JohnO

While recently in Germany on a business trip, I rented an E-Class (2004 I think) in which the convenience lights worked without the light switch being in the Auto position. By convenience lights, I mean the fog lights and other parking lights that come on when you lock or unlock the doors when dark outside.

The dealer says there is no way to program this with the SDS on a US spec car.

Anyone know differently?

HELL ONA HARLEY

Your dealer is correct.....

BudC

See pages 151 to 153 in your Operator's Manual. I think this is what you are looking for. I've programmed my car to provide *locator lighting*.

HELL ONA HARLEY

I also have my "locator light" setting turned on via steering wheel controls.... But my light switch MUST be in "auto" in order for them to work... My manual also verifies this procedure for my car..... So are you saying your "locator lights" work when your light switch in turned off?????

BudC

Yes, they work with the switch turned off but I have my lights programmed to Daytime Running Lamp Mode which I believe accomplishes the same thing. It's similar to the Auto function except that the lights are always on. The intensity varies with the ambient light.

This is probably how the car in Germany was set up.

HELL ONA HARLEY

Were obviously talking two differnt things here. The original post was pertaining to "convenience" or "locator" lighting.... This feature operates the fog lights, parking lights and license plate lights. These are automaticly turned on when using the smart key to unlock the door in darkness and automaticly turn off when the drivers door is opened or approximately 40 seconds have past.
In my car the exteior light switch MUST be turned to "auto" for this feature to work as the original poster was asking.... Or did I miss something????

BudC

You're right. I thought that setting running lights accomplished the same thing as turning the switch to Auto but I just checked and it doesn't. When I had locator lighting working I must have had the switch set to Auto. Of course that works. It seems that you can use both running lights and Auto if you want to but you need Auto to get Locator lighting (neat feature).

HELL ONA HARLEY

Your right, neat feature.... Very helpful finding your car and love the idea of the extra security, especially for the ol'lady....

BudC

Yeah, the first time it happened to us we were coming out of a concert and the parking lot was a mad house. We just got near where we thought the car would be and there she was all lit up. The people getting into the car next to ours kept looking for people in the car. They were totally confused

ninefourthree

John, just one question:
what do you have against the auto position?

JimPurdy

I'll reply to the "Auto" position. I suppose we must be considered old, or at least old fashioned in that we like to turn the lights on and off as required. I prefer to turn on the parking and fog lights as the sun starts to set to increase the visibility. The headlights don't come on early enough for our desires.

Jim

BudC

I recommend you do what we do. Program the lights for daytime running and also turn the switch to Auto. With daytime running, the lights are always on but vary in intensity depending on the ambient lighting. This works out just fine. In fact the lights grow brighter as we enter the garage.

Turning on Auto lets you program in the Locater Lighting option.

SAguirre

I do the same thing! However, to turn on the fog lights you still have to turn the switch to manual. Before I had the Bi-Xenon installed, the lights were dimmed for "daytime running lights," but now that I have the Xenon, they don't dim. I don't think that you can dim Xenon lights.

The standard H7 bulbs have a tendency to burn out rally quickly if they are not dimmed and are on all the time. Xenon lights last a very long time.

Steve

konigstiger

Daytime running lights & auto

JohnO

A couple things I don't like about the "Auto" position; when starting the card in my dark garage, the Xenons turn on, then off again after I pull out. Thsi can't be ggod for the lifetime of the Xenon bulbs. Also, there is the previously mentioned fact that the foglights won't work in the Auto position, and I usually forget to return the switch to Auto.

The European spec cars must have a different Light Control Module, because I went through all the menus in the rental car, and they were set to the same as my car.

Oh well, I'll just have to live with the Auto position!!

YeeHaw

the prob with "auto" mode is that you cant turn on the fog lights when you need them unless you switch to the manual on mode. The funny thing is that my c240 has the locater lights activated by the key even if the light switch is manually off while my moms e500 doesnt do that. Apparently it has to be on "auto" something i couldnt figure out until this post.

I think the locater lights should go on if they are programmed to go on no matter what the position of the manual switch is.

BudC

No, on the E-Class, the locator mode doesn't work unless you have the light switch set to Auto. See Function Surround Lighting option on page 152 of the E-Class Operator's Manual.

The only value I've found with fog lights is that the rear fog light will show up when the standard tail lights won't. It works great in both fog and rain.

SAguirre

Beware of incorrect use of the rear fog light! I must admit that this is one of pet peeves!

