Maverick

I was just driving back in the dark at the end of a 3000 mile trip, and I suddenly noticed that the foot well lights were dimly lighting my feet and the pedals. I had never noticed that before (2005, 350 SLK), so I think it is something new, and something wrong. I think it is supposed to be completely dark in the foot wells while driving at night.

Has anyone else seen this. They are not bright, like they are when you turn on the interior lights; in fact they are quite dim. If you turn on the interior lights with the overhead switch, they come on bright. But if you then turn off the switch, they go back to being dim. And if you stop the car, and lock it up they go out. It is only on the driver's side. I certainly could not find any setting or any switch that would turn them off. Nothing in the manual about this.

Sounds like something is wrong? Or have they always been that way, and I just never noticed it?

Thanks for your help.

Motzkoman

Maverick:
I think mine are the same way and I had the impression that this is normal...ambiance, I guess...

lennyr

Mine are as you describe, except that it's like that on both the driver and passenger sides. I believe that's the ambience lighting effect that's part of one of the options packages.

rcltrh

Yes, if you get down there and look you should see little yellow LED's as well as usually one under the rearview mirror which lights up the center area very slightly.

Maverick

Many thanks to you all. When you mentioned "ambient lighting" I checked the options packages on the "build your own" page of MBUSA. Sure enough:

Ambient Lighting & Garage Door Opener
Setting a mood that's ideal for that next moonlit drive, ambient interior lighting casts a gentle glow over the center console and in each foot well...

I guess I just never noticed it, and it appears to be out on the passenger side, while the regular foot well lighting works on both sides, which made me think that the regular foot well lighting was just not completely turning off on the driver's side.

Kar don

i doubt it is out on the passengers side, you just notice it more on the drivers side because if you wear white shoes it shows up easily and it reflects off the metal pedals. Sit in your car at night with white shoes on the passengers side, sure enough you will see it.

I almost fell off my chair laughing reading this thread. I think people just look for problems with their cars now. I actually custom installed footwell ambient lighting in my BMW to have this exact same effect and to match the ambient console lighting.