Halogen Bulb/Euro light ?

[Douglas]

1. Can you touch the bulbs with your bare hands without corrupting the glass? I know you're not supposed to touch many kinds of halogen bulbs while replacing them.

2. Is the low beam bulb a rather large circular plug-in?

Thanks for any insight out there.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

1. Can you touch the bulbs with your bare hands without corrupting the glass? I know you're not supposed to touch many kinds of halogen bulbs while replacing them.

It is not recommened to touch the glass with your fingers. But if you do it then you should clean the glass again (and again) with alcohol wipes after installation so not to leave fingerprints which will be burned in permanently when the bulb gets (VERY) hot.
[I have some optical equipment in the lab and need to do this routinely since there is no other way to remove some bulbs. Using the wipes has saved us a lot of grieve].

quote:2. Is the low beam bulb a rather large circular plug-in?

If you have the halogen bulb with a P45t socket then there is only one bulb for high and low beam. I don't know how the newer H4 style bulbs work.
Also see this thread:http://sl113.com/forums/index.php?topic=2679

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[113gray]

Doug, I replaced my 230SL H'lights 3 years ago & I too remember being cautioned against touching the halogen bulb's glass w/ bare hands. W/O taking my lights apart, I can't be sure about your other question, but I think Dan Stern (dastern@vrx.net   --Hope that's still current) will be glad to help; he was very well informed on these lights.     -JP-

[Naj ✝︎]

Doug,
 

quote:Is the low beam bulb a rather large circular plug-in?

The P45t bulb base is quite a large circular fitting but both lo amd hi beam filaments are in the same (test-tube like) glass tube.
The front  tip of the tube is painted black.

Will try to post picture later

naj

68 280SL

[enochbell]

Just to underscore: Do not touch the bulb with a bare hand (or anything else that will leave residue).  The reason is that anything left on the glass will cause it to crack under the superheat these bulbs generate.  I always use a powder free latex glove when handling the bulbs, although if you are careful you can just hold the bulb from the base and be safe.

Best,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by naj

Will try to post picture later.

Naj,
There is a great picture in the link (discussion thread) referenced below.

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

[Douglas]

So is the round bulb in this photo  the foglight bulb?

http://www.sl113.org/forums/uploaded/66andBlue/2006325144844_Bulbs&baffle.jpg

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[rwmastel]

The round light in that photo is the traditional headlight (high & low) bulb.  It is replaced by the narrow bulb.

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

[Douglas]

Thank you, Rodd. I had a few bulbs sitting around and a friend with a Pagoda needed a spare, so I gave him the correct bulb. (Now all he has to do is wipe off my fingerprints.)

Douglas Kim
New York
USA