labguy

So, I get the Parking Light Bulb error message and buy a couple bulbs from Amazon. When they arrive, I change out the offending bulb, but it isn't working! it was then that I notice that the wires to the socket are bare. I talked to a co-worker about it and he said that because it is so close to the "Brights" which get very hot, that it probably caused the wire casing to melt.

He thought that to put a new socket in, one would need to remove the whole headlamp.

Has anyone else seen this issue?
What is the best remedy?
What might it cost if I took it to an Indy?

DangermouseCLK

I would wrap the bare wires in insulating tape and check the fuses for a blown one.

Do you use your brights much?

jlpskydive

Mine are the same way, so tagging here for any ideas. They both work for now so I'm just leaving them alone.

labguy

That might work.... I did notice the light like come on for just an instance when my co-worker was fiddling with it - so the fuse is not blown.

I don't use my brights much - 90% of my driving is during the day.

Rudeney

There is no fuse for the exterior lights. They are controlled by the SAM, so if there is any sort of failure, such as a burned out bulb or a short, the SAM electronically shuts down the circuit.

labguy

Talked to my Indy over the phone and described to him my issue. He says that the wire insulation has crumbled over time and I will need a whole new unit. He is sending me a quote. It just seems like this is a fixable thing - not a total replacement thing. Am I wrong here?

jlpskydive

Mine will be fixable or the car will burn to the ground. My thoughts are get some plastic, via a hot glue or something like that, and reseal the wires. Sounds like he's following the MB manual. Wrap them in tape or melt some plastic on them. Might have to take them out or not, but I'm working on my own as well and 2k for new lights is not in the picture. I'm sure there is a way to melt something on them and make them secure. I've been working with a dent puller that takes a 110 watt hot glue gun to melt the black sticks and I might give that a run before I replace them. It's crazy hot and I can't imagine it gets that hot in the light housing. Glob them with black glue and see how it goes.

Rudeney

Wire is always fixable - just replace it. Of course that would be almost impossible with the headlights mounted in the car. If you remove them, it;s an easy job and you can upgrade the wire with a larger gauge and higher temp rating. Removing the headlights is not that difficult. You do have to remove, or at least drop the front bumper. It's held on with four bolts, plus a bracket on each side where it attaches to the fenders.

labguy

So, I decided to replace the whole assembly with OEM Hella - both sides. New light assembly at Amazon was $225/ea and the install will cost $100. Small price to pay for piece of mind and brand new lights!

Thanks everyone.

jlpskydive

Do you have a link to those?

Rudeney

Just be careful with Amazon - many of their branded parts are Chinese fakes. I've bought many Bosch and even "Genuine MBZ" parts on Amazon that were fakes. They spend more on the packaging to make it look real than they do on QA of the part itself.

$225 each is a good price for genuine Hella headlights, but about 3x the price of Chinese aftermarket.

labguy

labguy

So, how can I tell if this is a fake?

Rudeney

It would be nice if they had more photos showing HELLA and DOT markings. The lack of those details has me suspicious.

labguy

I received the lights on Wednesday. They were well packaged in 2 huge boxes that had Hella all over the yellow box. Sadly when trying to upload the pic (JPEG) to this site I got an error saying that the format was not supported. The HELLA label located on the light assembly did have DOT markings on it - looks legit. I'll ask the installer today about it before he puts them in.

labguy

Installer says they are knock offs. So, now what do I do? Contact amazon? or the seller?

Rudeney

If you are sure they are knock-offs, you might try contacting HELLA. Most trademark holders like to protect their intellectual property. If that doesn't get you anywhere, then contact Amazon. Personally, I don't mind buying Chinese parts when I know that's what I'm getting. I hate to pay genuine prices, or even discounted genuine prices for Chinese parts.

labguy

Yeah, there were obvious differences between my current headlight and the "Hella" ones I purchased. Also, the label on the boxes say that they were made in Slovakia.

So, I decided to contact the seller, amazon, and Hella. When I talked to the seller, she did not seem surprised or shocked that I wanted to return them because I believed them to be fakes.

labguy

I also contacted my bank to dispute the charges.... covering all my bases as they say!