My regular sealed headlights on my W123 only seem to last about 2 years. I use them 5 days a week, generally for about 1 hour a day, in the mornings.

After about a year or so, they start get moisture in them and then they burn out around the 2 year mark. I live in Florida and I don't constantly go though puddles much less real deep ones.

Did I just happen to get a bad batch headlights for the past few replacements, or is this a common thing now?

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1984 300D 398K-daily driver
1998 Honda Accord 102K -wife's daily driver
1991 Volvo 740 289K
2000 Toyota Corolla 143K

Moisture in a sealed-beam headlight is sign of a pinhole somewhere. Usually caused by a rock chip. Once it becomes "un-sealed", life is short.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I think mine are original...I've never changed them and they are both marked Phillips...not positive of the brand the factory used....I plan to upgrade to h4's you can get a plug in replacement...

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Why waste your money on sealed beams? They are disposable lights that throw a horrible light beam pattern down the road.

I switched to Bosch/Hella H4 drop-in replacements for my W123 before I got the Euro lights. Never looked back.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

IMHO the GE "Heavy Duty" sealed beam is probably the best one on the market:

http://genet.gelighting.com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=CONSUMERSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE=19428



They actually have a decent beam pattern.

Of course Cibie H4 lamps are much better.

-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.

I did the same thing when I had a W123. The bulb-in-a-beam is superior. Lifetime for me was typically two years at 5,000 to 10,000 miles a year.

For my current W124, I added a switch and relay so I can turn on just the fog lamps (with clear bulbs and lenses) for daytime driving ONLY. The fogs provide a wide non-glare beam to help make the car more visible from the front and front-side while eliminating the constant load on the headlamps. It reduces current drain and increases bulb life because the headlamps, running lamps, tail lamps, and instrument lamps are not on at all during daytime driving. It allows you to flash the high beams and instantly go from "two eyes" to "four eyes" if someone seems to not be noticing you are there.

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

As it turned out, the headlight was cracked.

I got one of those GE headlights mentioned above as a replacement. Perhaps it will last longer.

I would love to do a different setup like others mention above, but right now I just don't have the time to switch over, and the cost puts on low on my list of things I need to get done. Gotta fix the AC first, then get the injectors rebuilt, etc. etc.

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1984 300D 398K-daily driver
1998 Honda Accord 102K -wife's daily driver
1991 Volvo 740 289K
2000 Toyota Corolla 143K

In answer to the first post....a long time. 10 years plus. the Phillips are made in Holland I believe.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

My sealed beams only lasted from the time I got the car until I received the round Euro H4s I ordered on line.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

The sealed beams seem to last me a long time, they may not throw the perfect light pattern, but they still help me see where Iam going in the night.

I picked up a set of the cheap after mkt sealed beam look alikes that use the H4 bulbs. 90/100 watt bulbs. they sure light up the night sky, but the bulbs sure don`t last as long. seemed like every time I turned around one was burned out.
I installed these on the 85.

The 240 still has the sealed beams, and a few months ago had one of the low beams go out. went to O`Rilleys to pick up one, and they wanted $25 for one. Now it has been a while since I bought one, and thought ehhhh maybe $7 bucks. WOW!!!

So I changed auto suppliers, PNP has the bulbs for $3 and at 1/2 price sale........ think I have around a dozen in a box in the barn.

I really need to adjust the 240`s lights, one is looking in the ditch, and the other is checking the owl`s.


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

I work nights, so I use mine a lot. I get about 1-2 years out of a set.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I buy the brighter headlights for mine. There are 3 different ones; regular, brighter, and the super bright. The brighter you go, the less bulb life you get.

Hope they were't Sylvania silver stars! The glass those are made out of looks like recycled pop bottles smashed in a mold that was worn out 10 years ago.

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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.

At least one a month driving everyday!

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Did you just pass my 740 at 200 kmh in a 300SD?????

1978 300SD 'Phil' - 1,315,853 Miles And Counting - 1, 317,885 as of 12/27/2012 - 1,333,000 as of 05/10/2013, 1,337,850 as of July 15, 2013, 1,339,000 as of August 13, 2013



100,000 miles since June 2005 Overhaul - Sold January 25th, 2014 After 1,344,246 Miles & 20 Years of Ownership

GE Nighthawks are supposed to be solid sealed beam performers, with beam patterns similar to Hella/Cibie.

I've done the Hella/Cibie mod to all my sealed beam vehicles, w/ relays and upgraded bulbs. Very helpful, I'm not old by any means but my eyes aren't 18 anymore either.