Help re-wiring tail lights on a C-class coupe

[Michele]

Hi all!

I am importing an LHD C class coupe in the UK and have to swap the fog light in the tail lights. The fog light LED is currently located on the driver's side, but as it's a left hand drive car, it needs to move to the right side or be duplicated on both sides as I understand.

I have purchased the inner section of the tail light (please see the attached photo) that would be for a RHD car, but the wiring is obviously not fit for purpose.

Could you please advise what would be the best way to change the wiring now? The options I have:

1. Use the left side wiring that includes the fog light for both left and right tail lights. This would give me fog lights on both sides ideally. Question is how to split the wires and run an extension to the right side. I guess this approach would also create some error codes as two lamps on one wire is not what the car was meant to have from factory.

2. Swap the wires so that the fog light wiring (on the left side originally) now goes to the right side only (and vice versa). The problem is the wires are too short and would need to be extended - I would very much appreciate any guidance on how to do this properly. If there is a way to purchase relevant OEM parts that could fit, would very much appreciate your guidance and thoughts.

Thank you very much in advance and hope my explanations make sense!

P.S. Have added a photo of what I am trying to achieve here - took a photo from MB's website, not my car, just in case.

 

[ernie]

Hi all!

I am importing an LHD C class coupe in the UK and have to swap the fog light in the tail lights. The fog light LED is currently located on the driver's side, but as it's a left hand drive car, it needs to move to the right side or be duplicated on both sides as I understand.

I have purchased the inner section of the tail light (please see the attached photo) that would be for a RHD car, but the wiring is obviously not fit for purpose.

Could you please advise what would be the best way to change the wiring now? The options I have:

1. Use the left side wiring that includes the fog light for both left and right tail lights. This would give me fog lights on both sides ideally. Question is how to split the wires and run an extension to the right side. I guess this approach would also create some error codes as two lamps on one wire is not what the car was meant to have from factory.

2. Swap the wires so that the fog light wiring (on the left side originally) now goes to the right side only (and vice versa). The problem is the wires are too short and would need to be extended - I would very much appreciate any guidance on how to do this properly. If there is a way to purchase relevant OEM parts that could fit, would very much appreciate your guidance and thoughts.

Thank you very much in advance and hope my explanations make sense!

P.S. Have added a photo of what I am trying to achieve here - took a photo from MB's website, not my car, just in case.

Given the amount of coding involved with these cars, it might be easier to replace that part of your loom with one from a write-off and have it recoded by an MB Indy.

Unless there are some clear differences between your left and right hand lamps (eg different lenses), it might be possible to extend your existing wiring as you suggest. I think I have read somewhere that some models already have fog lamp capability on both sides.....there may even be wiring there already, it just needs coded. An auto-electrician might be able to help as I doubt too many MB Dealerships would have experience of this!

Not much help, I know, but hope you get it sorted out!

Ernie

 

[Michele]

Ernie, thank you. I checked the connectors - they are different - the fog light lamp has four wires and four pins, the other one three. I think swapping the cables between the two sides would be best, but I can't find part numbers for the wires and connectors anywhere, only the lamps themselves.

Regarding coding, I was actually hoping to avoid it - have only seen people offering these services on German forums and the car needs to be there physically to get it done.

Do you happen to know any MB Indy you could recommend that works on electrics? Am in London, ,but can travel, just hoping this can be done easily!

 

[st13phil]

Do you happen to know any MB Indy you could recommend that works on electrics?

Try contacting these guys who have expertise in Mercedes retrofits:

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[Michele]

Thank you!

 

[BfgSLKMan]

It's probably too late, but Comand UK did the oposite of what you want doing to my E Class Cab and Est before exporting to Germany. The answer is to replace the light unit in the tailgate with a UK one and wire a flyer lead from the current fog light to it. No further coding needed and you have two foglights (so will never need to be messed around with if you export it back to where it came from). If you have multibeam LED headlights these can be coded from LHD to RHD to maintain full functionality (done at the same time as my rear foglight)