyway:-

Left hand headlight:-

001 129 583 ( marked on headlight )
1LJ 004 440 611 (marked on box)

Right hand headlight:-

001 129 584 ( marked on headlight )
1LJ 004 440 621 (marked on box)

Hope this is of some help to you.

Martin.

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92 500E

Martin,

Thanks for the reply. Is it possible that the 500E and E500 for RHD countries still had the lights wired for extra high beams (driving lights) but actually got standard RHD 124 lenses? Have you tried shining your lights on high beam onto a wall to see if the inner pair of lights gives a spot (pencil beam as was normal for LHD 500E) or a broad pattern from the fluted (fog light) lens?

Obviously I would only be interested in replacing my lenses if the RHD 500E versions gave true pencil beam long range driving light high beams. I would also need to know if the inner reflectors differ for the driving lights versus fog lights. The wiring changes would be the least of my worries.

Any other 500E owners in a RHD country?

Thanks,
Greg

__________________
107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

Hi I looked into the RHD early 500E headlights found no listing with Hella presume the lights are a tied part i.e. available from M.B. only, came up with the following RHD part number 124 820 49 59 LH SIDE 124 820 50 59 RH SIDE, not ordered yet available from Germany only so I cant confirm correct or not. Hope this helps Linds UK

Thanks Linds,

Presumably those part numbers are for the complete headlights. I just checked the part numbers on the MB Classic Centre site and they are described a "lighting unit", they are available and the prices are 274.34 euros each (ouch!).

I am still hoping to determine the possibility of fitting just the 500E lenses to my existing lamp units (Bosch) but only if the RHD 500E lenses still have the long range driving (spot) light pattern and only if the lenses fit my housings and only if the reflectors in my fog lights will work as long range driving lights with the different (less fluted?) lenses.

I would still like someone with RHD versions of the 500E headlights to confirm for me that the additional (inner) high beam driving lights do indeed give a long range spot beam pattern, not the broad horizontal pattern of the normal W124 fog lights. I would expect the beam pattern to be even more concentrated than that from the high beam of the outer H4 hi-lo beams. I do know that in the LHD versions this is achieved by way of very little fluting in the 500E driving light lens whereas the W124 fog light lens is heavily fluted. There is also the question of whether some of this beam pattern results from a different shaped reflector for the inner lamps.

Greg

__________________
107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

Hi,

With the winter nights drawing in I've been out in the 500E quite a bit in the dark, and can confirm that the lights fitted to my car give a "normal" spot-light pattern.


Cheers

Martin.

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92 500E

I dont think that you will have any chance of the Hella lenses fitting the Bosch lamp units, I replaced the Bosch units on my Evo1 with RHD Hella units and the design of the lense clips right through to the adjustment unit was totally different. I cant say that the Hella quality was up to much either but seen as MB only choose Hella to manufacture the 500E/E500 headlight there is not much choice. The other advantage of the 500E unit is that the lense internal plastic section is chrome rather then the dull silver of the normal 124 type.If I pluck up enough courage to buy at £160GBP each I will let you know. Regards Linds

Linds,

If you go ahead with this I would be very interested in the outcome.

Thanks,
Greg

__________________
107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.