ghstudio

I must have this feature on my car (2011 e p1/p2...and I have it turned on (I checked in the center instrument panel display. I have no idea if it is working!!!

I read the manual to check. Apparently I am supposed to push the multi function stalk toward (1) (that's away from me) past the pressure point and I should see (or not see...it's not all that clear) a special indicator on the dash with an A in it.

OK....but there is no "past the pressure point" on the multifunction switch...you are either turning the high beams on or not. I am very confused...

What am I missing?

Live Oak

The so-called "pressure point" is the center position, no high beam, no flash. Just push it forward.

You will find that, likely to your disappointment, with adaptive high beam on you will never get high beams below about 30 mph. A strange restriction that probably has some legal source.

Diesel Benz

Just push the stalk forward and keep driving. At dark when there is no facing traffic and the cars in front of you are far enough, the car would turn high beams on and you would also see the normal blue high beam indicator. In-between the car adjusts the lights range from full high beams to low beams.

I cannot see why one would need high beams at 30 mph. If there is a temporary need, high beam flash always works. And if one does not like the feature, it can be switched off.

ghstudio

Aha!!!! So, I have to set the light switch to automatic and then push the stalk to the position that would normally turn on the high beams, and then the high beams will be controlled automatically and the adaptive low beams will do whatever they are supposed to do. If I don't turn on the high beams in automatic (or push the lever to where high beams would be on in manual), the high beams will never go on and I won't have adaptive low beams (which is, of course, what I've been doing).

Thanks

ghstudio

You probably don't live in a state like Connecticut with curvey/hilly backroads and lots of deer or other animals roaming around. I think in that environment, one would/should just disable the adaptive lights...I would.

ttoE550

I've finally figured out why the high beams don't work below 30 mph! I thought hard about this in another thread that discussed this.

Below about that speed, the lights turn with the steering wheel. The car apparently cannot see far enough on each side to know whether it will blind oncoming traffic (not blinding traffic is a major fed regulation issue). So it apparently cannot have both high beams and turning beams at the same time. And I guess you have to turn on or off both.

Apparently BMW, at least in the past, handled this differently - with low beams, it would limit the travel of the driver's side adaptive lights. If the high beams were on, it would assume there was no oncoming traffic and give full range on the driver's side. This was the clue I needed.

ghstudio

While this sounds plausible, automatic dimming headlights have been around for decades now and they work at all speeds...and they work when you are turning a corner.

The only thing that the Mercedes does is to add a cornering light (that isn't blinding to anyone), but the sensor for the oncoming headlights isn't effected by those lights because it is looking straight ahead where your headlights are pointing. As long as that sensor sees what is in front of the headlights, it doesn't matter if you are going straight or cornering.

Now on some cars the headlights actually turn slightly (e.g. infiniti) and your argument might hold there because the beam is actually moving to the left or right as you turn....but I think the Mercedes headlights are fixed so that argument doesn't work.

Sorry.....

ttoE550

Actually the headlights themselves do turn quite a bit, at least on my car. I love watching them when I drive. There is an additional light that comes on at really slow speeds (or perhaps really sharp turns).

peeta123

those conering lights would be good as fog lamps

Airmousam

Where is the sensor for the adaptive high beam assist? Got a msg last night that is was inoperative, and when I pushed the stalk forward the little assist icon was not illuminated. Thanks!!

thefisch

Not sure, but I think it may be on the inside center of the windshield facing out. Same place where lane tracking, rain sensing wipers, etc. are.

Airmousam

Fisch, thanks. Will se if it does it again. It was VERY cold here last night, and I read somewhere else someone was having issues at cold temps.

Arrie

I think the sensor is the same camera that is used for the lane tracking too and is located in the top center of the windshield next to the rain sensor.

Airmousam

Arrie, thanks, seems to be working fine tonight!

