venchka

Yes we do! LEDs on and the primary Bi-Xenon headlights work as prescribed. Like this...



Wayne

AudiA4Turbo22

This has nothing to do with programming, this is solely a sensor fault. The sensors are non-adjustable pieces of straight crap.

They massively cheaped out on the W164 when it came to the details. If someone was to exchange the sensor with one off a GLK for example, this issue would not be occurring.

eeferber

With all due respect, I don't think you understand our problem. This picture does NOT show the lighting problem we are experiencing. Have you read previous posts here? I have no problem in duplicating headlights/LEDs as your picture shows, but again this is not the issue.

What DRL LED option is SUPPOSED to do is turn it on ONLY the LEDs during daylight hours, i.e., headlights are NOT on. I'm sure you've seen Audis, BMWs, and other MBs cruisin' during the day with only the LEDs on.

When I turn on the LED option, only my LEDs will come on (as expected)...for a while. Then erratically the headlights will then also turn on/off. During these occurrences when the headlights/LEDs are on, there is NO WAY to turn the lights off. Moving the rotary switch to off has no affect. The only way to turnoff the headlights in this situation is to park the car and turn off the ignition.

Is this clearer?

eeferber

You may be correct, but I don't understand how the sensor ends up overriding the rotary on/off switch? See paragraph # in post 128

venchka

I read all of your complaints. The photo is merely confirming the presence of full time LED running lights and no interferrance with the operation of the headlights under ALL enviornmental conditions. Band together and assault MBUSA. Aren't these MLs still under warranty?
I remember my dad getting really upset once. He told the offending shop owner that if they didn't correct the problem, that he would drive through their front door and return the product. The problem went away. I think it is way past time for y'all to get their attention. Good luck.

Wayne

Sharkster

If you go to the "Lightning Submenu" in your multifunction display (MFD), can you access the menu for your daytime running lamps (DRL)? If so, go to that menu and select "Lamp Circuit Headlamp" (LCH). If LCH is set to "constant", you cannot turn off your headlamps. They will remain on, even if your rotary switch is set to "0" (off).

If you set LCH to "manual", you can manually select if you want your DLRs and/or headlights to be off or in AUTO-mode, by using your rotary switch.

There are two conditions where the whole light system is controlled automatically by the brightness sensors:

A) LCH is set to "constant"
B) LCH is set to "manual", but rotary switch is set to "AUTO"

And yes, the sensor and the automatic handling of the light is NOT flawless. Headlamps sometimes come on erratically (especially in VERY bright environments). It doesn't have anything to do with the actual equipment of your car (LED DRLs, Xenons, H7 bulbs, foglights ...whatever. It really doesn't matter).

IF you have DRL-LEDs and your sensor decides to turn on your headlamps (because it senses that the light emitted by the DRL-LEDs is insufficient), it should also dim down the brightness of the DRL-LEDs a little. I.e. the LEDs will remain on, but less bright when the headlamps come on.

If everything on your ML works as described above, then everything works as intended by design... with the slight flaw that the sensor sucks.

If you cannot access the daytime running lamps menu at all, your car runs on Canadian (or some Skandinavian Country) settings (where it is not allowed to turn off the light during daytime). For Canada the LCH is set to "constant" and cannot be changed by the driver.

eeferber

now we're getting somewhere! Why couldn't my dealer give me this info???? By the way, I have a US version.

I can access the lighting menu, which contains about 4 options (like delayed off, etc.) including DRL. But for DRL it only offers options of ON - OFF. I don't see, or don't know how to get to a lighting submenu containing "lamp circuit headlamp". Is this perhaps dealer only access?

The current function is working like: if I set DRL to on, then LCH is automatically set to "constant". If DRL is set to off then LCH is automatically set to "manual".

If I can get to this submenu perhaps my DRL issue will be solved. The other problem seems to be because of a crappy light sensor.

Sharkster

What happens if you set DRL to off and then switch the rotary knob to "AUTO"? Will your DRL LEDs come on automatically or are they simply turned off entirely?

Moto One

Just asking: But hasn't anyone figured out that the 164 is full old Dodge parts.

Mark.

eeferber

DRL off.....In my case, AUTO works as expected. At an expected time at dusk or other dark environment (in a garage for example), my headlights and LEDs will both come on. And correspondingly, with ample daylight both will shut off.

I have not yet experienced MB's "blue sky effect".

edit: oops. just to keep the record accurate...I did have the headlights come on yesterday @ mid-afternoon (DRL is off, rotary switch to auto). Clear blue sky. Guess I got hit with the blue sky effect after all.

Sharkster

We all are. You just didn't notice it before.

Anyway... what I said above is pretty much all of my wisdom. However, I have to add that the information is based on pre 2009 models. If the LCH menu was removed from the MFD on post 2009 models, then I don't know what to throw in else... Sorry.

DC-IT

My guess is since it's not a safety issue, nothing will be done to fix this.

If it involves brakes or can cause an electrical fire you can bet a solution will be found.

