Which clear signals to get (Rainmaker!)
 

Hey

eurocarparts.com is offering me clear W201 190E indicators (turn signals) for either £8.95 each for some made by FIFFT of Italy
Or, Hella ones for £16.00 each. Which do you think I should go for?

Rainmaker's car at THIS SITE has some superb looking clear corners, which he says he fitted (see pic no 18). Rainmaker, are you there? Are these Hellas, or original MB ones for later model E-classes? Do you even have orange bulbs in there?! It doesn't look like it, how did you get that effect?

Thanks!!
later

Russ


P.s. the eurocarparts.com site doesn't say they have 201 clear corners, but they do have them in stock if you email them.

Hella
 

Pentoman Hella would be more of a true or oem look and fit. Anything that is an original part will match your lights just fine.
My opinion.

Chief Wahoo [Paul]

Alternative source for lights and lens
 

Check this out at lightlens.com.

questions about UK and car ownership
 

Pentoman,

I got some questions for you about UK and car ownership but first let me give you the history:

. 1. When I was assigned there in early 90s our turn signals front and rear has to be amber, and must have fog lights on the rear. If not we had to get them installed. This was hard for some of the GI’s with American versions cars of Fords and GM (rear turn signals are red) we had to put something back there and it looked ugly. I took my 87 190E over, it was good to go accept I had to have clear parking lights, I did this by disconnecting my corners (American version stays on when lights are on). Then I installed some clear lights that are normally use for inside curtsey lamp kit on my bumper. The fog light was easy I just put the bulbs in(this socket is empty in American versions), ran some new wires and connect then get the UK version of the switch (must show red light if rears are on).
. 2. After two years there they came out with another law where if you have “wrap-around” indicators (like Mercedes-Benz cars) it must have the “E1” symbol on it (American versions Mercedes has “SAE”). I think this was just a different shade of amber/yellow. Well I had to put something there to pass your MOT. So I got some small amber lights installed right next to my corners. It looked kinda dumb, like “OK I’m turning now I got the small light next to the corner that tells the same thing”. I guess they just want to give us Yanks a hard time.

Now the questions it’s not official but I think I’m being assigned there again soon:

. 1. So you are saying that you can have clear corners on your cars in the UK now?
. 2. If yes how does this work do you have to have amber bulbs?
. 3. What about the rear can you have all red, black or clear?
. 4. What about other colors like blue or neon?
. 5. What about “Fire-Fly” you know the lights you screw on your tire caps and lights up when you start driving.
. 6. I went to the site they got some good prices your £9 is about $13 for us. My question is about your VAT how is this calculated? What’s the percentage 17%? Will it be same all over UK or like the US it’s goes by where you are at?

I’m not thinking about doing all of this to my vehicles just curious.

Thanks,
Thai GI sends...

i'm not rainmaker, but i think oem is always your best bet.
they [mercedes benz] specify quality plastics and rubber that WILL stand the test of time.

hella makes great stuff.

are you going to keep the car indefinetly or trade it fairly soon? that will probably weigh in on your decision.

i'm pretty sure ricky [aka] rainmaker has oem corners.

peter

Thanks for your replies..

Firstly, I am gonna keep the car for a long time, I've only had it 10 months, and I'm only the second owner, and the original owner had the car maintaned by my dad's garage. I think I will go for the hella lights.

Thai GI - By clear corners, I mean indicators / turn signals with clear covers, but amber bulbs so they still flash amber.

Are corner lights in the US the orange ones which are on whenever the engine is running? Sorry for the confusion! We don't need 'corner lights' then, just 'indicators'. As long as the lights on the car light up the correct colout no-one minds how they look when not lit. Neon is kinda allowed, depending on how nice your local traffics cops are!
Don't know about firefly.. the don't set rules for every possible situation over here
VAT is 17.5 % all over the UK (except I think in Ireland). I also don't think you pay it if you order overseas.
And MOT-ing my car is not a problem.. my dad does it, and I do the rest of the maintenace.

As for OEM clear indicators, did they ever do them for the 190?


later + thanks!

Russ

Know what you mean
 

1. Sorry for the different English, I can understand my wife is also British.
2. Clear corners, I also mean indicators / turn signals, the ones next to your head lights.
3. Corners indicators / turn signals, this is a two filament type bulb for the American version, the marker part stays on when lights are on. The American versions are made to be a front marker and also turn signals.
4. So the rear can be black or clear but must have red stops and amber turning?
5. OEM clear indicators for the 190, I thought it was all aftermarket, don’t know about this one.



Thai GI sends…

Russ,

Sorry I only caught this now.

Yes, I did go with hellas. My local benz dealership supplied me with them if I recall correctly...it's been a while. All the exterior lighting fixtures in my car were updated using hellas.

I left the front indicators with amber bulbs but painted it silver (thin coat) so that it when off, they don't look orange.

The cops here aren't too picky... ;)

Rainmaker - thanks,

Are the lights in the first pictures (in E500 album) different to the close-ups in 18-20 ? You say you changed the original ambers for clear ones, but they all look clear to me, except for a slight orange effect from the bulbs... I'm just a little confused is all..!

The pics here from LIGHTLENS.COM show some nasty looking yellowy indicators:

http://www.lightlens.com/mercedes/IP4589_right.jpg http://www.lightlens.com/mercedes/IP4589_left.jpg

and this is why I am wary.. I don't want something looking like this.. they're *too* clear..


later,

Russ

Yup, first I had amber bulbs in, then decided to paint the bulb itself with a thin coat of silver paint so that it doesn't reflect orange when off.

Silver Vision
 

1. Hey guys Philips had came up with this new bulb call Silver Vision look: http://www.powerbulbs.com/psv.htm
2. rainmaker, did you get your idea patented? Because this sounds like what you did…

Thai GI sends…

the silver vision bulbs I believe are only single stage bulbs.

If you take a dual stage bulb which lights up when the headlights are on, then you can lightly coat it with silver paint so it is hidden in the housing when off, but still glows orange when on.

I believe this is similar tot he way phillips has theirs, simply orange with a light coat of silver ont hem to hide the orange when off.

I have my rears done this way, but my fronts are clear bulbs, which looks good with the headlights on.

Alon

non-US spec
 

Ashman

1. You’re right, but this is for the non-US version. These guys don’t have the US spec like we do.
2. I’m now back in the UK and I have disconnect my “first stage” side for the corners, over here they can not stay on when the light’s are on, it is use for turn signal only. (read my second post above)
3. Also had to put bulbs in the rear fogs to be legal here…

Thai GI sends…