So you want to connect the rear fog lamp on your W126? Shouldn't be too bad, the wiring should be there already right? Oops, the wires for the rear fog lamp are used for the side markers on US cars. Oh well it shouldn't be too bad to run a new wire right... Unless you're OCD and want to run the wire in the nice plastic channel along with all the other factory wires. Which means the carpet gets to come out. Which means everything on top of the carpet gets to come out...



Was it worth it... you bet!



I wired in a single pin connector I nabbed from a W124 to the rear light socket, that way the whole assembly can still be removed from the car (there are no free pins on the factory plug).

Plus while everything was out I cleaned up some crusty bits on the seat tracks, welded a broken spring in the driver's seat, fixed a connection at one of the amps behind the rear seat, and discovered my evaporator drain tubes have decomposed and are leaking. Why they made those out of biodegradable foam is beyond me...

-Jason

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Sounds like me last night.

"Can't bring the sun roof back up? Alright let's rip out the motor and pull out the head liner."

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

I love the rear fog light...had one on my 280SE 3.5 and found it to be a life saver on really foggy days.

Did you wire into the headlight switch? Can you take pics of the job you did in the tail light assembly and at the switch?

Great job and love the license plate!

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1998 W202 C230 - The money pit of late.
1984 W126 300SD (356,800 miles) Gone to the wrenchapart
1984 W123 300D Gone to the wrenchapart
1972 W108 280SE 3.5 (sold but not forgotten)
1986 Buick Grand National 3.8l Turbo (86k miles)
1966 Glassic Model 'A' Replica http://www.glassicannex.org

http://banners.wunderground.com/weat...Round_Rock.gif

I'd be happy to take pictures. The headlamp switch did have to be changed, I used one from a W124. Two wires have to be added, one for the rear fog lamp and one that is a ground for the indicator lamp on the switch.

-J

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

love the license plate

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hum.....
1987 300TD 311,000M Stolen. Presumed destroyed

Why use the W124 switch?

Wow....uh....lots of free time eh?

I used the W126 rear fogs as extra brake lights on all of our cars....way better use for them....as the stock brake lights are inadequate. Added a LED bar to the top of the rear windows too.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Jason.

You and Tyler need to stop in Memphis for a long 4 or 5 day weekend. You all have too much ENERGY.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I used the W124 switch because it has the contacts for the rear fog light... the switch my car had originally didn't have the pins at the back, nor the holder for the little bulb inside the knob.

It only took me two evenings after work. I like doing interiors The W126 interior comes apart very sensibly. The only real pain in the butt is the rear seat back.

I had mine connected like that for a while, but having the different lenses at right angles looks rather silly. Having the correct lamps in the brake lights make a big difference because of the reflector design.

Exchanging the brass base whatevers that were in there originally with what the book called for made the output a lot better, even though they are both 21w lamps. The height of the filament is different, so the wrong bulbs don't work well with the reflector. My car already has a 3rd brake light which is plenty bright enough.

-J

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

LOL! Yep......

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

All that fog light does is blind the guy behind you.

I followed a guy a few yrs ago, think he had a Volve, and the L/R brake light was on. thought the guy was using the peddle for a foot rest and had the R/R burned out.

when the guy stopped I told him his brake light was on. he said it was a rear fog light that they use them in europe.

I have seen two since then, last one two weeks ago, some cool dude in his driving machine (bmw). cruising along in the early morning hours just before sun up.

I guess those fog lights work, there wasn`t any fog in all 3 cases.

charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Exactly. The only time you use the rear fog lamp is when you need to be seen in bad weather. When I have trouble seeing the tail lamps on the car in front of me I turn mine on.

-Jason

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Ok, this image shows the connector I installed at the rear:



The round single pin connector fits nicely in the channel at the bottom of the socket assembly. I didn't have my camera with me last night when I put the interior back together so I couldn't snap a pic of the wiring at the switch, but it is fairly unremarkable. Two pins are missing, 31 which goes to ground and NS (or was it NSL? hmm) which goes to the rear fog lamp.

The interior goes back together quite nicely



-J

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Nice interior. Especially the condition of those wood panels. How did you keep them shinning so lustrous and deep?

Btw, how do you remove the headlight switch on a w126 gen 2? i have a 1991 560sel and the switch is not working too well. The headlight will only come on if I nudge it further more to the right after it's been turned fully to the right.

I'm thinking of replacing the switch itself, anyrecommendation on whether the w124 switch might be a good replacement?

Someone else replied to your question in another thread... You just remove the lower dash trim, pull the knob off, remove the big nut, then you can remove the switch.

Those pictures were taken in 2010, and I was able to keep the car in the garage. Sadly, now that I have to park it outside things are going downhill. The wood around the radio has developed cracked and the paint is starting to look baked

-J

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.