city lights for 126 euro lights - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

edge · #1 07-09-2003, 12:22 AM

I jumped a wire from pin#4 on the corner light to pin#3 on the main. The citylights turn on when the side markers are on....Why would this defeat the purpose?

JustinMorrison · #2 07-09-2003, 12:38 AM

Yes...I did a search, which is what led me to this question.

So, last week I installed my long awaited euro lights in my 1987 560SEL. Everything went smoothly with one exception...the city driving lights. I read the suggestions here about how to wire them, which do not make sense to me. Everyone seems to say that you should jump a wire from the corner lights to the #5 pin on the main lamp harness. Well, there are three wires on the corner lights...one I assume is a ground (brown), one will only operate with the lights turned on (defeats the purpose) and the third will only work when the turn signal is engaged (also pointless). So...am I missing something, or is there some other way that these should be wired. Any help would be appreciated.

MikeTangas · #3 07-09-2003, 04:56 AM

Are you seeking automatic DRLs? You don't get that with the city lights, you have to manually turn them on.

MTI · #4 07-09-2003, 02:25 PM

In retrofitting euro lights to the US wiring, you essentially only have two options if you want to use the OEM light switch, either having the city lights come on with the "driving lights" or to blink with the turn signals. I went with the driving lights option rather than turn signal.

JustinMorrison · #5 07-09-2003, 03:17 PM

Oh...I get it. I was under the impression that they could be used as automatic day running lights. My mistake. I guess that I don't really see the point of wiring them now...if I have to turn on the side markers, I might as well go two clicks and turn on the full headlights. Also, I sometimes use the parking lights (the two positions on the left), so wiring them in this fashion wouldn't be a good idea.
Okay...new question-is there an easy way to wire them as automatic DRL's? I was thinking of tapping something that is powered when the car is running (the washer fluid level sensor seemed the easiest). Would this be a bad idea? Would my car explode? Thanks..

MTI · #6 07-09-2003, 03:42 PM

The city light is a 5W bulb, so there isn't much of a load in having them as a constant on, but I would be concerned about draining the battery (it would take a long time) if they stayed on while the key is still in the ignition in the 'acc" mode. For a really elegant solution, see if there is some sort of timing circuit that will cut power after a few minutes after the engine is off.

#7 07-09-2003, 03:55 PM

cut into the dome light? that has a delay

afmcorp · #8 07-09-2003, 06:05 PM

justin

i wired mine for auto on/off. it is real simple. just run 1 wire each side up to the fuse box. mine being an 88 420sel was easy. 1 screw and the top of the fuse box lifts up to reveal the connecting studs for the above fuses. find a point that is on when the key is and off when it is off.

i was thinking later on i would get a light sensor to trip on with low or no light. my 98 marquis does this and is really handy.
tks
craig

xsohaib · #9 07-09-2003, 07:55 PM

To all who have installed the eurolights on w126's. I have been at this for atleast two months off and on trying to install the euros on my 420 SEL, first the beam pattern on drivers side was too high and the passenger side was to low (even after adjusting the drivers side light to its minimum height and the passanger side to its maximum height). Then I elongated the hole in the wiper assembly of the drivers side so I could make it lower which worked out fine. However, the passanger side I can't seem to make it go any higher than it is (I have fabricated something to go with the wiper assembly to align the holes of the headlamps with the wiper). If I attempt to make the passenger side light higher, the after closing the hood it goes back to its low position (although the beam adjustment is set to its highest). I am begining to believe that there is something wrong with the passenger side headlamp (its a TYC). Even if I don't attach the passenger side headlamp to the wiper assembly it is still really really low. Has anyone ever encountered this problem? Or am I the only one? Please help, this is getting very frustrating. From what I understand if I don't attach either of the headlamps to the wiper assembly the beam height should still be atleast the same? Is this true or am I way off.
The car is an 89 420 SEL

Thanks
Sohaib

#10 07-12-2003, 01:40 AM

I 've just installed eurolights on my 1979 300CD 2 days ago. All the functions work and I'm happy with them. Since, I was so anxious about putting them on, I didn't open up the back of the light housing and look at the bulbs and whatever else inside. Reading these threads I've come to the understanding that there are some "city lights", are these like "day-time running lights"? Are they low powered (5w)? I know there is a bulb for my fog lights and a bulb for headlights, is there already a "city lights" bulb in there, that I simply didn't connect, when doing the rewiring from US to Euro? What are city lights for?

Please clear up my "city lights" confusion.

ebennz · #11 07-12-2003, 10:04 AM

this was cut from a lighting forum. i hope i don't upset the writer.originally think it was dan stern.

*What are "city lights" ?

E-code lamps sometimes include a City light.(These are called "side lights" by speakers of British English. This can be a bit confusing, because they face *front*, not to the side.) What is a city light? It's a 5-watt lamp that sticks through the lamp's reflector into the lamp itself. European vehicles are equipped with city lights rather than US-style amber parking lamps. City lights are legal for use as parking lamps in the US and in Canada; amber parking lamps are NOT mandatory.

*How would I make the city light work on my car? The DOT headlamps I'm replacing didn't have them.

The city light has two wires. Ground one of its wires, and run the other of its wires to the dim filament feed on your front park lamps, preferably instead of (but optionally in addition to) your existing dim amber park lamp filaments. This makes for parking lamps that WORK, and if a headlamp ever malfunctions, oncoming traffic still sees you as a double-track vehicle. In addition, it makes your front turn signals much clearer because they now go "BRIGHT-off-BRIGHT-off" instead of "bright-dim-bright-dim" when the lights are on. Yep, another aspect of lighting that the Europeans got right and we didn't. City lights are especially useful if you have fog lamps. On foggy days, you can put on the city lights which will show other drivers exactly where u have fog lamps. On foggy days, you can put on the city lights which will show other drivers exactly where your car is, and switch on the fog lamps so you can see.

http://www.endosquid.com/audi/audinfo_lightFAQ.htm#

peter

ebennz · #12 07-12-2003, 10:11 AM

another pic

JustinMorrison · #13 07-15-2003, 08:55 PM

afmcorp-
Thanks for the suggestion. I finally got around to giving it a shot, and it was quite simple once you put me on the right track. For those who have the same car (1987 560SEL) or similar, here's what I did.

In the front of the fuse box (furthest from the driver) there are two screws located between the spare fuse holders. Once these are removed the front of the fuse box can be lifted. I ran one wire for each light from the fusebox. On my car there were some holes running out of the fusebox that weren't used, so I ran them through these. I connected the two wires to a ring terminal and attached them to fuse #17 or 18 (sorry I forgot which...white fuse, not red). That was it...about 45 minutes total, and a very clean looking installation. Now the 5w bulbs turn on when the car is on and I am happy.