Left side running lights out.
 

As the State Patrol man was nice enough to point out. I have checked the bulbs they are ok. This is front and back and at the back at least I do not have power. Turn signals/brake lights work AOK.

Suggestions?

Fuse.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Yup, the running lights are fused per side. The fuse is probably corroded.

-Jason

That was my first thought too. When I first got my MB I was trying to figure out why the right fog light would not work. I bought a new bulb. It did not work either. Aha! Right side fuse was bad. :P

While we are on the subject I have a question. You guys will all say oh boy he shouldn't be allowed to have a car or work on them but I do so here goes. There are two positions to the left on my headlight switch with arrows pointing left and right. Seems to me it might operate the park lights left and right independently but only my right one works. Why would you operate them independently????? No my 83 didn't come to ME with an owners manual. Thanks

Because some European regulations require a low-power left or right vehicle light remains on when parking overnight on narrow unlit streets.

Happy Motoring, Mark

another interesting feature of the headlight switch is if you pull it out, your fog lights come on... when your headlights are on. (I wish you could just turn on the fogs...)

You can turn on just fogs. You move the feed wire for the fog lights from the low beam fuse to the parking light fuse. That's how 86+ W126s are from the factory :cool:

-Jason

Ah more good information. Fog lights are in the mail I hope from another member so Now I will at least know how to turn them on when I get them installed. Thanks

Thanks for making me feel stupid. For some reason I was CERTAIN it was left and right fuses for the headlights. I will check fuses tonight!

Pull out one detent for front fogs, two detents for fronts+rear fog - which typically isn't wired on older cars. The amber light (if there's a bulb in the switch housing) comes on in the second detent for the rear fog. Why? Well, it's illegal in Germany to use your rear fog unless visibility is really bad, and if visibility is bad, there's a reduced speed limit. The amber light comes on to tell you that your rear fog is on, so you should a) drive slow; or b) turn it off. You don't need an indicator light for the front fogs because you're looking out the windshield.

Gee-whiz note: Other brands (e.g. Audi) linked the one side only parking lights to the turn signal. You would switch the "standlicht" on, then use the turn signal to select left or right sides.

My '87 300D Turbo (W124, OM603) can do just that. I can turn the switch to the parking light position, pull out the knob, and turn on the fogs. Since I have clear bulbs (Euro headlights, actually) in the fog position and the beam is very wide, I use them as daytime running lights. They show up at a wide angle and make the car easier to see. It also spreads out the wear and tear on the bulbs. The "non-fog" lights are also excellent for lighting up the side of the road in rural areas at night, when I also have the headlights on.

It should be possible to do something similar with 123 cars. There are enough separate switch contacts and fuse positions to allow fogs to come on in the parking light position.

Another thing you can do with 123s is to rewire the headlights so that the fogs will work with the headlights in high beam. Here also I have clear fogs (non-DOT, they're actually driving lights) and having all four on at night really lights up the road.

Jeremy

OK I'm getting ready to learn something new again. "Is wear and tear on MB bulbs" something I should be worried about. Thanks

I believe there's left & right fuses for the headlights as well.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Big difference between driving lights and clear fogs.