Active Headlights Alert!
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: N.Y.C.
04 E500 4MATIC WAGON
Active Headlights Alert!
Just got back from the Flagship MB dealer in Manhattan. They took apart my 2004 E500 WAGON’S BI XENON HEADLIGHTS to check to see if they were CORNERING type, Its OFFICIAL THEY ARE NOT, also it looks like there are NO MB cars in the US with this feature (AS OF TODAY)! So if you think you ordered this feature and think you have them YOU DON‘T!!!
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we know:
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...tive+headlight
you should have checked here before you had your car taken apart.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...tive+headlight
you should have checked here before you had your car taken apart.
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From: Los Angeles
E500-4Matic
If your bi-xenons are item 319, you don't have it, if you have 339, you do (I think those are the right codes). I've asked MB about it and all they said was that the feature was delayed - I think I read somewhere on the forums that any vehicle in production after 11/24/03 would have 339. MB didn't have an answer as to if they would upgrade 2004's with the non-active lights.... Grrr.
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From: N.Y.C.
04 E500 4MATIC WAGON
The MB field rep will be looking into what to do about this ( retrofit or refund ) They will be getting in touch with me in the next couple of days. The manager said this was the first he has heard of this issue and they were going to resolve the matter to my satisfaction. This is the flagship dealership for all the US market I think they of all dealerships would want to get to the bottom of this. When I hear one way or another I will post. Also They insisted on taking apart the light as they needed to gat the # off the actual light itself to definitely identify what light was actually put in. From what I understood there, you might not be able to order the cornering feature with any confidence you will get them no matter what item # you have.
Last edited by jbmaxx; Jan 21, 2004 at 04:44 PM.
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From: North Scottsdale
06 C 350 2014 GLK350
I positively would not have ordered the Xenon option for the E500 if the tracking function was not offered . I had Xenon on an E430 and CLK 430 and wasn't that impressed with them vs the standard lights. The tracking function, however, sounds like a great idea which could be implemented on halogen lights as well. I hope MB responds to this issue quickly to minimize any further customer problems. As to the fallback to "Delayed Availability" there was no mention of this in the 2004 brochure and my salesman had not heard anything about it. He knew that I would not be ordering Xenon except for the tracking function.
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From: global traveller
some slow@$$diesels
Why does MB take apart a complete headlight when all they have to do is look at the part# of the headlight (if they don't trust the optioncode the car came with) or take a look at the smaller of two control units that is attached to the headlight...it is printed on there wether the unit is for DLR (auto headlight levelling) or dynamic lights...
greetingz,
greetingz,
Trending Topics
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From: Irvine, CA
07 M6, 05 Noble, 01 S4, Smart ForTwo
Originally posted by MBenzNL
Why does MB take apart a complete headlight when all they have to do is look at the part# of the headlight (if they don't trust the optioncode the car came with) or take a look at the smaller of two control units that is attached to the headlight...it is printed on there wether the unit is for DLR (auto headlight levelling) or dynamic lights...
greetingz,
Why does MB take apart a complete headlight when all they have to do is look at the part# of the headlight (if they don't trust the optioncode the car came with) or take a look at the smaller of two control units that is attached to the headlight...it is printed on there wether the unit is for DLR (auto headlight levelling) or dynamic lights...
greetingz,
funny, I am just back from Manhattan. I stayed across the street from that dealership at the The Drake, Swissotel..
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From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
I feel your pain jbmaxx..... If you check the link that nyca has kindly provided, you will learn what I and several others have nearly a month ago.... I was two weeks from taking delivery on my e500 when this all came down. Unfortunatly I had to reorder and will receive my wheels sometime in march (I hope).... If I were you I would consider myself real lucky if you get anything from Mercedes... As reported earlier I'm to understand there will be no retro fits (on mercedes dime) or refunds made... I hope I'm wrong, Goodluck.....
B.T.W.... It just blows me away how little these dealerships are in touch with the manufacturer or visa-versa.... Seems like a little communication would go a long way in keeping folks a little happier (mainly the damn people paying the large $$$ for there product)....
B.T.W.... It just blows me away how little these dealerships are in touch with the manufacturer or visa-versa.... Seems like a little communication would go a long way in keeping folks a little happier (mainly the damn people paying the large $$$ for there product)....
Last edited by HELL ONA HARLEY; Jan 22, 2004 at 12:55 AM.
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From: N.Y.C.
04 E500 4MATIC WAGON
Thank’s, HELL ONA HARLEY but make sure the lights dance the right steps before you take possession I have a felling this is a legal issue with oncoming traffic, the dealership thinks this might be the case also.
B T W The disassembly of the light was only the outer casing to look inside for the # not much was taken apart. They seemed to be very concerned as the paperwork that came with the car from the factory explicitly said, Cornering Bi Xenon Headlights .But we will see!
