420tee

Sure wish it worked at a distance like lock/unlock so I don't have to run outside in a sudden downpour to close the windows. Also wish the sunroof shade didn't open if I put the windows halfway down for ventilation. Defeats the purpose of keeping the interior cool.

Bob338

Push and hold your lock button a second time and it will close your windows. Don't know about the roof, but try it. May do it. Works with most other makes of cars and remotes too.

420tee

Nope, not mine.I have to be within a foot or so of the drivers door handle, getting soaked, with the fob aimed at the little red window on the handle. Kind of silly.

Bob338

Funny, mine works as does a Ford Explorer and an E350.

Atoche

hmmm, just went out to the garage....

I can put all the windows down at once, by aiming my key toward the little red window on the driver side handle, and simultaneously pressing the unlock and rear hatch buttons...

if the windows are already down, pressing the unlock once will unlock the doors, pressing the unlock twice will unlock the doors twice. Holding down the unlock button does nothing...

Which key on the remote do you press to get the windows to go up? None seem to work in my case....

Bob338

The lock button. Twice, as stated in my original post. Hold it down, just like you would the window button on the inside.

They're made that way to enable locking the car and then remembering you forgot to raise a window so you can raise the window without re-entering the car.

420tee

OK, back to my original complaint which is you cannot close the windows from a distance. You must be next to the drivers door necessatating going out in the rain which is plain silly. You don't have to push any buttons twice. Just push and hold lock/unlock button WHILE STANDING WITHIN A FOOT OF THE DRIVERS DOOR WHILE GETTING SOAKED. Another poorly though out design feature.

Atoche

Ok, just tried it...

Went into the garage, put the key in the ignition, rolled down the back windows. The front windows are up, the sunroof is closed, but in the "up/open" position.

Take the key out of the ignition, get out of the car and close the door.

Press the lock button once, it locks the doors. Press the lock button a second time and hold - the doors locked again, the windows did not go up.

Release the lock button, press and hold a third time - the doors locked again, the windows remained down.

I have no reason to doubt what you are saying, it's just that my experience is not the same as yours. Perhaps my car requires a software update? Maybe I just don't get it

Bob338

Don't understand! I just went out to make double damned sure I wasn't dreaming. Mine worked just like the door looks, at any distance where the door locks also work.

Also tried the 'unlock' button. If you unlock from a distance and press down a second time on the unlock button, the windows roll down. Made that way to enable airing out a hot car.

I understand some cars don't have that ability. I never tried the unlock stuff on any other car but with another person it's not uncommon in good weather for someone to lower a window of which you aren't aware and that's how I learned the window raising function. I just tried the window lowering function and it too works remotely on mine. In other words, I can approach car from a distance, open the doors, depress again and hold, and the windows go down.

Atoche

my key fob has separate lock and unlock buttons....

Bob338

I'm sure they all do. They'd have to. You do have to choose the correct button for what you want to accomplish.

balticgreen

I completely agree with that complaint. Years ago, I had a Volkswagen that could open and close the windows and sunroof from as great of a distance as I could lock and unlock the doors and I really didn't even need to see the car. It was incredibly nice to be able to approach my car in a parking lot on a hot July day and lower the windows before I was standing right next to the car and it didn't matter if I was approaching from the driver's side or not, or even if my car was "hidden" behind a monster pickup parked next to me. Or, as in your example, I could have been inside the house when it started raining and put up the windows without needing to go outside in the rain.

The VW could do all of that because it used RF for the remote window operation, the same RF used for locking and unlocking. My last two Mercedes, on the other hand, have used infrared for the remote window operation, which requires line of sight to the driver's door handle and fairly close proximity to the car. It's definitely less convenient than the VW.

That said, at least Mercedes lets you put the windows both up and down. Many Japanese cars, like Acura, let you put the windows down but not put them up. They says putting them up is a safety hazard because fingers might get pinched. Funny, I thought all new cars these days have pinch protection on the windows.

Bob338

The OP may not have car for US market. There is reference to a 'red window' at which to aim. I have nothing red other than the switches by the AC. Nothing but the tail lights visible. I don't know what I have as far as infra red vs RF, and I don't care, but on mine I'm certain it's RF but I have used mine at quite a distance just to see how far it would reach. It's at least 100' but without having to stand by the car to check, that's about as far as I can see and hear. The 'red window' makes me wonder.

