Clear Headlights

georgetg

2005 140" low roof
Recap from another post:
Got my box (it's big...)

source: http://www.carparts-online.de/
not MB but OEM quality (made in Taiwan)

55 Euro sent by postal service, no insurance, no tracking (3 weeks)
or
85 Euro sent by UPS with insurance and tracking (72 hours)

When they say DHL it ends up sent as a parcel through regular mail, it might have to do with the fact that DHL is owned in part by Deutsche Post (German Post Office) and that's how they save a dime...





 

georgetg

2005 140" low roof
Clear Headlights Part II

Allright,

finally have the time to do the install....

Notice the lights actually come with English instructions
The new clear lights are pretty much plug and play with 2 exceptions:

1) They have no wiring or contacts for running lights
Running lights=both orange front turn signals illuminated continuously.
The contact for the second filament of the running lights is missing.
The running lights are wired in parallel with the small bulb "headlight".
I ran a wire from the socket for that bulb and soldered it to the running light lampholder.
By giving the wire enough slack I'll be able to change the bulb.

2) The motor from my US lights won't fit... the actuator is to long.
(I'm guessing along with the 2002 model change a smaller actuator was introduced on the motor, our US lights are the pre Mopf 2002 lights)
Ok so I lost the ability to adjust the lights... not to big of a deal as there is a manual adjust knob.
I'll see if I can source the new actuator or I might just modify the existing actuator to make it fit...


The German spec lights also required new bulbs.

H7 for Headlight
H7 for Foglight
H3 for High Beam

They work and I like the look.

Cheers
George
 

Attachments

maxextz

Rollin Rollin Rollin.....
how come the one pictured on the right is longer than the other one?:thinking:, must fit ok.:laughing:
ps iv have those lights on my 2005 the only thing about those lights "theres always something" whatever type of plastic is used it gets a dirty black film on it after a few years,and they look terrible, to get it off you have to take them apart to clean them ,like the plastic in your fridge black stuff seems to come from the plastic.
 
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sikwan

06 Tin Can
Looks great George! :thumbup:

The picture with the lights side by side as a comparison does make it look like one is longer than the other. It must be the camera lens causing that distortion.

Max, is the black stuff from road debris sneaking into the unit?
 

georgetg

2005 140" low roof
The lights fit perfectly and yes, that must be the picture angle, they are the same size.

There are minor differences in design, but not functionality.
I would imagine similar to the OEM variations between parts from different vendors.

luckily the clear is clipped on and can be removed for cleaning should I need to do that down the road...

Cheers
George
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
how come the one pictured on the right is longer than the other one.
Correct!

The headlamp adjust motors were (unhelpfully) changed when the T1N got its nose job.

Anyone carrying out this conversion who wants to keep the adjust facility should buy OEM from the dealer (they come with right motors fitted).

I've spent ages unsuccesfully trying to find out where to buy the revised motors from. It's unlikely that you could make the old ones fit as the reflector moulding is a different shape and size where it needs to fix. I was going modify them to accept the old motors, but it needed more effort than I was prepared to put into it...

MIG
 

georgetg

2005 140" low roof
MIG

The US T1N Sprinters--even the post 2002--come with the old lights...
So my goal was to get the clear lamps.

I probably will cut and glue the plastic original to make it work in the new style lights.

The other option is to fit the metal part (left) to the wide section of the plastic shaft,.
The plastic shaft is hollow and should be able to be threaded to accommodate the manual adjust metal ballscrew...

Since I drive mostly un- and lightlyloaded I won't miss the adjust feature terribly.

Cheers
George
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
You've got the idea George - and as you say, it's no major loss to not have the adjust facility.

