Strange W124 instrument cluster lamp
 

While at [Windsor, Cal.] Pick and Pull today (getting an uncracked black W124 dash for Sixto) I pulled all of the lamps from the instrument cluster of the 1992 300E I was working in. When I got home, I discovered that one of the lamps had a tiny reflector. The reflector comes off so it is a separate item that could go on any of the small lamps in the instrument cluster. I didn't pay any attention to the lamps as I pulled them and now am puzzled as to which location in the cluster this little thing came from. My earlier 1987 car does not have such a reflector on any of its lamps, in fact I've never seen one before. Does anyone know where this thing goes?

Jeremy

never seen that before.

Interesting. Does it make any difference in brightness when installed?

-Jason

Its for brake pad worn down indicator lamp

^Its for any idiot light, not just for the pad wear indicator.

Definitely "maybe!"
 

Haven't tried it yet. Looking at my spare instrument cluster, the only place where it could go and make a contribution would be as the "Low Fuel" indicator. The cluster has no light pipe for the little triangle indicator – the bulb sits in the back and glows (more or less) in the direction of the triangle. A reflector would help. :(

[Later]

I did a comparison between the reflector bulb and a regular bulb, with my wife as judge. The decision: "I think it's brighter." ;)

[Even later]

For the 1992 300E 4-Matic (the car from which the lamp came), EPC does show a different lamp for the "Fuel Reserve Indication," 001 544 90 94 but the drawing (admittedly rather crude) does not show a reflector. :confused::confused::confused:

Jeremy

Here's the difference
 

I took the little reflector bulb to my dealer . . . the parts guy had never seen one like it. He looked it up (1992 300E 4-Matic) in their parts catalog; although it shows a different number for the low fuel lamp than the others, he didn't have one in stock so we could compare.

To see the difference, I photographed the cluster with a regular bulb and with the reflector bulb. Although I used two different lamps (should have moved the reflector not the lamp), they were both Osram (12V 1.2W) and both were clean and bright. The photos were taken with the camera in exactly the same position and within a couple of minutes of each other so the lighting is the same. You can definitely see a difference.

Note that this was with the key "ON" but the engine not running, so the low-fuel lamp is operating in "test" mode, which is not as bright as it would be if it really were a low fuel situation.


http://i323.photobucket.com/albums/n...pare_small.jpg

wonder where you can get them

Interesting....that light does not work (as far as I know) on ANY of our MBs.....it comes on when starting the car on a couple of them, but does not go on for low fuel warning....maybe it does on the 300E...haven't run it quite low enough yet.....I've come close to R but never actually laid the needle down....

On a side note, your dash has some pretty severe scars from prying out the cluster!! :eek:

My '87 190D Turbo had one of those reflector bulbs in the cluster, I can't remember which one but it was one of the rightmost idiot lights.

Yes it does and it's also badly cracked, one of the remaining projects on that car. I have sitting in the garage as a replacement a new-to-me black dash from a 1989 300E. My order of SEM "Shadow Blue" spray paint just arrived today; as soon as it's warm enough, I'll turn the black dash into a blue one.

Jeremy

I guess the big question is, will it fit other idiot light assemblies? Not that they're not bright enough, but if they don't cost much and they fit then I suppose it's another one of those small things that complete the car.

Good find!

Yes, the reflector lamp will fit any position in the instrument cluster that will accept the non-reflector lamp – any of the warning light positions across the bottom. BTW, the reflector comes off – if the bulb burns out, you just move the reflector to the new bulb. The dealer's parts guy and I jointly surmise that most older Benzes that came from the factory with reflector lamps probably had them replaced with non-reflector lamps as they burned out, so that few are now left. I forgot to ask the parts guy the cost of the low fuel light. Next time.

Jeremy

AFAIK none of the lamps on my SDL have that lill reflector, and I'd also guess most of them are original. Well, I didn't check for the low fuel lamp...

-Jason

If memory serves, that bulb also works on the w123 cluster. Can anybody confirm this?