HELP: W107 US to Euro Headlight Conversion.

69395 Views 143 Replies 21 Participants Last post by rowdie, Apr 12, 2014

S320L1999

Discussion Starter · Apr 25, 2011

I have been trying to install my Euro headlights on my US car and cant seem to get them connected properly.

Has someone done this before and has some pictures/instructions to document it?

Thank you.

(Yes, I tried the search engine but no instructions).

41 - 60 of 144 Posts

Fonzi

· #41 · Apr 27, 2011

Judy said:
Wow, thanks Mike, great post!:thumbsup:

Thanks Judy, but based on S320L1999's picture post, those colors I posted don't seem to match up at all. I assume that's mostly due to the 450sl vs. 560sl and not the driver vs. passenger side issue. (I have not taken out my driver side.)

So since it appears S320L1999 doesn't have a multi-meter yet, I think we are still SOL. :-(

Hopefully S320L1999 will report back what color wires are what and these two thread will have some future value.

S320L1999

Discussion Starter · #42 · Apr 27, 2011

Thanks Mike!

If you look on the other post, you will notice that none of the wires in the 6 pin plug are brown, so for sure the older and newer models are different.

Fonzi

· #43 · Apr 27, 2011

S320L1999 said:
Thanks Mike!

If you look on the other post, you will notice that none of the wires in the 6 pin plug are brown, so for sure the older and newer models are different.

After you posted the picture in your post #11 over there, I did see that your 6-pin plug had no brown wire. So I ran out to the garage and got you the colors of each of my wires to see if you might be able to use that information to help you out. I hope from that you can at least figure out where to put your brown wire.

Sorry I wasn't able to be any help to you.

I'm out.

yashka26

· #44 · Jul 5, 2012

just converted mine

this is what i had to do:
560sl has 2 connectors, 6 pin and 4 pin.
on euro lights we can only utilize a 6 pin one.

4 pin connector needs to be open and pins with wires must come out of it, plastic casing and cover are not usable.

6 pin connector must be opened up and you need to do the following:

red with white stripe(bottom right, it's original location) must be removed. it's no longer needed, put some electrical tape over it. we will reuse it's metal pin later on for the ground.

green with white stripe (top left, it's original location) needs to be relocated to bottom right.

single brown and brown from 4 pin connector must be spliced together and attached to pin that we are reusing from red/white (red\white wire itself is not used). and it goes to bottom left.

black/white that used to be in bottom left, needs to come out of the 6 pin connector and attached directly to black/white from 4 pin connector.

gray from 4 pin connector needs to be attached to green/white and red dots that was moved from top left to bottom right early.

that's really it, close connector and reattach it to the light.
test it before you put it all back together.

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yashka26

· #45 · Jul 5, 2012

Passenger side in my case had more slack, I would start with it first.

Texas500SL

· #46 · Jul 5, 2012

S320L1999 said:
I think that wire diagram may be wrong. It says no. 6 is for the fog lights?

The fog lights on my car are wired independently of the headlights.

Are you sure this is for the W107 and not the W116/W126?

I think this may have already been anwsered but when I turn on only my fog lights the headlights also turn on but very dim and extremely low wattage, looks good and I can adjust the headlight brightness via the light switch in the cockpit there are three dif settings. When the headlights are manually turned on it overrides this feature and the headlights go to full brightness. Confused? i can post a pic if needed of the fog lights on vs. the headlights on. Is this only a Euro feature?

yashka26

· #47 · Jul 5, 2012

yes, mine is 107 us model. fog lights are independent.
4 pin connector is for yellow turn signal.
and we can't adjust brightness on us model.

Fotografa

· #48 · Jul 6, 2012

Texas500SL said:
I think this may have already been anwsered but when I turn on only my fog lights the headlights also turn on but very dim and extremely low wattage, looks good and I can adjust the headlight brightness via the light switch in the cockpit there are three dif settings. When the headlights are manually turned on it overrides this feature and the headlights go to full brightness. Confused? i can post a pic if needed of the fog lights on vs. the headlights on. Is this only a Euro feature?

How are you turning the fog-lights on?

Which 'light switch' are you using to adjust brightness, and what are you doing with it?

Texas500SL

· #49 · Jul 6, 2012

Fotografa said:
How are you turning the fog-lights on?

Which 'light switch' are you using to adjust brightness, and what are you doing with it?

turning on fog lights by pulling out on main light switch, I may be wrong and please correct me if so, but it appears the smaller vertical rotory switch dims the amount of Glow in the headlights. I can find no other affect by turning it from 0-3 the owners manual calls it a headlamp beam control switch

rowdie

· #50 · Jul 6, 2012

It controls a vacuum pod on the back of the headlight. Slightly raises or lowers the headlight in the housing.

