Illuminated Star while driving?
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From: Westchester, NY
G500, GLS450
Illuminated Star while driving?
Is there a way to keep the illuminated star emblem shining while you drive? Does it really just turn off when you turn on the vehicle? Surely someone has gotten around that?
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Are you talking about that ostentatious light up grille star, or the mirror projectors that project a star on the ground when you unlock the doors or are near your destination?
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From: Westchester, NY
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The grill star. But I don’t think it’s vulgar or pretentious, I think it looks cool.
Having said that, many people found my G500 to be ostentatious, and I thought that looked cool, too. Different strokes, I guess.
Having said that, many people found my G500 to be ostentatious, and I thought that looked cool, too. Different strokes, I guess.
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2021 GLS 450 & 23 GLS 450. Have a Holden Commodore, Jeep, truck, and more
Mine doesn't have it, but I have seen a few driving down the road at night with the star illuminated so I would imagine in some situations it is illuminated while the vehicle is on. I have not seen an X167 with it on though. I am not sure how this varies by model.
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GLS 450
If you are talking about the star on the front grill, on the 166 model it was only available if you didn't have the automated self driving option. That was because with that option the center Mercedes emblem could not be lit as it was a radar unit instead of the usual emblem. Was the lit front emblem ever available on the 167?
To Mattmiller, congrats for your new addition to your family. Those side projections of the Mercedes emblem on the ground are cool. Personally I am glad they don't stay on all the time. Each to their own.
To Mattmiller, congrats for your new addition to your family. Those side projections of the Mercedes emblem on the ground are cool. Personally I am glad they don't stay on all the time. Each to their own.
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From: Westchester, NY
G500, GLS450
The used, 2021 X167 I’m buying has the “illuminated star” option, which does for some reason preclude the Drivers Assistance Package. You can, however, still activate adaptive cruise control with a RJ Automotive software fix. Anyhow, I like the light-up star, but I think it only stays on until you turn on the engine.
The puddle lights are something entirely different and, I assume, available as standard.
The puddle lights are something entirely different and, I assume, available as standard.
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The used, 2021 X167 I’m buying has the “illuminated star” option, which does for some reason preclude the Drivers Assistance Package. You can, however, still activate adaptive cruise control with a RJ Automotive software fix. Anyhow, I like the light-up star, but I think it only stays on until you turn on the engine.
The puddle lights are something entirely different and, I assume, available as standard.
The puddle lights are something entirely different and, I assume, available as standard.
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2015 CLS 550 2015 ML 400 Previous 2020 GLB 250 2019 A 220 2005 ML 350 1989 300 E 2001 SL 500
Light up star stays illuminated at night. It's tied to the headlights. I've seen quite a few driving around with the star lit up at night.
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
2024 GLS450
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
2024 GLS450
The forward facing radar is located in the star. If you look at the grille on a vehicle with the Drivers Assistance Package, you will see that the star is chrome and one dimensional behind the flat badge, whereas the standard star is 3 dimensional and floating in the grille.
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Most people who buy a Mercedes know little to nothing about engines. They buy it as a status symbol. Personally though, I'm inclined to remove every single Mercedes star on my vehicle. If the multinational corporation wants advertising I'll have to charge them a subscription fee for my service, say $200 per month. Call it LaaS, Logos as a Service. 
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I had it in my 2020 car. I hadn't asked or didn't care for it and it just came with the car I picked from the lot as it had other options I wanted. However, as I kept driving that car, I ended up liking it. It does make the car more visible at night in dark roads when I see other Mercedes with the feature. As others have said, it stays on at night during driving and you cannot have it with driver's assist package (but ok with adaptive cruise alone) and hence it's no longer an option in 2024. I don't see anything wrong with having one.
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
2024 GLS450
Pretty harmless compared to a lot of what flies around here
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
2024 GLS450
Most people who buy a Mercedes know little to nothing about engines. They buy it as a status symbol. Personally though, I'm inclined to remove every single Mercedes star on my vehicle. If the multinational corporation wants advertising I'll have to charge them a subscription fee for my service, say $200 per month. Call it LaaS, Logos as a Service.
I like the star, but more because it is a reminder of the heritage (and makes me think of every time I've been at the plant or in the motherland). I'd rather have the traditional stand up, though... and not the pie plate sized one I have now.
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I like the star, but more because it is a reminder of the heritage (and makes me think of every time I've been at the plant or in the motherland). I'd rather have the traditional stand up, though... and not the pie plate sized one I have now.
All that "the heritage blah blah" is just the same thing, you're just describing the prestige of the brand instead of admitting that the you like the prestige of the brand. Anybody who drives a Mercedes who tells you that they don't on some level like the prestige driving one gives them is lying.
Last edited by SW20S; Feb 14, 2024 at 06:11 PM.
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From: Westchester, NY
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I don’t mind it if the self-styled MercedesGuy thinks the star is only ostentatious when it’s lit up at night, I’m sure he’s happy to have his vehicle plastered with them during the day.
I also don’t mind repping brands with which I have a connection, and that includes both Stuttgart-based automakers, reigning MotoGP world champs Ducati, Bloomberg TV and Radio, as well as The Ohio State University, regardless of their recent losses to UM.
To those who worry the front-facing radar is deleted with the illuminated star, keep in mind that adaptive cruise control can still be activated if you choose this option. That includes the stop-and-go feature for use in heavy traffic.
I also don’t mind repping brands with which I have a connection, and that includes both Stuttgart-based automakers, reigning MotoGP world champs Ducati, Bloomberg TV and Radio, as well as The Ohio State University, regardless of their recent losses to UM.
To those who worry the front-facing radar is deleted with the illuminated star, keep in mind that adaptive cruise control can still be activated if you choose this option. That includes the stop-and-go feature for use in heavy traffic.
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Upbringing has nothing to do with it, but you do you.
Not really, but feel free to project. I drive it because I do believe it is built like nothing else, coming from an engineering standpoint, and I enjoy the looks and design of it. As someone who works with OEMs in my career, MB is a different beast than their competition.
All that "the heritage blah blah" is just the same thing, you're just describing the prestige of the brand instead of admitting that the you like the prestige of the brand. Anybody who drives a Mercedes who tells you that they don't on some level like the prestige driving one gives them is lying.
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From: Germantown, MD/Rehoboth Beach, DE
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The Ohio State University, regardless of their recent losses to UM.
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Not really, but feel free to project. I drive it because I do believe it is built like nothing else, coming from an engineering standpoint, and I enjoy the looks and design of it. As someone who works with OEMs in my career, MB is a different beast than their competition.
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In my case, two things stood in the way of my buying a new AMG GLE. One was the overly ostentatious big star on the grill. It's just too much braggadocio for me.
And since I participated in the Carrera Pan Americana, the other was the stealing of the Pan Americana grill and sticking it on a non-competitive car. It also looks like my first car which was a 1951 Buick that didn't run. It actually preceded the Carrera.
I considered electrical tape on the star but I might as well just live with the ostentation. Reluctantly.
You sound like new money. Not everybody here is new money. I am neither old money or new money, but old money knows what I'm talking about.
Last edited by mikapen; Feb 15, 2024 at 03:21 PM.
