Author Topic: Third brake light  (Read 3932 times)

Mohan58

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Third brake light
« on: September 03, 2019, 05:55:36 »
Hi there,
Does anyone know where i can get the third brake light that sits on top of the booth. Any pictures of cars that have this. Mine is a 1967 250SL RHD.
Thanks in advance
Mohan
Cheers,
Mohan

W113 - 250SL
W126 - 280SE
W126 - 300SE
W212 - E250

Garry

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2019, 11:31:49 »
Moran,


No Pagodas had the rear brake light.  This was fitted to later cars than the Pagoda.
Garry Marks
Melbourne/ Kyneton, Brisbane. Australia
1969 MB 280SL 5 speed RHD SOLD.
1965 MB 230SL Auto RHD Lt Blue 334G, Top 350H, 213 Leather, Tourist Delivery.
1972 MB 280CE Auto RHD 906G Blue Grey
2005 MB A200.
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m300cab

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2019, 15:00:32 »
I had a 230sl decades ago with a hitch and a third brake light,
the ligth is in my garage.
Michael Parlato

teahead

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2019, 15:13:09 »
Maybe folks retrofitted ones from an R107???

1970 280SL auto, AC - aka "Edelweiss"

m300cab

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2019, 15:15:22 »
it sat above the rear bumper, if i remember correctly if mounted on one of the bumper brackets
behind the bumper.
not at all like the 107.
i will take a look at it one day this week
Michael Parlato

teahead

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2019, 15:32:32 »
Maybe it wasn't a "brake light" but rather a "fog light"???

1970 280SL auto, AC - aka "Edelweiss"

114015

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2019, 15:36:57 »
That's correct, Rob and Mike...;

Pagodas (W113) never had a factory 3rd brake light. ::)
You "could" retrofit one if you wanted - but that's not factory correct and would look very odd on a Pagoda. :P

Right Rob,
what you are showing is the rear fog light, which could be ordered from the factory.
Sometimes these were mounted on the upper inner rear bumper either (i.e. on the left side of the number plate). 8)

Achim

(without 3rd brake light)
Achim
(Germany)

Pawel66

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2019, 20:19:35 »
I have this option. Comes with additional switch next to ashtray. I saw two types of this lamp - with chrome frame and without. I have a hole in the bumper itself where it is attached.

It can be switched on when the headlights are on only.
Pawel

280SL 1970 automatic 180G Silver
W128 220SE
W121 190SL
G-class

m300cab

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2019, 13:16:41 »
Thanks for clarifying!
Michael Parlato

MikeSimon

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2019, 17:25:53 »
I have this option. Comes with additional switch next to ashtray. I saw two types of this lamp - with chrome frame and without. I have a hole in the bumper itself where it is attached.

It can be switched on when the headlights are on only.

This used to be a "law" in Germany. Foglights had to be wired that they would only work with low beam on. There was a relay in the system that switches them off when headlights were switched off or high beam switched on.
1970/71 280SL Automatic
Sandy Beige
Parchment Leather
Power Steering
Automatic
Hardtop
Heated Tinted Rear Window
German specs
3rd owner

neelyrc

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2019, 22:10:50 »
The Italian spec vehicles I have owned over the last quarter century or longer have the individually switched bright fog light incorporated within the tail light housing rather than as a separate unit.
Ralph

1969 280SL, 4 Speed Manual, Dark Olive (291H), Parchment Leather (256), Dark Green Soft Top (747)
1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SEL 4.5
1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL
2007 BMW 328xi (E90)
Italy
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114015

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2019, 00:44:54 »
Quote
The Italian spec vehicles I have owned over the last quarter century or longer have the individually switched bright fog light incorporated within the tail light housing rather than as a separate unit.

Yes, Ralph,
Your experience is also what I have vaguely observed 'those years'.... My brother's 29 year old VW Golf Mark II - with integrated rear fog light, and also my cousin's 1982 (or so) Golf Mark I GTI with the late-style large taillights.
However my (other) brother's Golf Mark I GTI still with the small taillights had not - but separate.

Thus, the switch over must have been made sometime around 1980 or so with most of the car makers.
Clearly our Pagodas had separate rear fog lights (if ordererd) and so did my W114.
The W123 had it integrated already ... at least AFAIK...
 ;)
Interesting observation ....


Best,
Achim


Achim
(Germany)

mdsalemi

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2019, 13:19:29 »
Hmmm...regarding the third fog light.

When I first traveled to Europe in the early 1970s, these were required in Belgium and often seen in Benelux and Germany. Of course I'm not familiar with what were the rules and laws at that time, just anecdotal observation. They were always seemingly mounted under the rear bumper, left side. They had to be mounted low to be effective, as fog can and often does obscure tail lamps!  That's why they created and in some cases, mandated these things in the first place. Just like separate fog lamps or integral fog lamps, they have to be mounted low to be effective. I cannot imagine how one mounted inside a tail lamp would have the same effectiveness, but hey--that's up to the EU to figure out.

Anyone who has traveled extensively in Germany when it is that season for fog, and encountered one of those horrific "Stau" where dozen upon dozens of cars crash in the fog knows how important these are. We tend to think of them here in the USA as cool options on an old car, but they were essential for safe driving.

My current daily driver is a 2019 Ford Edge, standard with integral fog lamps. They are the lowest lighting point on the front of the car. They only work on the low beam setting. I don't often encounter fog and thus have only used them a couple of times.
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
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MikeSimon

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2019, 17:22:27 »
I lived in Germany until 1988 and owned my first car in 1970. I don't recall fog lights being mandated, although many of us young guys had them. I had four huge Cibié rally lights on the front. Two fog lights and two additional high beams.  ::) ::) Probably took 10hp off the car...
1970/71 280SL Automatic
Sandy Beige
Parchment Leather
Power Steering
Automatic
Hardtop
Heated Tinted Rear Window
German specs
3rd owner

Bob G MN

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2019, 17:53:03 »
I bought my 230SL new in Stuttgart and it did not have a rear fog light.  I believe it was an option although I am not certain.

Bob

teahead

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2019, 18:14:59 »
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/OptionCodes

Option 462 would be on the data card
1970 280SL auto, AC - aka "Edelweiss"

66andBlue

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Re: Third brake light
« Reply #16 on: September 08, 2019, 06:16:06 »
I bought my 230SL new in Stuttgart and it did not have a rear fog light.  I believe it was an option although I am not certain.
Bob
Bob,
rear fog lights became available as a retrofit option in February 1969:
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/Foglights
Alfred
1964 230SL manual 4-speed 568H signal red
1966 230SL automatic 334G light blue (sold)
1968 280SL automatic (now 904G midnight blue)