If you've never seen the Depo's in person, you'd be surprised! For the price, don't "discount" them too fast :thumbsup:

I've compared the OE Bosch Euro's and Depo and to be honest, unless you can find a set of OE Bosch for less than $400, its not worth it. The difference is negligible.

 

I have a set of Euro lights comprised of one each; Hella and Bosch. The housings are roughly the same, but the lenses are clearly different. I also have a set of Taiwanese TYCs, and as much of a skeptic as I am, I find it difficult to tell the difference between OEM and aftermarket. The OEM lenses can also be directly swapped onto the aftermarket frames, so parts availability should be a moot point. Some time ago when I was gathering parts for a facelift swap on my wagon, I came across some new "Bosch" lenses that came in genuine boxes, but were made in the Czech Republic. These swapped right onto the TYC housings. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the OEM or their inflated prices anymore.

 

Thanks guys!

Looks like I haven't been on the W124 section long enough! We are not looking to get new lights, good used are best.

Regarding DEPO vs Bosch/Hella, is the difference really that negligible?

How about - let's say if I get lucky and look for Bosch or Hella only (overseas where it's plenty available), is there a big difference between the two?

Didn't know about the Bosch/Hella lenses fitment on DEPO, that was surprising. How about the reflectors?

If we get DEPO units, will the light output be similar to Bosch/Hella as well?

 

Headlights
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e-ce-d-td-class/1566541-best-bulbs-use-driving-fog-lights.html

Euro light install instructions to wire European headlights - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum


W124-Zone.com - Articles: HID Upgrade / Improving headlights

 

Here's an old pic showing the lights I referenced earlier.

The OEM Euros are in the back row, with the Hella on the left and the Bosch on the right. The TYCs are in the front.

 

Thanks guys, I would need the wiring instructions. Don't think we'd go with HIDs, it'll have regular 55/60W H4's.

Thanks Z - looks like the TYC have a lighter frame color than the OE Bosch/Hellas. My mother's 300TE is pearl black metallic (199), will the aftermarket units clash too much with the dark gray paint?

I've read that the adjustment knobs break easily - is there a workaround to this or we should just be extra careful? How about fitment - no issues on installation?

 

The frame color is not noticeable once installed.
The Euro's will not accept the NA wiper configuration so you'll need blanking plates.
I had the TYC's for a few years and no complaints. (Top pic )
Changing over to French Hella's (bottom pic ) as I'm adding a GEN I front spoiler.
Notice the Euro wiper configuration.

 

i installed some depo lights on an '89 a few weeks ago and there were issues with the plastic molding, the slits where the side markers lock into the headlight housing were poorly molded and this caused some grief. once i figured out why the side lights wouldn't go in all the way it was simple to fix, but still a pain. i have bosch units on my 2 wagons, the depo lights truly are almost indistinguishable once installed. the plastic is slightly inferior on the depo lights. my friend got the depo lights for a little over 200 bucks to his door in toronto, pretty good price. i bought a replacement bosch lens not long ago and it was almost 1/2 that, just for the lens.

 

Depos have become an automatic upgrade for me.

 

Hi Patrick,

The DEPOs, value for dollar, are unbeatable BUT I've always had fit & finish issues with them as was stated in this post by somebody else as well. No surprise there, as they are knock-offs after all. However, beam cut-off patterns on the DEPOs also are not nearly as good as the Euro originals.

In addition, it seems that the Hella lenses are the best and have the best light patterns & cut-off lines with the BOSCH being a close 2nd. Finding the Hella lenses might be a bit of a challenge though. The Bosch units (complete headlight) are easier to source and even available though online vendors like autohausaz.com, germanstar.net and others.

If you do manage to find a set of Hella or even BOSCH headlights, I recommend getting a pair of XPEL lens protectors to avoid stone damage/breakage. I have those on my diesel as well and are not noticeable and do not impact light output. I highly recommend getting a set for your French spec W123 Euro lenses as well.

 

It looks like the TYC lenses are modeled off of the Bosch units...not sure whether that's the case with the Depos

 

I have had just about every available light on my 500e. Currently I have Bosch units and previously Hellas. Fit and finish wise, you really can't tell a different between Bosch and Hella. As for light pattern they are basically the same or close enough that you can't tell any difference between the two.

Also had a set of Depo's at one point as well. Quality wise, you can tell they are not as good as the Hella or Bosch, but for the price you can't go wrong.

I don't run 500e specific headlights, so my comments are valid in your case.

 

After getting several PMs from people wanting to know more about the XPEL lens protectors, here you go:

XPEL Head Light Protection

Got mine from Performance Products, and have them on all my cars. No more cracked/broken lenses and no more pitting. Keeps them looking like new.

I did find it easier to remove the headlight and use the workbench to apply the protective film.