Atoche

pictured below is the infarred receiver located on the outside of the car, on the drivers door handle.

In order for my key fob to control any window functions - my key fob infarred transmitter needs to be pointed at this receiver, from a very short distance away...

Due to my experience - I must agree with the OP - but I will continue to test ...

Pic:

balticgreen

This video explains the feature. Infrared sensors are usually covered by a piece of shiny black plastic. In the video, you can see the "red window"--that's actually black--to the right of the keyhole in the closeup of the door handle. You need to point the key in the general direction of that infrared sensor for the remote window operation to work.

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/owner...007c184335RCRD

(Or you can look at the picture above this post. I was typing before that post existed. )

Bob338

I'll be damned! Thanks! I learned something! Had no idea what that was but it wasn't red on mine. What I can't remember is how I've actuated that thing from a distance. Anyway, the video tells the story!!

420tee

'nuff said or shown. It's still a stupid design, or maybe it doesn't rain in Germany.

Atoche, yes, so does mine. I meant lock OR unlock button. And yes, the IR window is black.

That guy in the video is obviously strategically placed to be on the outside edge of the usable cone for the IR activation so it looks like you could do it from your neighbors back yard.

420tee

It's concievable the IR bounced off something like a window into your receiver.

Atoche

Interestingly enough, the infarred plastic is actually a very deep red, and not black...

to complete "the picture" so to speak, attached closeup of the key fob we are all familiar with. The plastic black looking window - is actually a deep red plastic, behind which is the infarred transmitter...

I do agree, an RF based window up/down feature would be better (for my use) than a line-of-site infarred system to accomplish the raising and lowering of the windows...

Thumbs up to the OP!

The triangular panic button "points" to the infarred transmitter covered by deep red plastic on the key fob. This transmitter must be received by the infarred receiver noted in the above pictures on the drivers side handle of virtually all MB models. This is the same technology used by may remote control systems on stereo's and TV systems...



p.s. for you photog's out there, how about that dof on the 5D+50L combo! .... I missed the focus (it's on the lock key and not the end of the key fob) but effective I think...

Bob338

I'll have to examine mine because I've opened doors many times a distance from the passenger side and from the rear when not in line of sight with drivers' door. I've also opened the rear at quite a distance at an angle on the passenger side. I was loading something coming out of a winery. Are there other sensors on the rear or passenger side?

How do you explain that the OP has to be very close to the door to get activity? Defective equipment or operator error?

AvWuff

I wonder why they would use IR for this feature, requiring line of sight... the fob already has an RF (radio) transmitter, which is how you can lock/unlock your doors with the key in your pocket, or from a reasonable distance.

Maybe they made it use IR so you wouldn't accidentally roll your windows down if the key was in your pocket and the button got pressed?

balticgreen

Locking and unlocking doors and opening the trunk/hatch all use RF (radio frequency) and can be done from 360 degrees around the car and at greater distances. It is the window/sunroof operation that uses infrared and requires line of sight to the driver's door handle.

Mercedes used to put infrared sensors on the front passenger's door handle too so that you could control the windows from either side of the car. They removed the passenger side sensor to save the fifty cents that it probably costs them.

sikm3

^ 420tee - Maybe you need to replace the key fob battery

bop11

The reason they use infrared and 'line of sight' is that many people carry their keys in their pocket. Should you inadvertently put your hand or other things in your pocket that could push the buttons on the fob, you might roll down your windows without knowing it. What good would a locked car door do if the window is open? Or how about an unintentionally opened sunroof in the rain?
In the same thought but more importantly, should you close your windows from a position where you cannot observed the window, you might be closing it on someones arm. Someone who is reaching through the window or worse, someone sticking their neck through the window. It took a long time to get the American auto police to allow us to have one touch window closing from inside the car! With litigation what it is, do you think that any car maker would want to open itself to the liability of an unintended window closure?
Range Rover use to have a system where, pushing the lock button twice disconnected the inside door handles. If someone broke a window, they still could not open the door! The danger of locking someone inside without the ability to get out, soon made this feature obsolete.

420tee

I guess some people don't understand the term "line of sight". You can't open/close the windows through a brick wall or a steel car body.
I just tried and was amazed that there are no safety sensors on the windows to stop them closing if some reiestance is encountered as there is on the tailgate and most remote garage door closers.