Adaptive Headlights Effective???
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Houston, TX
2018 E63S,
Adaptive Headlights Effective???
I live in a suburb of Houston Texas where roads get pretty dark at night. Insofar, the "auto" setting on my E63S activates the "adaptive headlights". When I look down, the "A" on the instrucment cluster is there, and often the green headlight indicator is blue, telling me that the high beams are engaged when there is direct oncoming traffic. I allowed this to happen as I assumed that the headlights were "blacking out" a section of the beam for the oncoming traffic. The frustrating part is that I know its not working since people flashing their high-beams at me as they pass. Do any of you experience this? Is there a setting to adjust sensitivity to oncoming light? At this point, I liked the binary operation of the previous auto high-beams where the beams were either on or off instead of trusting the computer to recognize the oncoming traffic and ineffectively "exclude it" from unwanted extra lumens.
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From: TX
2023 GLE3502W, 2024 GLC3002W, 1967 Pontiac GTO 4 sp (sold...sniff)
My wife was bragging how well her adaptive headlights worked on her '14 ML350 up here in Montgomery, TX. High beams went on and off as necessary. Of course she rubbed it in that my GL doesn't have them. Head to the dealer....
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From: Toronto, Ont, Canda
go fast grocery getter wagon
notth American car does not get high beam “glare free” assist plus function. Therefore, Adaptive high beam is just like regular high beam (either on or off)
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
Mine work really well and light up the road nicely, but as noted above, they're somewhat brain damaged as here in the US they're just up or down.
But they do respond pretty quickly to oncoming traffic and dim in time.
That said, I get flashed by other cars regularly even on low beams as the low beams are still pretty bright.
But they do respond pretty quickly to oncoming traffic and dim in time.
That said, I get flashed by other cars regularly even on low beams as the low beams are still pretty bright.
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From: Houston
19 E63s
They react quite well on my C63s. Also shamless plug for www.amgsocialclub.com We are an amg group located in Houston, TX.
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From: Toronto, Ont, Canda
go fast grocery getter wagon
... changes are coming though. Probably in about 3-4 yrs time. Our car already equipped with the hardware, I believe it just need the software or coding to enable that "glare free" feature.
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From: Washington, DC
2012 Ferrari FF, 1992 911 C2, 2019 e63s wagon (no longer lives at the Baltimore VPC)
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2022 Mercedes EQS 580
I live in a suburb of Houston Texas where roads get pretty dark at night. Insofar, the "auto" setting on my E63S activates the "adaptive headlights". When I look down, the "A" on the instrucment cluster is there, and often the green headlight indicator is blue, telling me that the high beams are engaged when there is direct oncoming traffic. I allowed this to happen as I assumed that the headlights were "blacking out" a section of the beam for the oncoming traffic. The frustrating part is that I know its not working since people flashing their high-beams at me as they pass. Do any of you experience this? Is there a setting to adjust sensitivity to oncoming light? At this point, I liked the binary operation of the previous auto high-beams where the beams were either on or off instead of trusting the computer to recognize the oncoming traffic and ineffectively "exclude it" from unwanted extra lumens.
What we have is automatic high beam. It is on or off, but it doesn't black out a section. It is also very conservative so you won't blind anyone, but sometimes the high beam will be off when it should be on.
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
We do have the maxtrix headlights - have you watched them turn on? Big light show 
They simply don't actively turn off elements individually to blank out sections. Rather, they dim as a group.
I agree that they could be more aggressive about going to high beam mode. I'll manually pull the lever back to flash to pass position sometimes when turning up my street at night as the lights won't always switch to high beam mode right away.
They simply don't actively turn off elements individually to blank out sections. Rather, they dim as a group.
I agree that they could be more aggressive about going to high beam mode. I'll manually pull the lever back to flash to pass position sometimes when turning up my street at night as the lights won't always switch to high beam mode right away.
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From: WA
e63s
I assume the US spec has the same headlight as Germany spec. At least Multibeam headlamps should be the same and I believe we can open all those functions with European light's control box or so.
I've talked to the guy who is living in France and his car has multibeam headlights but doesn't have driver assist package and he told me it works in the same way as mine multibeam headlights + does black out sections.
I've talked to the guy who is living in France and his car has multibeam headlights but doesn't have driver assist package and he told me it works in the same way as mine multibeam headlights + does black out sections.
