YYZ-E55

W211 was driver's side dimming only.
If you put the key in the car, it won't cycle.

K-A

On the auto dimming, I find the 212's mirror to auto-dim outstandingly. So damn outstandingly, that for the first time ever, even due to having the second to the darkest Tint on my front windows on about every Car I've owned and never having a problem with it, it can be a pita to see out of the mirror with the window up.

DerekACS

Yes, I accept your point about the potential benefits for rear passengers and your stated reasons for the change in the headrests.
However, the previous arrangement in the W211 gave the driver the option of leaving the headrests in a raised position or dropping them down.

Dema

It must be I confused with my BMW, all mirrors are auto dimming.

Thanks, good tip, will try it next time.

K-A

I used Voice Command for the first time today and WOW, amazing. I love it. Never used one of those in a Car before. I take back my harsh words toward M-B not allowing you to manually enter and distract yourself while driving. Good safety feature for you, be it in preventing you to distract yourself, or someone else on the road. Now if only all other cars can do that too, and invent something where Cell-Phones don't get any Service inside a vehicle (although I'd be kicking and screaming if they did that myself).

petee1997

K-A I'm surprised you are just appreciating the linguatronic feature now. It so easy to use and faster than entering destination manually. Most brands have a form of linguatronic with navigation and blue tooth options. Ford may have the best with their microsoft cink system.

chairman

I was told that the headrest thing was a safety issue in Germany. So much for waking up sleeping passengers

K-A

Yeah, I'm glad I finally started using it too. I'm kind of slow with getting on the bandwagon of certain Tech stuff (work related doesn't apply), i.e I've never owned an iPod or an iPhone, and don't even have BlueTooth setup on my car (Salesman tried to do it though, and it wouldn't connect for some reason).

Slowly but surely.

Dema

We know our cars much better than people who sell them ironically. For example I showed salesman how trunk can be closed from inside.
I am not much in new electronics and gadgets too. I barely have iPod which was sold with some my previous cars, otherwise I didn’t have it too.
BT is really useful, although my phone ringing nor frequently I like when I can speak without taking it from a pocket. Pairing phone isn’t task for salesman, considering that MB could make it user unfriendly. I spent about 30 minutes to pair my phone, since it is HTC brand and just 30 seconds to pair some cheap mainstreamer phone from my wife purse.

petee1997

I have a Blackberry Bold and it took only a couple minutes to pair it up and download the tel numbers. It took a little longer to put the name tags for dialing by name with voice command. I'm as dumb as a bag of hammers and I manage to use all the functions this car offers.
The problem is that too many of us won't take the time to read the manual.

220S

The 2009 W211s have the same system as the W212s and I do use VC a lot. But my complaint with the W212 not allowing input while in motion is that even the passenger can't use it now. On long trips if was nice to be able to sometimes have your passenger be the co-pilot. Since even using the VC can also distract a driver, so why not at least let the passenger input it?

p.s., +1 with what Petee says, it takes just a few minutes to pair a phone. Very easy.

K-A

How do you close it from the inside?? You mean from inside the cabin??

K-A

Hmm, mine didn't work for some reason when the Salesman was trying to connect it.... Kept saying "cannot detect" or something? He tried for like 20 minutes too.

Dema

Yes, you can open and close trunk without leaving a car, you need P2 though

If MB BT told can't detect it means that sales person didn't know how to make your phone visible for BT. The phone visibility feature has different names and activation procedures for different phones. So sales person should know your phone to do it right, or be experienced enough to figure out.

K-A

Yeah, I have P2, how I do I close it from inside?

220S

The electric button/lever that you use inside to open the trunk.

Instead of pulling it (that opens the trunk) you push it. Hint: push all the way and the trunk closes all the way. Push just once and it partly closes. Push again and it closes a little more.... like a window regulator switch.

K-A

Sweet! Thanks.

LaicepsYdobon

My wife had the same problem on her C-Class while trying to pair her phone. To get around this reverse the roles of the two devices. So instead of trying to have the phone detect the car enable the car to allow the phone to attach to it. For this you need to turn the External Authorization option on. Works like a charm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xejoj-HrEs

petee1997

K-A are you sure they gave you a manual with your car? Obviously you are not taking advantage of all the features. The next thing you must do is get your phone working. If you have a problem with it go back to your dealer but avoid your salesman. Someone in sevice will fix it for you and give you instructions for name tags in your address book. It will certainly enhance your ownership experience.
Personally I buy these cars for the toys. You paid for them but you don't get to play.

Dema

Reading manuals are boring. I got most knowledge of my car just reading the forum. People find some feature cool or/and useful and share info. I guess it is major purpose of rthe forum.

Dema

I didn't know that MB has reverse pairing feature. It was obvious for BMW, but I couldn't find it for MB. I do not have Flash due some policy, however will take a look at some public Internet caffee.

220S

I actually like reading manuals. You discover lots of treats that most people never find out about. Especially with German cars which tend to be somewhat eccentric in their rationale for doing things a certain way. And unlike forums, it's info you can depend on 100%.

And yeah, like Petee says, if you can't get your phone set up, go see your SA and not your salesperson. K-A, stop in at WI Simonson Mercedes in Santa Monica. Go to the service area and ask one of the SAs if Hans could set up your phone. Hans is a guy they have there specifically for all things media/electronic oriented. He's the one who troubleshoots and fixes electronic devices, etc.. Hey, there's no reason not to take full advantage of everything you paid for....

And yes, I bought this car as an expensive private phone booth.

K-A

Ah, yeah I'll try that. Yeah, I feel like I don't need BT now, but I know once I get it, I'll be loving using it as opposed to what I'm doing now.

I usually have to Text a lot more than talk regardless, now if they'd setup something where you can Text people via Command or Voice-Command, THAT would be amazing.

petee1997

K-A you've got to learn to walk before you run. Start with the phone, email is coming sometime, texting after that. In the meantime you will be able to talk hands free check your messages,and close your trunk from inside the car. That's a lot of progress for one day. By the way, I'm like 220, I must read the manual and test all the features. Otherwise you are sure to miss out on a lot of neat features(ie:trunk closing feature and much more)

LaicepsYdobon

You are so like my wife Bluetooth ? Nah I don't need it. Navigation ? What's wrong with printing from MapQuest. That was her before. In her current car she has both and she is surprised how she was able to live without these features in her previous cars.

And about the whole manual thing...I'm with 220S and Petee about it. Once I get a car I pretty much geek out with the manual for an afternoon. I'm an engineer and its pretty much second nature to read the paperwork before doing anything

If you really don't want to read the manual they have an interactive version of it online:

http://www4.mercedes-benz.com/manual...en/flash8.html