K-A

I find this to be a huge annoyance with this car. First off, WHY does this car give you no option to turn the damn lights off? It's really ridiculous.

As well, when the day is super bright outside, my car fires up those expensive xenons, LED's, and interior ambient lighting, etc. for mere seconds/minutes, before I get out of/into the garage. This is certainly not good for the longevity of any of the cars lights, and can lead to annoying replacement requirements sooner.

To get around the headlights burning out sooner, I put the cars Parking lights on only, which helps, but then, all the other lights still switch on for those pointless seconds/minutes.

BenzE350

Really? I can see complaining about the suspension, nav, or some of the other annoying things about the E, but not the longevity of the lights? You are really concerned about this?

I have never owned a car long enough to worry about replacing a headlight.

Actually that's not true. I only had by E350 for 2 weeks before I had to replace the stock lights with HIDs because the lights on the P1's are useless.

ImInPA

It is interesting that there is no "off" switch for the lights. That said, my last few cars have all had automatic lights and quite honestly, I have just left them in auto mode and not given them a second thought. I do not think think that the longevity of the lights will be impacted in any measurable way. I personally would have rather had MB include a for real "off" position on the light switch, as I see no practical application for the Parking light positions (right or left). I really wish the engineering teams that design modern vehicles would give me a call before submitting the parts to manufacturing. I just realized that there is not a single cup holder capable of holding a Thirsty-Two Ounce Red Bull either. Obvious cost cutting.

howie

quick fix - mount a super bright light in your garage so the car's light sensor always thinks it's daylight in there.

http://www.ycasolarlightstore.com/Su...p/40226-mx.htm

you're welcome!

220S

K-A does have a valid point. Here's from Osram's HID bulb website: "Do not turn lights on/off rapidly. This will decrease the lifespan of your bulbs."

A while back General Motors petitioned the US DOT to implement a DRL law not for consumer's safety but only because they didn't want to have separate model designations/inventory and components for different markets. They wanted one design for one NA market, and not DRLs for Canada and non-DRLs for the US. The DOT ended up refusing to implement a DRL law in the US.

It could be that the switching set up and switches/wiring etc., without an actual off switch setting means less cost for MB to be able to cover all markets with or without DRL regulations.

It's not only in your own garage but also in a short tunnel, going through a parking deck, even when trees block enough of the sun (try driving down Rustic Canyon in Pacific Palisades; it's dark enough there in the daytime to set off the sensor.).....or anywhere the sensor gets triggered. There really should be an off switch (in addition to the auto on switch for those who can't remember to turn on the lamps at night.)

It's a lazy move by the manufacturer not to have an actual off setting. The previous W211 had on, off, and auto settings....

lyjw88

disable DRL setting and you're all set. NO?

220S

It's not about DRLs, it's that there is no off switch and only an auto switch now. It's controlled by the auto sensor, period. So the headlights will go on if the sensor experiences low light no matter what and you cannot turn that off. Used to be you could use the auto function by setting it on auto, or simply turning the switch to off so that they are off all the time, sensor or no sensor.

Used to be three: off, on, auto
Now it's one: auto

lyjw88

that's weird cause my 2010 E has off, auto, on.
so when I disable DRL and put in on OFF position, the auto sensor no longer works and the headlights stay off.
but when I enable DRL, the headlight comes on even on OFF position.

220S

Then it sounds like maybe you found a workaround. You should tell the OP (K-A) He claims as have others, there is no off switch.

I have a .pdf of the 2011 manual and there's no off switch. There is an auto setting and a setting for high beam/low beam (page 118.) Are you saying if you disable DRL in the IC, then the lights will be off in the high/beam low beam setting? And then how do you turn on the headlights? Do you then set them to auto?

I have the last of the 2009s so I'll just stay out of it, but I remember people saying there was no off setting when they picked up their new W212s..... and I don't see one in the manual.

BudC

My E550 arrived April 25. There is no off switch. They also took the 115V outlet out of the P2 package and cut other things.

K-A

Really?! I think you have the only W212 with an actual "Off" position! Mine is "A" at the very top.

So maybe disabling the DRL's is a workaround? However, the knob would still be in "A".

It would be nice for M-B to design this car without only grab n' toss Leasers in mind, as anyone with Xenons especially will see an expensive replacement come prematurely due to constant quick bursts of light (which like 220s said, is not good or recommended for HID's), not to mention the various other lights that flash on for mere seconds/minutes around the car, all of which are expensive and a PITA to replace (remember, to replace the headlights, the whole front bumper has to come off).

