LED Running Lights On At Night

[GazzaS]

Hi,

I have a 1 year old E220 ES with AMG styling pack. I have found that when my headlights are on my LED running lights go off. I have seen many E Class's on the road which seem to have them on at night as well.

Doing a search on the forums and net I see that some people have applied an update from the dealer and found they now stay on at night, but when I mentioned it to my dealer they had never heard of this option (in fact they thought they should be on at night and 40% dimmer).

Any ideas is such an update exists or if it is possible to have the lights on at night.

Thanks,

Gary

 

[television]

The running lights must dim or go off when the headlamps are on and they are correct.

Other cars may have add on running lamps incorrectly fitted

 

[GazzaS]

Hi Television,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes that was my understanding and what the engineers at the dealership thought should happen; that at night they dim down but stay on. This is not the case and as soon as the headlights are turned on they turn off.

The dealer checked the settings in the car and there is just on or off for the running lights. He also has no idea about any update for this.

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues and if they could get them working at night (although dimmer).

Cheers,

Gary

 

[bob 6600]

I think the other E Classes you have seen have indeed got their DRL's running at night but they are dimmed. Being night, they may seem to be on full power but will be dimmed.

 

[television]

On some cars they still go off when the main lamps are on,,,I think that MB may have changed things, and this causes confusion, this has been asked before

 

[toby1]

Yes, there was this thread before on a W204

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=111524&highlight=daylight

 

[tode]

The only conclusion that was reached on previous threads, is that some DRLs stay on at night and others . . .. don't.

But so far no-one has come up with an explanation of this difference..

 

[npuk]

Check the cluster menu to see if there is an option for DRL to go off at night.

 

[tode]

Check the cluster menu to see if there is an option for DRL to go off at night.

On mine (at least), there's only the option of activating/disactivating. And I believe this to be the general case.

 

[bob 6600]

I would imagine there then that there has been an ECU update allowing the option to be selected. May not be in the cluster and may only be accessible in STAR, but would need the ECU download first

 

[GazzaS]

Hi all,

Thanks for the response.

Yes the cluster menu shows just on and off for the led's. The dealer engineer expected it to be there also and was surprised there was no additional options. In all his dealing of the 2012 e-class's he had always seen the lights 40% dimmer at night.

Tode - forgive my ignorance, but what is an ECU update and a STAR menu? Is this something the dealer needs to do?

Thanks,

Gary

 

[bob 6600]

ECU update - a software update of the vehicle's ECU (brain)

STAR menu - STAR is MB's diagnostic tool and reference was made to menu's within this software ie when your vehicle is plugged into using a STAR machine (laptop)

 

[television]

Thanks Bob,,, you need to be using STAR a lot to see what can be done

 

[roop_the_loop]

DRL + main = would look cool IMHO

I have the same situation, my DRL/LEDs [E220 estate, 2012 model] go off when the main lights come on, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it.

I've wondered how some MBs seem to have both the DRLs and main lights on at the same time - is this
a) an upgrade (of sorts) that the dealer can do;
b) some hack/mod the owners have done themselves; or
c) something that is only possible with some extra feature such as the 'intelligent light' pack (which I don't have; in fact I'm not even quite sure what it is)?

I would like to have the option of keeping the DRLs on at night when the main lights come on, even if it's only for cosmetic reasons (although I guess you could argue it makes for safer driving, with more light on the road?).

 

[television]

I think there has been a change of heart along the lines here,,, the good after market versions turn off when the driving lamps are on, MB seem to have changed the set up on later cars so that they DRL dim

 

[toby1]

I think if people accept that the D (daytime) in DRL is the important part, then why would you want them on at night?

 

[television]

It is an interesting one as fog lamps are not allowed with no fog

 

[bob 6600]

I have the same situation, my DRL/LEDs [E220 estate, 2012 model] go off when the main lights come on, and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it.

I've wondered how some MBs seem to have both the DRLs and main lights on at the same time - is this
a) an upgrade (of sorts) that the dealer can do;
b) some hack/mod the owners have done themselves; or
c) something that is only possible with some extra feature such as the 'intelligent light' pack (which I don't have; in fact I'm not even quite sure what it is)?

My guess is here

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showpost.php?p=1016546&postcount=10

I would like to have the option of keeping the DRLs on at night when the main lights come on, even if it's only for cosmetic reasons (although I guess you could argue it makes for safer driving, with more light on the road?).

Unless they dimmed, they would most likely dazzle

It is an interesting one as fog lamps are not allowed with no fog

I was thinking the same and I wonder if they will change the law on this. I'm sure some Mercs and possibly other vehicles have DRL's in place of the usual foglamps (non LED) and when on in the day, it's a bit hard a first glance to tell if they are DRL's or foglamps on (ok headlamps should be off). Surely in the daytime fogs are as good as DRL's?