benzboy56

My car never, ever missed a full check.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Perhaps you can suggest to put the car on a dyno and turn the wheels while its going. This should give you the answer....

Rudegar

My lights always do the full check (late Jan 04 build Option 422)

glojo

Hi Rudegar and Benzboy56
Thank you both VERY much for your updates. I hope I do not weaken and get 'fobbed off' over this issue. I must confess to being someone that does not give up easily, so we will wait and see what today brings

Regards to you both,
John

glojo

Hi,
Thanks for your suggestion, and it is something I have been requesting now for a considerable time. I am sure your termology is more accurate than mine. I have been calling the 'dyno' a 'rolling road'.

When I again suggested it yesterday, they stated that it could not get up to the 'required' speed. I have not seen there specific machine, and indeed haven't seen one for a number of years. My experience however is in direct contradiction to the dealers statement, the 'dynamometer' or rolling roads I have seen allow vehicle to reach very high speeds indeed. (certainly in excess of 5kph = 3mph) I wonder if there might really be a problem with not being able to put sufficient lock on the steering???

If you get the time, could you possibly let me know what pre-checks are carried out by your headlights please???


Thanks again for your contribution (and making me spell dynamometer )

Regards,
John

HELL ONA HARLEY

I'll be picking up my car tomorrow and will be sure to inform you how the lights do their check.... After waiting through two car orders believe me, this car better have this active feature and they will surely have to prove to me before I drive off the lot...

glojo

Stage 8

I have some good news and some 'not' so good news.

First off my active headlights work?? The technician has shown the supervisor, and the supervisor is happy they work.

In all fairness to them both, I gave the supervisor a good 'grilling' and from my questions, and his answers, it is quite possible that we have been to 'aggresive' with the steering in our attempts to see the lights tracking. They simply drove my vehicle very slowly through the workshop and gently turned the wheel very slightly firstly to the left, then the right. Evidently the lights could even be seen moving within the unit. (I am obviously going to have the 'boss' try similar movements when they return our car)

We then got onto the subject of the 'pre-checks'. Mercedes-Benz UK have stated that these are done on a random basis by 'onboard computer software'. Both myself and the supervisor are not convinced with this explanation. The supervisor checked three different E-class with this option and all three performed exactly like mine. Throughout yesterday, and today my vehicle has performed in excess of twenty 'pre-checks' ALL the same and ALL the short version. BMW2MB and one other have I believe, active headlights which behave similar to mine. Everyone else that has active headlights have the FULL pre-checks that never do anything else. WHY????? Whats the difference???

The 'technical expert' that is liasing with Germany is now unfortunately away from his office until Monday, so no further progress can be made.

My car is being returned and I am going to be updated on Monday, after further advice has been sought by my dealer??

I would appreciate any advice, comments that anyone might have.

Thanks for all your replies to date.

John

Rudegar

I don't understand the need for the dyno. I haven't been following thread closely enough to know the issue. Are you trying to determine if the curve sensing headlights work? If so, going around a dark curve will allow you to see the lights turn.

glojo

Thanks very much for coming back.
I have needed convincing that my Active Headlights are actually working. Unfortunately on my vehicle your suggestion certainly does not display the arc of the lights deviating from the movement of the car.

Oslo then kindly pointed out that those of us that had Active Headlights can easily tell by the 'pre-check' procedure of the headlights. When starting the engine the headlights move Down\Centre, Left\Right and Centre. Those vehicles that only have bi-xeon headlights have a different pre-check, the headlights move Down\Centre.

My vehicle only carried out the short version of the check. jholt1, then supplied a brilliant video which is on a seperate thread (just beneath this one at present, or on page seven on this thread) Once my dealer saw the video, he has taken over my query. Mercedes-Benz however are saying that the pre-check is supposedly a random act, whereby the onboard computer 'randomly' does either of the two checks. At present this is NOT proving to be the case. My vehicle has 'randomly' ALWAYS carried out the short check, whereas those members that have the full pre-check have NEVER had the short version!!!

I believe you stated that your vehicle only carries out the short check, so I would appreciate it, if you would watch the video, and then confirm what your vehicle actually does.

Having the lights switched on prior to starting the vehicle is obviously the easiest way. If the lights are switched off, someone will have to stand where they have view of the headlights when you start the engine and just watch the movement.

regards,
John

beluga

i've had an e320 for a couple of days and it only does the short pre-check. however, with the engine running and car parked, if i turn the steering wheel all the way to one side, the lights *do* move *slightly*--nowhere near as large as the up-down movement, but it's not imaginary. has anyone else experienced this, either with short or long pre-check? on the other hand, they don't seem to swivel while i'm driving.

this is OT, but only other oddity i've noticed is that the air from the center passenger vent is always cold, regardless of a/c setting, but all the other vents work normally.

lastly, for the curious, what i have is 2004 e320 wagon, white/ash, with sunroof, nav, entertainment & appearance package, and multicontour seats.

glojo

First off have you definitely got the correct option for Active Headlights?? If so this thread seems to be the place that is discussing your exact problem

Secondly I believe you are talking about the 'Air Vent' which only has a thumb wheel for adding 'COLD' air.

