[LWB250]

As I work to become more familiar with this model before I make a purchase, as I have inspected potential cars I have noticed something about the 1990-95 headlights that have me pondering:

The headlight lenses have three little "nubs" or pins that stick out from them. I know these are for headlight aiming equipment. However, I'm at a loss to understand how the headlight wipers move freely over the headlights to clean them when they are actuated.

Don't they run into these pins? Are they expected to just move over them?

I'm very familiar with MB headlight wipers on other models, but I don't recall ever seeing a design like this.

Dan

 

[MercedesTheBest]

yes, the wiper just goes over them. i don't know how effective it cleans because of this as it lifts it off the glass. but the only nub it goes over is the centre one. the 2 nubs along the bottom it just rests on as the wipers should park horizontal, just above the nubs.

 

[LWB250]

Thanks!

Might have seemed like a silly question, but being familiar with other models that have headlight wipers and no nubs, I just thought it was sort of strange.

Sort of defeats the purpose of the wiper, I would think. Going over the nub would lift the wiper off the lens for part of the sweep.

Dan

 

[Pete S]

And I have heard although I can not confirm is that if you get the Euro Spec lights that have no nubs you also need to buy the euro wiper motor, not sure why but read that more than once. Personally I think the combination of the US Spec headlights and the wipers make the front on the R129 look terrible and the reason I couldn't wait to eliminate both from my R129.

 

[LWB250]

I am not familiar with Euro headlights for the R129, but on other models the different motor is required due to the difference in the wiper arm and sweep range. I would expect it's probably the same with the R129 as well.

I think the earlier domestic headlight wipers, such as those on the R129 and W124, look awful and break up the lines of the front of the car. They're "stubby" and look really out of place.

Dan

 

[Pete S]

Dan the Euro specs eliminate the nubs and the hideous plastic bezel surround. Here is mine while installing. One Euro, one US Spec to compare. There are a couple more photos including closeups if you click the link in my sig line.

 

[scottejupiter]

I was told that my lights were probably replacement because of the nubs. The guy told me "See, the wipers would have a hard time going across these so the lights aren't original." Glad to know they probably are original.

 

[LWB250]

On any of the MB models with wipers, I always figure that the owner does poor job of maintaining the car if one of the wipers is out of place. I just saw a local used car dealer with a nice 98 SL500 for sale, and one of the wipers was at the 11 o'clock position.

Why wouldn't someone fix that????

Dan

 

[MercedesTheBest]

On any of the MB models with wipers, I always figure that the owner does poor job of maintaining the car if one of the wipers is out of place. I just saw a local used car dealer with a nice 98 SL500 for sale, and one of the wipers was at the 11 o'clock position.

Why wouldn't someone fix that????

Dan

because a motor replacement is $300 for the part plus labour at a rate of $140/hr. if the motor is getting old it will not always park 100% all the time. and moving it by hand will hurt the gears and motor according to MB.

 

[LWB250]

Exactly my point.

Maybe it's me, but in a worst case scenario I would disconnect the motor and unbolt the arm and bolt it back on in the parked position.

That would make me crazy.

I guess I'm just picky. Everything on my cars has to work. For example, I just replaced the driver's lumbar bladder in my W140 coupe yesterday. Granted, that's a creature comfort thing, but it was also bugging me because I had to disable the lumbar circuit on the PSE pump because it was timing out due to the leak…

Dan

 

[MercedesTheBest]

...if you get the Euro Spec lights that have no nubs you also need to buy the euro wiper motor...

that is semi-accurate from what i have read in my parts catalog. though it may not show the US spec lights.

from my catalog there is only a difference between the xenon and non-xenon. you don't need the whole motor replaced, you just need wiper blade and wiper arm assembly.

 

[826363]

Ugly Wiper blade resting postion

"On any of the MB models with wipers, I always figure that the owner does poor job of maintaining the car if one of the wipers is out of place. I just saw a local used car dealer with a nice 98 SL500 for sale, and one of the wipers was at the 11 o'clock position.

Why wouldn't someone fix that???? "

Reason they don't fix it is because they problably did one time and then realized it's not the motor but the relay that is causing it to lay in incorrect position.

If you loosen it and move it, it will then be incorrect for when the time it do work again.

The HD Light wipers only work when the Headlights are on and washer fluid is called for.

3 ways to repair ,
Replace Relay and/or Wiper motor $$$$$$$$$
Remove Wiper and associated parts and replace lower panel w/o wiper hole $$$$$
Wait until wiper is resting correctly and unplug replay/wiper motor N/C $

 

[LWB250]

Reason they don't fix it is because they problably did one time and then realized it's not the motor but the relay that is causing it to lay in incorrect position.

If you loosen it and move it, it will then be incorrect for when the time it do work again.

The HD Light wipers only work when the Headlights are on and washer fluid is called for.

3 ways to repair ,
Replace Relay and/or Wiper motor $$$$$$$$$
Remove Wiper and associated parts and replace lower panel w/o wiper hole $$$$$
Wait until wiper is resting correctly and unplug replay/wiper motor N/C $

FWIW,

Lower panel without hole is barely $20 in primer from the dealer. Cheap and fairly simple to replace. A good quality matched paint rattle can will do it...

And the operation of the headlight wipers is the same on all MBs as far as I know. Confuses the heck out f a lot of owners when they don't see the wipers moving when they have the windshield wipers on.

Dan

 

[rorypff]

Amazes me that here in darkest of Africa with dirt roads mosts Mercs sent to South Africa were not specced for stupid light windscreen wipers

They look terrible especially when when not level in the off position. Also we do see many SLs for sale here with the wipers and then know that it is a UK import usually with terrible rust problems