SheryarYO

I have a 2001 C320. I have stock headlights and even though I always keep them on "auto", they never turn off, even during the day. If I turn the knob to "0" to turn them off completely, they STILL stay on. Does anyone know what might be wrong? This has been happening for a while now. I never really cared, but I just bought a set of 2005 headlights since they look better. I figured since I'm going to be replacing them anyway, I might as well get the headlights fixed while I'm at it.

Also, can I just go to any car modding place and get HIDs put in? Will it work, or do I have to do something special? Do they require special bulbs, or just the regular HID kits they sell at the shop (non-mercedes shop)?

Thanks guy.

howardyudoing

Daytime Running Lights. it's a safety feature on many cars now a days.

howardyudoing

read

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-new-hids.html

SheryarYO

i thought DRL was an option that you could turn off and if I wanted everything off, all I had to do was switch it to "0". I work valet when I'm not in class and a lot of cars have a spot specifically for DRL and then the normal auto, off, and on.

FraKctured

It's working correctly. Daylight headlights reduce collisions dramatically according to several studies. It's cheap to replace the bulb (and very, very easy in a Mercedes). They're on for a very good reason--this is not a problem.

SheryarYO

Alright. Thanks guys.

glocati

I think you can turn the DRLs on/off via the on board computer/vehicle settings. Try scrolling though through the options and i think it comes up under "lighting."

If your DRLs are activated ----they are independent of the light switch and are triggered by the ignition being/on/off...

Norwichdelta06

is it a seperate bulb or just the highbeams at a dimmed level?

LILBENZ230

WTF everyone telling him it is normal. Unless he lives in Canada, it is not normal. This "DRL" stuff on the W203 is complete BS. Setting the lights to "ON" in the IC results in running all exterior and interior lights all the time. DRL should be reduced intensity and not run the tails and cluster lights, IMO. To answer your question, if the DRL is enabled on your car it is running your low beams at full intensity as well as your marker and taillights.

Look in the settings in the instrument cluster. In my car it says "headlamps" "on" "manual". This is for DRL. Make sure it is set to "manual".

If it is set to normal and your headlights won't go off even with the headlight switch at "0", and you don't live in Canada, then you have a problem. And you'll need to fix it before installing HID or they'll run 100% of the time and reduce life.

bdgdl08

Matt, we've touched on this before. I have actual DRLs that are lesser than my low beams, and don't run my tail lights or my cluster lights. That's the headlights = constant setting.

krisv420

all I'm going to say is LOL... If most people would have read the owners manual.. They would find out that the instrument cluster has a nice few toys...

W203E35

In the menu (cluster) you can set your headlight to "constant" or "manual".

When you set them on "constant" no matter what the knob is on it will be on (only front lights-at least I noticed)

Set it to Manual and turn the knob to "Auto"

W203E35

Here is a pic

LILBENZ230

Okay then my car is the one with the problem. When I set my car to "lights = constant" all exterior lights run.

No bother, I won't use that silly feature anyway.

samaritrey

lilbenz230 that is how it is supposed to work. and +1 for the owners manual i know it is in there. the only reason i use the setting is because it is not good for the hids to be turned on and off any time you drive in shade. and yes i am to lazy to turn the lights on manually at night or in the rain. i also don't think that it will wear out anything that much faster to make any difference to me.

LILBENZ230

According to Karo and Drew, that is NOT how it is supposed to work. Both of their vehicles with "lights = constant" run just the headlights. My car runs all exterior lights when set at the same thing. I don't use the feature so it doesn't matter.

samaritrey

i guess then my dads slk55,e320 cdi, c32, g550 i drove in ca and my c320 are all broken. what are the odds in that.
oh well i like how it works so i don't care. and what is up with your Atheists united pic? btw i like it.

acr2001

I'm pretty sure all of the lights turn on (haven't tried that option since I bought my car.) I'm not sure how Mercedes got away with calling them DRLs. If only the headlights or city lights turned on as DRLs I would have the feature turned on.

W203E35

The odds arent good. But the odds to this are very good. There is a setting for surround lights. Drew's and Karo's might have been "Off" while your's and Matt's were set "On"
I also believe as a safety feature the surround light might turn on at night time. Because people will tend to forget to turn it on.

LILBENZ230

Maybe there was some sort of change made to the programming. I don't understand why Drew's car would run only his headlights with the setting "lights = constant" - but my car (2005 instead of 2007 like his) with "lights = constant" runs ALL lights. That makes little sense to me. I don't want to run my HIDs all the time, so it doesn't matter. I control the lights in my car manually at all times, otherwise pulling in and out of the garage turns them off and on, etc. At dusk I run the parking lights/city lights and fogs. I like that look. Then at night I run the powerful 55w HIDs.

It took me a while to find my atheist logo. I'm a (very) proud, lifelong atheist. I consider myself fortunate to have parents who taught me that questions are healthy and patriotic, that education is vital, that compassion is an extremely important virtue, and that leading a good life and being a good person have absolutely nothing to do with religion unless you want it to. I do not.

LILBENZ230

Surround lighting.. hrm. Mine is set to ON. I thought it was the feature that kept the fogs on at night to light my way. Maybe there's a user error on my part.. lol

acr2001

I took a look in the book (05) and it says we are all wrong.

The "Surround Lighting" option is AKA "Locator Lighting" having this on causes the lights to turn on when you unlock your car at night (with the lighting set to auto). It has nothing to do with the DRL option.

Having said that, the book also states that setting "Hdlamp mode" to constant will cause the headlamps ONLY to switch on when the engine is on. It says that "In low ambient lighting conditions the following lamps will switch on additionally: [markers, license plate lights, etc]."

EDIT: sorry lilbenz, I was typing this when you made your last two posts. I'll have to give this a try tomorrow ... if memory serves you are correct, all of my lights turn on as well.

samaritrey

lol you are my new best friend. my parents also let me and my twin sister question everything and didn't force us to do anything we did not believe in. i think three of the most important things in life are to educate yourself, think for yourself and respect others.

W203E35

WOW..... This is funny....

So basically when it's on constant and it's light outside it's just headlamps and when it gets dark the rear light turn on.



Thanks for straightening that out

LILBENZ230

He might have straightened out what SHOULD happen, but mine still doesn't work that way. In broad, bright daylight with hdlamps = constant - all exterior lights on my car stay on. Thus, it is not DRL. It's just having the headlights on. System failure. I do not use this stupid feature.