Best regards,

MIG
 

maxextz

Rollin Rollin Rollin.....
Looks great George! :thumbup:

Max, is the black stuff from road debris sneaking into the unit?
hi sikwan
this black stuff is kinda like sooth if you look at the my top pic its like little veins,:rolleyes:ive opened and washed those lights only about 4 months ago because the sooth looks awful:thumbdown:, wow question now is am i the only one with this problem? apart from that the clear lenses look really nice:thumbup:
ps sikwan can you have a look at my questions in "t1n talk /sprinter questions" please you might know what im asking about, thanks:hmmm:
max....
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
It carbon residue from the crankcase blow back fumes. this can settle on the outer plastic glass casing.
Clean with these products for perfect restoration. In theory the fumes should not be able to penetrate the inner glass section as to the seal on the bulbs and for the rubber hoses on each side to allow for heat and air transfer,, however Ive seen plenty of the older units with this residue on the outside of the glass.
Richard
DSC00331 (Large).jpg

DSC00334 (Large).jpg

DSC00333 (Large).jpg
IN part the chemical conversion is sulphuric dioxide..Fuel related of which under extreme moist cold weather conditions in conjunction with rising temperature's which converts to a clear like substance , called Carbon Disulfide:D:
sulph_acid_diag02.gif
Unfortunately one of the negative down sides from Dieseline.
lf001017.gif Richard
 

SprinterUSA1

New member
MIG

I probably will cut and glue the plastic original to make it work in the new style lights.

The other option is to fit the metal part (left) to the wide section of the plastic shaft,.
The plastic shaft is hollow and should be able to be threaded to accommodate the manual adjust metal ballscrew...


Cheers
George

George,


looks like you bought from the same source I did a few years ago. Had to deal with the same issue. The metal stem will not work if I recall correctly because its diameter is too large to fit inside the nylon stem on the new lights. I bought some threaded nylon inserts from the local hardware store. They were only a few cents and threaded and glued them in. They worked well for several years maybe still do. Tibor would know.


Cheers Enrico
 

maxextz

Rollin Rollin Rollin.....
It carbon residue from the crankcase blow back fumes. this can settle on the outer plastic glass casing.
Clean with these products for perfect restoration. In theory the fumes should not be able to penetrate the inner glass section as to the seal on the bulbs and for the rubber hoses on each side to allow for heat and air transfer,, however Ive seen plenty of the older units with this residue on the outside of the glass.
Richard
thanks richard i think you are right ill have to clean them again and check the seals around the sides "i think about 2 years ago some water made its way into one of my lights:crazy:" omg your lights are so clean:drool: i showed my wife the pictures of my lights compared to yours and she said "its only a van":rolleyes: so its either im sad or shes nuts:thinking:,questions for you, whats those 2 black bits under your lights? and can you post a pic of your grill? i was thinking of adding those silver strips on mine it looks nice:thumbup:
thanks richard
max...
 

kkanuck

LUV my T1N
George,


looks like you bought from the same source I did a few years ago. Had to deal with the same issue. The metal stem will not work if I recall correctly because its diameter is too large to fit inside the nylon stem on the new lights. I bought some threaded nylon inserts from the local hardware store. They were only a few cents and threaded and glued them in. They worked well for several years maybe still do. Tibor would know.


Cheers Enrico


They seem to be working great Enrico, I just forgot all about the motors for adjustment, I just swapped out the entire housings, was there motors in them, or do I have to remove the ones one my old ones?

One other question, when the lights are on, one can see small pit marks on the lens, can this lens be changed only, or only the unit complete?

Cheers,

Tibor
 

SprinterUSA1

New member
They seem to be working great Enrico, I just forgot all about the motors for adjustment, I just swapped out the entire housings, was there motors in them, or do I have to remove the ones one my old ones?

One other question, when the lights are on, one can see small pit marks on the lens, can this lens be changed only, or only the unit complete?

Cheers,

Tibor

Tibor,


the headlights I sent you came with motor installed. I had no reason to take them out. I do not have a headlight assembly here to look at but I believe the lens comes off by removing clips that hold it in place. Not sure though.


SprinterUSA1
 

kkanuck

LUV my T1N
Tibor,


the headlights I sent you came with motor installed. I had no reason to take them out. I do not have a headlight assembly here to look at but I believe the lens comes off by removing clips that hold it in place. Not sure though.


SprinterUSA1
Thank You...
 

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