Pntblnk

Has anyone retrofit an earlier year's alarm to work on the 2011 so that it chirps? Hate the honk and agree that it makes the car sound cheap. I have it shut off now, but miss the audible signal.

Pntblnk

Anyone.... Surely I'm not the only one who despises the "honk" enough to spend a few $ for a chirp.

tarsky68

hmm, mine chirps...but mine is a 2010 too. I guess they changed it, huh?

Sorry can't help you bud

Tjdehya

Yes all of the 2011 W212 buyers hate it but no one here has changed it or knows if it can be done. If you find out be please post the info.

Pntblnk

Thanks for the replies. The honk is so low rent. I have a call into my service manager to investigate options and will share what comes back.

petee1997

You have a setting of horn or no sound. In my case I opted for no sound and I still hear the click from locks, also my mirrors fold, letting me know it's locked.

imartin

In the US and for 2011's, do we have the mirror fold in option when locked? I liked that on my 2008 C350 and would love it on my 2011 E550.

Johnny Mo

I hate the honk. Bad idea MB.

K-A

I sometimes think how if I waited just another couple of months, I could have picked up a 2011.

Then I remember the dreadful honk.

Actually, just the other day, some cheapo car "honked" while arming itself, which startled me a bit (thought someone was honking at me), it made me think of how the new classy Benzes also HONK! at you when you arm them as well.

Ahh, what the heck were M-B thinking.

Lenn777

The chirp makes the car more refined.

vselva

..and elegant. I hate the honk as well. I didn't realize 2011E switched to honk, bad idea.

DNAPoPo

LOL, I just thought everyone of them chirped, just like I thought everybody had the same red rear turn signal lights. I love this forum, so informative!

lemosj

Bad decision MB.....Unbelievable change that they justify as requested by customers...!! Same with the single address book memory on the COMMAND system versus synchronizing with the bluetooth to use contacts from users cellphones, or putting together reverse sensors with PARKTRONIC option only but giving the rearview camera alone......

hyperion667

seriously?? LOL!!!!!!!!!!! who cares? obviously several of you's............

peeta123

my canadian e class has it. im guessing the american ones will have it too.

BudC

Oh no! I hate walking through a parking lot and listening to horns honking all over the place. I keep telling people how the manufacturer's are too cheap to do it right and now Mercedes is doing it too.

I just ordered a new E550 and if my options are to honk the horn or mute it, I'll mute it. Hopefully, the lights will still flash when you lock the car.

I just checked the 2011 manual and they call it an acoustic locking confirmation and it's sounded once when you unlock the car and three times when you lock it. Would they actually honk the horn three times?

Arrie

3 quick honks it is.

Just for curiosity, you guys who have the beeping audible lock/unlock signal what do you hear when the car alarm goes OFF? I had this Audi Q7 and it had the beep when locking but it also used the beep for the alarm. The beep cannot be heard very far and certainly does not scare anybody away. It was not possible to get honk to work for the alarm.

How was / is it with Benz when you have this beeping option. Does it also beep when alarm comes ON?

Also, with honk you can locate the car on a parking lot if you are inside remote key range as you can hear the hong from some distance. Can you hear the beep?

BudC

You need to be near the car when the chirp/beep sounds. It's actually hard to hear in a noisy parking lot.

I guess I'll normally keep it turned off on the new car but if we're parked in an unfamiliar location, I can quickly turn it on.

Tjdehya

The MB remote key does not work unless you are close to the car anyway so the horn has no advantage over the beep.

BudC

Good point, I didn't think of that. Besides, who wants to unlock your car if you can't see it?

I think this is nothing more than a cost cutting measure. It's cheaper to use the horn rather than having a separate device.

Tjdehya

Yes I agree, but they saved maybe $50 in cost but they lost $50k in class. If I ever found the idiot that thought this was a good idea...
And to all the employees at MB that agreed with the idiot

Winsto22

I would think that a car alarm place would address this and give a chirp, tweet, moo or whatever you wish. Should be a simple mod. Too bad it would cost$$. I would be interested in how much as I am considering E or S.

BudC

It's not an alarm, it's just an audible confirmation for locking/unlocking. Lesser vehicles use the horn. Mercedes and I expect others use a different device.

An alarm is different. You want something loud and many times it's the horn that's used. I've never set the alarm off on my recent Mercedes but if it's the same sound as the Panic button on the Smart Key, it will wake the dead.

Winsto22

Can anyone confirm if the U.S. e550 version folds the mirrors when locked. Love seeing the car is locked from a distance.

Tjdehya

No. You have to move to Canada.