Alex.currie44

I would like to hear from some Canadians on this.
I have the adaptive headlights and see the A when I am supposed to but the only thing I see is the lights follow the road somewhat when they are on.
I am not aware of any auto dimming feature.
Am I missing something?

aeroconfigs

Not a Canadian, but there's an option in the control menu to enable or disable the adaptive highbeam. Also the manual says something about how the Canadian models always have their daytime lights running. Not sure how that might affect the adaptive highbeam.

On mine, as long as the light switch is on A and I have the stalk pushed forward and going fast enough (30-35 mph) the adaptive high beam comes on if the road is clear. If the light switch is manual and I push the stalk forward it does constant high beam (no adaptive, always on).

MBSebas87

Finally know how this works haha

VelaFella

Totally agree. I turn on the high beam all the time when returning to my dark, hilly neighborhood. My low beam bi-xenon lights just don't project far enough when driving uphill, even at low speeds.

Alex.currie44

Ok gang I took a refresher on the Adaptive headlights and I will have to test out what I read.
The adaptive headlight system is enabled,
With the rotary switch vertical i.e. not at A, and I push the stalk away I see the headlight symbol with an A in it below the speedometer and that is all that changes.
If I switch to A that headlight symbol disappears and of course pushing the stalk away turns on the hi beams. There is no position past there as far as I can see.
This is not what I expected to see from what the manual tells me.
I guess the best way to find out what's happening is to take a drive tonight and pay attention not just to how the lights adjust but what the system is doing switching beam leaves.

aeroconfigs

That's the opposite of how it works in u.s. as far as working with and without rotary switch on auto. Might have something to do with the daytime running lights being always on for the Canadian one. On mine when the rotary switch is on A during the day with daytime running option on in the control system, the fog lamps go on. I have to push the little button by the rotary switch to turn off the fog lamps and put the low beams on.

ddeliber

The system on mine works as aeroconfigs describes. When the lights are set to A pushing the stalk gives the A in a light icon. The first time you see them work you'll know - well assuming it is dark out of course. It is pretty cool once an oncoming car passes and the line of illumination rises to the sky lighting up everything. The effect is pretty dramatic and totally obvious. Plus as a car or another light source approaches the line drops down to below the oncoming source until they are just lighting up the road in front of you. It is pretty impressive IMO, not simply an on off switch.

PJ550CAB

Agree here too. CT resident with lots of hills and wildlife in the road. Worst issue is leaving my driveway with no high beams, and only a short length of pavement illuminated. I need to turn off the automatic lights for safety and get my high beams on.

noka

I think this feature is great and I use it all the time. My light switch stays on "A" all the time and I leave the stalk pushed forward. It is really impressive. The only problem I saw is once in a while in a quiet (dark) neighborhood, when my high beams are on and there is a car at a cross street waiting to turn onto the street I'm travelling on, I'm guessing they may be looking into my high beams. Since they are not facing me, there are no headlights to trigger a change to low beams. I handle it manually if I see that happening. Other than that, someone mentioned it only activates at a certain speed (e.g. 30mph or so). I haven't paid attention to that but now I'm curious and will check it.

Alex.currie44

Seems all the US ones are the same. I suspect that it has to do with DRLs in Canada which we cannot shut off through the settings. Our DRLs are the low beams albeit under less power than normal (I think - not sure) and on mine the hockey sticks down low which go off when the rear fog goes on. (prefer that lights source on in fog so I leave the rear fog off unless it is really bad.
As noted I have confirmed the only way to get the light symbol with the A in it under the speedo is to push the stalk away with the switch vertical.
The rest remains to be seen when I take a test run tonight.

Johnny Rad

I leave my Adaptive brights on, too. Its functionality and constraints haven't bothered me, but admit that I like it for its novelty as much as anything else.

On a similar note, I like how the brights and cornering lights fade on and off. No abrupt on / off cycling like every other car I've owned. Classy and elegant come to mind (not to mention a healthy dose of "oh **** that ain't gonna be cheap to fix later).