PJ13

Hello All,

I am brand new to the MB and W212 world.

Coming from the Audi world we could use a cheap VAG com USB diagnostic tool to do all sorts of hacks and adjustments. A very basic one was simply telling your headlights that instead of being a North America car it was for a Germany (or fill in the blank). This would give you all sorts of different features. Is this possible in the Benz world, and how?

Also, my DRL seem to only switch to the LED's when it is extremely bright. Is there a way to adjust the sensor and sensitivity to when the headlights switch off and it is only your LED's on? In a perfect world I would be able to control the LED's separately so you could have just them on and nothing else..... But I assume that isn't feasible?

Thanks for any input you have on the topic.

Arrie

The way my lights work is the DRLs are on full power when driving in daylight bright enough for the head lights NOT to come ON. Under this condition the LED DRLs are the only lights ON in the front of the car.


When it gets dim enough the head lights come ON and the DRLs switch to much lower intensity but not completely OFF. They go completely OFF only when I switch the rear fog light ON.


I keep my light switch on Automatic at all times and I have the DRLs enabled in the cluster menu.

PJ13

Thanks, That is exactly how I use my lights too. I fully understand how the lights work, I just want to change when the headlights turn on: the sensitivity of the auto setting. I am guessing this is through a hidden menu or perhaps a dealer only setting....

Arrie

Well, for me your writing of how your DRLs work explains something totally different.

F3LiX

yes, pj13, you can alter how some features work when changing the SCN coding to another countries. To do this you need MB's SDS with the wireless Xentry. They are not cheap, however, about $5k each. But it don't matter cause only a certified shop is allowed to lease the thing. If ya know someone then that's another story. As for your DRLs and light sensor... Im pretty positive the over head control unit would have a teach in process for the light sensor via Xentry SDS. I haven't tried my self but maybe by skewing the teach in you may end up with different calibrations that satisfy your goal. Otherwise its up to MB to make available software to change the DRL operation. And if enough people had your same complaint they would.. but that's another argument...

David Le

PJ13, I just spoke to Mercedes Benz of Plano (TX) and the service advisor tells me that the DRL sensitivity is adjustable. I have the same issue in my 2011 ML550. With the sun shining brightly in the morning, my DRL is off while my night low beams are on. Only in the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead does my headlights go off and DRL comes on. I'm going to bring in my ML and hopefully the sensitivity will improve greatly.

CEB

The DRL sensitivity is not adjustable but the headlight on sensitivity is.

Russ103

How?

My complaint about lights is not the headlights coming on, though I think they could come on a little earlier. But how long (read dark) it takes for the nav screen/climate control to switch to night mode.

It takes a considerable contrast in lighting conditions for the sensor (located in front of the rear view mirror along with the rain sensor for the wiper blades) to determine that it's dark enough to make the interior buttons/nav screen to go to night mode/light up. To add frustration, they won't come on even when turning the headlights on manually.

I was told by the dealer that it's not adjustable

I thought I could outsmart the sensor by putting 35% tint over the light sensor and make it think it's darker then it really is, but since the rain sensor is there, it causes the blades to come on

David Le

Well, just got back from MB of Plano and the service advisor I spoke to claimed that "the person you spoke to over the phone make appointments and are not qualified to make diagnosis over the phone". She went on to tell me that NO sensor sensitivity could be adjusted. Instead, if I was willing to make an appointment for a $160 diagnostic of my car, they could try to find out if there is anything wrong with the buttons or sensors in my ML550.

And she was quite condescending and indifferent to my questions! Time to write a letter to the GM!!

Is there any way I could make this adjustment myself? Would any aftermarket car shop be able to make this adjustment for me?

YYZ-E55

For the record, it is an infrared sensor not a photo sensor.