pteam

I have a 2011 Gl with the lighting package and from the window sticker it says "lighting package: bi-xenon headlamps with active curve illumination, LED daytime running lamps, headlamp washing system".

My question is I have never seen the headlamps change for the active curve illumination. From hearing about this previously I thought the lights actually moved towards the way you were turning. I have never experienced this. I have even tested it on my street while stopped and driving slow at 5mph or 10mph and noticed no change. Now theres the possibility that you have to be going 50+ mph but thats harder to test while being safe and not driving off the road. Does anybody know how these works? maybe mine isnt working? The only time I have ever seen them move is when they self level right when turning on the car. If you do have to be going fast thats pretty stupid as I would sure like to see where I'm turning even if I'm not driving on the autobahn...

anybody know?

dougpark714

They do not move when car is stopped. Try going slowly in dark road and turn your wheels sharply right and left. You will see the lights curve. You can also see the movement when turning into a freeway onramp. It's subtle but makes a difference.

pteam

I did mention this above but I also tested going down my street slowly say 5mph or 10mph with the wheel turned alot and did not notice the lights move left or right at all.

dougpark714

hmm. The lights don't move too much so don't expect the movement to be proportional to your steering angle. Maybe 15 degrees in each direction. I noticed the movement at ~20 mph. Possible yours is defective.

MKW

I have that feature in sev cars past and present : Audis, Porsches , MBZs and have never seen in any of them "swiveling" into turns at any speed. I think that's how they are engineered : it's there to guide you but not distract you with " flicking " back and forth, at speed.

pteam

I think I would notice 15 degrees. I've noticed 0. Its possible but does anybody know if its only above a certain speed or what to look for if its not working?

fs1013

Mine does the same. In fact I noticed the movement even at slower speed like ~10 miles. Come to think of it, it's difficult to "see" it moves when there are other lights on the street. We lived on a private road zigzagging up on a small hill without lights and it's easy to see it moves in total dark.

Our E350 Coupe does it even more obviously (could also probably because it sits lower so I feel more). Not only it moves a wider angle, an additional light at the correspondent side comes on when I steer, or when the turn signal lever is pressed up (right) or down (left). It fades out slowly a few seconds after the wheel is back straight or the signal lever is back at the normal position. Pretty cool feature.

justthebest

Quick way to check if it's malfunctioning - have your lights on "Auto," and, at night, watch the beams when you start the vehicle. They should drop down, move back and forth, and raise back up. The active movement while driving is SUPER hard to detect. You really really have to look for it, and there is definitely a speed component involved. What it is, I do not know.

pteam

Thanks!

spdracer53

the curve illumination is more apparent on left turns. just drive making slow left turns and follow the beam pattern output and you will see it move.

Popo

On my wifes 07, not only do the main beam lights turn slightly in the direction of the turn but the fog light on the side you are turning into also turns on.

I only noticed this when i was at home and she was turning into the drive. I first though one fog light was out!

TamZ

I know! I know! The power to turn the lights is generated by the wind (noise) from the windshield. You simply do not have enough wind noise to generate enough power to move the lights.

No worries, I am pretty sure I am generating enough power for the both of us. (with my wind noise.)

Just some humor (because I'm jealous your car works better than mine

p.s. I am a horrible joke teller, so maybe this just sounds funnier to me than it is. I apologize in advance

alx

hm.. i think the curve illumination is just the fog light turning on on the side of the turn... never seen my hids turn.. but than again i am not paying much attention anyway.

since 2003 (i think) all hid-equipped vehicles are required to have self-leveling lights (up-down only).

alex

justthebest

No, the curve illumination (speaking for an '09 550) is both the HID swivel and foglight.

robalo220

My 11 GL does move the headlight beam from side to side. It is most noticable when on a curvy road or in a situation where it is dark and you turn from left to right or right to left (doesn't matter which direction-there just needs to be a direction change and darkness) and look at the beam of the headlight, during the turn you will see the beam swing toward the side you are turning. I have not determined the curb lighting as of yet. My wife's 10 E350 has this as well and the LED's dim at night but when you turn, the one to the side you are turning goes bright and lights the path you are turning toward. I assume this is the case with the GL although I have not tested this yet ( I will just have my wife drive around the island in front of our house at night and see if this occurs). Her 08 E 350 had this as well and with the lights on auto, the fog lights were not lit and when making a turn, the fog light on the side toward the turn comes on and the other remains off. Once the wheels straighten up, that fog light goes back off.

pteam

Tamz, your probably right, I do need more wind!

I'm pretty sure I dont have "curb lighting" via the fog lights because I have the lighting package which means I dont have "fog lights" , I have the LED lights instead.

robalo220

Well the LED's now act as fog lights and daytime lights as well. One and the same.

pteam

Yes but I dont think one side lights up extra bright when turning like the old style fog lights did.

fs1013

Not sure if they change it, but on our 2010 GL350 with Bi-Xenon and LED DRL, there is no control for front fog light at all, since there is none. There is a rear fog light control and the DRL is actually turned off as soon as the rear fog light is switched on. My impression was they decided LED is no good and/or HID is good enough in fog. I could be wrong but I think that's why they only equip LED DRL on vehicles with Bi-Xenon lighting package, and there is no front fog light in the package.

pteam

I just wanted to update, the active curve illumination does work! You can really tell in fog you can see the lights clearly change direction. Also now when I drive my other cars that dont have it when taking a 90 degree right turn or something it feels totally dark compared to with my GL where that whole part of the road would have been lit up!