IMO, the following needs to be changed to fix the auto-lighting issue:
1. Replace the switch with one which allows you to turn off the headlights when you set it to the "0" position.
2. Redesign the sensor to detect blue skies as bright daylight. Or buy the sensor that works from other manufacturers.
3. Reprogrammed the ECU if necessary.

Right now the attitude it put up with it. This is as designed.
If the GLK and W166 does not have this issue shouldn't MB use the same parts or settings in the ECU to fix our W164?

ldemolder

I think mercedes should do a recall and fix the issue!...why they don't,is a business mistake.
We must put this in as many car reviews as we can,that will affect them

DC-IT

Toay it's dull and foggy with poor visibility and yet the auto-light does not switch on the headlights while other vehicles on the highway have their headlights on.
I had to manually turn on the headlights.

So go figure... what kind of German engineering that cannot get the auto-lighting to function properly when it needs to and we are told to accept the Blue Sky Effect for when the headlights comes on in bright sunshine.
Now if we complain about the headlights not activating in foggy conditions we will be told it's not the Foggy Sky Effect!

Sharkster

Not "German engineering", but "German management"... the decision to pick some Korean made sensors.

Moto One

Yep, same here.

You know I think that our Audi (after resent update) now turns on head lights anytime the wipers are on.

It's such a pain to lean forward to flip the switch, it's more of a pain to remember to turn them off.

Mark.

Sharkster

I just read on a German forum that the W166 is affected by the same issues. Anyway, I think it's somewhat strange that my R230 doesn't have any light sensor issues at all. Although it's 3 yrs older than my W164.

DC-IT

So it's not related to a xenon lighting or drl/led since the early W166 doesn't have xenons.

It's probably the use of the same sensors and/or the computer programming software.

Guess I won't be looking for a W166 next, since it also has the hesitation/buckling issues on cold start on the bluetecs.

venchka

The 2012 GLK with Bi-Xenon lighting & LED DRLs on the front bumper is error free. So far. Knock on wood.

Wayne

R Doug

I apologize by reviving this thread, but I too have a problem with all of my lights burning during broad daylight in Auto and 0 mode.

Here's what I know… If I set my DRL function on in the menu, my ML350's HIDs, proximity, parking, and LED DRLs all burn in the Auto and 0 settings using the front dial MOST of the time no matter how bright or dark it is outside. If my DRL function is off, all of my lights burn only in the Auto mode. At least in the 0 setting on the dial, the lights do shut off.

I believe it's a faulty sensor. Why? Because I notice that the view screen on the MB Command displays night mode even in the middle of a clear sunny day. I hardly ever see the daylight mode.

I find this to be 100% unacceptable. My wife's current A5, my previous Touareg and Pathfinder all had automatic headlights which quickly transitioned from either the dark garage at home or under my office building to daylight within a very short period of time.

This past Saturday, I drove 120 miles in the middle of the day with clear skis and my headlamps ran the entire time in the Auto or 0 selection because I had the DLR function on. Sure, I could shut off the DRL function and manually set light position to the 0 setting, but what's the point? Why have an Auto setting if it doesn't work? Besides, I would very much like to run the LED DRLs for safety. While running all the lights add more visibility, it's a waste of resources. I'd much rather replace a warn out LED light than a full HID low beam.

DC-IT

No need to apologize.
The W164 is a discontinued model so M-B is not going to waste resources to fix this issue since it's not a safety issue.

I have since last year gotten rid of my 2011 ML and bought a 2013 E250BT.
The E doesn't suffer from this lighting issue even though it has the LED DRL. M-B must have redesigned the lighting circuit or sensors?

Unfortunately for the W164 it (Blue Sky Effect) is performing as designed.

eeferber

correctomundo - take note as to what "blue sky" abbreviates to...so what Mercedes is throwing back at us is purely "BS". Coincidence? I think not.

Cyber GS

Same here, I no longer have my 2011 ML, MB bought it back from me a little over a year ago due to trans, steering and a handful of other issues.

MB put me in a 2012 ML which does not have the erratic headlight issue the 2011 had so I think you're correct. MB must have redesigned the sensor or circuit on the newer models.

R Doug - good luck trying to get MB to fix this for you. Every time I asked the dealer to look at this I was told that there was nothing wrong, "it's operating as designed". Or they would turn off the DRL's in the main menu..

The first time I complained to the dealer about the headlights was the day after I picked it up. Took delivery on a Friday and Saturday morning (with only 60 miles on it) I was in the service dept being given the runaround.

The shop foreman and sales person witnessed the headlights set to auto, and the ML sitting in sunlight with the headlights on. The shop foreman turned off he DRL's and told me to enjoy my new truck. Being new to MB at the time I realized later what he had done to "fix" the problem.

I'm not trying to be a jerk but learn to live with it because MB is not going to correct this.

Dilyanov

Hi, I have the same problem with my ML. After so many years, I want to ask if anyone has found a solution to the problem?