How can I manually use high beams instead of auto?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 173
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How can I manually use high beams instead of auto?
Hi all,
Doing some dark mountain drives and I understand the auto high beam function, but how do I put my headlights on high manually and leave them in high mode until a car approaches?. I ask because in the auto mode, any little reflection from a sign or some street lights or house lights shut off the high beams when I still really could use them.
Thanks
Doing some dark mountain drives and I understand the auto high beam function, but how do I put my headlights on high manually and leave them in high mode until a car approaches?. I ask because in the auto mode, any little reflection from a sign or some street lights or house lights shut off the high beams when I still really could use them.
Thanks
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2017
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Likes: 1,204
From: Baltimore County, MD
'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
Hi all,
Doing some dark mountain drives and I understand the auto high beam function, but how do I put my headlights on high manually and leave them in high mode until a car approaches?. I ask because in the auto mode, any little reflection from a sign or some street lights or house lights shut off the high beams when I still really could use them.
Thanks
Doing some dark mountain drives and I understand the auto high beam function, but how do I put my headlights on high manually and leave them in high mode until a car approaches?. I ask because in the auto mode, any little reflection from a sign or some street lights or house lights shut off the high beams when I still really could use them.
Thanks
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 322
Likes: 151
From: Massachusetts
I was wondering the exact same thing and was just going to look it up in the manual when I saw this thread. Thank you!!!
Hi all,
Doing some dark mountain drives and I understand the auto high beam function, but how do I put my headlights on high manually and leave them in high mode until a car approaches?. I ask because in the auto mode, any little reflection from a sign or some street lights or house lights shut off the high beams when I still really could use them.
Thanks
Doing some dark mountain drives and I understand the auto high beam function, but how do I put my headlights on high manually and leave them in high mode until a car approaches?. I ask because in the auto mode, any little reflection from a sign or some street lights or house lights shut off the high beams when I still really could use them.
Thanks
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
E550 Coupe, W465 G63
The auto high beam function in the 2025 W465 G63 is awful. Now instead of toggling bright headlights on/off via the stalk, we have to toggle my lights on/auto via the circular headlight controller? Otherwise we'd be driving around during the day with the headlights on. Am I understanding this correctly? If the auto high beam tech isn't quite there, why force us to use it?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,296
Likes: 1,204
From: Baltimore County, MD
'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
The auto high beam function in the 2025 W465 G63 is awful. Now instead of toggling bright headlights on/off via the stalk, we have to toggle my lights on/auto via the circular headlight controller? Otherwise we'd be driving around during the day with the headlights on. Am I understanding this correctly? If the auto high beam tech isn't quite there, why force us to use it?
if you turned the dial to manually turn on the headlights because you like to turn them on when they’re not needed, at that point, the stalk is now operated just like a normal old-school car with manual brights.
That help?
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
E550 Coupe, W465 G63
there may be some confusion here. When the headlight control (dial) is in automatic mode, the headlights turn on and off as needed based on whether the light sensors think it is dark outside. When the stalk is left in the forward position, the bright lights will come on automatically when the sensors don’t pick up any lighting from other vehicles. If another vehicle approaches the brights turn off. to override the function, you pull back on the stalk for a quick flash as you hold it, like the old days.
if you turned the dial to manually turn on the headlights because you like to turn them on when they’re not needed, at that point, the stalk is now operated just like a normal old-school car with manual brights.
That help?
if you turned the dial to manually turn on the headlights because you like to turn them on when they’re not needed, at that point, the stalk is now operated just like a normal old-school car with manual brights.
That help?
Thus to control the high beams ourselves we need to switch the headlight control to 'lights on' rather than automatic. The problem here is that in "headlight on mode' the DRLs don't come on during the day.
I suppose as I type this it seems like a trivial thing. I just do not understand why the auto-high beam function is mandatory with the auto headlight setting. Is it because of the high/low animation?
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Usa
mgLipGD
Appreciate the response very much but no that doesn't help. That's pretty much exactly the frustration. When the headlight control (dial) is set to automatic we are stuck using the automatic high beam function which is a 3/10 at best. (The only reason it gets a 3 is because of the cool way the high beams come on. Otherwise the function is not good at toggling back/forth, pretty much the high-beams are never on because any reflection or dim streetlamp is mistaken for a headlight.) Meaning we don't have the ability to control the high beams ourselves.
Thus to control the high beams ourselves we need to switch the headlight control to 'lights on' rather than automatic. The problem here is that in "headlight on mode' the DRLs don't come on during the day.
I suppose as I type this it seems like a trivial thing. I just do not understand why the auto-high beam function is mandatory with the auto headlight setting. Is it because of the high/low animation?
Thus to control the high beams ourselves we need to switch the headlight control to 'lights on' rather than automatic. The problem here is that in "headlight on mode' the DRLs don't come on during the day.
I suppose as I type this it seems like a trivial thing. I just do not understand why the auto-high beam function is mandatory with the auto headlight setting. Is it because of the high/low animation?
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Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,398
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
If you want to, you can have the EU coding applied to the headlights, so they always stay in bright and just darken the areas of oncoming vehicles. Unfortunately, despite the DOT having legalized the matrix light function, they haven't quite aligned the regulation with the EU regulations, so car manufacturers haven't rolled the feature out in the US yet as they still have to code it differently. But third-party coders will happily enable the EU coding in your car.
