Revision [495]
This is an old revision of W123LicenseLights made by WebMaster on 2007-02-06 13:38:54.
License Plate Light Repair
on the 1980 W123 300D & 240D
by Samuel M. Ross
2/6/07
Yes I know, right now these light lenses only cost ~$25 which is one of the more reasonable MBZ parts… but there are two of them so that adds up to $50+ and my pitch also is that IF you learn how to perform this simple plastic repair task, you might find it easy to move up to more expensive lens repairs… say that $200+ tail light lens that’s cracked and leaks !!
The first show-N-tell photo I will throw up here is actually after I had already repaired one license plate light lens on my Son’s 1980 300D and when I checked the lenses on my own 1980 240D I found that both lenses were broken… so I had already started in on repairing these as a relatively easy fix when I decided to write up this Do-It-Yourself documentation based upon what I had learned and the mistakes I had made on the first lens repair… so here is my starting photo:
In the bottom lens you can see the typical type of break… and regarding the breaks I had, I discovered that they were all on the longer “wing” of the lens. Yes, the “wing” where the mounting screw hole is located… this “wing” is longer on one side than the other and so not surprising, the longer side breaks more easily.
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/001.jpg)
Photo #1
While working on these lenses on these two W123(s) I also discovered the most likely cause of these breaks and wanted to put this discovery up front in this write-up. Take a look at the two following photos:
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/002.jpg)
Photo #2
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/003.jpg)
Photo #3
Photo #2 above shows the mounting hole under the lip of trunk lid just above the license plate and note the “ screw clips ” that the mounting screws fasten to are still installed.
Photo #3 shows the other mounting hole with the “ screw clips ” removed to show that the hole is NOT symmetrical and I found that although the lens will go into the hole in either orientation, it is my contention that IF you put it in incorrectly, this most likely will cause the lens to break in time… this and the fact that the paper thin gasket that originally went between the lens and the metal edges of the mounting hole, well I’m betting that these gaskets are long ago worn out. More about gaskets and the special washers that originally went under the heads of the mounting screws to cushion things. So remember that the longer attachment “ wing ” goes to the right where the slot is deeper!
So let me push ahead and describe how I affected my repairs of these broken-off “ wings ” and first let me say that trying to merely glue them back together did not work for me, even when using a quality 2-part epoxy/resin as glue. The wing just broke off again… so I decided to put a form around the broken wind and build up a thicker, reinforced, layer of epoxy to make it stronger:
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/004.jpg)
Photo# 4
In photo #4 you can see I used cellophane tape to create a form to hold in the 2-part epoxy. You can also see the tape I put over the hole in the bottom of the lens fixture so that the epoxy would not leak out. At first made my epoxy in small batches so I had multiple pours as I experimented with just how I wanted to affect this repair… and this led to my inserting small washers inside the epoxy as a way to reinforce my new built-up “ wing ”!
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/005.jpg)
Photo #5
Photo #5 shows the new “ wings ” of my two lenses after they had hardened and I shaped them with my Dremmel Tool… NOTE the washers I put inside my epoxy pours.
I think this is the time for me to reveal the type of epoxy I used on this project for thus far it has proven to be a good match for this DIY task. See Photo # 6 below. I used a product from my local Ace Hardware store… “ ACE ” item# “ 18611 ” which [as labeled] is a “ Slow-Setting, ” “ Extra Strength ” epoxy that dispenses the 2-part resin/hardener from a double syringe tube affair that is packaged in a neat way with a small mixing tray. The packaging greatly facilitates storage of the unused portion of the epoxy chemicals for use on the next project. I have had this for some time so I’m not certain what these sell for now or whether they are still available… let me see… well when I look on their national WebSite, this product no longer shows up but I wouldn’t be surprised you could find such a 2-part epoxy kit for under $10 at a local source in your area.
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/006.jpg)
Photo #6
So let me push on with this write-up by showing you a new gaskets I made in Photo #7 using cork gasket material from a 6-inch square from an ACE product I know is current… their Do-It-Yourself Gasket Kit, Item #4035499 which sold for about $3.50 and also has a rubber and a hard paper gasket square as well as the cork:
![image](http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w123licenselights/007.jpg)
Photo #7
Also in Photo #7 note two additional things:
(1) I crimped aluminum foil in the bottom of the bulb fixture to reflect more light out of this low wattage fixture [ 5 Watts MAX ]. Take care not to let this touch the conductors that the bulb is held in by , AND
(2) I glued a metal washer onto the surface of my repaired lens attachment “wing”… this so it would not get lost as many of the loose one do. Originally there were two washers under the fastener screws… first a rubber washer to cushion and protect the plastic lens… and then a thin metal washer to prevent the fastener screw’s head from griping the rubber washer. With my beefed up wings on my repaired lenses, I felt that I could retire those thin, worn-out, rubber washers and just go with only metallic washers.
So there you have it and I hope this helps to accomplish this small light lens repair. For me I figure this has already saved us ~$75-$100 and another $25 for each additional repair in the future… AND yes, I do feel more confident I can take on a repair of a much larger, more expensive lens in the future.
Regards,
-Samuel M. Ross / “ MrSafety ”
CategoryDiy