DarrenK

This morning when I was leaving for work I went to unplug the car, and the green charging light was on. This is unusual because the vehicle was not charging, as evidenced by the wall charger showing it was not charging, and I had gotten an email advising me the car was fully charged the night before. I unplugged it, and plugged it back in and it still showed the green charging light, but was not charging per the wall unit.

So I go to get in the car, and I notice the driver's side ventilated seat control is on full blast (three blue bars). As I started to drive, I hear a whistling noise and noticed that the driver's side and passenger side windows were slightly open. When the wind noise continued, I figured out the sunroof was slightly open too, I just could not see it because the shade was closed. I then continued to drive, and heard minor noise and realized the back windows were both slightly open as well.

It almost seems like the car thought is was too hot and was venting itself. It was not hot even though it was in the (unheated) garage. I am in MD and while we are a few degrees above the seasonal average, it is still cold here.

Does anyone know what might have caused this bizarre behavior?

DarrenK

baobay

The unlock button on the key fob was pushed continuously (maybe in your packet against something) which caused all the windows and sunroof to open.

DarrenK

That is not it. The fob is nowhere near the car after I get out, and it is pretty much in my pocket without anything to push on it. Also, all the windows were "cracked" meaning they were just slightly down. I did not even notice it when getting in the car, only after I started moving. Plus your theory would not explain the seat ventilation being on, nor the charging light still being on.

johnnyderm

I am pretty sure it was also the FOB. It happened to me. I was like WTF is my windows doing open when it is snowing out!!! I was worried. I shut them all and went to dinner that night. I was trying to trouble shoot why that would happen. What happened was as I left the grocery store, I wanted my truck to open. So I pressed the fob button. The trunk didnt open so I held it longer. It didnt open. So I opened with my finger.

I then noticed the windows being down.

I figured out then what happened. I was pressing the wrong button! I wasnt pressing the truck button but rather a a locking button. I learned if you hold it - it'll roll your windows down, and open your sun roof. Cool - but didnt remember learning that in the manual.

The vent seat is weird but I think it might be part of it too.

If not you have a ghost!! Ditch the car in a lake and run.

johnnyderm

I bet you applied pressure on a button for a moment and didnt know it while in your pocket. That explains why it is not rolled down all the way and only partial.

DarrenK

Just not possible. The key is by itself in a suit pocket. When I get home I literally get out of the car, plug it in and go inside. It is in my garage so I do not lock the car, either by the handle or the fob.

I think the key here (no pun intended) is that the vented seat was running, and the charging light by the J1772 plug was lit. Neither of those two things should be happening, with or without the fob. I will experiment with the fob tonight, but I think it is an issue with either the electrical system, or the mygleclass software which is continually wonky.

DarrenK

Tbone8771

Do the ventilated seats turn on when you use the fob to open the windows and roof ?
Would make sense that they would since you are wanting the car to be ventilated. I will have to test that out one time

GLE43_Sube

Watch the video here. It's called the "Convenience Opening/Closing Feature". It opens/closes the windows for whatever duration you press and hold the corresponding button on the remote. Hold it for only a second, and the windows only lower slightly. Convenience Opening/Closing also simultaneously does the same for the sunroof and in the opening mode, turns on the ventilated seats.

baobay

10000000000000% the fob, but the OP does not want to believe it!

johnnyderm

The OP says "Drives: BMW". ... smh

DarrenK

Thanks for reminding me to update my profile. Been on here since before my MB was built or delivered.

DarrenK

Interesting. But only one of the ventilated seats was on. And it does not explain the J1772 light being on.

DarrenK

Because A) There was no way the fob was pressed OR held long enough to activate this feature, much less aimed at the sensor. B) only one ventilated seat was running. If the fob had been hit, per the video, BOTH would be running and C) The J1772 port light was lit which would not be caused by hitting the fob.

It's 10000000.00% not the fob, but you don't want to believe it!

Nor Cal SL55

With the plug-in hybrid, the Heating and the Cooling with air dehumidification functions work with the engine not running. I know you (DarrenK) have this function/switch on your vehicle. Could this system have been activated, and after a certain period of time, opened the windows if the heat was left on for an extended period?

In the owners manual, it states that it is possible for the residual heat function to be automatically activated an hour after the smartkey has been removed in order to dry the automatic climate control. The vehicle is then ventilated for 30 minutes. Was this what was occurring???? This would open the windows and sunroof. Look up the key word "residual heat" in the Digital Operator's Manual.

It also states in the manual, "If you start the engine using your smartphone, the last selected climate control setting is reactivated". I don't know if you use your smartphone for any functions of your vehicle, but perhaps your smartphone had something to do with this incident? Just throwing that out there...

The J1772 port light - If your vehicle is was under a certain climate system function (residual heat), the battery charging may have been interrupted and/or was not able to continue its sequence properly? Was your charger on a delay? Was your car battery fully charged in the morning? I have noted some short lived glitches in the electrical system that appear to be cold temperature related. The temps get down to about 32 degrees F where I'm at. Any glitch that has occurred has resolved after a short driving period. Your Green light issue may just be a glitch. Is it still occurring?

