Australian delivered cars

[Carl]

Hi,
Was wondering if Australian delivered series 2 w126 cars came with headlight wipers?

A few advertised seem to, others do not.

[gazman]

Mine has

[mrsecman]

My Gen 1 1984 SEC has headlight wipers. I suspect they optioned this and a few other items on mine when it was the golden handshake for AMP's CEO around that time.

[Carl]

Thanks guys. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a bad weather country only option......rust.....

[John Green]

Honestly, they are a joke here in Australia. There main function is to clear built up snow from the headlamps. If you have driven great distances in the snow in Europe or elsewhere you will understand what I mean.

Here in Australia they are just another (expense) part that you need to keep looking good if you want to maintain the looks of your car. They really do serve no function here, with the possible exception being that you use the car as a rally cross racer?

[T-Modell]

Honestly, they are a joke here in Australia. There main function is to clear built up snow from the headlamps. ...

Sorry John,
here you are completely wrong; they are made to clear the glass when it gets dirty from the spray, especially in autumn and spring. The light emission drops drastically, if the glass is dirty.

They would not stand a chance against snow from the front, as this gets ice-hard straight-away, so no way. Around 15-20 years ago, they've been replaced by high-pressure water spray. If you drive on the Autobahn in those conditions at night and clean them, it's amazing, how much more light you have suddenly.

Regards
Thomas

[Ivanerrol]

Here's my Oz delivered 560SEL.
Headlight wipers in evidence.


W140 didn't have them.

My W204 has the squirters. They hide behind these rectangular cutout in the bumper. The right one is a pain because it doesn't go back properly without manually pushing it.


A long time ago in history - 1975 to be precise. A mate of mine bought a new Datsun 120Y (Sunny) in Sweden. He took it to Egypt (where he was working). It had little propellers on the front headlights. Compulsory in Sweden at the time - to clear snow off the headlights. Useless in Egypt - especially against sandstorms. The local Egyptians were intrigued by the little propellers on the headlights. Mate amused himself watching the astonished looks on faces when he activated them.

[T-Modell]

...My W204 has the squirters. They hide behind these rectangular cutout in the bumper. The right one is a pain because it doesn't go back properly without manually pushing it.
...

That happened to me once with my S211; driving in winter at -18° with speeds > 200km/h ... thing moved out to spray and immediately froze (in the outside position). Next fuelstop I tried to push it in, no way.

500km later I arrived at home, still sticking outside. Next morning in the garage it had defrosted and moved back in

Thomas

[Ivanerrol]

MB forgot to put them on my W211

Thomas : That happened to me once with my S211; driving in winter at -18° with speeds > 200km/h

Thomas. Now you are in Australia on holiday. it's inadvisable to drive a car at 200kmh. if you do and are caught. The police will be outraged. The media will call for your head. Your name and image will be posted on all media and you will be branded the German equivalent of Ned Kelly. Your name will be bought up in Parliament. The Prime minister will denounce you. You will be sentenced to a detention centre and deported on the first available flight (you will need to fly Lufthansa - Qantas will refuse to carry you due to your criminal activity). There will be media at the airport to make sure you are banished.

[T-Modell]

...

Thomas : That happened to me once with my S211; driving in winter at -18° with speeds > 200km/h

Thomas. Now you are in Australia on holiday. it's inadvisable to drive a car at 200kmh. if you do and are caught. The police will be outraged. The media will call for your head. Your name and image will be posted on all media and you will be branded the German equivalent of Ned Kelly. Your name will be bought up in Parliament. The Prime minister will denounce you. You will be sentenced to a detention centre and deported on the first available flight (you will need to fly Lufthansa - Qantas will refuse to carry you due to your criminal activity). There will be media at the airport to make sure you are banished.

Puuh, I'm lucky that I lied in my post ... it was actually at speeds > 250km/h ...

But you're right; in Perth there were signs, that speeding costs double over the easter weekend ... we found a liquer store (Woolworth) in Perth that had - I took a photo to prove it - ELEVEN warning signs at the entrance ... but I'm here on holiday and spending enough money ... you won't get any extra for speeding, I have time here

Regards
Thomas

P. S.: Reg. the W211; they were standard afaik with xenon lights ...

[Ivanerrol]

P. S.: Reg. the W211; they were standard afaik with xenon lights ...

Regards
Thomas

My car obviously has aftermarket Xenons. I checked the datacard - doesn't mention Xenons.

The W204 has xenons on the datacard. Option 618

[John Green]

Honestly, they are a joke here in Australia. There main function is to clear built up snow from the headlamps. ...

Sorry John,
here you are completely wrong; they are made to clear the glass when it gets dirty from the spray, especially in autumn and spring. The light emission drops drastically, if the glass is dirty.

