Picked up my awesome machine yesterday. While driving home I noticed it was VERY difficult to see the info on the screens in the lower half of the speedometer and tachometer. I have the illumination (center knurled knob) turned all the way to maximum. It was a sunny day and I found those "information" screens to be almost unreadable. Do I have a problem or have all of you noticed this also?????

I have had some issues like this and i'll suggest some fixes, or things that might help.

1) Too much glare, when we have the top down on a sunny day this happens a LOT!

2) Polorzied glasses? I've heard something about this but i have no clue on if it can/will affect the visibility of the information

3) You are going blind

Same issue here...

I sometimes have to take off my sunglasses to read the info. Same with the Nav. screen when driving top down in the sun. The displays either reflect or provide insufficient contrast to be clearly visible.

Not great, but it hasn't really bothered me that much.

Wolfman

Impossible to see, I complaine to my wife everytime I drive it. I need reading glasses most of the time to read the gauges. I was beginning to think it was only me, I'm spoiled by my S500.

Breeze

Are you saying you cannot read the displays because they are too dim (all you see is black) or because there's glare being reflected off the instrument which obscures the display?

I don't have the same problem here but then we don't get the really strong spring sunshine you see in the US. The cowled instruments should protect against overhead sunshine but if your eyes are accomodated to the very bright light, the display is going to seem very dim in comparison (as indeed it is) and dark glasses are going to make it worse.

Any glare will be plane polarised and polarised sun-glasses may help. Those however are orientated to obscure glare off horizontal surfaces like water and may not work properly.

It just seems that the glare from the sunshine (even indirectly) makes the information appear very light and extremely difficult to read. My S500 has no such problem. I didn't know if I have defective Information Screens or this was the way it is? It doesn't seem Mercedes would made this big a blunder. I am a boater and I am aware of screens that are EASILY readable in direct sunlight...in fact, the brighter the sunlight, the more easily readable they are. Obviously, not true for my SL55.

I agree.

The displays are almost unreadable with the top down and difficult to read with the top up in daylight.

This is a big blunder for M-B, especially in a $120K car.

Do any of the SL500 owners out there have the same problem? My understanding is that the gauges on the 500 and 55 use different color schemes.

I hope MB sends me a buyer follow-up survey and not just the one on the dealership. I'd type it in weak yellow ink in a 9pt Times font.

Breeze

I will promptly ask my dad if he has trouble, I'll also park the car outside and not in the garage for a while and take shots of the car with top up and down of the instrumentation panel.

Breeze: LOL!

Someone needs to come up with an aftermarket magnifying glass insert for the dash panel. Makes me want to go to Brabus and see what a change out would go for.

Breeze

The instrument panel does suck. I cannot see a thing in the bright daylight. My polarized sunglasses makes it totally unreadable--but even without them, it is way too dark. I've tried everything, short of driving with the top up. My sales guy has heard from everyone who's bought an SL55 that it's impossible to see in the daylight.

I still need the gear number when I go into the shifting mode, because I just can't tell what gear I'm in. I'm sure after a few thousand miles it will be easy, but not right now.

I think MB really screwed up here.

I just called Brabus in Newport Beach, Calif. The gentleman there didn't have a clue of what I was referring to. All they can offer is a different speedo if you pay for them to de-limit the monster. I'm going to have to get some bi-focals..clear on the top x 250 on the bottom.

I was spoiled by my S500 panel.

Breeze

PS... bet they fix it on the 2004's

I think it is not so much the size of the letters but, rather the lack of contrast...even in indirect sunlight. Mercedes will not do anything if we, the owners, do not complain to the dealers. My only hope is that if they do a fix in the future...it will (hopefully) be retofittable. I have been on this Board for a year and have not seen a complaint about this before....wondering why? Your thoughts?