Euro headlight: Right and Left

[erickmarciano]

on my euro headlight how can I tell the right from the left one?
thnaks

1971 280sl
1962 VW
1954 Allstate vespa
1958 gs150 vespa
1962 gs160 vespa

[hauser]

No difference.  They're the same.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[ja17]

Erick,
Be careful however, there is a difference between the lenses on right hand drive cars and left hand drive cars!

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[erickmarciano]

ah   how do I know what side is what?

1971 280sl
1962 VW
1954 Allstate vespa
1958 gs150 vespa
1962 gs160 vespa

[ja17]

Erick,
The lenses are designed to throw light below the on-comming traffic. You can see a noticable difference in the light spread. Right hand drive car lenses will throw more light higher  to the left and left hand drive cars will through more light higher to the right.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[hands_aus]

I wonder how do people in England and Europe compensate when they travel under the water to a country that drives on the other side of the road?

Is there a way of corrrecting the light spread?

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[knirk]

They put a black tape strip on the appropriate side to blend the upgoing light beam.

Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[hands_aus]

Thanks for the info

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[Benz Dr.]

The lenses are the same for both sides of the car but there is a different lense for LH drive cars. I much prefer the rounded head light glass as it's quite a bit stronger and with take fairly hard impacts from small stones.

 The light beam should be under the height of on coming traffic with a rise to the right so it will hit any road signs.

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org

[n/a]

Here is a pair of Euro headlight on ebay for a reasonable price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4556457831&category=42606

Can someone tell me what would it take to fix the reflectors?

Louis
70 280sl auto red

[knirk]

New reflectors list for $ 55 each at SLS in Germany. I guess it is possible to fix reflectors, but being a safety factor I would go for new ones.

Per G. Birkeland
69 280 sl aut 834
Norway

[rwmastel]

quote:Can someone tell me what would it take to fix the reflectors?

I don't recommend fixing, I recommend replacing.  If you can get a set of reflectors, it's an easy change.  I did both my Euro headlights, all reflectors, in a few hours on my kitchen table.

It might be hard to get just the reflectors, some people might want to sell you a whole assembly (like on the e-bay auction).  Just shop around.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[cth350]

The reflectors should still be available from mercedes. I just purchased a full set for a 108 chassis car. They are not cheap, at about 100$ per light (3 reflectors).   I just got a pair of reflectors off ebay for a W100 and am waiting for them to show up.

I asked an aussie friend of mine how to distiguish between LHD & RHD lenses, not know which I have around, and this is what he said...

> if you look at the lens, you'll see a V formation,
> with the wide end pointing either left or right. if it points
> to the australian driver's side of the car, its a RHD lens.

-CTH

[A Dalton]

RHD/LHT lens have a decimal followed by an arrow after the E code box symbol

[Naj ✝︎]

Headlamps:
Right Hand Traffic (left hand drive)

Note the '<' shape on the right half of the lens.

Download Attachment: BurghHdLmpRHT.JPG
44.34 KB

Left Hand Traffic (U.K. Australia etc.)
Note the '>' is on the left half

Download Attachment: BurgHdLmpLHT1.JPG
41.85 KB

Note the raised beam on the right end when light shining against a wall (RHT)
Download Attachment: headlamp.jpg
40.18 KB

naj

[J. Huber]

So Naj, by "'>'" you mean the section where the glass pattern is sort of skewed?

And when you show the left-hand lens for a left hand car, I hope the '>' is also on the right side of the right hand lens. That's how mine are.

James
63 230SL

[rwmastel]

Yes, the idea is the light gets cast upward along the side of the road to see road signs.  So, using our short hand, it should look like < < or > >.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Yes, the idea is the light gets cast upward along the side of the road to see road signs. So, using our short hand, it should look like < < or > >.

Not sure what you mean here, Rodd.

For USA, both lights should cast the upward beam to the right (see headlamp adjustment picture).
Casting up to the left would mean blinding oncoming traffic.

James,

 

quote:So Naj, by "'>'" you mean the section where the glass pattern is sort of skewed?

And when you show the left-hand lens for a left hand car, I hope the '>' is also on the right side of the right hand lens. That's how mine are.

Yes, I do mean the small quadrant with one almost horizontal line and the other a few degrees above horizontal.

And yes, both lenses should be the same.

naj



65 230SL
68 280SL

[nick350]

I have both sets ..Europe and UK, it's just a swine to get the lens clips on each time.!

quote:Originally posted by hands_aus

I wonder how do people in England and Europe compensate when they travel under the water to a country that drives on the other side of the road?

Is there a way of corrrecting the light spread?

Bob Smith (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

Nick350
r107 SL red