High Beams and Daylight Running lights
10-24-2017, 04:40 PM
#1
High Beams and Daylight Running lights
With light switch set to A the high beams will not come on however, when not in A they function correctly. They should work in A position correct? Also curious about the Daylight Running light intensity. This car (2011 E550) only has a rear fog lamp switch. I notice when it's On (Daylight Running lights go out) and when switched OFF the Daylight Running lights come back ON and briefly, are Much brighter then go back to normal intensity. Is this normal behavior for these running lights? Thanks!
10-24-2017, 06:52 PM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
If you push the lighting stalk forward while in A the high beams will operate automatically based on other vehicles proximity and speed. I don’t think you need the full lighting package for this function, but I could be wrong. I use this function 100% of the time I drive since I moved to a more rural area. No clue about your DRL brightness issue.
10-24-2017, 07:11 PM
#3
Member
With light switch set to A the high beams will not come on however, when not in A they function correctly. They should work in A position correct? Also curious about the Daylight Running light intensity. This car (2011 E550) only has a rear fog lamp switch. I notice when it's On (Daylight Running lights go out) and when switched OFF the Daylight Running lights come back ON and briefly, are Much brighter then go back to normal intensity. Is this normal behavior for these running lights? Thanks!
10-24-2017, 07:31 PM
#4
If you push the lighting stalk forward while in A the high beams will operate automatically based on other vehicles proximity and speed. I don’t think you need the full lighting package for this function, but I could be wrong. I use this function 100% of the time I drive since I moved to a more rural area. No clue about your DRL brightness issue.
Turns out the Adaptive High Beam Assist was Enabled during the tests. Disabled works fine. Still not sure about the DRL brightness changes.
10-24-2017, 07:37 PM
#5
Hello, I have a 2010 E550, for automatic high beam, set the switch to A(Automatic) and push your signalling column away from you. High beams will automatically trigger under the following circumstance (You are traveling faster than 30km/h, there are no cars in front of you and there is no street light over head). The fog switch indeed dims the front DRL as you want your main beams to be more visible as in fog, you can't see DRL anyways. You car sounds like its functioning fine.
The DRL's could they have different intensity settings? When the Rear Fog lamp is On the DRL's are Off. Turning Off Rear Fog light turns on the DRL's but they first Flash Very Bright then go to a normal intensity..
10-24-2017, 11:33 PM
#6
Member
Yes, there's different intensity. Go to your car with your key. Hit unlock twice on the key, pay attention to your DRL, it will go from bright to medium. (This is visible on my 2010, I have the hockey sticks though)
10-25-2017, 12:16 AM
#7
Super Member
My car does the same thing. I actually thought the DRLs function as fog lights since they sit lower and turning on the fog lights would put the DRLs on maximum brightness, but I guess that's not the case.
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10-25-2017, 01:15 AM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
With light switch set to A the high beams will not come on however, when not in A they function correctly. They should work in A position correct? Also curious about the Daylight Running light intensity. This car (2011 E550) only has a rear fog lamp switch. I notice when it's On (Daylight Running lights go out) and when switched OFF the Daylight Running lights come back ON and briefly, are Much brighter then go back to normal intensity. Is this normal behavior for these running lights? Thanks!
If you have the automatic high beam selected ON in the cluster menu they do not operate if some conditions are not met like Lolxa already posted. You cannot be too close to a car in front of you, there cannot be oncoming traffic and cannot have too bright street lights. Any red light will keep it on low beam no matter where the light comes from and even some light reflection of your own lights from traffic signs will put them on low beam.
If you turn the main light switch from A to head light ON position then the Hi-beam works from the stalk like on any other car but I understand you know this already.
Have you noticed how the adaptive headlight in low beam adjusts to the rear of the car in front of you in the dark and when the car is far enough the lights are as good as very many other cars on high beam but yours are still on low beam?
About the DRL and fog light. All my writing above assumes you have the Bi-xenon lights in front. These cars do not have dedicated fog lights in front, only the driver's side fog light in rear.
