boz86

Thought the fog light switch next to the headlight control would do something more than turn on the little light in the left rear taillight. American version, not Canadian.
Is that all it does, no adjustment to the headlights (obviously no separate fog light installed). That's what the dealership told me and although I could swear it used to add extra low and close lighting I can't prove it and it doesn't anymore after a front bumper replacement.

2012 merc amg

That’s the parking light you’re seeing. If you turn the rotary dial further the right tail light illuminates. As far as I know these cars don’t have fog lights and are not necessary unlike the older Mercedes models.

Diesel Benz

According to the MY21 US manual, the W213 does have a rear fog light (a separate button next to the rotary light switch). The front fog light feature seems to be for Canadian cars only (with multi-beam leds).

kingscorpian27

That’s all it it’s for and all it has been for as long as I can remember now for 20 + years. It’s turns on one rear light to be brighter than the other, for inclement weather visibility for the drivers in your rear.

ua549

The W210 and W211 had fog lights. I skipped the W212.

W205C43PFL

That is correct, as for the only one light on/or one rear fog light only (no, the car isn't broken) decision MB's reason is so it isn't mistaken as a brake light.

MNIAW

This is the standard in Europe. Only 1 brighter light in the rear, usually the driver's side. As noted above, it's to allow cars closing from the rear to see your car when it's foggy.

The_Judge

Even my beloved 1971 BMW 2002 had that feature — when you parked and turned off the car, you moved the signal switch to left or right, depending on whether you were parked on on the left or right side of the street, and the tail light on that side of the car would be turned on so that vehicles approaching your parked car wouldn't hit it.

MNIAW

That's the parking light. Also standard on German cars. The fog light is different but similar and is brighter than the parking light.

lkfoster

Much as there has been times when I had to park on narrow streets that I haven't used the parking light feature. I figured that I'd get told constantly that I'd left my lights on.