ILS+ legal in the US?
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Joined: Apr 2016
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From: NY
2023 E63s
ILS+ legal in the US?
I can't find anything conclusive on this. My car has item 640, and was allegedly built after folks allegedly say ILS+ became legal in the US. And yet, it's not in the options at all. If it's legal, the dealer can turn it on, right? If not, I guess we're left with the vendors we all know about here. But before I go that route, I figured I'd check here once more, as the most recent threads mentioning this are pretty old now. Apologies if this is conclusively answered somewhere and I just missed it. Thanks!
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go fast grocery getter wagon
It's illegal per se because it has not passed from any safety testing and certifications. MB dealers may not want to retroactively turn on any functions due to possible liabilities issue as they may have to get the approval from MBUSA as starter.
Certainly, there are shops or even coders out there doing the coding in the past many years on the W213 for a few hundred $.
But in Canada, I recall all W213 from 2021 model years (or maybe even 2020 model year ??) already have this activated from the factory.
Certainly, there are shops or even coders out there doing the coding in the past many years on the W213 for a few hundred $.
But in Canada, I recall all W213 from 2021 model years (or maybe even 2020 model year ??) already have this activated from the factory.
Last edited by bobblehead; Sep 30, 2024 at 03:12 PM.
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Member
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 195
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From: NY
2023 E63s
It's illegal per se because it has not passed from any safety testing and certifications. MB dealers may not want to retroactively turn on any functions due to possible liabilities issue as they may have to get the approval from MBUSA as starter.
Certainly, there are shops or even coders out there doing the coding in the past many years on the W213 for a few hundred $.
But in Canada, I recall all W213 from 2021 model years (or maybe even 2020 model year ??) already have this activated from the factory.
Certainly, there are shops or even coders out there doing the coding in the past many years on the W213 for a few hundred $.
But in Canada, I recall all W213 from 2021 model years (or maybe even 2020 model year ??) already have this activated from the factory.
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go fast grocery getter wagon
If you normally drive on really dark and un-lit roads, then you can consider doing it. But mind you, the full matrix function does not work well in the city in most situations.
Last edited by bobblehead; Sep 30, 2024 at 03:34 PM.
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From: NY
2023 E63s
Yup, and I do drive on dark rural roads all the time. The more I can see deer and raccoons and pedestrians in dark clothes, the better!
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The full EU implementation of the headlight functionality is still not legal in the US. The devil is in the details. The US adopted yet a different standard for this. For example the amount of light that's allowed to be put out is different between the USA and Europe. Last I heard is that the car manufacturers are evaluating what they can offer in the USA under the new regulations. To be honest the latest implementation of the automatic high beams with the multi beam LEDs is pretty good. It's no longer a simple on/off.. Instead it turns the high beams on in segments depending on whether there's oncoming traffic or not. Basically it shortens and lengthens the beam depending on the situation. In rural areas with little traffic, I'm not sure you'll notice much of a difference between the full EU implementation vs the current US implementation. The lights won't be brighter per se. The difference is that with the EU implementation if there's oncoming traffic it will only darken the area of the oncoming vehicles, but still keep the side of the road lit, so that can make a difference if you have a lot of oncoming traffic, but otherwise on mostly empty roads both implementations will fully illuminate what's ahead of you.
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2016
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From: NY
2023 E63s
The full EU implementation of the headlight functionality is still not legal in the US. The devil is in the details. The US adopted yet a different standard for this. For example the amount of light that's allowed to be put out is different between the USA and Europe. Last I heard is that the car manufacturers are evaluating what they can offer in the USA under the new regulations. To be honest the latest implementation of the automatic high beams with the multi beam LEDs is pretty good. It's no longer a simple on/off.. Instead it turns the high beams on in segments depending on whether there's oncoming traffic or not. Basically it shortens and lengthens the beam depending on the situation. In rural areas with little traffic, I'm not sure you'll notice much of a difference between the full EU implementation vs the current US implementation. The lights won't be brighter per se. The difference is that with the EU implementation if there's oncoming traffic it will only darken the area of the oncoming vehicles, but still keep the side of the road lit, so that can make a difference if you have a lot of oncoming traffic, but otherwise on mostly empty roads both implementations will fully illuminate what's ahead of you.
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
With the 2023 your car should have it, as long as you have the multi beam headlights. The multi beam headlights can be recognized visually by the blue accentuation inside of them. They have different designs in the different models, but they all have blue on the side of the main beam assembly and usually somewhere inside of them you'll see multi beam written on the housing. My 2019 C63 has them and they do the aforementioned light dance. When the high beams turn on it's like a light curtain that opens up. They don't turn on all at once, instead it looks like a light carpet being rolled out in front of the car. If it detects oncoming traffic relatively late like around a bend, then it turns them off fully all at once, but if the oncoming traffic is seen ahead of time, then I can observe it make the high beams shorter and shorter as the oncoming vehicle approaches. Your mileage in the W213 may vary.
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2024 GLE63s, 2021 E63s, 2018 GLC43
Fully enabled ILS+ is a lot better than the gimped ILS. Worth it to get coded.
Illegal? You think the police are gonna pull you over cuz your lights do fancy tricks that don't blind oncoming traffic?
Illegal? You think the police are gonna pull you over cuz your lights do fancy tricks that don't blind oncoming traffic?
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2019 C63CS
Originally Posted by Nbxjskamg
It is LEGAL, as of 2022. DOT passed it.
but MB won't retro activate it.
you need to talk to guys at RJ automotive.
I have mine on at all time.
Also shows cool startup animation.
but MB won't retro activate it.
you need to talk to guys at RJ automotive.
I have mine on at all time.