ImInPA

K-A, "Constant quick bursts?" Osram was meaning rapidly tuning them on and off. Having them come on in your garage and then turn off once outside is not what they mean by "rapidly". I think you would be hard pressed to be able to measure much difference in longevity. That said, mine does not seem to be as sensitive to light as some of you have posted. Could you have a bad sensor or, possibly, can the service department adjust the sensitivity of the sensor? Just a thought.

K-A

I hope you're right on that. ^^

I don't think my sensor is bad, as the headlights never come on when outside (even in big shade patches, etc.) during the day, but they do when in garages, and underground garages, etc.

listerone

Although it's a relatively small issue I find the lack of the "off" option to be *very* annoying.To paraphrase Woody Allen (in "Annie Hall") I've been switching on my own headlights since I was 30.I'm fully capable of so doing...still.I believe that at least one current (2011) MB model has all the options in a switch that looks to be identical (style,shape,dimensions,etc) to the one in my 212.I'm seriously considering having such a switch installed in my vehicle.

listerone

Mine come on when entering a garage (which I often do) and they also seem to come on,in daylight,when the wipers are on...at least that's happened once or twice.I know some states have a "wipers on,lights on" laws but not all do.

ImInPA

I live in PA and we are required to have our lights on if the wipers are needed. We are also required to have lights on in a tunnel. Maybe MB designed the car for Pennsylvania? In any event, I know how frustrating some little things can be. I have been impressed with the operation of the Auto setting for the lights on my car. I do think it was silly of MB to not include an off position on the light switch but to includ a "full on" position to force the lights on all the time. I would like to take a moment to assure all of the readers of this forum that I will let MB know of this shortcoming should they ever call me and ask for my opinion.

BenzE350

Interesting - what some perceive as an annoyance, I view as a benefit.

Put the light switch in the auto position and forgot about it for all the years you own the car. Works for the "grab n' toss Leasers" and the "buy and depreciate" onwers. Brilliant.

It gets dark outside and the lights go on.
You drive though a tunnel and the lights go on.
You pull into a dark parking garage and the lights go on.

Also seems to be a great safety feature. I am more "annoyed" by other drivers that forget to turn their lights on at dusk, in the rain, or other times to make them move visable. I'll bet this feature prevents more accidents than the starbuks-coffee-cup-thingy on the dash.

listerone

I have no problem with the feature itself whatsoever.It's the fact that there's no manual override as there is in at least some current MBs...and my previous ride,among others.In fact,there's at least one kind of situation in which I would opt to use it...that is,starting a journey in darkness knowing that it will last beyond daybreak.Using it then would mean I wouldn't have to worry about turning lights off in daylight.I don't fully trust the system in two situations...1)to turn the lights on *only* when actually needed (this system obviously doesn't do that) and 2)turning them on precisely when they *are* needed...every time.The former results in unnecessary wear and tear on the very expensive headlights and the latter represents a potential safety hazard.

If,by chance,the concern I expressed in point #2 is unfounded then you're probably correct to see it as a potentially worthwhile safety feature.But even if that's the case there's still the (indesputable) issue of undue wear and tear caused by unnecessary employment in tunnels,garages,shady areas,etc.One thing I've noticed...not that it can necessarily apply in this matter...is that the rain sensing wipers don't work perfectly,sometimes wiping when not needed and sometimes failing to wipe when needed.

ash_cpe

I have "0" Off position, my car built 7/09. However they changed that for late MY2010 and on.

howie

if it's really that big an issue you can hardwire a switch to include an off position. Just take the switch out, find the hot/constant lead and put a simple on/off ground switch on it. Probably will void your warranty if anything ever does go wrong tho.

Tjdehya

and probably throw up error codes in the IC.

Plang1

Is there any way to set the sensitivity of the auto lights. I find they stay on too long after coming out a parking garage into a brighter day. Is there an adjustment in the engineering setup?

K-A

Yup, another issue. I tend to forget that I have my parking lights on, as I know that you need to give it about 30 seconds or so in daylight, before the headlights will stay off when you put the dial back to "Auto" (ironically, when trying to save headlights, and going to "P" in garages, if you flip the switch back to "A" too quickly when in daylight, you end up hurting headlight longevity more, as they now will literally be on for a quick burst, before the sensor finally realizes you're in daylight).

I always end up realizing I've left my Parking Lights on when I pull up behind someone and stare at my cars sexy reflection. Fortunately for us P2/HID owners, the Parking Lights are this cool circular LED, while the P1 cars have the standard reflectors, which don't look very good IMO.

lyjw88

mine has off position like I mentioned above.

BudC

What model year is your car? I think they took it off 2011's, at least my 3/11/2011 build E550 doesn't have it.