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
I had hoped that maybe when I picked up my car in Germany they'd have enabled the full intelligent LED features so I could at least try them out. Nope, configured as a US car from the get go.
Hoping someone will come up with an ODB2 port module like the lowering module and Auto start fixer that will enable the full headlight features . . .
Hoping someone will come up with an ODB2 port module like the lowering module and Auto start fixer that will enable the full headlight features . . .
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2016 GLE 63S
I had hoped that maybe when I picked up my car in Germany they'd have enabled the full intelligent LED features so I could at least try them out. Nope, configured as a US car from the get go.
Hoping someone will come up with an ODB2 port module like the lowering module and Auto start fixer that will enable the full headlight features . . .
Hoping someone will come up with an ODB2 port module like the lowering module and Auto start fixer that will enable the full headlight features . . .
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2018
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From: WA
e63s
Same here. My F80 was coded to have the anti dazzle high beams turned on. Unfortunately, the BMWs have always been more accessible for coding VS the Mercs. Maybe like you said, the lowering module guy can also figure out the high beam assist + feature. That would be sweet!
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'19 E63S sedan
Where is the software that controls this? It wouldn't be the ECU. Is it in a SAM? Or is there another flashable module in these cars that I haven't heard of in older cars?
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
On my order confirmation and window sticker, I have Code 319 which includes: P35 (Lighting Package code), 608 (Adaptive Highbeam Assist), and 640 (LED Intelligent Lighting System)
It was a $1500 option when I ordered the car, and one reason I did chose it was because of the touted intelligent independent lighting control for the oncoming cars and signs and so on.
So, pretty bummed when I discovered that the system was going to be brain damaged for the US market.
Likewise the remote parking pilot feature. Has been a time or two when I could have used it.
It was a $1500 option when I ordered the car, and one reason I did chose it was because of the touted intelligent independent lighting control for the oncoming cars and signs and so on.
So, pretty bummed when I discovered that the system was going to be brain damaged for the US market.
Likewise the remote parking pilot feature. Has been a time or two when I could have used it.
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2018 E63S Wagon
On my order confirmation and window sticker, I have Code 319 which includes: P35 (Lighting Package code), 608 (Adaptive Highbeam Assist), and 640 (LED Intelligent Lighting System)
It was a $1500 option when I ordered the car, and one reason I did chose it was because of the touted intelligent independent lighting control for the oncoming cars and signs and so on.
So, pretty bummed when I discovered that the system was going to be brain damaged for the US market.
Likewise the remote parking pilot feature. Has been a time or two when I could have used it.
It was a $1500 option when I ordered the car, and one reason I did chose it was because of the touted intelligent independent lighting control for the oncoming cars and signs and so on.
So, pretty bummed when I discovered that the system was going to be brain damaged for the US market.
Likewise the remote parking pilot feature. Has been a time or two when I could have used it.
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Joined: May 2018
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From: Washington, DC
2012 Ferrari FF, 1992 911 C2, 2019 e63s wagon (no longer lives at the Baltimore VPC)
Additional interesting articles on this issue:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...eadlight-tech/
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/13/...er-headlights/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...isk/102108152/
Apparently, still waiting on a vote on the nominated NHTSA Administrator.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...eadlight-tech/
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/13/...er-headlights/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...isk/102108152/
Apparently, still waiting on a vote on the nominated NHTSA Administrator.
Last edited by VPC_E63S; Oct 3, 2018 at 12:17 PM.
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
I get flashed from time to time while on low beam.
The lights on the '18 are quite bright even on low beam, and they are very white. So potentially perceived by other drivers as being on high beam.
The low beams do appear to be properly adjusted and not illuminating to high on the oncoming cars.
I've done the same thing to other drivers on occasion and then been flashed back with their real high beams. Given the crap headlights we've all used for so long, its easy to mistake a bright low beam for a high beam.
The lights on the '18 are quite bright even on low beam, and they are very white. So potentially perceived by other drivers as being on high beam.
The low beams do appear to be properly adjusted and not illuminating to high on the oncoming cars.
I've done the same thing to other drivers on occasion and then been flashed back with their real high beams. Given the crap headlights we've all used for so long, its easy to mistake a bright low beam for a high beam.