The fog light push button next to the main light switch turns ON the rear fog light but it also turns OFF the DRL. This is because the DRL is made to make you show to other road users, i.e. it is made to be bright and emit in every possible direction including up. In foggy conditions this upward light would be disaster as it would block your visibility against fog and for this reason the DRL goes totally OFF when that fog light switch is activated. In my car like I believe in yours the DRL goes to much lower intensity when the head lights are ON but for foggy conditions even this is turned OFF.
The sudden brightness change of the DRL I think is from the fact that when you switch OFF the fog lights the DRL come alive 100% but it takes a fraction of a second for the system to see that the main lights are ON and the intensity goes down to what is normal for driving with head lights ON. I also wondered about this same behavior with my 2011 E350.
Activating the fog light bush button does something else too, it actually brings the fog lights in front of the car. My car being a 2010 E550 does not have this function but my past 2011 E350 did. If you drive with head lights on Hi-beam pressing the fog light button will make the light to go to the low beam and shortest distance setting. This is to act like fog lights and it works really well, which explain why the car does not have separate fog lights in front.
But again, this was all assuming you have the Bi-xenon lights.
10-25-2017, 11:51 AM
#9
My first MB was a 2011 E350 and I think the lights on it worked like on your car. You just have a bigger engine and other trimmings that came with the extra $10k.
If you have the automatic high beam selected ON in the cluster menu they do not operate if some conditions are not met like Lolxa already posted. You cannot be too close to a car in front of you, there cannot be oncoming traffic and cannot have too bright street lights. Any red light will keep it on low beam no matter where the light comes from and even some light reflection of your own lights from traffic signs will put them on low beam.
If you turn the main light switch from A to head light ON position then the Hi-beam works from the stalk like on any other car but I understand you know this already.
Have you noticed how the adaptive headlight in low beam adjusts to the rear of the car in front of you in the dark and when the car is far enough the lights are as good as very many other cars on high beam but yours are still on low beam?
About the DRL and fog light. All my writing above assumes you have the Bi-xenon lights in front. These cars do not have dedicated fog lights in front, only the driver's side fog light in rear.
The fog light push button next to the main light switch turns ON the rear fog light but it also turns OFF the DRL. This is because the DRL is made to make you show to other road users, i.e. it is made to be bright and emit in every possible direction including up. In foggy conditions this upward light would be disaster as it would block your visibility against fog and for this reason the DRL goes totally OFF when that fog light switch is activated. In my car like I believe in yours the DRL goes to much lower intensity when the head lights are ON but for foggy conditions even this is turned OFF.
The sudden brightness change of the DRL I think is from the fact that when you switch OFF the fog lights the DRL come alive 100% but it takes a fraction of a second for the system to see that the main lights are ON and the intensity goes down to what is normal for driving with head lights ON. I also wondered about this same behavior with my 2011 E350.
Activating the fog light bush button does something else too, it actually brings the fog lights in front of the car. My car being a 2010 E550 does not have this function but my past 2011 E350 did. If you drive with head lights on Hi-beam pressing the fog light button will make the light to go to the low beam and shortest distance setting. This is to act like fog lights and it works really well, which explain why the car does not have separate fog lights in front.
But again, this was all assuming you have the Bi-xenon lights.
If you have the automatic high beam selected ON in the cluster menu they do not operate if some conditions are not met like Lolxa already posted. You cannot be too close to a car in front of you, there cannot be oncoming traffic and cannot have too bright street lights. Any red light will keep it on low beam no matter where the light comes from and even some light reflection of your own lights from traffic signs will put them on low beam.
If you turn the main light switch from A to head light ON position then the Hi-beam works from the stalk like on any other car but I understand you know this already.
Have you noticed how the adaptive headlight in low beam adjusts to the rear of the car in front of you in the dark and when the car is far enough the lights are as good as very many other cars on high beam but yours are still on low beam?
About the DRL and fog light. All my writing above assumes you have the Bi-xenon lights in front. These cars do not have dedicated fog lights in front, only the driver's side fog light in rear.
