Arrie

I'm a 2-week '11 E350 sports package owner with P2 package and have a question about the front lights of the car.

I asked the dealer service today and got somewhat confusing answers.

I was first told that the "hockey stick" lights are fog lights, which is not true as also was corrected for me by another person at the dealer. They are DRL as I already knew.

What is confusing to me is that car operation manual says that these DRLs turn off when actual driving lights come on either automatically (gets dark outside) or are manually switched on but in my car these DRLs stay on at all times with actual driving lights. The only way to turn DRLs off is to disable them at the control display or another impractical way that I explain below in this post. Is this normal DRL operation amongst E350 2011 models?

Another thing is with fog lights. I thought my car does not have front fog lights but dealer sales manages told me that the Bi-xenon light package includes fog lights that are built in with the automatic HI-beam function. He said that when fog light switch is pressesd, which illuminates left rear fog light with amber symbol in the analog clock, it also switches front lights to do fog lighting. He said that front lights will reduce lighting distance and widen to both sides. I tried to see in dark how it would work but could not see any difference in front lights at all when pressing the rear fog light switch other than it turns the DRLs off.

Then it is kind of funny how the DRLs first come on very bright for a flash when rear fog light switch is pressed to turn rear fog light off again but immediately take much dimmer light position.

Then there are those round lights next to the driving lights. Mine stay on always if driving lights are on. Is this correct?

Does anyone else have lights acting like mine? Do I have some sort of a problem with my lights? Shouldn't DRL's turn off when actual driving lights come on like the manual says?

Thanks for your help,

Arrie

reckrab

I believe my "hockey stick" DRL's stay on all the time whether the actual headlights are on or not. As to the fog lights, I tried this out in my dark garage when I got the car but I must admit it wasn't really easy to see any difference. When I looked directly into the headlight it seemed dimmer and more yellowish with the fog lights turned on but I wouldn't swear an oath to that as fact. I don't recall whether the DRL shut off with the fog light button.

I think it also depends on the region that the car was manufactured for as to how the DRL work. (Canada vs US vs EU)

hyperion667

the led's reduce to like 10% when it gets dark right? and they're brighter during the day for day time runners?

ah...............where is my benz

petee1997

That is correct.

Arrie

Ok then,

that explains why leds flash bright when switching fog light off at dark, i.e. it gets full brightness first until light sensor or light switch tells it that driving lights are on and then the leds dim down.

Yet another thing with the Bi-xenon lights is that some writing lets me understand that the lights turn in corners when in my car there are separate cornering light bulbs built in the light housing.

This cornering light works very well by the way and is very helpful when maneuvering at dark parking lots or drive ways. Comes on with a blinker or with turning steering wheel at slow speeds.

But still, is there anybody who can confirm the existence of front fog lights built in the Bi-xenon lights?

YYZ-E55

The 212s with bi-xenon lights do not have front fog lamps, only the single rear fog.

hyperion667

I may have the wrong guide( because I downloaded one online), but on page 118 under
exterior lighting there is a button for front fogs...........but maybe this is wrong?

and also I think you can program the led's to different levels, but I found nothing yet in this one I have, it's very annoying to try and get ahead with out the owners manual..but whatever




edit: I do think I have the wrong one because this one says the night vision is in the headlamp,
but I think my night vision is projected through the back of my rearview mirror.....anyone with nightview?

reckrab

I just checked again and I think you're right. Definately a rear fog light but nothing in the front. The led's do go off in the front with the fog light switch on which would account for my seeing less overall light.

hyperion667

geez, that seems like a lame design to me.....
I'd want to keep the brightness of the led's and also be able
to shine the rear fog if need be.....I think those things are programmable
some how

Arrie

There is something into the built-in fog lights. If I start my car when dark enough for the lights come on they first come on aimed significantly lower. If I'm close to a wall I can see how light beams actually mova sideways wider and then narrow again and then lights take normal higher aim where they will stay at. Pressing fog light button lights up rear driver side and turns off front DRLs.

Turning off DRLs is what happens if you have lux model with double round light at lower corners. I believe one of those is DRL and the other a fog light. With my car and others with sports package hockey stick DRL turns off but there is no fog light to lit up in front. This is why it does not make any sense to turn that DRL off when fog light only light up at rear. Someone at MB dropped the ball here.

But, I now really think that fog light function is integrated in the main driving light with the Bi- xenons. It just is not enabled. It probably can be programmed but MB probably won't do it.

K-A

Yeah, my DRL's also turn off when the rear fog is engaged (I initially thought that button was to only control the DRL). Makes no sense.

Arrie

Yes, there are no fog lights in front as separate "normal" fog lights in my car. With the sports appearance package there are only those "hockey stick" DRLs in addition to the main lights.

But, again, after reading about Bi-xenon technology in the internet (2 years old article) and after talking to my dealer's service manager today it seems like fog light function indeed is built in the main driving lights.

