Euro headlights

[norton]

The new Pagoda World showed up in the mail today (Great Job Rod)and I have a question about "optional european" head light with the flat lens show on page 10 of the excellent article on Option Codes by Klaus Drexl, what was the purpose of the flat lens :?:

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[al_lieffring]

Didn't the flat lense headlamp have an H4 halogen lamp instead of the incandescent bulb of the earlier lamps?

113-042-10-014715
built 11 Jan 66
904/396 blue, Ivory Tex
condition- rust bucket

[rwmastel]

Yes, it was.  You can now get H4 bulbs that go in the standard incandenscent base (t45 base?).  I have this, with the curved lens, and they work better than the normal bulb.  I've not looked at a flat lens assembly, but the internal reflectors must be different as well because in this case the W113 had an incondescent low beam and a halogen high beam.  An interesting fact was brought up that the sedans could be had, at this time period, halogen for both low and high beam.  For some reason, that was not an original factory option on the W113, only on sedans.

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

[scheutw]

I am having a problem with my drivers side bright beam. It does not work. I replaced the light and the high beam fuse and still no bright. The low beam works fine. Any suggestions?   Thanks!


'66230SL
'97 E320

[Klaus]

Mike,
the flat lens was required with the optional Halogen lamp to avoid light scattering and glare of oncoming traffic. The round lens was used only with the bilux lamp.

Klaus
1969 280 SL

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by Klaus
 ... the flat lens was required with the optional Halogen lamp to avoid light scattering and glare of oncoming traffic. ...

Klaus,
do you know whether the current H4 bulb for the t45 base in the old curved head lights has been redesigned to avoid the glare?
Is that the reason that some suppliers sell this H4 bulb with the warning "for off road use only"?

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[Klaus]

Alfred,
I don't know if the bulb was designed to avoid glare, but I doubt it. The warning is probably due to the fact that if you change an item like this (or, as an example, the tire size) in Germany, you have to get new type approval for your car, i.e. the change has to be registered in the vehicle's documents (Kraftfahrzeugbrief - has nothing to do with Euro underwear). In contrary, in the US a manufacturer has to build and certify a vehicle for sale in the US, but afterwards the owner can do with it whatever he/she wants, as long as the state Motor Vehicle Inspection goes along (and they are only concerned with the fact that there is a working headlight).
Several W113 owners in Germany have installed the Osram H4 bulb with bilux-base into their standard curved European headlights, and they all are very happy with the improvement in light (www.pagodentreff.de).

Klaus
1969 280 SL

[rwmastel]

A great place to learn about (and buy) automotive lighting:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

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