Headlamp Query

[Neil Thompson]

Dear knowledgable members!

are Euro style lights, LHD and RHD, the same internally and will they interchange?, I understand the lenses are different but the main body looks very similar to me on photos, the part numbers A113 820 04 61 LHD and A113 820 03 61 RHD vehicles obviously indicate some difference but could it be just the lens. The reason for asking is that LHD are still aparantly available accross Europe from Mercedes and RHD are not.

Thanks

Neil

[114015]

Different.
See our WIKI.

http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/EuropeanLamp

Reading the experience and summaries of the more experienced here really helps. It's not only there for the archives....

Don't worry, Neil,
Not to annoy or offend you.
But I weren't able to find better and more accurate words here than already written in the WIKI.

Best,

Achim

[Neil Thompson]

Achim I am neither annoyed or offended, it takes more than being told to open my eyes properly to cause either!, I had indeed read the Technical manual a couple of times and the only difference I could see (other than the lens markings) was that the parking light bulb was located above the headlight bulb on RHD and below on LHD. What I am asking is is this the only difference? or am I missing something because if not it looks like an easy fix by rotating the reflector 180 degrees, moving the rubber locating buffer to the opposite side and cutting a small notch in the reflector where the headlight bulb mounts.

any more comments or directions more than welcome, as always

Neil

[enochbell]

I hope to not add any confusion here, but I know the Driver and Passenger headlight assemblies are the same, at least they are on my car and the wiki agrees.  But the headlight assemblies for the LHD and RHD are the not the same.  The lenses are different and the reflectors are as well: the reflectors match the asymmetry of the lens.  I don't think there are any other differences.  However, rotating 180 degrees won't fix that, I don't think.  Rotating about 25 degrees MIGHT get you close, but it is hard to see what other changes you would need. Seems like a lot of surgery!

Hope you sort it out,
g

[DaveB]

Apparently the reflector rotation can work, see advice below from Naj in topic http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=14140.0

Re: Headlight Lens RHD to LHD
________________________________________
Besides changing the glass lens, the reflector will also need to either be changed or modified.
It has to be turned thru (almost) 180 degrees and a new notch filed for the bulb, so you can get the correct asymetric pattern.

[Neil Thompson]

thanks G and well spotted Dave! getting somewhere now I think, I would have been surprised with the price of these lamps that owners in the UK/Australia have not experimented more... obviously have and it looks possible now

Neil

[stickandrudderman]

The reflectors certainly are different for left and right hand drive but today is the first time that I've heard that they can be rotated in order to convert them.
Naj, any more detial on this?
Stick.
PS. I do have some RHD lenses in stock but they are not cheap!

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi, Stick,

I did this about 10 years ago (how time flies  )

When you put the two reflectors side by side, you will see where to grind the gap to fit the bulb correctly.

Yes, the side light bulb will end up 180° from where it was on a LHD headlamp.

Naj

[Neil Thompson]

Thank Stick and Naj for your input,

Until tonight my theory was as follows:-

the main reflectors are still available from MBUK for about £160, my main problem is the fog lamp reflector which is NLA but I believe available elsewhere for about the same amount. the seals are still available at less than £100 per lamp, add this to the cost of bulbs and I am possibly up to around £500 per lamp not to mention the indicator reflector etc. LHD lamps are still available at around £1,200. My theory was that if i buy a new complete LHD lamp and sell off the new LHD lens and my old lamp assembly minus the RHD lens of course, if Ebay excels I may be lucky and upgrade to new lamps for the cost of reconditioning.

But,,,, I now have completely stripped both lights to the bare shells, one assembly looks recent and all I have done is clean up and respray the aluminium body and ordered a new glass/body seal, clean up reflectors, lubricate adjusters and replace all bulbs upgrading the dip/main to halogen (the 35w fog bulb is still available from MB and not expensive!)

The other assembly is a little more tired, the main reflector is acceptable for a driver, turn indicator also similar, but the fog reflector is very corroded. I am having this acid dipped to see if it will survive, if so, I plan to tidy it up and prime and then either chrome spray it or possibly try to wrap it in reflective foil similar to the car wraps we see nowadays, it may work, it may not. The main body of the lamp is slightly bowed somehow not allowing the lens to seal at all, hence the rusty fog light reflector I think!, so I will straighten, clean, spray and replace seal/bulbs as before. - Stick have you a fog lamp reflector just in case!

I will report back with progress.

One thing I would like to add is this, it's most likely in the wrong place but oh well!. With the help and information on this forum and the current UK weather I have in the last couple of weeks fully serviced my car including changing the scary gearbox oil filter, had the seats out and tidied up the carpets and trim, re conditioned my indicator switch - more scary, and am half way through my headlamp overhaul. Next is the timing chain due to mileage and then I hope to make it across the water to the Euro 2012 event!, thanks all

neil

[stickandrudderman]

Stick have you a fog lamp reflector just in case!

'frayed knot!

If your original one survives the acid dip then you can have it re-plated using vacuum deposition.

[Via Manci]

Speaking of headlights. While adjusting the headlight on my 230SL one of the nylon clips fractured.  Are the clips available?

Thanks.

Mike

[114015]

While adjusting the headlight on my 230SL one of the nylon clips fractured.  Are the clips available?

There are no nylon/plastic clips.    

Hello Mike,

Are you still refering to the Euro headlight unit?
There are no nylon/plastic clips; at least on those eight Euro headlight units that I had in my hands there were none.

Please see the last picture on that weird internet link here:

http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/EuropeanLamp

What you can see there is a Euro unit from behind, and there is no nylon clip.

Or are you referring to the little black rubber plugs/grommets that are attached to the "main adjuster" (as they are called on that picture)?

000 826 0094    Bushing     all    6

Those are still available from the factory, about 2.62 €uros each, and the little corresponding tabs 000 826 0139 are as well, but those have become a bit pricey lately.

 
Achim

[114015]

(Have just slightly (!!!) edited & updated the Euro lens section in our WIKi a bit and removed a few "bugs"

Achim)