These Bi-xenons do a lot of things. Hi beam to Low beam control works flawlessly as does low beam range control when you drive behind someone. You can really see how lights lower as you get closer to a car. You can also see how light beams turn with your steering input at curves.

With all the hardware that allows above mentioned controls it should be no issue to make headlights also work as fog lights, i.e. point them down and widen the beams when rear fog light button is pressed.

I have not been able to get this function show up but it may also mean I actually need to drive in a fog for it to work. That camera that controls light range and Hi/Lo beam function may actually know if fog exist and may not enable fog light mode if fog is not present.

I will go and have my car's lights tested for this at my dealer. The service manager told me to come in. Hell be happy to do it and he told me this before I asked for it. This is the first time any car dealer has asked me to come in to check anything under warranty to make sure it is ok before I asked for that myself.

Perhaps it is Benz but I know Audi never offered to check anything by themself and when I asked anything it clearly was not a welcomed wish

Arrie

Like hyperion 667 posted the LED DRLs dim down when driving lights come on. They go off when fog light button is pressed, which I don't know or understand why. Is it because these DRLs perhaps dont have directional beam, i.e. to keep light from DRLs from shining too high in fog they are just turned off?

J.B.H.

have an e550 with p2 and bixenons... the fog lights are sit in from the main xenon headlight..they are the round inner light.s...they go on with headlights in A mode or in the dark with parking lights. Hope that helps

pmb600

It seems like there is a lot of confusion here. Here is the correct info:

Any Sport or Luxury E-Class with Bi-Xenon Headlamps (Premium 2 Package) does not have front fog lamps because there is no need. The Adaptive (means they curve when you turn) Bi-Xenons offer sufficient lighting. There is a rear fog lamp which is turned on with the button next to the switch. The LED running lights are on 100% during the day (by the way this can be deactivated in the settings menu) and then they dim to 10% while headlamps are on. The LEDs flash briefly at full intensity when you first turn on the headlights and then dim. There is a separate halogen "cornering light" in each front headlamp which comes on when the turn signal is used or you turn the steering wheel only if you are traveling less than 25 miles per hour. This cornering light is in addition to the curving feature of the Bi-Xenon headlights. After you turn off your signal or straighen the steering wheel, you will see the cornering light fade out very gracefully.

Any 2011 model year Sport Sedan will have the LED daytime running lights standard and no front fog lamps.

Any Luxury Sedan will have the double round lights (exterior set are daytime running lights, interior set are front fog lights) standard. But the Luxury sedan will have all of the above mentioned features if Premium 2 is ordered.

In conclusion, the only E-Class that has fog lamps in the front is the Luxury sedan without the Premium 2 Package.

Hopefully this is somewhat helpful.

J.B.H.

Hey, seems like we have the same car down to the color and options...have the drive assist as well but dont think it makes a difference....You'll notice when your xenons are on there are also two round lights on towards the grill..they are the fogs and double as the corner illumination.

On mine if i put the parking lights on at night the fog lights come on (not the DRL's) and no headlights. You'll notice the green fog light indicator on in the instrument cluster as well..

pmb600

Sounds like we both made good choices on car. The 2 lights you are talking about are running lights they serve no fog light function. The green indicator in the instrument cluster just indicates that the headlights are on.

pmb600

Here's a video showing some of the Bi-Xenon functions including the cornering illuminating lamps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JZusuMrLOQ

LRM1

Thanks for the clear info. I was pretty confused.

One thing I'm not crazy about is the way the high beams work.

They are supposed to "lower" or "dim" when they detect oncoming headlights, which they do, and that's fine. But they also don't go on when it detects almost ANY light. In my neighborhood there are street lights, but there are still areas (even though dimly lit) where you want your highbeams on in case people are crossing the street, or just to see better, and because they detect the light from the street lamp they don't activate.

Is there an override?

Tjdehya

Turn off Adaptive Highbeam Assist and your headlights will work like your W211 did.

YYZ-E55

Yes - turn your headlight switch to the "ON" position. Now your highbeams will be manually controlled.

LRM1

Thanks.

Arrie

One little correction:

The LED DRLs are not on 100%. When you press the button to turn the rear fog light on the LED DRLs turn OFF. Not dimmed, completely OFF.

This made me think that there must be a reason for the DRLs turning OFF in fog condition and thought this was done so that fog light, integrated to Bi-xenons, are not disturbed by clare from DRLs.

Also, my dealer service says there is a fog light function built in the Bi-xenons. I'll get in the bottom of this and let you all know.

Arrie

I'm in Germany at this moment driving a MB S350 as a rental car. It has Bi-xenon lights and yes indeed the driver side front light lowers and widens to left when I switch rear fog light on. Right side light does not do the same as driver side.

I would not be surprised if this function also is built in the E350 but is just not enabled thru coding...?

HBerman

I just tried this on my E550 w/o seeing any difference in the pattern. The DRL's extinguished when I enabled the rear fog.