BOTUS

it has more features on later cars... like it spots bicycles and I thought on some highlights the idiots it picks up... but it would still be better to look out the window with lights that worked than trying to watch two things at once. I turn mine on about once every 3 years just to see if it works.... yet I wish I had 4 main beam xenon's every time I drive at night

mcypert

Quick comment on night vision... I always thought it was mostly a gimmick. But, the other night, driving in dense fog, I found it better than the naked eye. Like the previous poster said about pedestrians, I could not only see the tail lights of the car ahead but, I could also tell which lane it was in with night vision. Like idiots everywhere in the USA-- more so in my end-of-the-world-- lots of slow motorists drive in the fast lane!!! So, in my normal driving mode-- using left lane for passing only--, it was good to know the "turtle" was not in the overtaking lane. I was safely able to go around at Delta 50 mph...

BOTUS

you can drive exclusively looking at the screen.... but then you have no peripheral vision (junctions to your side - where the idiots pull out from) and you have no idea what's behind you or in your blind spot... so for a few mins with no side turnings on a road where few will overtake its possible, otherwise its just dangerous. of course there's the odd situation where it does something... but that the point I first made, unless you have a passenger who's a great driver, they don't get travel sick, they are actively interested in helping and you trust them to report what extras the camera finds, it not really adding any value at all.

If the conditions are so poor that it helps, then you need to be going half as fast….. the time to acclimatise and get real value of what you now see from the screen and back out the window and vice versa is so long in a dangerous situation you'll have crashed before you could react

DaleB

Huh. I tried mine in fog, and didn't think it could see any better than I could. It wasn't a particularly dense fog, though.. we so very rarely get those around here.

BOTUS

in 45 years of driving I have only ever encountered fog on one evening where I realised why high intensity rear fog lights might be a good idea. It was so bad, the fastest I did in 20 miles was 12 mph.

And I only got that fast coz I was being a bit stupid !!! So the one time rear fog lights mattered they didn't, because there wasn't any other vehicles on the road... . Other than that I'm sure they've been the cause of millions of accidents and plenty of fatalities… left on because for no good reason they don't default to off and are mostly used in the rain where they are dangerous or where someone has noticed a trace of fog and there's way more than 150 yards visibility

DaleB

Am I the only one who has NO idea what he’s talking about?

jtjbt20x

Nope, me too.

mcypert

I should add this: The circumstance described in post #27 were driving over the 2 1/2 mile Queen Isabella bridge that connects my island to the mainland. It's two lanes each way, 55 mph speed limit, obviously has no cross traffic, has basically has no shoulder, and crosses the bay and the Intercoastal Waterway... IOW's like being out on the sea. Fog was pea soup... Fog horn conditions for sure.

So, yes, this was a unique condition where I found night vision useful. IIRC, the main advantage was being able to see the reflective lane dividers better than my bare eyes.

Fog lamps??? Hell, six years of ownership and I never even knew they existed much less how to turn them on!!! I always just leave it on "A".

For the first time today, I looked at the owner's manual (OM). Here's what it says:

Front fog lamps
 Switch on the low beam headlamps
( page 343).
 Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps are switched on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch comes on ( page 342).
 Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch goes out ( page 342).
Rear fog lamp (driver’s side only)
 Switch on the front fog lamps
( page 345).
 Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The rear fog lamp is switched on.

Yep, I tried them and for the first time ever discovered if you turn knob full clockwise, you can then pull the knob out for front and rear fogs... WTF... And, I actually live in an area where they may be useful.

I think what BOTUS was talking about is, this is the most unintuitive design imaginable. For example, my Jag has two buttons on the dash. One for front fogs and one for rear. (Rear fog lamps are just brighter tail lights.) When you switch off the ignition, both go to the default setting of "OFF". The MB is old school and fogs stay on until you manually push the knob in and rotate to "0" or "A". The OM also has all kind of warnings about not doing this when vehicle is in motion... Really??? You should park the car before turning your fog lamps on or off???

My Jag didn't have on OM when I bought it. I've never needed one because anyone can get in it and drive it-- controls are fairly obvious. The S-Class is a morass of secret hand shakes. Maybe we should start a Sticky for unknown stuff-- like hill-hold, releasing the rear-seat head rests, flashing brake lights, engineering menu and so on. Or, maybe I should read the 700 page OM... Normally I would be self deprecating about being too dumb to figure out how to turn on the fog lamps but I have a Master's in Mech E. The S-Class screams of over-engineering and needless complexity... And, BTW, I love it!!!

Regards... Mark

DaleB

In other words, it's German.

The pull-out-the-light-switch-for-fog-lamps thing isn't that uncommon. My F150 is the same way, it just doesn't have the rear fog lamp feature. Klunky arrangement, maybe, but I've no idea how they could be "the cause of millions of accidents and plenty of fatalities". I mean, if you can't figure out a simple bloody light switch, you really shouldn't be driving. Besides, even the owner's manual tells you to not play with it whole you're driving. Just like that terribly dangerous S/C button.

People leave all sorts of inconvenient lights on all the time. It's just not that big of a deal. Every time I'm out at night I see people driving with high beams on, one headlight out, no headlights at all, tail lights out, brake lights out, even the occasional bro-dozer with his off road light bar left on. It's really not that big a deal, you adjust and carry on. The only time I've been in fear of something causing an accident was when I was passing a cop car with those INSANELY bright multicolor LEDs flashing maniacally.

BOTUS

Due to rear end smashes in heavy fog (which odd areas in Europe can get frequently), about 40 years back the law was changed to make it mandatory to have a "high intensity" rear fog light fitted on all new cars. They are deliberately MUCH brighter than brake lights.

In continental Europe they used their brains and only fit ONE on the offside... and that way you have half a chance to notice if they are braking or not. Other markets and for many years in the UK / UK cars you get 2 and often they get turned on when they aren't needed.... and it becomes very difficult to see on a highway with a few of these idiots out there and almost impossible to see if anyone is braking on the highway in drizzle

here you go... Its a MAIN reason the high level brake light came about (here only one on, but you can see where the second one goes for markets that demand two)

JaxkBoy

Do you still have this setup ?

07CL550Benz

Yes I do, DM me and we can chat and I can send pics.

bshad74

how much, would it fit 2010 s550?

07CL550Benz

It will definitely fit a 2010. Basically I'm able to provide the camera, module, headlight switch with Nightview Assist button and both cords which run between the camera/module & module/cluster. What I don't believe I have anymore is the camera cover which goes up on the camera on the windshield (easy ebay find). I can sell these 5 parts shipped in the US for $250. You will be responsible for install and coding to the car, which may require a trip to the dealer.