Good luck,
John

beluga

don't know if they have these things in europe, but the sticker they put on new car windows here states, "Bi-Xenon Cornering Lamps", which i certainly hope refer to active lights.

on my a/c problem, no, i'm not referring to the huge vent in the middle of the dash, but the 2 small ones right below, to either side of the blue wheel, and the one to the right, which in the us is the passenger side, always blows cold air regardless of temperature setting.

glojo

Have you got the standard air conditioning or 4 Zone?

John

beluga

standard. incidentally, i'm now wondering if the car itself swivels slightly if you turn the wheel far enough when parked. i'm revealing obvious ignorance of car steering here. :o

(another john (who wishes he were ian instead))

glojo

I am reading the manual and basically it states:

Temperature adjustment only available in manual mode.

To reduce temperature turn the large centre thumbwheel downwards.

This will reduce the temperature for centre air vents????

If not, then hopefully someone with a similar system to yours will correct my manual??

Hopefully the e-mail helped with the lights.

Good luck,
John

beluga

my manual says,

Heating:

Only in manual mode is it possible to lower the temperature in the headroom by regulating the cold-airflow using thumbwheel (7) (> page 174).

so it's talking about "headroom" temperature, whatever that means, which presumably isn't the same as cabin temperature.

thanks for the email, will reply in kind.

ian wannabe

MKW

MBZs have a LOT of caster in the front alignment settings . Gives the car great high speed straight ahead tracking ( think of a 1960s American " Easy Rider " motorcycle with the front fork jutting out 4 ft - lots of caster - vs a modern sport bike where its rider is practically on top of the front wheel - low caster for handling , but nervous at speed ). When you turn the steering wheel full lock on a high caster car, the tires tilt significantly , so the car may seem to " swivel " , esp. noticeable when not moving.

This high caster's tilting/scrubbing tends to wear the outer front treads on MBZs if you do a LOT of urban parallel parking , so try to roll a tiny bit as you turn with full lock .

beluga

what do you know; thanks for this interesting tidbit.

glojo

5-25pm BST (WEST) 30.3.04

Daimler Chrysler UK (MBUK) have JUST contacted my dealer to apologise for the delay and hopefully they will have an update soon????

Regards,
John

jbmaxx

`

glojo

Stage 9

Just received a call from the Dealership Technical Supervisor. He is now liasing with a 'Resolutions Manager' (where do they find these people ) It looks like certain chassis numbers have been fitted with the Full pre-check system. Others have the 'random' pre-check system, and the last have the short pre-check system.

The supervisor cannot apologise enough over the embarrassing delay. In all his experience with Mercedes-Benz he has NEVER had a situation that has not been immediately solveable. (I should have mentioned the SBC noise) He is sending all the e-mail information he has obtained from me to Germany to try and resolve the issue. I obviously have not sent all the remarks, but hopefully I have sent a fair review, stating that NO ONE has reportedly seen the random version, but there are now a number of members that indeed have both other options.

He has promised to contact early next week with a further update.

The saga continues................

John

glojo

The Supervisor has just got back to me solely to apologise on the embarrassingly long length of time that this issue is taking to resolve. He has still NOT got a reply from the Technical Department dealing with this issue.

We are now entering the Easter Week-End, but he assures me that on Tuesday, if there has not been a satisfactory reply then he will get the Director to take on the issue.

I am more than happy with the way the dealership is handling my situation, but am amazed that NO ONE has been able to simply answer a technical question on the operation of the headlights.

To highlight what a sad person I am, I have just listened to the Condoleezza Rice testimony.

Bye for now,
John

Oslo

Saw that too! Clever girl......

glojo

Stage 10

It looks like progress is slooowwly being made.

Allegedly owners of 211's with the active headlight option made numerous complaints about the 'Full pre-check' when starting their vehicles. The left\right check was found to be distracting so Germany decided to withdraw it.

Allegedly all vehicles manufactured after a certain date that are fitted with bi-xeon active headlights will only have the 'short' version of the pre-check. Unless you know different.

Has anyone purchased a S\W 211 with Active bi-xeon headlights that carries out the FULL pre-check that has a build date newer than January 2004????

Members that have the option have all stated how easy the movement of the headlights are to detect, but ours are not like that at all??? So am I happy???

Regards for now,
John

HELL ONA HARLEY

To date I have not yet observed any pre-check up and down or side to side....... Yet my lights work perfectly.