W108 Refurb'ed Front Dome Light - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Palolo · #1 03-21-2012, 01:15 AM

I got this car with a gravity-challenged and bulbless dome light. It would fall out randomly, and the right side of the lens was cracked (aren't they all?) so it wouldn't hold a bulb in, nor would it stay up.

I pulled it in to my carport workshop and decided that I would help it along a bit.

I noticed that on the connection-side, there was a round metal nubbin that probably helped that side stay engaged with the roof, and besides there is the big wire connector on that side too. The right side was the side that always fell first, leading the rest of the light to follow.

I took the ground wire and fitting off the car, and decided that I would reconfigure it so that the wire connection was soldered/sandwiched between the bulb connector and the lens remnant, and also came up with a solution to keep the light "in": I used a small rare earth magnet and some epoxy to glue it to that side, so that when the light is in place, the right side is held up by this little, but strong, magnet. (I get the magnets from a SoniCare Toothbrush head. When my wife tosses one out, I pry the magnets off. they'r strong little buggers, and handy at that size, but keep them away from kids)

A zip tie holds the bulb connector and ground wire to the lens remnant piece, the ground wire will get screwed back on, and the magnet will hold up its end of the bargain. The pic might help that all make some sense.

Now to go find that warm white LED festoon bulb I had laying around... back in business.

PS: If anyone wants a "new" dome light like this, MB Classic Center Irvine has them in again. They just went back in to production. Cost: $340, maybe not including MBCA discount?

Marrs · #2 03-21-2012, 02:31 AM

I love these kinds of MacGuyver style work-arounds, good job! It's fun to get creative with old cars.

Palolo · #3 03-21-2012, 02:45 AM

I was getting frustrated ordering $25 dome lights from ebay, all their lenses were cracked with on-off-door switch/selector mechanisms all fubar, and none were in as good shape as the one that came with my car, even though it also came with a cracked lens end.

So I decided to take a look and see what I could do to make it work, especially since my solution would be hidden, but allow it to function and hold up.

I have a few other "make do" things in the works

but none are bodges or non-reversible. I wouldn't have messed with the light if it weren't already failing in some ways.

Cheers,

pat