Also shows cool startup animation.
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go fast grocery getter wagon
matrix lighting technology was “approved” in 2022, but all the approval did was direct the DOT / NHTSA to develop and amend proposed regulations, which they said would take a few years. My understanding is they may not have the European standards still, especially in the brightness range level.
Last edited by bobblehead; Oct 1, 2024 at 05:15 AM.
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W213 All-terrain
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ILS+ is basically what the EU does. In North America they simply call it ILS which basically turns on and off high beam when it detects a vehicle, and ILS+ enables those turning off individual leds that blind the front car (resulting in a box) and same goes with on coming traffic. I heard USA made ILS+ legal and available on 2024(?) model year and beyond cars but much dimmer?
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From: Spain UTC/GMT +2 hours
W213 All-terrain
ILS+ is basically what the EU does. In North America they simply call it ILS which basically turns on and off high beam when it detects a vehicle, and ILS+ enables those turning off individual leds that blind the front car (resulting in a box) and same goes with on coming traffic. I heard USA made ILS+ legal and available on 2024(?) model year and beyond cars but much dimmer?
It's not related with windshield camera and it's mainly about main beam. The headlights without ILS are normally Static and doesn't permit any dynamic functions.
We have the IHC - Intelligent High beam Control and this can be + or not.
Here, IHC ( without+) it is used for Static headlights as switching from Main Beam to High Beam is also Static, meaning no shadows nor tunnel or any dynamic functions is possible because the headlights it's Static.
IHC+ is used on ILS/Multibeam headlights and includes all dynamics posible.
In the US the IHC+ for ILS headlights is limited to IHC because of the bizarre legislation.
Anyway, ILS+ doesn't exist on MB.
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In EU the ILS is just ILS no + nor -. Intelligent Light System and it's about electrical/mechanical type of headlights. Usually it can do Cornering and Curve light.
It's not related with windshield camera and it's mainly about main beam. The headlights without ILS are normally Static and doesn't permit any dynamic functions.
We have the IHC - Intelligent High beam Control and this can be + or not.
Here, IHC ( without+) it is used for Static headlights as switching from Main Beam to High Beam is also Static, meaning no shadows nor tunnel or any dynamic functions is possible because the headlights it's Static.
IHC+ is used on ILS/Multibeam headlights and includes all dynamics posible.
In the US the IHC+ for ILS headlights is limited to IHC because of the bizarre legislation.
Anyway, ILS+ doesn't exist on MB.
It's not related with windshield camera and it's mainly about main beam. The headlights without ILS are normally Static and doesn't permit any dynamic functions.
We have the IHC - Intelligent High beam Control and this can be + or not.
Here, IHC ( without+) it is used for Static headlights as switching from Main Beam to High Beam is also Static, meaning no shadows nor tunnel or any dynamic functions is possible because the headlights it's Static.
IHC+ is used on ILS/Multibeam headlights and includes all dynamics posible.
In the US the IHC+ for ILS headlights is limited to IHC because of the bizarre legislation.
Anyway, ILS+ doesn't exist on MB.
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Yes you do : ) It started the 2021 model year in Canada, as that was when MB first used the term Intelligent Light System Plus in Canada and first ever implemented the changes.
it was first legal in 2018.
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/euro-spec-headlights-now-legal-canada-matrix-led-2180249/
https://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2018/2018-03-21/html/sor-dors43-eng.html
it was first legal in 2018.
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/euro-spec-headlights-now-legal-canada-matrix-led-2180249/
https://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2018/2018-03-21/html/sor-dors43-eng.html
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2018 E63S AMG
Likewise I used the Vlad module on my 2018 car and it's been working great. You can watch it carve out a dark spot when following another car or when an approaching car appears while at the same time keeping the sides of the roadway well lit.
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User @BenzNinja coded my car with ILS+ with a loaned laptop w/MB software and an OBDII connection remotely on my US car. I'd recommend reaching out to him. This is on a 2018 E400 w/Multibeam, so not Digital Light, but (no pun intended), the improvement in the lights are night & day. I've never once gotten the brights flash/turn off your brights from other drivers. From my perspective, it just looks like I have brights on the whole time. Whatever it's doing to not blind others is seamless. Such an intelligent system.
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2024 GLE63s, 2021 E63s, 2018 GLC43
I used Vlad for my E63. Is he still around? Back then, I got mailed a module and microSD card from Canada, Vlad emailed me the files to put on microSD card, plugged into car, and a few minutes later it was done.
I used RJ for my GLE63. Got mailed a USB dongle from UK, scheduled appointment online, and used a spare laptop (only contained a clean install of Windows and no personal data) for a coding session (he uses remote desktop software to run his own software). Lasted less than 10 mins and it was done.
Both coding so far have survived those annual MBUX OTA updates and dealer maintenance updates.
I used RJ for my GLE63. Got mailed a USB dongle from UK, scheduled appointment online, and used a spare laptop (only contained a clean install of Windows and no personal data) for a coding session (he uses remote desktop software to run his own software). Lasted less than 10 mins and it was done.
Both coding so far have survived those annual MBUX OTA updates and dealer maintenance updates.
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From: Canberra ACT
2013 E350 Facelift (Japan Import) 2007 E350 Elegance Wagon, 2014 E350 Wagon facelift model Jap Model
I had @BenzNinja code ILS+ and several other cool features on both my S212 E350 Wagons and it was amazing the difference it made especially on the highway in long dark sections of highway, the way it draws a dark box around the car in front as you come up on it and pass it is truly amazing!! I have a AMG E53 wagon now that's got an even smarter system in it and it blows me away how intuitive it is, honestly if your car has it and you don't unlock it you are crazy!
