Anyone Know why US spec headlights are soooo bad? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Norseman · #16 02-18-2004, 04:44 PM

I am almost positive I have seen GE lamps in Europe that fits Euro lightss. Maybe they make more money on the sealed beam lamps??

sbourg · #17 02-18-2004, 06:18 PM

I had an '88 Acura Integra (Honda to you), and now a '90 Honda Accord I mostly drive. The Integra lites were pretty good, the Accord ones are excellent. All US-spec. The lamps on the 190E are pathetic. The problem lies with the design Mercedes chose, not gov't regulations.

Steve

Pete Geither · #18 02-18-2004, 06:30 PM

Boy I am going to be in the minority here, but the lights on my 400E and E320TE are as good as I want them to be. The SL could be brighter, but will suffice. At my age, 58, it gets harder to see at night anyway, but the 2, 124's do an excellent job. The new Ram pickup positively sucks for illumination.

yhliem · #19 02-19-2004, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fimum Fit
a lot of what has been passed off on the public as safety legislation, especially during the Carter administration, was really a form of trade barrier to protect UAW jobs by making it more expensive for foreign automakers to certify a model for the USA market. Lighting systems are the most obvious example -- General Electric, especially, regularly proclaimed that the obsolete USA lights were superior, but backed that up by pointing out to the local congressman that their sealed beam plant in our area would be likely to close if those evil aerodynamic European lights were allowed in.

This is precisely why earlier MBs had such crappy lighting.

Let's not forget that the US government isn't above creating trade barriers for superior products in order to protect US manufacturers of inferior products. ie. Harley Davidson in the '80s.