Another Euro-Light Conversion Thread - Please help. I did a search!!!!

[HomeRunPark]

Now, before I start, I DID do a search and read read read for quite a bit. I'm left with questions unanswered though, and hoping for help.

I want to convert to Euro's in my 1993 124.
MAINLY, to clean up the front end. (i dont like US Spec 124 lights.)
And of course my light output is terrible.

Cost can't get out of control . . . we're not made of money here, unfortunately.

I was looking at this kit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33710&item=7909022859&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

It seems to have everything I need, including trim panels, plugs, bulbs, etc.
- I DO NOT WANT THE HEADLIGHT WASHERS. IMO THEY ARE UGLY AND USELESS. -

QUESTIONS:

- Is this a good kit? If not, could someone point me in the direction of a good kit in the simliar price range.
- Is there anything else I will need that isn't in the kit? (Besides tools.)
- Labor. My mechanic is a relative (I pay him with pastry , nice deal huh?) and knows his way around a Mercedes very well, especially because he owned mine before I did. He says he should be able to do it, and it won't take him that long. Is he being optimistic? How long did the labor take eveyrone else who did it? Am I in for a PIA?

Thanks SOOOO much and I'm sorry to beat a dead horse about this,

[Benz300]

this subject has been discussed in great detail. do a search and u'll find all the information you would ever need to do the installation.
good luck.

[HomeRunPark]

I did a search, did not get all the answers I needed, and apologized for another thread.

[Benz300]

- Is this a good kit? If not, could someone point me in the direction of a good kit in the simliar price range.

http://www.importvision.com/
$200 for the headlights. call them up and tell them you saw their ad on mercedesshop.com. they list it for 250 but will reduce the rpice.

- Is there anything else I will need that isn't in the kit? (Besides tools.)

The kit has everything you need.
but if you bought the parts seperately you'll save about 50 or so dollars.

- Labor. My mechanic is a relative (I pay him with pastry , nice deal huh?) and knows his way around a Mercedes very well, especially because he owned mine before I did. He says he should be able to do it, and it won't take him that long. Is he being optimistic? How long did the labor take eveyrone else who did it? Am I in for a PIA?

labor is no more than half hour for someone who has done it before. maybe an hour if it's the first time.

[speedy300Dturbo]

Well, the price isn't bad, considering that the lights are the non-OEM made in Taiwan knock offs. I'm sure that the corner lenses are the cheap imitations as well, which fit poorly and have a tendency to fly off. Been there done that. Those Xenon plasma bulbs are probably inferior to a plain old clear H4 bulb too.

[Benz300]

yea i think the price is pretty good as well but the brand of the headlights are unkown.
if they're depo then with all the other goodies included with the metal piece and everything else i'd say it's a pretty good price.
the clear sides are usually 35.
the switches are around 10.
the bulbs, good quality are 30.
but then again that way one chooses the good quality materials. in this package i'm not sure what we get for the price we pay in terms of name brand and quality of the material.

Unless you can find someone who has used that specific brand, you won't know for sure, but I would guess that this is poorly constructed junk made of poor raw materials.

If you keep watching ebay for Bosch or Hella as well as the classified sections of this and other MB enthusiast forums, you will eventually find quality built units for reasonable money. I did, I got my entire setup including vac level control switch and trim panel from a wrecked Euro car for $250. I had to buy one lens, but I still didn't go much over $300. I now have high quality, very functional euro lights.

BTW, if you don't live in snow country, the wipers are not useful. I have driven in bad snowy conditions that coat the lights with grime. The wipers with their squirters clear off the lights quickly and without having to get out in the weather to wipe them manually. Under these conditions, the wipers are EXTREMELY useful. Believe me the Germans did not put them on there for looks.

When I lived in Germany many years ago, in the Winter I had to stop at rest stops along the Autobahn to use snow to clean the headlights so I could see where I was going. It was these driving conditions that led to this useful addition. In later cars they rely on a pressurized stream of heated liquid.

Be patient and you will find some quality units for a reasonable price. Put a WTB add in the parts section of this forum. Since this is Summer with the long days, can't you make it a few months with what you have?

Good luck,

[speedy300Dturbo]

The seller states that they're TYC. Many members have used TYC and Depo lamps, with various results. Personally, I'd stick with Bosch or Hella. The aftermarket clear turn signals are of ESPECIALLY low quality though.

[yal]

I'll say it again!!
Depo Lights are of ESPECIALLY good quality! I have had both the Hella and Depo taken apart on my bench and the only difference was the wieght of the lens. The Depo actually had better wiring, go figure. Get what you can afford.

[schumi]

I have Euro-spec TYC lights on my 300E. They are very good quality. They are widely sold in Germany, and any headlights sold in Germany have to be approved by the TUV (transportation ministry), which has very high standards.

[chazola]

I have Depo's on my 300E, and they are good quality. Not as good as Bosch or Hella, but definately decent. The main difference seems to be the plastic- the Depo plastic is not as sturdy or well-formed as the Bosch one's, but the lenses are high quality and that's the bit that's important anyway!

I actually got mine from the same guy, off ebay. Interesting he's selling TYC now, as they were Depo before. I read (can't confrim) the TYC's were not as good as Depo.

The clear corners are pretty poor quality tho- very light plastic. I sold mine and kept my original amber corners. Those xenon bulbs are no-good either.

The labour is easy, shouldn't take long at all (mine took 2 hours as I did it outside in the middle of winter!-duh)

The look and light improvement is worth the effort.

[jeff-abalone]

The prices seems OK, but make sure that kinds headlights has the adjustable level inside the reflector.

[Holson Adi]

I would get the headlights separately, whichever brand it is. I got my pair of Bosch clear corners from ebay for $40... brand new too..

i'd say get the headlights first..

The connectors are cheap from the dealer..

I did install Euros in my 300CD and I tapped the parking lights' wiring and wired that to the city light connector.

not sure, which city light bulbs the Euros use (W5W - Glass base, or T4W (??) - metal base) but they are both 5W bulbs and you can always get the blue city light bulbS (they actually shine nice and white) from Philips - believe it or not, the Maybach actually uses them...

www.powerbulbs.com

[schumi]

Originally posted by jeff-abalone
The prices seems OK, but make sure that kinds headlights has the adjustable level inside the reflector.

The TYC lights for the 124 do have the vacuum adjust capability.

[PDXTECH]

Just completed Euro Light conversion on my 500E.
I did not use this kit, I don't know about this brand of lights but it has everything you will need ( and more ). You won't have to worry about hooking up the City Lights unless you want to use them for DRLs
The main items you will need are the Headlights and plugs along with some space to aim the lights and adjust as necessary. ( my set was way off ). As for the corner lights, yeah they're cheap plastic but depending on the shape of your amber corners you can either keep them or swap them. You will probably have to keep the lamp sockets though. In the US we use the 3 pin plug and Europe uses just 2 pins.
It took my longer than others on this group to do the swap. I spent about 8 hrs over 2 days because after removing my trim pieces under the lights I decided to sand them and repaint because of some serious rock chips and I took my time aiming the head and fog lights. Also I had a little problem converting from the 4pin sockets to 6pin because the sockets were numbered differently than the directions I was given, but no big thing. It's nice they threw in new trim for under the headlights.
Bottom line is, even if they are not the best, they are better than what you have on there now.