I am constantly blinded by people who drive with their rear fog light on driving up I-70, it is always an AUDI or another type of European car. Audi's seem be on the offense more often since they have the two buttons next to each other and DUMB IGNORANT people who don't read their owner's manuals hit any button that turns on their front fogs. They don't even have a clue that if you hit the rear fog light, it also turn on the front. (there even are green and orange lights) So they just hit the button and see that the fronts fogs turned, that's good enough for them.

The rule is that you should never turn on the rear fog if visibility is over 50 yards (50 meters to be exact). So, if your visibility is below 50 yards, then you should not be driving over 35 MPH (50 KPH). As a rule then, if you are in the rain, fog, snow, smoke, dust or whatever could diminish visibility and you are forced to slow down to 35 MPH or below, then turn it on.

When I am stuck behind these idiots who drive with them on a perfectly clear night, I simply turn on my High beams behind them and leave them on. Sometimes they get it and actually turn it off. The w211's high beams are quite strong!

I have also seen cops who have pulled people over for having them on. As a general rule, the rear fog light is a great safety tool, but the typical US driver is totally clueless about how to use it! They end up bothering the other people on the road instead.

Just my FYI and pet peeve, nothing personal,

Steve

JimPurdy

Steve,

I agree on the use or misuse of the rear fog light. I find the rear fog most useful in the daytime when in either fog or heavy rain. This is when most drivers don't even turn on any lights and the rear of their cars are almost invisible.

A couple of years ago I was in a caravan following some friends in an ML320 through the mountains in Arkansas. It was pea-soup fog in the early afternoon and I could judge the distance to keep by viewing his rear fog while not being able to view his other tail light. This was a situation where you didn't want to have any headlights on, even the daytime running lights.
We lost sight of the rear fog every so often if we dropped back more than 50 ft and then had to re-acquire the target distance with great care.

I find it very interesting that some manufacturers, like Goofy Motors, talk safety but are always the last to incorporate new safety features on their cars. The rest of the world was using real headlights on their cars while we had to use the 1930s sealed beam technology. It was only after the manufacturers wanted to streamline the looks of the cars that they got the laws changed in each state allowing us to have non-sealed headlights. Mercedes developed the crumple zone and Volvo the 3 point safety harness and then the air bag. It took many years for the US to adopt these safety features. I put the rear fog light in the safety category that should be incorporated in all cars.

Jim

scorchie

Referring to pages in the operator's manual isn't very useful without qualifying which version of the manual you have. I've noticed that the manuals have gotten thicker since the W211 was introduced to the US, and some changes occur during the model year.

On previous MB models, the locator lighting that we seem to want (without the switch in "Auto") was possible, and the cars in Europe had no convenience lighting at all. Now it seems they have what we used to have, and we have some new-fangled thing (I don't use the Auto function either, I like to have control of my headlights and it reminds me of a 20 year old Cadillac when the lights come on under an overpass).

-s-

konigstiger

Wait a minute… I had a ’79 and ’81 Coupe Deville back in the day. And my ’89 Lincoln Continental back then not only had auto headlights but kicked down the high beams automatically with the approach of oncoming cars not to mention a windshield that deiced itself – automatically. IMO if MB would add the auto high beam feature to the mix we would have daytime running, auto, and auto high beam – it would be time for Howard’s happy dance in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre!

JimPurdy

Aren't we showing our age! This is something only someone who has seen these things can remember.

jim256

Dad's '59 Caddy: The "Autronic Eye" mounted on the dash with the adjustment wheel at the back end and sensor eye on the front!

SAguirre

Jim, If you go to Germany, were the rear fog light is required, you will actually see GM and Ford (US versions) with rear fog lights. If there is not room in the taillight lens, they usually add a little red light under the bumper. Other times they remove the driver's side reverse light and make that light the rear fog light.

US Car manufacturers are very well aware of all this, but consciously choose to ignore it or not do it. I agree with everything you have said.

OOOO, US car manufacturers did invent the CUP HOLDER!!

Steve A.

JimPurdy

Steve,

Last Friday night there was a section of one of those news magazine shows on tv that talked about how to drive in fog. The "expert" was from a university that has studied poor driving conditions. He even had a test track where they could create fog, rain, and other conditions at will. His big emphasis was on how to drive in fog - slow down, stay close enough to be able to see the car in front of you, don't use your high beams; all good advice. Not once did he mention how to make your car more visible so that you wont get hit in the fog - not "use your rear fog", not "use your 4-way flashers", nothing! With "experts" like these, it is no wonder that Detroit doesn't take safety that seriously.

Jim