The fog light push button next to the main light switch turns ON the rear fog light but it also turns OFF the DRL. This is because the DRL is made to make you show to other road users, i.e. it is made to be bright and emit in every possible direction including up. In foggy conditions this upward light would be disaster as it would block your visibility against fog and for this reason the DRL goes totally OFF when that fog light switch is activated. In my car like I believe in yours the DRL goes to much lower intensity when the head lights are ON but for foggy conditions even this is turned OFF.
The sudden brightness change of the DRL I think is from the fact that when you switch OFF the fog lights the DRL come alive 100% but it takes a fraction of a second for the system to see that the main lights are ON and the intensity goes down to what is normal for driving with head lights ON. I also wondered about this same behavior with my 2011 E350.
Activating the fog light bush button does something else too, it actually brings the fog lights in front of the car. My car being a 2010 E550 does not have this function but my past 2011 E350 did. If you drive with head lights on Hi-beam pressing the fog light button will make the light to go to the low beam and shortest distance setting. This is to act like fog lights and it works really well, which explain why the car does not have separate fog lights in front.
But again, this was all assuming you have the Bi-xenon lights.
10-25-2017, 10:24 PM
#10
I've not had the car very long, a salesman mentioned it had a rear fog light. When talking with the used car manager at the dealership I mentioned this and wondered about front fog lights. He said it has them and toggled the rear fog light switch. With the car facing the showroom window he said see........the bright flash? Those are the fog light settings that automatically come on when necessary, he had no clue about the rear one, and that goes obviously for front ones.
I presume....the different intensities of the DRLs are controlled by a light sensor........if this is so does anyone know where it's located?
Last edited by clymber; 10-25-2017 at 10:33 PM.
10-26-2017, 10:38 AM
#11
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sacramento , CA
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2010 e550 p2
Your not alone about that Peachy.
I've not had the car very long, a salesman mentioned it had a rear fog light. When talking with the used car manager at the dealership I mentioned this and wondered about front fog lights. He said it has them and toggled the rear fog light switch. With the car facing the showroom window he said see........the bright flash? Those are the fog light settings that automatically come on when necessary, he had no clue about the rear one, and that goes obviously for front ones.
I presume....the different intensities of the DRLs are controlled by a light sensor........if this is so does anyone know where it's located?
I've not had the car very long, a salesman mentioned it had a rear fog light. When talking with the used car manager at the dealership I mentioned this and wondered about front fog lights. He said it has them and toggled the rear fog light switch. With the car facing the showroom window he said see........the bright flash? Those are the fog light settings that automatically come on when necessary, he had no clue about the rear one, and that goes obviously for front ones.
I presume....the different intensities of the DRLs are controlled by a light sensor........if this is so does anyone know where it's located?
10-27-2017, 12:18 AM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
Your not alone about that Peachy.
I've not had the car very long, a salesman mentioned it had a rear fog light. When talking with the used car manager at the dealership I mentioned this and wondered about front fog lights. He said it has them and toggled the rear fog light switch. With the car facing the showroom window he said see........the bright flash? Those are the fog light settings that automatically come on when necessary, he had no clue about the rear one, and that goes obviously for front ones.
I presume....the different intensities of the DRLs are controlled by a light sensor........if this is so does anyone know where it's located?
I've not had the car very long, a salesman mentioned it had a rear fog light. When talking with the used car manager at the dealership I mentioned this and wondered about front fog lights. He said it has them and toggled the rear fog light switch. With the car facing the showroom window he said see........the bright flash? Those are the fog light settings that automatically come on when necessary, he had no clue about the rear one, and that goes obviously for front ones.
I presume....the different intensities of the DRLs are controlled by a light sensor........if this is so does anyone know where it's located?
1. Full on when driving in daylight and head lights are OFF.
2. Reduced intensity when head lights are ON. This is to not to disturb other road users with the "every direction beaming" DRLs.
3 OFF when the rear fog light is activated. This is to allow the driver to see in foggy conditions as the DRL against fog would form a curtain you cannot see thru.
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clymber (10-27-2017)
