Jaap

I'd like to have more light (downward - onto the street behind the car) - while reversing.
Did anybody retrofit facelift rear light clusters and notice a difference?
It has 2 bulbs per corner for reversing, right?

Any other tips?

superswiss

The reversing lights are not there to illuminate the road behind you. They are merely signaling lights to let others know that you are backing up and as such their aim and intensity is so they can be seen by others and not blind them. Just like the hazard/indicator lights. Being a light source it will illuminate the environment somewhat, but these are only meant to serve as signals to others around you. The entire rear light cluster for that matter is so others can see you and read your intentions, not to illuminate what's behind you.

BOTUS

I'd have thought by the time the facelift was out - rear cameras on this car were std, and for sure year later tech and night illumination of the plastic cameras meant they work quite well at night - so the slight illumination a good set of reversing lights brings to the party no longer needed to be a feature on the later rear clusters

vettebk

I did this on my Corvette C5 2000 by replacing the dim reverse lights with more powerful wattage bulbs. It helps a lot when I back into a dark area. I have not done it on my S600 yet.

Jaap

Right. It doesn't help that the w221 uses those weird high-pressure halogen bulbs

BOTUS

its doesn't help when the bulbs appear soldered in !!! mine don't seem to come out and on the parts list you buy the bit in your picture above.....

BOTUS

FYI in the rear camera image at night - they clearly appear to have a high frequency flicker like LED bulbs....

Jaap

I'd guess that's due to decreased shutter speed b/c of the dark.