Texas500SL

· #51 · Jul 6, 2012

2

some pics:

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Texas500SL

· #52 · Jul 6, 2012

rowdie said:
It controls a vacuum pod on the back of the headlight. Slightly raises or lowers the headlight in the housing.

awsome rowdie, i thought it was dimming the lights a bit, i guess from the reflection it was fooling me.

rowdie

· #53 · Jul 6, 2012

On the bright side (pun intended) you know it is working as intended.

Texas500SL

· #54 · Jul 6, 2012

rowdie said:
On the bright side (pun intended) you know it is working as intended.

I have turned that switch many times and thought "what the hell is this thing for" I have no origianl owners manual and only have printed out copy from the net. It says headlight beam control pg. 22. Of course my copy does not have page 22 or 23 so I had no idea what effect the switch really had. PO never told me either. SO thanks to Rowdie for cleariung up the Mystery switch!

I love the headlight glow feature, is that only a Euro feature?

rowdie

· #55 · Jul 6, 2012

Yes it is. I think it is called the City lights in the manual.
Here is a pic of the rear of the adjustable Euro. They will not mount in the early model fenders with out a little hammer work on the fender.

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Joe Meek

· #56 · Aug 26, 2012

yashka26 said:
this is what i had to do:
560sl has 2 connectors, 6 pin and 4 pin.
on euro lights we can only utilize a 6 pin one.

4 pin connector needs to be open and pins with wires must come out of it, plastic casing and cover are not usable.

6 pin connector must be opened up and you need to do the following:

red with white stripe(bottom right, it's original location) must be removed. it's no longer needed, put some electrical tape over it. we will reuse it's metal pin later on for the ground.

green with white stripe (top left, it's original location) needs to be relocated to bottom right.

single brown and brown from 4 pin connector must be spliced together and attached to pin that we are reusing from red/white (red\white wire itself is not used). and it goes to bottom left.

black/white that used to be in bottom left, needs to come out of the 6 pin connector and attached directly to black/white from 4 pin connector.

gray from 4 pin connector needs to be attached to green/white and red dots that was moved from top left to bottom right early.

that's really it, close connector and reattach it to the light.
test it before you put it all back together.

Hi Yashka,

I too have an '88 U.S. 560SL with U.S. DOT headlights that I'm changing out for the Bosch Euro versions. The way yours wired, do you have the 5W "City Lights" (located in the main Hi/Lo reflector) receiving power from the U.S. "Parking Lights"? Also, does your wiring in the photo take the power for the U.S. turn signal "electric boxes" and route it to the correct amber Euro turn signals connected to the main headlamp assembly? This is the only way I can figure the "Bulb Out" warning light will not illuminate since the "City Light" and U.S. "Parking Light" use the same wattage. The "Bulb Out" sensor will not be able to tell your U.S. Parking Lights are inactive since the City Lights will be drawing the same 5W of power whenever you turn on your lights. Please confirm this is how you've connected your Euro units. Many thanks - Joe

Fonzi

· #57 · Aug 26, 2012

rowdie said:
Yes it is. I think it is called the City lights in the manual.
Here is a pic of the rear of the adjustable Euro. They will not mount in the early model fenders with out a little hammer work on the fender.

I didn't know there was a difference in fenders. I have one set of vacuum lights and I am guessing they won't fit in either my 73 or 78 now that I have read this.

Sent from my iPhone using AG Free

yashka26

· #58 · Aug 26, 2012

Joe,
It does everything as it supposed to, city light, turn signal, ect...

rowdie

· #59 · Aug 27, 2012

Fonzi said:
I didn't know there was a difference in fenders. I have one set of vacuum lights and I am guessing they won't fit in either my 73 or 78 now that I have read this.

Sent from my iPhone using AG Free

They can be made to fit earlier fenders. Really does not take much. Just need to bump out the headlight housing in the fender a little on the side. First need to determine which fenders are on the SLC. I will try to get a couple of pics tomorrow and try to show the difference.

Fonzi

· #60 · Aug 27, 2012

Thanks Rowdie. I am in no big rush. US spec are going back in the 73 anyway. So maybe I will just sell the vacuum ones on anyway since I don't have vacuum controls in my 78 026 anyway. I think the reflector bowls are better in the vacuum ones, but I guess that will just help me get a few extra bucks for the vacuum ones anyway.

Since I am sure you have seen a picture I my garage, I am sure you see there is no rush. Don't sweat the pictures.

Sent from my iPhone using AG Free

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