300E Euro Lights Impressions

Hi All,

I just installed euro lights on my 90 300E - here are some initial impressions...

I got lights from Mr. Partsman - thanks Phil! Very expedient and courteous service. 6 pin Connectors - important! ($400)

Bulbs - PIAA H4 (55W light equiv. 100W) - from a local race shop, $70. Fog - H3 plasma, blue tint, $30.

Deinstallation is straightforward, with the exception of the headlight washer system - make sure that the various pins and connectors are not broken- VERY EASY to break (spoken from experience... The lights are connected with 5 8mm screws, including the front panel holding the washer assembly.

Installation is going to depend on your choice - whether to put the washer stuff back or not. If yes, swap the sides (R-->L and vv) as the new position of the washer motor rod is about 30mm to the OUTSIDE. You'd also need to drill new holes in the front panel to accomodate the rod...

I just removed the washer assembly altogether (because of a broken little piece...) - Plug the hose coming from the washer fluid tank...

The screws on the radiator side are a particular pain to put back in.

The lights assembly has 3 adjustment screws - 2 for the main light and 1 for the fog light. Only the vert one seems to change anything... Neither of the other two moved the pattern in any apparent way...

There's obviously more light on the road - esp. immediately in front of the car. You 124 owners know what a pain were the stock US lights - the Euros are MUCH better. Fog lights seem to be pre-adjusted and have a nice pattern (as per the excellent instructions on this site...). High beam is very impressive!

Overall, I was hoping for something closer to my 2002 ML - euros are not. There's more light on the road and anything compared with stock US lights is an improvement.

Visually, the front looks cleaner and somewhat more aggressive because the lights are larger...

Hope this helps...

Andre
90 300E
02 ML 320

[Jim's500E]

Yes, indeed...they are one of the best upgrades one could start to do to these cars. Better looks and better lighting the way German Car Gods intended it to be. Why the US got the crap lights we did is beyond me...it's almost insulting what they slapped on there...not really...but you get the picture.

Just a brief folow-up.

1. The shape of the inner (fog) lens is slightly different (more curve) from the stock lens. It looks like there may be a plastic cover/piece that fits on the inner side of the headlight assembly to make it snug with the grille. Is there?

2. Would anyone have any ideas as to where one gets replacement panels fron under the headlights?

3. Would anyone be interested in used US stock headlight assemblies (both sides, one with a tine stone-induced hole)?

thanks in advance,

andre
90 300E
02 ML320

[pmizell]

Hella USA sells the headlight panels with the holes in the correct places to accomodate the different location of the washer rod. $9.00 each I think.

They might even sell plain panels with no holes at all ... not sure, never asked.

I bought these panels and bought spec spray paint from towerpaint.com so now I have washable Euros!

FWIW I think the headlight washer system is pretty lame -- I never use it down here in TX, but maybe it's more useful up North with salted roads, etc. I preserved it simply for the looks, nothing more.

G'luck!

~Paul

________________
'91 300E, 207k miles

[ebennz]

anm
the panels are available from any m.b. dealer.
to save yourself some money try "parts-shop" [here] or maybe caliber motors in anaheim, california

they made 3 different ones for the w124's.

peter

[-fad]

imho...headlight washers are great thing (if you need them)

case in point: ...did a 7-day Baja, Mexico driving vacation from SF, California this December in my '94 E320 Coupe... the weather at times was pouring rain making the Mexican roads muddy slosh pits...

...the result was a front end so muddy the headlights were 90%ineffective...ans: with the the headlight washers liberally applied the mud was history and headlight effectiveness restored- no problemo

-fad