manbeing

Is the illuminated star is always on? or it is on only when the headlight is on?

wildta

I can't answer that question because I have distronic but I want to let you know that you can't have the illuminated star with the distronic feature because they embed all of the sensors for it into the big star area.

Aggie57

Only when the headlights are on. But yes, you can have Distronic and the illuminated star together, the necessary short range radar is fitted to all GLE’s. However the factory won’t do it, you need to have RJ Automotive enable it after market as we did.

Apparently there is a long range radar fitted by the factory behind the star which cannot combined with Distronic but I’m not sure what that does as it works fine in our car. Someone more qualified them me may know the answer for that.

manbeing

thank you. Just wanted to know if it happens with your manufacture-installed illuminated star? The reason I am asking. I have been very confused about it.
I have called 4 dealers. 2 said it is always on and another 2 said it will be on only when the headlights are on.

mynewgle

2023 GLE 350 and it is only on when the headlights are on.

Aggie57

Apologies but I think I'm about to make a liar out of myself - to be double sure I went and took a look and what do you know, it's illuminated as soon as I start the car even with the lights in one of the park positions. However that was in a dark garage and as there is no true 'off' position on the light switch maybe the light sensor is still switching it on? I'll take a look again next time I'm out in it.

But yes, our car has the manufacturer installed illuminated star. We bought it off the lot, I almost didn't buy it because of this option as it meant the factory Distronic wasn't fitted and that was a show stopper for me. I went home that night and saw I could have Distronic enabled after-market so went back the next day and bought the car.

manbeing

No problem. If you get a chance to drive your car out in the daytime, could you please let me know if it is still on when the headlamps are off. If it is always on, I will remove this option from my order and add the driver asssitance pkg.
Thank you so much!
(BTW, do you know how the light on illuminated running board works? -- I assume it will be turned on when the door is open and be turned off when the door is closed)

Aggie57

To be frank if you're choosing between driver assistance and the illuminated star, driver assistance wins hands down. There's a bunch of stuff in that including speed limit display etc., I really don't know why most of that stuff isn't standard.

Can't help with the running board sorry, we don't have that on our car.

manbeing

I have found this option is not consistent on the cars.
I went to two dealers. Each has one car equipped with the illuminated star.
One is always on and the other is on when the headlights turn on.
The same year and the same model cars.

mikapen

​​​​​Odd.

You were there after dark, so neither headlight setting was on "Manual" I hope. Otherwise you wouldn't have seen headlights On at all.

mynewgle

That's odd. I do know that the illuminated star is a VPC installed accessory so it does not get installed at the factory in Alabama.

That may explain why the install is inconsistent. Perhaps some of them are tying into a different circuit which would have the star on at all times?

Or it could be the local dealer who added the star and the mechanic there wired it differently.

If it was installed at the VPC it should be on the Monroney label.

ddeliber

This sounds like evidence that the operation is configurable. I suggest that you tell them how you want it to work and get their confirmation that they will do it that way. If they do it wrong then you can tell them to make the necessary change.