Tonight while driving in the dark on the high way for about 80 kilometers (50 miles) I had maybe every third car flash their lights at me (20-30 cars).

My car was built in the spring of 2017 and has multibeam ILS. I noticed already in the summer that people occasionaly flashed their lights at me, and as far as I remember the high beams were not on (the blue light symbol was not on) then.

On my previous W205 (2016 model) with ILS I dont recall people flashing their lights at me.

Does this seem to indicate something is wrong with my lights?

Best regards

 

Nothing is wrong,, we have had several customers mentioning the same thing, all cars checked out ok.

The multibeams are very bright and the people flashing their high beams are ususally in an older car with crappy haologen lights.

Also an older high beam, halogen or xenon, are easy to spot over the horizon when it is turned off,
but the multibeam just diverts the light pattern from the oncoming cars making some of the oncoming traffic think that you still have your high beams on.

Its all a matter of ignorance really.

 

I'll add my two cents on this. I've got multibeam, early 2016 build. I got flashed now and then from day one and after a while I noticed it was becoming more sluggish to react. I could sometimes see the box around oncoming traffic moving out of phase with the car it was tracking, showing me or was lagging behind. By now i was getting flashed at a lot last winter. One headlight stuck on when I switched car off forcing me to take it to dealers. They eventually replaced headlight control unit and the difference was immediately noticeable. The active boxing of oncoming traffic was faster and more responsive, it was clearly noticeable how much better it was. The active curve feature was also really noticeable for the first time, you could easily see the little boxes of light moving around in bends. So mine at least definitely suffered from something wrong with hardware and/or the loaded control software, no doubt at all in my mind of that.

After replacement I rarely got flashed (supporting my view that the replaced hardware cured the problem) and when it happened, I'd put it down to what Vic says - each headlight has not only the two DRL stripes lit up but another three large lights illuminated all the time. Oncoming traffic can easily mistake that entire light unit lit up like a Christmas trees as the car having main beams fully on (which is does, just not shining right at them if the system is working well!).

As nights have drawn in now I've had active main beam on during a couple of runs and it seems sluggish again and I've been flashed a few times again. However it's not as bad as it was and I can see it working correctly at least some of the time. On mine, now, the issue seems to be late boxing of traffic. I see the car come round a bend, car doesn't react for two or three seconds. In that time I'm giving that car full beam and they flash me. By the time they are flashing though, my car has reacted and boxed them so I guess they think I switched off main beams!

If mine gets worse or I'm getting flashed a lot every journey I'll be asking for the software to be reinstalled or the control unit to be replaced as that worked perfectly before. No idea why or even how the system can degrade in such a manner and I can't say for certain mine really is worse again without some more trips to check. However, I know 100% the system was not working correctly, replacement hardware/software cured it so if you've problems I'd suggest you try and force that root with your dealer (though do consider what Vic is saying and check to see if the boxing of traffic feels slow/late/out of phase to you first).

 

Thank you for thourogh replies!

I have had the thought that the lights are bright and oncoming traffic assume head lights are on. Could be tje case!

On the w205 which had ILS (not multibeam) I would notice a black rectangle follow a car infront of me as I drove behind it and the rectangle would move left or right depending on how the other car was driving, constantly putting the car in "shadow".

Now having multibeam I dont notice a black rectangle following a car infront of me and I am hoping I am not blinding them. Does other people with multibeam see the dark rectangles?

 

Yes, I have the LED matrix headlights and you can clearly see the car in front is in shadow. Also a shadow “wedge” is thrown out to cars coming from the opposite direction, which tracks them as they get closer.
For me, it’s the most outstanding innovative feature of this car.
I am driving the Coupe version but it was equally effective on the w213 I had before.

 

Lawyer68, it's worth pointing out that not all markets have the boxing/shadowing feature enabled. USA don't, are you sure your market allows it? If it's not actived in your area that would certainly explain the lack of boxing. Also, just to be sure, your lights, when switching the car on at night, does the dance of criss cross patterns? That shows multibeam is fitted at least.

 

The lights make the "dancing" pattern when started up. When driving in fog i noticed oncoming cars were masked out (put in dark) and the masking would follow the cars.

I was just informed that the system struggles if there is a "wire fence" between the lanes and so the manual suggests turning off the high beams in such areas. It does make sense because i dont remember cars flashing me as mucj when ive been driving on roads without the "wire fence".

 

 

DITTO!

 

Keep in mind that the multibeam "masking" capabilities were never advertised as being available in the US. The same is true for remote parking. Capabilities and features vary by country. AFAIK no single country has all of the features of an E class. In many places (even in some US jurisdictions) remote start is illegal.

 

It would be nice if a 3rd party came up with a way to unlock the software for the US!

 

Driving with multibeam "masking" unlocked could get you a citation for illegal equipment. Back in the day I got a ticket at a FL vehicle inspection station (remember those?) because I replaced sealed beam headlights with standard German lights on a 250SL (H2 halogen bulbs and lead crystal lenses).

 

I work with LEO's daily and I don't know a single one that would care. Every vehicle I've had, I've had 5% tint installed as well and never had an issue. I doubt a traffic cop would even know this was not "legal" yet because some fatcat paper pusher hasn't approved it yet. Can you imagine a cop walking up to a 70K Mercedes and arguing with the driver? "Sir, I know your car drives itself and is currently giving you a massage but those headlights are illegal" lol I don't see it happening...ever.

 

It's the state inspection stations not the street cops that will nail you. I no longer drive my car out of the metro area so I'm not affected. That said, I get stopped at police road blocks every year while travelling in rented cars.