 

Thanks gentlemen. It seems the consensus is that for the price of new assemblies, one cannot beat the DEPO or TYC units. In essence, you get what you pay for. They might not fit as good, or look exactly the same, or function as sharply as the Bosch or Hellas, but again they're pretty good for the price.

However, if I find a great deal on the Bosch or Hella, that would be ideal. And between the two, it's interesting to note the Bosch units are easier to source. On W201 Euro lights, Hellas are more common (like what I have on my 190E).

Thanks also for the heads up on the wiper, almost forgot about that. My mother's 300TE has wipers too so I'll definitely need the blank plates (or just completely remove the wipers temporarily) but I'm not too worried about that as the metal plates are easy to swap once I've got the right ones.

I'm trying to source units from overseas where the Euro lights are more abundant since my dad is flying back in April so he'll bring them with him (if he finds a set in time), and my dad's contact says it's better to get Bosch or Hella because the DEPO units break and leak easily, and are in general not as durable as the German units.

Curious what your experience says in terms of the durability of the DEPOs over the Bosch/Hellas.

 

Thanks for the wiring instructions. I presume these are for Bosch/Hella units. Are these instructions the same for DEPO or TYC?

As I understand (from another chassis), the city lights use a different bulb between Bosch/Hella, and DEPO/TYC.

 

Hey Patrick,

I think the difference in the city lights between the genuine units and the Asian knock-offs is the use of wedge type bulbs on the fake units vs traditional socket type bulbs on the originals. Not 100% sure on this, but I think that is the only difference. Apart from that, the wiring should still be the same. Don't remember if the knock-offs have the vacuum diaphragms for adjusting the beam height like the original Euro units do, but your car does not have this feature anyway unless you get the switch and associated tidbits to have this feature enabled on your car as well.

If your dad does find a set of good used units in Europe, be sure to have him check that the headlights adjuster rods are still in perfect shape and fully functional. These tend to be a bit fragile and are easily broken especially if the donor was very old or was involved in a fender bender.

 

Thanks for the help guys - appreciate it! Now the hunt begins

edit: Just remembered one more question - will installing Bosch or Hella lenses on DEPO or TYC units make them perform better?

 

edit: Just remembered one more question - will installing Bosch or Hella lenses on DEPO or TYC units make them perform better?

Simple answer: no they don't/won't. I'll take a used set of Bosch/Hella lights over DEPO any day of the week just on fit & finish alone.

 

I've finally installed a good mint set of Bosch Euros on the 300TE and rewired accordingly.

What are the part numbers for the blank valance piece under the headlights for a '90 300TE? I'd assume they come unpainted but it'll probably match the black pearl metallic paintwork

 

Hey, Partick post some pictures! I want to see how it turned out. Also, I bought a couple of blank headlight lower valance (left and right) from the dealer with the intention of cutting it to provide more air flow on my 500E. I haven't started the project yet. If your valance is the same as my 93 500E, we can swap so as not to waste a good new blank valance.
Ed

 

Ed, good idea! But the valances on the 300TE are pitted already (276k miles). Are you going to sand and prep them before installation to your 500E?

Sorry no pics yet, car is very dirty but installation went well!

 

Here are some pics of the valance. The length at the longest point is 14 and 3/8 of an inch. I'm not certain if euro headlight valance and NA/US headlight valance are of the same length.

The second pic shows the outline of the hole I intend to cut.

 

Hi Ed,

Nice work, the valences seem to be sturdy enough so when you cut them that way they still won't warp that much.

Is the valence for the 500E the same for regular W124's? The p/n mentioned is A 124 889 06 63. I think I saw another thread discussing these but I can't seem to find it now...

 

so where do you get a set of the Bosch (or Hella) pre-facelift e-codes stateside?

 

I found this information:

R 124-889-16-63 Valance Panel, blank, no wipers
L 124-889-15-63 Valance Panel, blank, no wipers

On this site (might be a member here):

Euro Lights for a Model 124

So I guess the part numbers do not match so yours could be 500E specific.

 

So I guess the part numbers do not match so yours could be 500E specific.

I guess you're right. The parts guy searched for it in his epc specifically for a 500E with euro lights when I got it.

Well, I thought I'd save you a few bucks. Anyway good luck with your upgrades.

Ed

 

Thanks Ed, just found out the panels are available $18 per side at the dealer.

If I got the panels you got, then I'd have to get the whole 500E to match them

 

Which dealer did you go to. I live in so. cal and have been looking for the lower headlight valence panel. i'm doing the facelift. got trunk hood/grill and body panels from a '94 at the junkyard. all i need is the headlights and the blank lower valance panel. The dealer near me priced me at $35 for each panel! that's more than what i paid for the hood trunk and body panels!!!

You said you got them for $18? where?

thanks!

 

A '94 will have different panels than my mother's '90. That's probably why they're priced differently.

MB of Long Beach

 

oh ok. i'll try hitting them up. thanks!