Fog light or lights on 2009 W245 / B180?

[twocups]

Doing a general bulb check on my recently acquired B180, I noticed that there is only one active rear fog light but there appears to be provision for two, one in each cluster.

Is this possibly a case of a blown bulb, or does the car deliberately have only one active light, with possibly the side it's on depending on whether LH or RH drive ...?

 

[EmilysDad]

Doing a general bulb check on my recently acquired B180, I noticed that there is only one active rear fog light but there appears to be provision for two, one in each cluster.

Is this possibly a case of a blown bulb, or does the car deliberately have only one active light, with possibly the side it's on depending on whether LH or RH drive ...?

It's deliberate. MB assume that we're too stupid to distinguish 2 rear fogs from 2 brake lights. My R Class used that 'spare' rear fog as a back up (ie not reverse) light for if one of the normal brake lights/tail light failed. (the stop/tail lights were single filament bulbs that used CANbus magic to make them stop or tail

 

[twocups]

It's deliberate. MB assume that we're too stupid to distinguish 2 rear fogs from 2 brake lights. My R Class used that 'spare' rear fog as a back up (ie not reverse) light for if one of the normal brake lights/tail light failed. (the stop/tail lights were single filament bulbs that used CANbus magic to make them stop or tail

Ah, thanks for that. Interesting stuff! I'm happy that I shan't have to go changing a bulb anyway!