Mercedes W221 head lamps BIG QUESTION!
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Mercedes S550 ///amg
Mercedes W221 head lamps BIG QUESTION!
Who knows what THIS light is for??????? and please explain!!! cuz either I'm a little retarded or..... MERCEDES-BENZ is when they designed this car 
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a car
When you turn left, the left one turns on. When you turn right, the right on turns on. It just makes sure to light the path where you are turning towards.
At least that's what it does on my car. Not sure what it does on US-spec cars...
At least that's what it does on my car. Not sure what it does on US-spec cars...
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From: New Jersey
2012 CLS63 PP
I believe both jtanoyo1 and QuadBenz are correct, someone posted a thread about this a few months ago. I haven't tested the theory myself, but I' pretty sure that the center lights are for the high beam and the integrated cornering lights.
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From: Southern California
2007 CL550
This is the IR (Intra Red) headlight for the night vision system. It puts out IR light which can only be seen by the camera. If you do not have night vision, I suspect that it may be a dummy bulb.
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From: Texas
2015 White/brown Nappa S550, '13 S550 4 matic, 11 S550 sold, '10 S550 Sports BLACK 08 S550 P3 sport
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Mercedes S550 ///amg
Finaly a guy who knows about S-class's :P yea... It's the IR. I didn't jump in front of the car to see if they go on when you steer, but that might be also true. Question! Why does nightvision not work with the headlamps turned off???
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From: So. Cal
S6 LP640 E500
The nightvision does not work with lights off because Mercedes do not want any of us driving in stealth mode.
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From: San Jose
CL65 AMG , white S550 Sport w/ white Giovanna 22s, wild custom chopper
What does bi-xenon mean? It's on my S550 as per the Stardiagnostics feature list output, but I always thought I didn't have it assuming it meant low-beams and high-beams are xenon. Mine is configured like yours - the high beam is not xenon...
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From: SE Asia; Canada;
Sonderklasse
If your low beams are not on when you flash you high beam, only the halogen comes on. That's the function of the bulb the OP circled in his attached image.
If your low beams are on when you flash, in addition to the halogen high beam bulb (as shown in quadbenz's pics), the bixenon feature means that the lowbeam bulb also emits light at a higher angle (via a flapper activated when u pull back on high beam stalk).
If your low beams are on when you flash, in addition to the halogen high beam bulb (as shown in quadbenz's pics), the bixenon feature means that the lowbeam bulb also emits light at a higher angle (via a flapper activated when u pull back on high beam stalk).
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From: San Jose
CL65 AMG , white S550 Sport w/ white Giovanna 22s, wild custom chopper
Thanks for that explanation - that is the behavior that mine has. The lowbeams continue to stay on while the halogen high beams are on - however, I didn't notice the angle on the low beams has changed.
If your low beams are not on when you flash you high beam, only the halogen comes on. That's the function of the bulb the OP circled in his attached image.
If your low beams are on when you flash, in addition to the halogen high beam bulb (as shown in quadbenz's pics), the bixenon feature means that the lowbeam bulb also emits light at a higher angle (via a flapper activated when u pull back on high beam stalk).
If your low beams are on when you flash, in addition to the halogen high beam bulb (as shown in quadbenz's pics), the bixenon feature means that the lowbeam bulb also emits light at a higher angle (via a flapper activated when u pull back on high beam stalk).
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From: San Antonio, Tx
2008 S550 designo
If you park in a garage or are ever head-in against a wall - test them. You can easily see the angle change of the low beam in addition to the halogen high beam turn on when you activate the high beams.
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This usually causes some confusion but the post with the page from the US version OM is pretty clear. The lamp in question may be on of two things. If the car does not have Night View, it is the xenon high beam. If it does have Night View, then it is the IR emitter and both high and low beam xenons (hence Bi-xenons) are handled by the beam on the outer portion of the headlamp. For USA, all 221 models have Bi-Xenon headlamps as standard and therefore Halogens are not used for either main of high beams.
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From: San Jose
CL65 AMG , white S550 Sport w/ white Giovanna 22s, wild custom chopper
The latter part of the post isn't correct - I have a USA version 221, with bi-xenon on the outer most portion of the headlamp assembly - but the halogen is also enabled when high beams are on in addition to the bi-xenons being on.
This usually causes some confusion but the post with the page from the US version OM is pretty clear. The lamp in question may be on of two things. If the car does not have Night View, it is the xenon high beam. If it does have Night View, then it is the IR emitter and both high and low beam xenons (hence Bi-xenons) are handled by the beam on the outer portion of the headlamp. For USA, all 221 models have Bi-Xenon headlamps as standard and therefore Halogens are not used for either main of high beams.