They would not stand a chance against snow from the front, as this gets ice-hard straight-away, so no way. Around 15-20 years ago, they've been replaced by high-pressure water spray. If you drive on the Autobahn in those conditions at night and clean them, it's amazing, how much more light you have suddenly.

Regards
Thomas

Well i will have to bow to your local knowledge on the subject. I always thought the water nozzles were heated to deal with this?

Either way still a waste of time here. We don't get the grimy slush coming up of the roads like you guys do in Europe due to it raining every second day and never actually warming up. The only things we have to deal with that interfere with the headlamps emissions are dead bugs collected a 100kmh (for those of us who obey the laws) and by the time you know they are there no fancy wiper or warn water jet will remove them. (BTW, I hate them, can you tell??)

[T-Modell]

.... I always thought the water nozzles were heated to deal with this? ...

Hi John,
first they heated the container for the water, but then the little hoses and the nozzles froze. Nowadays, all should be heated and then it doesn't freeze in winter. The container - when close to the motor - might have defrosted, but not the nozzles.

I remember student times, when I didn't fill up the container with antifrost liquid and ran out around 150kms before my destination ... I had a small hole left in the windscreen where I tried to steer the car. If there's salt and dirt on the road, it quickly smeers and you cannot see anything. Every parking I got out, took some snow and "hand-washed" the windscreen

Regards
Thomas

P. S.: If you drive in winter snow on the Autobahn and you have just the lights on, your "unused" lights, e. g. fog or high beams, will cover with snow and you will have to remove it manually.

[John Green]

.... I always thought the water nozzles were heated to deal with this? ...

Hi John,
first they heated the container for the water, but then the little hoses and the nozzles froze. Nowadays, all should be heated and then it doesn't freeze in winter. The container - when close to the motor - might have defrosted, but not the nozzles.

Well, yes that does make more sense. So in winter back in the days of unheated nozzles didn't the silly things just rip themselves to pieces on the snow build up then?

[T-Modell]

...Well, yes that does make more sense. So in winter back in the days of unheated nozzles didn't the silly things just rip themselves to pieces on the snow build up then?

Never had a car with those wipers; I guess the motor isn't strong enough to "break-off" the ice, like the windscreen wipers. It would be more the rubber, that gets damaged.

These days, if you have a car with those wipers it's just another source of problems and of no real use anymore ...

Regards
Thomas

[Lance]

In Australia Thomas can drive as fast as he wants, by the time the speeding fine comes he is safely back in Germany.

[T-Modell]

In Australia Thomas can drive as fast as he wants, by the time the speeding fine comes he is safely back in Germany.

Lance,
I'm too scared that they shoot me on the spot ... on the other hand, it's probably my last trip to Oz anyway, so I should test it
Thomas

[OzBenzHead]

[...] it's probably my last trip to Oz anyway, so I should test it
Thomas

The roads between Central Western NSW (e.g. Cobar) and Broken Hill, then from Broken Hill into South Australia are good for illegal speeding. A couple of years ago I managed considerably more than twice the 110km/h limit on that run, and saw not another vehicle most of the way. At the top of a rise I would stop, check ahead and behind with powerful binoculars, and then fang it! The only risk was kangaroos and, even more, feral goats, but they weren't in evidence at those times, more in first and last light of the day.

The C126 loved that Italian tune-up.

Back home on the NSW north coast, though, I just set cruise to the correct speed and, well, cruise. I pass innumerable highway patrol cars and none has ever bothered me.

Speed doesn't kill; it's stopping too rapidly that kills.

[carl888]

Hi,
Was wondering if Australian delivered series 2 w126 cars came with headlight wipers?

A few advertised seem to, others do not.

Yes, for Australia:

Standard on 420 SE, 420 SEL, 560 SEL and 560 SEC.

Introduced as standard equipment for the 1983 M.Y. 380 SEL and 380 SEC. We always an option on the 380 SE, 280 SE, 300 SE and 300 SEL.

[carina]

John , I find it hard understand your anti headlight wiper stance, the w126 has faults. The timing chain guides is one. I have heard that the engineers responsible have had to do time in the Mercedes penal battalion. But the headlight wipers add to the design. The w126 looks plain without them like a well groomed woman without earrings. Bruno Saco and his team wanted to create the best Benz ever. They would have thought very hard about those headlight wipers ,probably staying back nights in their cold factory in winter , snow about the place. Maybe even over Christmas . Thinking hard about the angle in the wiper arm . Yes , any other car maker would have gone for 90deg ,the easy way but no! By increasing and opening the angle on the arm you increase the swipe angle over the glass . And Christmas Eve ,Bruno congratulating the the wiper team , pouring the Cognac , back slapping, perhapse exchanging small gifts. Brother engineers celebrating another piece of Mercedes perfection.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time painting and matching my wiper arms ( to my horror one had been replaced with a Gen 1 arm) a very rewarding experience. To have them called a’Joke’ is unforgivable.What would Bruno say?