Your issue may have something to do with your smartkey - See page 92 in the manual under convenience openings. Your issue may also have to do with specific issues related to a plug-in hybrid vehicle. There are way too many gadgets and functions of controls to keep track of - for me anyway... I am trying to learn everyday. Newer models just keep adding stuff.

HTH in figuring out your issue. Best of Luck, let us know what you find good or bad.

Tbone8771

I messed with mine a little bit last night. When I press the buttons on the fob, the windows and sunroof all open and only the ventilated drivers seat activates, not the passenger seat.
I don't have the electric version, so I cant comment on the other piece of your original question.

GLE43_Sube

That is correct. In the video I posted, they incorrectly state that "both" ventilated seats activate. Only the driver's ventilated seat is supposed to activate, as stated in the owner's manual.

johnnyderm

I tested mine. I opened my windows from inside a store - not pointing the fob at the car or that box they show in the video.

2017 - YEAR OF THE FOB ;-)

johnnyderm

Also - benz would never have software that just rolls down all your windows unless you trigger it. What if you parked outside?

1 VOTE FOR FOB

GLE43_Sube

They actually opened from that distance? I'm elated to hear that! I always thought it was stupid to need to be close to the vehicle for this to work. What's the point of that? If I have to be ten feet away to remotely vent the car, that doesn't leave much time for hot air to escape. I might as well be inside the darn thing. My current vehicle also opens windows with the remote.....at a range of 200 ft! Is MB worried about someone jumping into your car because you opened the windows while not in the line of sight? Anybody stupid enough to do that deserves to have their car stolen. Sometimes I think MB is too cautious with some of their features. E.g. interior tailgate open/close button. To close the tailgate, you have to pull the switch AND KEEP IT PULLED FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION. Really?!!! They completely remove common sense from the equation. Anybody with half an once of sense knows you always observe the cargo area during the closing phase.

Tbone8771

The salesman I worked with told me this feature would work up to 150 feet away from the vehicle, assuming there was little to no interference for the signal.
I didn't test it from that far away. I was within 20 feet of the car when I did it, but I agree that it would make no sense to only have the ability to use it from very close range.
What I haven't tested yet, is can you do both, remotely starting the car and venting the windows together. That would be very nice for the hot summer days.

GLE43_Sube

Your SmartKey will not remote start the car. You have to use the Mbrace Connect app and your smart phone. Mbrace is free for the first 5 years on all 2016 and 2017 models. After that, prepare to pay $280 a year to continue service. My seven year old car does it for free from the remote.


mbrace® Connect
5-year Complimentary service, $0
Available on every model year 2016 or newer Mercedes-Benz, mbrace Connect gives you remote access to your vehicle from your phone or desktop. Set alerts, use in-vehicle apps, save time when servicing, and get roadside assistance whenever you need it. Services include:

Remote Start
Remote Door Lock/Unlock
Remote Horn & Lights
Remote Diagnostics
Roadside Assistance Connection
Send2Benz™ via App
Valet Protect
Vehicle Finder
Dealer Information
Curfew Minder
Speed Alert
Driving Journal
Travel Zones
Point-of-Interest Download
Internet Browser
HERE™ Local Search
mbrace in-vehicle Infotainment
E-Navigator (EV/PHEV models)

Tbone8771

Yeah, I've used the remote start on the mbrace ap a few times and haven't had an issue so far.
Just didnt know if you can remote start via mbrace and vent the windows with the fob together, or if using one disabled the other.

GLE43_Sube

I believe so, since they are two distinctly separate features. From Wikipedia:


"The key fob utilizes a radio-frequency transponder to communicate with the door locks, but it uses infrared to communicate with the engine immobilizer system."

Mbrace uses your cellphone's wireless signal, i.e. 4G.

Nor Cal SL55

DarrenK,

The windows opening made the green light at your J1772 charging point come on. Here's how I have determined this.

Last night I plugged my level II charger (Siemens) in at 7:05 pm and put it on delay for 4 hours. My energy supplier rates go down after 11:00 pm and it only takes about 1.5 hours for a full charge on my GLE550e.

This morning, I went out to the garage with my wife to unplug the vehicle from the charger. My wife opened up the rear passenger door before I got to the charger port. when I did get to the charging port to unplug the car, I noticed the green light was on. Very similar to what you experienced. My wife was about 30 seconds ahead of me out to the garage, so I asked her if she had restarted the charger, unplugged it or anything. She said no.

The only thing that happen was that she opened the rear passenger side door to put some items in the car.

I unplugged the charger cable from the J1772 port and plugged it back in. The light was still lit green with the charger showing full charge. I couldn't get the green light to go off.

This is what I think happened to you:

It the morning, you went out to the car and unknowingly hit the key fob unlock button - which opened the windows slightly. As you then went to unplug the car from the charger, you noticed the green light was on - which was odd. I think - the green light turning on is due to some sort of function that occurs when the doors or windows are open when the charge cable is plugged into the port. You can test this yourself any morning.

As for all the other gibberish in my last post, those where just ideas thrown out there to help make better sense of the bizarre things that can happen. For instance - yesterday morning - I went out to unplug the car and the hatch was halfway open. Don't ask me how this happened - if it wasn't a ghost, it probably was me (or the wife) hitting the key fob hatch button function by mistake.

HTH

johnnyderm

(silence)