So the rear light panel has an empty hole where another light socket can reside (euro fog?). One use is to install another socket and wire to brake lights for brighter/more brake lighting. Another is to help my failing brake lights; first one side now both. Cross wire to opposite side so that if one side fails you still have both sides working.


Question; does anyone know where to buy those small white plastic bulb sockets?

I'd probably go to a pick and pull and grab sockets from any German car. Those would be of better quality than any Chinese plastic you find on Amazon or Ebay. You might even find some 80's MB ones that fit correctly.

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Old Blue - 83 240D 6 speed manual trans, OM648
Green Machine - 2001 Europa G500
87 300SDL Bought on Peachparts. Low-ish miles..?

Family Truckster - 2012 VW Touareg TDI

Patchouli Wagon - 2004 E500 - SOLD
333k mile 97 BMW 750il V12. - SOLD
The Californian - 85 300TD - SOLD
Daily Super Sedan - 03 Audi S8 -SOLD

If you want a more effective brake light then install a "3rd brake light" . They became mandatory after 86.

Definitely go to the yard and grab some. I've been running the extra brake lights for the last decade or so.

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I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Yes, the extra hole is for rear fogs in Europe - in fact, if you remove the headlamp switch knob and install the proper bulb in the recepticle in the center of the shaft, when you pull the knob to the second detent of fog lights position, the center orange lense illuminates even without wiring to the rear for Euro fogs. Your failing brake lights sound like a bad ground. Definitely use the pick&pull idea for sockets to add the extra brake bulbs for maintaining the original integrity of a 123 car.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

1. As for the bulb, I have used an Osram 2721 (1.2W, 12V).
2. It has been prevously posted here that (at least for US vehicles), terminal 31 on the rotary headlight switch must be connected to ground for the indicator light ("orange lense illuminates" above) to work. This is the case with my own application though I have not attempted to skip the ground and see what happens.

It's been so long that I can't remember, but I don't think I ever ran the additional ground that you mention. !.2w bulb sounds right, the same bulb that goes behind the temp and fan control switches on the manual climate control system. These bulbs are also available frosted, which is better as the clear bulbs tend to get a little hot.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

Follow up;


Checked fuse (12) but there is no power on it when car is off. Odd, brakes are on a hot circuit.


Cant be ground problem because all the other bulbs in the rear panel work fine.


Turns out both bulbs were bad. I swapped them a few months ago while checking the bad right-side light and it didnt fix it. Why did they both go bad a few weeks ago? The 2nd alternator was badly overvoltage and I assume it fried them while driving it home.


But also the brake light switch had become misadjusted so the bulb change didnt fix the problem until this was readjusted.


So it was a sequence of multiple failures that made diagnosis not simple. I assume the unpowered fuse is because it doesnt get power until brake switch is activated.

Been off the Forum since 2014, and decided to see what is going on, and saw this thread.


It is real simple to add a socked to the empty one`s on ea side.
Go to PNP and find a W123 or W126. Unscrew the 2 thumb screws
on the back of the light assembly in the trunk. Pull out the piece that hold the light bulbs, unplug the wire socket.


remove all the light bulbs. On each end of the metal strip you will see 2
plastic tabs, squeeze them and lift off the strip.
Each light bulb socket is held in with plastic tab, push in each one and the socket comes out.


Remove the sockets and the pins that fit into the connector.
Keep all the sockets for futher use, or keep the 2 longest ones.


Remove the light assy from your car etc.... pop the sockets in the empty ones, and solder the wire to the one going to the brake light.
Now you will have 2 brake and tail lights.


I have done this to my 123`s and 126. Following my Wife at night, when the brake lights come on it will wake you up and take notice.





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