My 94 Wagon headlights are in bad shape--cracks, pitting, and a rock hit hole. I found these on my local craigslist, new in box, about half the advertised price.

EDIT: removed dead link:

Anyone have any experience or comments? Another option is the Bosch OEM replacement lenses. Somewhere I remember reading that dealerships were supposed to glue lenses to the reflectors when cars came in for service--not really sure why. The EPC shows a lens part number, but the part is no longer available from MB. (Bosch OEM is still available) In any case, my lenses have not been glued so the Bosch lenses should work.

Thanks,

J. M. van Swaay

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1994 E320 Wagon, 230,000 miles
1995 E320 Sedan, 106,000 miles
1994 E500 Sedan, 79,000 miles

The gluing was a TSB and it was cuz the US DOT found out that guys could simply swap just the lens for a Euro spec one..so they made the Dealers glue the lens tabs shut so you had to but the whole assemsbly...but guess what ..no one did it.

So, you can get euro lens only replacement that fit right on, but you can also get US/DOT , which, b/c you have the Face-lifted E320 version lighting, has practiacally the same optical specs as Euro Glass. [ 15 degree cut-off]

I think I got a few from Capitol Lighting.

Those Craigs look like plastic crap..you definately want GLASS.....

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A Dalton

Thank you Arthur.

I tried to google Capitol Lighting but didn't find any automotive type suppliers. Any chance you can point me in the right direction?

J. M. van Swaay

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1994 E320 Wagon, 230,000 miles
1995 E320 Sedan, 106,000 miles
1994 E500 Sedan, 79,000 miles

Yeah..I always have trouble finding that site .
I will look at my receipts for the last set of lens I bought from them

In the morning................

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A Dalton

These are Euro lens for 124 ,but for some reason they don't look correct for the late 124 [ 94/95]...or maybe it's just the pic angle.

Let me find the US version for E320

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A Dalton

I've bought from *************** / Rusty, IIRC they were around $75/ea.

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I'm not all that concerned that they are not US DOT spec, but I am curious just what the difference is. Anybody know?

Thanks,

J. M. van Swaay

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1994 E320 Wagon, 230,000 miles
1995 E320 Sedan, 106,000 miles
1994 E500 Sedan, 79,000 miles

As I said before, 94/95 E320 was he first to use Euro type lighting, but they want their US/DOT reg on there ..I have made wall chart comparison measures and cut-off angles and they are the same as Euro.
The Euro had a more defined cut-off rise, but I attributed that to the fact that the old lens I used to make the comparisons with the new Euros were road rashed .

The ones I use are Bosch E-1 Lens, 34513 and 34512 -LHD
Direct fit. See if that matches their SKU #.

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A Dalton

Those look correct for the 94-95, they have the relief for the new style hood across the top inner corner of the foglight.

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

Yeah..they just look different out of the unit.

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A Dalton

Thanks for the replies.

Arthur, sorry for not quite understanding your earlier post--I wasn't sure what you meant by cut off angle. After some research, I think I get it. I now understand the purpose of all the geometric "glass cuts" on the back side of the lens. I had to go out to the garage and have a closer look. Interesting to note that the left and right lenses are not symmetrical. I assume that is to allow a higher beam on the passenger side than on the driver side. Learned something new.........cool!

If you will indulge me one more question....are your Bosch part number references for Euro spec lenses or DOT? (and yes, I now do understand that there is very little difference in the actual optical characteristics..........)

J. M. van Swaay

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1994 E320 Wagon, 230,000 miles
1995 E320 Sedan, 106,000 miles
1994 E500 Sedan, 79,000 miles

The cut-off rise angle of LHD lens are the same for both lens, where the rise angle start at headlamp center and rises to the Right @ a 15 degree angle .
The reaosn for this is you want the right side of the road lit on LHD/right hand traffic direction. [ RHD lens would be the opposite , with the rise going to the left of the car for left hand traffic.]
This not only keeps that side of the road visible , but it also keeps the oncoming traffic from headlamp glare. The other cut-off is a line across the lamp to keep the focals on the raod, not in the trees. You can plainly see these two optical focal lines if you drive up to a wall at 25 feet.

That is how you aim the lamps after install.
I use the back of a building in a strip mall and some duct tape at night. They are very precise b/c of the superior optics. Light Years ahead of DOT crap.

The numbers I gave you are right off the Bosch lens on one of my cars and they are E-1 Euro lens/LHD

http://www.midstatedmc.com/tech/aim.htm
Note: I kick the vertex of the rise angle [Kink ] over to the right on the left headlamp adjustment by about an inch b/c I travel mostly on narrow, single lane roads...and dead on with the right one.
Personal preference...........
To show you how behind the times the US/DOT was , I even have Euro E/1 Code headlamps in my Euro 1967 250sl... and use the same aiming as the 94/95 E320 w/Euro does..
Only took the DOT bureaucrats 30 years to finally admit that the Euro headlamps were superior and safer than sealed beam headlamps....

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A Dalton