i have a w211 2004 e500 with bi xenon ... how to i determine if i have a non active or active cornering on the headlights?

Turn the steering wheel to one or the other side and see if the foglight in that side comes on... I believe the bi xenon's also turn up to about 15 or so degrees in the direction that you turn...

I had a 2004 that was supposed to come w/ active bi xenon, but when the car was built they subbed non active due to "availability problems" in the pipeline. If your car is parked facing a wall when you start it in the morning, active lights will do an up-down-left-right calibration dance for you. Non active will only appear to "look up".

When you are driving it at night, you will see the lights dart right and left as you turn while you drive. Its quite obvious. If it isn't, and you are not sure if you have them or not, then you don't have them.

i will try this tonight

ok my car on start up goes right to left and up and down .... do i have the active cornering? cuz my issue is i have a malfunction on the dash says "headlight cornering" and i notice that my right passenger head lamps is not working but on start up it kinnda jerk when its trying to calibrate to the left like its skipping a teeth on the gear inside the lamp, so im trying to figure it out if cuz im looking at headlamps regular bixenon with no active cornering is cheaper than with active cornering...... but i will try to find out from the dealer tomorrow if this is covered under my extended warranty if not its gonna suck big time cuz they cost about 700 for the non cornering and 1000 for the active cornering lamps!!!

That is the "Active Light Dance" You've got them. BTW, I can't emagine the programming of the car would allow you to get an error message for an item that is not installed in the car.

yea still having issues with it i called the dealer and apparently i do have the active cornering... im still trying to figure it out and troubleshoot it myself but not having any luck... ill probably end up taking it to the dealer.. i do have an extended warranty but it does not cover the headlight assembly if that is the problem, im hoping its just the control module.... anyone out there with the same issues??? and have some answers for me pls message me or reply

hmm... My 2007 550 has bi xenon active lights but when I start the car I only notice it doing the up-down dance. Am I missing the left right portion of the dance or what? I guess I can have someone else turn the engine on and stand in front of the car to see what it actually does. Hopefully they got the part issues worked out by 2007

It's a very quick and short left-right movement. You'll recognize it once you see it.

drive in fog and make abrupt turns and you'll see the beams move left/right.

It doesn't do the complete dance EVERY time you start the car, but it does do it after the car's been shut down a long while. On a dark road the lights turn abruptly about 10 degrees. Its not a slow smooth action, but rather a quick darting abrupt movement into and out of center.

Do the abrupt turns only if you're not around me please!

Haha. I should clarify .. do some abrupt steering wheel movements at LOW SPEEDS in fog ..