B160 sport 2011 Headlamp LHD or RHD identifying issue

[Baldybaldybouncer]

Hi gang,

Bit of a story on this and I'm just after some advice.

Here's the back story... So I had a height adjustment mechanism fail on the passenger side headlight on my 2011 W245. The guys in the workshop suggested I buy a used unit and they would fit it as well as replace a damaged shock absorber on the same side. So I eventually got one from a local breaker. He himself called me back as a B class owner and suggested that it could be manually adjusted but I wanted to get it fixed so bought the unit from him and saw the car that it came from. I then took the car and headlamp straight to the workshop who said they would fit it that afternoon. Cool.
My wife was passing by late that afternoon so asked how it was going. They said wouldn't be long, so she said she'd wait. He then confessed they hadn't even ordered the shock absorber! but it had just arrived so it will be a while longer. She waited ages and they told her on handing back the keys that the headlamp unit was actually from a LHD car and they had to mess about to get it to get a decent image from it, apparently he had hurt his hand doing so!. Not quite MOT standard but safe they said. Best get it MOT'd here they said. She got home and told me the story best as she could. So I went straight down there and they confirmed it all.

Today I got onto the breaker and told them they had said it was from a LHD car. The lady (who I actually believe) went away and called me back to say she had been down to the car and checked it was actually RHD which her boss then confirmed (they hadn't had a LHD in for months). I checked the lights up against a wall and the beam doesn't raise up to opposing traffic I believe.

I want to go back down the workshop but with a clear mind and armed with info as this is going to affect my MOT and is potentially dangerous. Which is where you come in...
How can I myself tell if the unit is LHD or RHD? I have the old unit and there is a sticker with part number and a suspicious arrow on it which might tell me, but I have no way of being sure. If it is a legit RHD unit then why do you think they are potentially lying?

Any help is much appreciated, thanks for reading.

 

[BfgSLKMan]

On the top of the headlight will be some kind of part number coding the will say ECE - Links vekehr (RHD) or Rechts Vekehr (LHD). Also look at the beam pattern. I suspect they have flat beamed the offending light (is it a projector type?) by adjusting the shutter down. This will pass UK MOT but does not light up the UK n/s of the road as much.

To check, take off the round cover to access the bulb. Look for a little lever to the right (as you look at the back of the headlight) that flicks up a little extra shutter to create the UK dip pattern. In this forum, post #2 you will see the lever at the 12 o'clock position on the picture: RHD-LHD headlight switch confirmation

Let us know how you get on

 

[Baldybaldybouncer]

Thanks you so much for your help! Really appreciated.

I checked the part numbers on top of the units and the new one and the old one have exactly the same numbers! Although they dont have the Links/Recht wording you described, they do have a couple of configurations of arrows. I'll post up some pics of all three so you can see what I mean. I think the arrow over the letters 'PL' points into the kerbside? and the other two arrows point to the side of the car they belong? I'm guessing, but maybe you encountered similar before?

Either way, the old unit and new are the same, so the workshop have misinformed me and I am now going to have to find out why they would do that!
I also located the internal switch and on switching it, it went to 'flat' so that also checks out. I might have to try and get a second MOT guy to confirm it for me.

Thanks again and if you have any other ideas, I'd be most interested.

 

[BfgSLKMan]

Great that you found the little lever - sorted for next time you go to France! Would seem to check out that you have LHD headlights - maybe just mark it down as one of those wierd things? Importantly you have two correct lamps for UK and that dip to the UK N/S