W126 420SEL euro head light installation. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

afmcorp · #1 04-21-2003, 02:27 AM

W126 420SEL euro head light installation.

i am so happy with my euro lite conversion that i thought i would relay my experience.

After purchasing the lights (euro and clear side marker) the only other items i needed were 2 pcs of

011-545-50-28 [6] hole connectors. i also bought 1 trailer hitch wiring recepticle for the internal

already made female connector that i needed for the 5th hole of the city lights. so about 10 bucks

worth.

i know there has been alot written on this subject so you don't need to hear the small things so i

will just tell you what i now know as a fact inregard "MY '88" 420sel:

first off i did a complete mapping of the fuse box both ignition switch on and off. next i mapped

the existing 4 pin connector. i tried to map the existing US light but it had too much bleed of

current so I figured who cares it's the new lights that are important. so i mapped the 5 pins city,

hi-low beams, fog and ground. after that all i had to do was insert the female contacts according

to the map of the new light. (i now have a complete record of my fuse box and lighting system. i

do this because i am keeping a detailed record of my work on each car)

i wanted my city lights to come on with the ignition key and go off with the key so i went straight

to the fuse box located under the hood on the left (dvr) side. i installed each light to it's own

terminal. #17 for the right and #19 for the left. (real simple just 2 screws and the whole

underneath of each fuse is accessible). i then ran both wire routes and tied them in with the

current 4 hole switch. i added the necessary new 6 hole connector dropped in the 5th wire connector

and was ready to plug it in. on the clear side marker lamps i used the original 3 wire connector

switching the US plug to the new clear lights. i bought 1157A amber lights and i was done with the

lights really simple and straight forward. infact when i switched on the lights everything worked

the first time out.

now the wipers. there seems to be a bunch of opinions here but this is how "MY 88" worked.

while the lights were out i mapped the wiper motors. i noticed the right (pass) side had 4 wire and

the left had only 3. they were however wired the same except the addition of this 4th wire on the right. but looking at the wire diagram on the motor that 4th wire actually looked like it was a

jumper. SO.... i switched the p for d and d for p. worked each one and sure enough they both work.

all...right! (i am not saying there wasn't a problem, i am saying i did not see one, i am also saying it appears that they both worked and in the opposite direction)

so as i am working on the existing brackets they are pretty simple fix. the bottom of the euro's

are slightly different than the US. so all i did was milled one additional slot and mill a larger

hole for the other screw and the brackets worked fine. they bolted in exactly as did the old

lights. the wiper motors sat just off center (less than 1/8 .125 inch) and put a slight bind on the

shaft. my fix was to simply enlarge the hole for the motor mount in the bracket and then no more

bind.

the next thing were the wiper arms. for now until i can get the euro wiper arms i am powder coating

both arms black. to make them aesthetically acceptable i rotated them a few degrees to keep them

low on the light.

i am looking back at this conversion and i think there is no need to get the euro brackets or

motors. from what i've read they complicate the installation. because they (euro brackets) mount

the motors in the middle and quite forward of how the us brackets sits they cause the US motor shaft

to be too long and the hole thru the face plate below the light to be in the wrong place.

just use the original brackets and the US motors. you can decide if you want to spend another 70$ on wiper arms. me i'm gonna live with this setup for a while and see if works for me.

(if someone really wanted the euro look all they would need to relocate the motor is a small piece of angle aluminum, 2 flat head socket head bolts with nuts (FLAT HEAD) get someone to mill 2 slots one for the flat head screws and one for the motor shaft mounting and you could put the motor anywhere you would need to put it)

:p

cam69ss · #2 09-19-2003, 11:59 AM

So all you did is reverse wire the headlight wiper motors?
Do they part in the correct postion?
THanks,
DAn

afmcorp · #3 09-20-2003, 07:17 PM

cam69ss

if you look at the wiring schematic on the motors they are the same for 3 wires. the 4th wire on one of them i think it was the pass side has a 4th wire connection. but if you look it appears to actually come from one of the other 3 wires. so what i did was to reverse the motor location right to left and left to right. then i added the 4th wire from that connection block. the reversal of the motors give you the euro rotation.

the pass side bracket was an easy fit i don't remember modifying it. maybe a hole enlargement. the driver side was completely different so an extra slot here and an extra hole there and the motors were traded. turn on the power and it all worked.

i also switched wiper arms for now and colored them black to look euro.

and that was that. no new holes in the covers as i used the stock location holes. the driver side was a bit tight but i made a slot in the bracket and it did work out. i used the existing electric connectors so it was actually just a switch.

dtkw · #4 09-20-2003, 07:39 PM

Any pictures?

afmcorp · #5 09-21-2003, 12:32 AM

i just put this up last weekend and you'll see the site is nowhere near complete. the 88 is still in my shop so the foto is not real bright.

if you'd like i can probably lighten up one of the shop fotos so the headlight will come out better. i did not take any fotos of the euro lite conversion.http://mysite.verizon.net/res0aytj/

dtkw · #6 09-21-2003, 12:35 AM

Where Indiana are you located? I am in Bloomington.

afmcorp · #7 09-21-2003, 01:26 AM

i'm in nwi ... portage, in

cam69ss · #8 09-29-2003, 10:26 PM

afmcorp
Thanks for your help I am going to try the conversion this weekend. I have the euro arms, mounts and plates. Didn't buy the euro motors as they were too much $$$
Dan

afmcorp · #9 09-29-2003, 10:37 PM

good luck cam.

as happens now and then i just bought the euro motors and wipers this week. sooo i'll probably change the reversed set up out this weekend or next.
good luck
craig

afmcorp · #10 09-30-2003, 11:56 PM

i've posted a bit better foto of the reversed setup. go to my website http://mysite.verizon.net/res0aytj/index.html

you'll see my other 2 benz as well.

WANT '71 280SEL · #11 03-02-2005, 07:44 AM

afm, if you never used any of the Euro wiper motors, would you be willing to sell them? I know this thread is old, but I was doing a search.

Thanks
David

afmcorp · #12 03-02-2005, 11:57 AM

Hello David

for now they will be used on the 88. everything i've bought over the last 2 years will be installed or finished as soon as i can drive the 87.

thank you for the offer and if something changes i'll let you know
tks
craig