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
E550 Coupe, W465 G63
If you want to, you can have the EU coding applied to the headlights, so they always stay in bright and just darken the areas of oncoming vehicles. Unfortunately, despite the DOT having legalized the matrix light function, they haven't quite aligned the regulation with the EU regulations, so car manufacturers haven't rolled the feature out in the US yet as they still have to code it differently. But third-party coders will happily enable the EU coding in your car.
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
E550 Coupe, W465 G63
Unfortunately this is not the case for my '25 G63. When the headlight is set for auto and you push the stalk forward towards the dash it doesn't immediately turn on the high beam. Rather it puts the high beams into the auto setting and the car decides when to use the high beams.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 322
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From: Massachusetts
Greetings! Since this thread is about headlights and high beams, I have a question I hope someone can answer. I picked up my 2025 G550 in May and have not actually driven it at night until yesterday. I have the light switch on "Auto", but I noticed that there is a significant light cut off that looks almost like a curtain halfway down and across the windshield and just seems to be a line about 1/4 way down my view. The lights work great, and I know LEDs do have a cut off, but even the passenger in the car noted that it was really weird. Am I doing something wrong? I pushed the high beam / directional stalk forward and then the high beams come up with "AUTO" and it looks like a window (literally, it fans open horizontally) opens up and increases the visibility with the high beams. They go off with oncoming traffic fine, but some other times that I would prefer they stay on (the theme of this post). If I pull the stock toward me, the high beams to not fan open, but just come on and stay on until I shut them off. Going back to my regular headlights, do other people experience this cut off when they are on? I did not try to manually turn the lights on via the dial to see if that changed anything. Could my lights need to be tuned higher? I could not get a photo, but I may try, but wondering what others experience when using only the headlights. Am I doing something wrong? Thank you!
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
E550 Coupe, W465 G63
Greetings! Since this thread is about headlights and high beams, I have a question I hope someone can answer. I picked up my 2025 G550 in May and have not actually driven it at night until yesterday. I have the light switch on "Auto", but I noticed that there is a significant light cut off that looks almost like a curtain halfway down and across the windshield and just seems to be a line about 1/4 way down my view. The lights work great, and I know LEDs do have a cut off, but even the passenger in the car noted that it was really weird. Am I doing something wrong? I pushed the high beam / directional stalk forward and then the high beams come up with "AUTO" and it looks like a window (literally, it fans open horizontally) opens up and increases the visibility with the high beams. They go off with oncoming traffic fine, but some other times that I would prefer they stay on (the theme of this post). If I pull the stock toward me, the high beams to not fan open, but just come on and stay on until I shut them off. Going back to my regular headlights, do other people experience this cut off when they are on? I did not try to manually turn the lights on via the dial to see if that changed anything. Could my lights need to be tuned higher? I could not get a photo, but I may try, but wondering what others experience when using only the headlights. Am I doing something wrong? Thank you!
Also, with the lights set to auto, when the stalk is pulled toward the driver it only flashes the high beams. Once the stalk is released the high beams turn off.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 322
Likes: 151
From: Massachusetts
Thank you! I am sorry, I probably explained it horribly. I will try to get a photo tonight. Basically, I am asking about the lights on auto and just regular low beams. When my lights are on regular (Auto or manual) there is a significant cut off that just seems really low to me, it is certainly noticeable. I will try to snap a photo tonight of the cut off - if I can.
Not really sure what you are describing here but if you can get a photo it might be helpful. Happy to send you a comparison once it’s clear what you are describing.
Also, with the lights set to auto, when the stalk is pulled toward the driver it only flashes the high beams. Once the stalk is released the high beams turn off.
Also, with the lights set to auto, when the stalk is pulled toward the driver it only flashes the high beams. Once the stalk is released the high beams turn off.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 322
Likes: 151
From: Massachusetts
Not really sure what you are describing here but if you can get a photo it might be helpful. Happy to send you a comparison once it’s clear what you are describing.
Also, with the lights set to auto, when the stalk is pulled toward the driver it only flashes the high beams. Once the stalk is released the high beams turn off.
Also, with the lights set to auto, when the stalk is pulled toward the driver it only flashes the high beams. Once the stalk is released the high beams turn off.
Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 98
Likes: 4
From: Chicago
E550 Coupe, W465 G63
Hello! My sincere apologies for the delay in response, but I am just getting a chance to take some photos tonight since I was actually driving in the dark. The photos below are just the low beams on AUTO or manually turned on. When the lights are on AUTO, and push the stalk outward, it turns on the automatic high beams. These work fantastic, but I do notice that they turn on and off a lot, even when not in oncoming traffic. I think it's the street lights or some lights, but not sure. I know the photos are hard to see below, but I am trying to show the low cut-off of the LED beam and see if anyone can tell me if this is normal? I just find it super low, like almost there is a line across the windshield. I really appreciate any help here or confirmations that the lights appear to be working fine. Thank you so much!!!!
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 322
Likes: 151
From: Massachusetts
Thank you so much for your input; it is so greatly appreciated! I agree, it is a bit surprising just how low the cut-off is with these lights. My other vehicle, a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser, has much better lighting, so I guess I was expecting a bit more top light from the G wagon. But, I am glad to hear that my lights appear "normal". I do not usually drive with auto-high beams on, but I will start when driving at night. Thank you again for your help!
