Pleasant Suprise
 

Went to lunch today with some friends and took the C55. Since the weather has been in the 90's I left the sunroof cracked to let out some heat. Well while I was in work a storm rolled through and since I have no windows in my building I had no idea. Well after work when I went outside to get in the car I noticed the car had automatically closed he sunroof when it sensed rain.

Probably a feature that everyone else expects/knows about but I never thought about it and was pretty happy to not have a soaked interior. I'm assuming it will also close the windows?

I believe most of the C55's do this. (Pretty awesome feature) Some of the later 32's do as well.

What?? This is a crazy story. Honestly that is a surprise to me!

EDIT: I have the rain sensing wiper option, but they are really terrible. Randomly will turn on the wipers in a bright and sunny day. Sometimes won't start up unless it's really pouring out.

Yeah, this is news to me. I must presume that this feature only works if you have the rain sensing wiper option?

I don't, so I doubt I have this feature.

Yea I have the rain sensing wipers as well. I do like them, bit I get phantom wipes as well. I usually turn the wipersnon off and treat that feature as am autospeed feature rather than auto on.

EDIT: Just went outside with a hose and got nothing spraying it on the windshield with the sunroof cracked and also with everything fully open. Neighbors probably think I'm nuts if they saw me.

So are you saying this feature does not exist? Confused,

Note to self! Close all windows and sunroof!

I guess not, but I could have sworn I had it cracked and my buddy said it was as well. Now I'm kind of confused. Searching on google says this does not work either especially when it's only tilted.

*shrug*

I believe the sensor is somewhere by the moonroof itself and not on the windshield..

The sensor is behind the rear view mirror on the windshield. I know this because I've had to replace my windshield three times. You always have to tell them you have that option.

The way it works is it sends out a beam of IR and when that beam is bent or broken the wipers turn on. This is why you occasionally get phantom wipes and also why sometimes they won't turn on during certain types of rain.

Like Brandon said, I don't leave them on all the time. I just turn it on if it looks like rain. They beat the hell out of having to constantly change intermittent wiper speeds.

So the rain sensor for the wipers also closes the moonroof when it detects rain..??

we need myth busters up in this b.

i'll try it right now as well with a hose.

it does not work. tried it with doors locked with sky roof propped up and with a hose sprayed water on the front windshiled

If this is true... then that is awesome, and the Germans really do think of everything! If you are mistaken... then it sounds as if you have serendipitously invented a great feature that you should submit to MB.

I think there is another test we can do. The moon roof may be timed to close after a certain number of hours? I am going to leave it open in the garage and see if it closed itself by the time I get back home tonight.

I can't speak for the C55, but mine certainly doesn't. I've left mine open over night by accident lots of times.

negative on that.

This might be something that can be enabled in the computer. I believe they have to disable "automatic" window activation due to safety concerns. My audi S4 had this feature disabled as well but I was able to enable it with a code. It also allowed me to close the windows with the remote.

When the hose test was tried, did you make sure the rain sensing wipers were on? ie... did the wipers run with the sunroof open when the hose was sprayed over the sensor?

Maybe your mum/wife closed it for you and didn't tell you? lol

are you referring to me? yes, i tried it with the windshield wiper switch on and off.

I thought about this few days ago..Wouldn't mind having this feature on SLK...I never heard about this feature though.
Try harder MK.. Take one for the team! lol

I believe there is this option in the w211's. SDS developer version is the only way to unlock it

I´ve now read in my european Owners Manual following:

Rainclosing:

The sunroof closes automatically

-if it starts to rain
-at extreme outside temperature
-after 12 hours
-in case of electric powerdisturbance.

In connection with automatic sunroofclosing, the sunroof
raises in the rear for further ventilation.

The sunroof does not close if

-it´s raised in the rear
-it´s blocked
-the rain doesn´t hit the windscreen (ie it´s been standing
under a bridge or in a garage).


There you go folks!
:popcorn:

//Peter.