Now that the snow has started to melt (in some of the days), there are lots of water and mud on the roads.
I find myself cleaning the side view cameras (under the side view mirrors) almost after every drive, since they are covered with mud and become completely blurry and unusable.

I don't have running boards that could help, but I can't be sure really if they would have any effect on the issue I have, as I don't care about mud on the rest of the car.

The only option I can think of that could help is mud guards/flaps, so I was wondering if it is worth ordering them.

Can anyone who installed them and experienced diving in wet and muddy conditions comment about it?

 

I can guarantee you having the running boards does nothing to alleviate the dirt getting sprayed to the side of the car or protecting the camera lens under the sideview mirror caps.
I apply a bit of Rain-X to help wick the wetness away at speed, but there isn't much that can be done other than opening the window, and wiping the lens with your finger.

 

Must be different in UK as the running boards DO stop dirt getting sprayed on side of car and protect the camera lenses under the sideview mirror caps!.

 

It's because you drive on the other side of the road, your are confusing the elements

 

I have both running boards and mud flaps and the entire side of the car is streaked with water and mud.

 

And also the side view cameras?

Did you happen to notice any difference before and after installing the mud flaps?

Even if it helps a bit for the cameras I may consider it, but I don't care about the rest of the car body.

 

Are you talking about the cameras under the side mirrors for the 360 view?

 

yes

 

Yes I do have them. My cameras haven’t been blocked too often but once in a while, in heavy rain, it may be blurred there.

 

This happens as well, but I guess water falling from above and air born from the front will accumulate in the bottom of the mirror by gravity one way or another.

I have mud that hardens since it is a thin layer and the wind blowing on it while driving, dries it fast and the cameras become blocked.
It is also harder to clean than rain water, so I use a wet wipe to also avoid scratching the surface with the dried mud.

I can only guess that no matter what I do, some mud and water will eventually find their way to the wrong places,
but the question is, will mud flaps make any difference and slow down the process?

 

I have the AMG body with 20” wheels and Mud Flaps. We haven’t had a lot of precipitation in the form of Snow and I don’t drive on muddy roads. There is a significant reduction in debris on the car around town at lower speeds. Rain hasn’t been an issue at Freeway speeds on the mirror cameras. The vacuum created by the vehicle and also other cars kick up a lot of crap that completely covers the sides but less in front of the driver door than before. Also It’s lower on the car. On longer trips I would guess there is a camera problem but I wouldn’t be using them so haven’t really noticed.

 

I'm going to try the Rain X. Almost every drive when there is wet ground, the side cameras are all blurred.

 

I drive a lot on muddy roads to go fishing . my car has side steps, no mudflaps and the sides keep pretty clean and I have never had the side cameras blur.I have had the car since last June and have never washed it, the only time it gets cleaned is if I visit the dealer.

 

This is interesting, thank you for the info.
If I knew that, I may have opted for the running boards, but I did not have any good reason to add them.
Now that it is too late for me with that car, the only option that is easy to add is the mud flaps, but I don't know how much they help, and I don;t want to drill holes
in the car for no good reason.

I'm a big fan of the 360 cameras and I think it is an amazing idea that wasn't even used to its full potential yet by MB, for whatever reason.
Since it is an algorithm that combines the 4 video feeds, BMW can show you your car as if you were standing outside and surrounding it, even from a remote app.

MB could allow us to get a video feed remotely through the app, should they want to do it, and I'm sure many of us would appreciate this feature.
I would love to be able to check on my car when it is sometime parked in a less car friendly area.

It is also just a software update, since the hardware is there. I can not think of any real regulation that would prevent this, since installing 3rd party cameras in cars
are common and legal. Same goes with the dash-cam hidden option.

Even the S-class did not have built in remote start until 2-3 years ago, at least in Canada, which was a deal breaker for me and for many others.
I guess the Germans and MB specifically have their own logic on what we want and what to incorporate in the car.

The GLE is a marvel on wheels, but there is always room for improvement.

This is how it looks like in the BMW in the last 2 years or so:

 

I also have the AMG body with 20” wheels.

Where did you order the mud flaps from (link please)?

 

You can get them on amazon. Whether you have running boards or not will also affect which ones you need to order.

 

I don’t have running boards-these fit like a glove. I posted pics on the Accessories thread. Also used mostly factory screws, fasteners.

 

Here’s what they look like....just stuck on before install. This is the link to the thread post.
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...ml#post7906404

 

Thank you for the info!

The seller does not offer shipping to Canada, I have made contact with him and asked what can be done.

UPDATE: He responded, and updated his listing on Amazon.ca (wasn't available before):

 

Were you able to use some original fasteners?

How many new "holes" were needed per flap?

 

The flaps can be installed using only the factory fasteners which is more than adequate. There's additional ones provided by the seller if you want extra retention.