B T W The disassembly of the light was only the outer casing to look inside for the # not much was taken apart. They seemed to be very concerned as the paperwork that came with the car from the factory explicitly said, Cornering Bi Xenon Headlights .But we will see!
Last edited by jbmaxx; Jan 21, 2004 at 09:38 PM.
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From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
I've been told the system has been approved by the D.O.T (finally) and the cars are being built with the system as we speak... Believe me.... These lights will dance or heads will roll...
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From: Germany -> El Paso, TX right now
E-220CDI, VW Multivan 2.5TDI
Taking lights apart to see if they are active lights 
Oh my god... this is not one of these magic features everybody talks about - this is a safety feature and IT WORKS - that means... you can see it (unless you're blind)!!
It is soooooo simple. Park in front of your garage door in the dark. Fire up the xenons... they move clearly visible left, right, up, down, straight. Then you drive and - what a surprise - you can see the lights cornering. I mean YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE IT! Not just "guess" no... SEEEEEEEE IT!
So who is so crazy to take apart a car to check for this feature
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From: N.Y.C.
04 E500 4MATIC WAGON
HELL ONA HARLEY, were are you getting the info from (names, phone numbers), I would like to give the source to the dealer as they seem to have no factional communications with Germany and the parent company. THANKS
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From: North Scottsdale
06 C 350 2014 GLK350
I would like to know what is the best way to contact the right person at MBUSA in order to go on record regarding this situation. I have a letter prepared but don't know who to send it to. Since any decision to retrofit or refund has to come from Montvale, it would help if I could direct my letter to the decision maker. I went through the frustrations on the DVD Nav and now this. This should be a simple one to resolve since I can't believe there have been many E's shipped with Xenon.
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From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
On the top right of the screen you will see a toolbar.... Click on the one that says (user CP)... First one.... This is where you can set your preferences and check for personal messages... (PM)
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From: Austin, TX
2012 CL550
I may have posted this before, so if it's a repeat performance, my apologies. But I was told by the rep who delivered my car in Germany AND by MBUSA in late October that my car DOES have the cornering lights. They both said "all 2004 E's with xenons have the cornering feature". Both, are apparently wrong. Why can't they get their act together on stuff like this? They promise then don't or can't deliver. I can't believe they had to take your lights apart to know what you have. I remain amazed at the lack of communication between here and Germany. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to work for a company whose right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.
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From: N.Y.C.
04 E500 4MATIC WAGON
B T W, Hella web site.
http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell.../headlamps.jsp
http://www.hella.com/produktion/Hell.../headlamps.jsp
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From: Midwest
'08 SL550 Sport, '11 BMW 550ix M sport
I hope you guys are right about what they now call "curve sensing" Bi-Xenons being installed on any car after 12/31/03.
My car was built on 01/12/04 and is currently sailing the seas on the MV Jingu Maru to Baltimore.
I checked a month ago with my salesman, asking if we need to change the number designation from 319 to 339. He checked and said it was not necessary. He Da*m well better be right! If my car arrives with out the active lights I'll be pis*ed too!
I'll do the garage door test as soon as I get the car and let you guys know. Probably sometime around Feb. 9th - 13th.
My car was built on 01/12/04 and is currently sailing the seas on the MV Jingu Maru to Baltimore.
I checked a month ago with my salesman, asking if we need to change the number designation from 319 to 339. He checked and said it was not necessary. He Da*m well better be right! If my car arrives with out the active lights I'll be pis*ed too!
I'll do the garage door test as soon as I get the car and let you guys know. Probably sometime around Feb. 9th - 13th.
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From: Northern NJ
2014 BMW 550i
It is always very frustrating to see that the dealers have no idea about VITAL information about their cars, mainly because they just don't get the information from Germany/Montvale. The brochures clearly show the feature being availalbe without delayed availability, and the ordering guides published to dealers also showed this feature being available. So, my dealer rightly thought that the feature would be installed. I had simply thought they were useless because I never did see an improvement, until I found out I did not have them.
Going off on a side rant here, but reliability and the ability to service customers needs go well beyond just building it right the first time. There has to be communication between the mother ship and all of the other little ships that are supposed to be towing the line. No wonder service appointments are so hard to get and they end up keeping your car for weeks. They have to reinvent the wheel every time for every little problem it seems. It must be so frustrating to be a MB tech.
Going off on a side rant here, but reliability and the ability to service customers needs go well beyond just building it right the first time. There has to be communication between the mother ship and all of the other little ships that are supposed to be towing the line. No wonder service appointments are so hard to get and they end up keeping your car for weeks. They have to reinvent the wheel every time for every little problem it seems. It must be so frustrating to be a MB tech.
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'04 E500
I feel I was given false information and am pissed. I wrote to my dealer to see what they're going to do about it and I would encourage everyone else to do the same. Perhaps if enough of us complain, they will address. I would think this would be bad publicity to MB - along the lines of false advertising/bait and switch.
