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Fog lights and a surprise..

6K views 37 replies 18 participants last post by  Benica 
#1 ·
You all know this already....when you exit your car at night, the fog lights come on and shut off after 20 or so seconds.
What I did not know after all these years was this...
I'm sitting in my car after turning off the engine.......key is removed....and after a few minutes...I opened the storage/glove box that's between the seats...and the fog lights came on. I thought...I must of touched the remote somehow and activated the lights. Got to thinking about it...turned on the engine, shut it off, removed the key and about 20 seconds later...I opened the glove box again...lights came on! Repeated the same procedure again, lights come on. Never knew this all these years that I have been driving my SL. Strange that it does this. How about yours?
 
#4 ·
No, not a Halloween thing...and I am sure that a few have tried to see if their car does the same thing.
I wish I could do a video of this...
no wires are connected to the storage box...no electrical connections that I am aware of to cause the lights to come on, but they do.
Tried it a few minutes ago...same thing....lights come on. Go figure. :confused:
 
#5 ·
I'll try it on mine and report back when I get a chance to see if mine behaves the same way. I would almost expect it on the early models as I think they are equipped with a light in there so it may sense a current draw and trigger the fogs but wouldn't expect on the models that don't have a light.

Kinda reminds me of the glove box air shock that no one even knew it had. The failure rate must be so high that by the time we buy there cars used they are shot and we really didn't expect the lid to raise on its own anyway. Considering the shock is like $50 and will probably fail again in a short time I passed on repairing mine.


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#8 ·
I assure you it isn't BS. I tried on my car but my fog lights didn't come on til I shut the center glove box.

I just did it again...started car, turned lights on. then turned lights off and shut off car. opened center glove box and nothing, when I shut center glove box fog lights came on.
 
#10 ·
My 97 also does this. Learn something new every day. BTW the 97 does NOT have the light in the center console like earlier models. However, there is a switch on the damper that is used to let the locking system know if the cover is up or down for locking it. it may also somehow be tied into the fog lights. Interesting.
 
#14 ·
NO, the will NOT turn off automatically. when you turn off the headlights/foglights then exit the car, the fog lights come on for about 30 seconds then go out again.


Don't ignore the buzzer. it will eventually turn off, along with the lights, and a dead battery.

My silverado has automatic headlights as do many other newer cars. R129's don't have that function.
 
#18 ·
Me 3

Thought you all were all smok'n the funny stuff from Colorado.

Just tried it in my 99 Sport... and I'll be damned.. Open that storage lid and upon closure, the front fogs do come on, same as when you open the door.

Appears to be on the same timing before it goes back off.

Obviously not magic, must be a micro-switch in there somewhere
 
#20 ·
Gesh...as the OP...I guess I started something! Now to find something else unique about these SL's or Benz's in general.

I actually went to the dealer in Omaha this morning and asked the service writer about this and he told me that he never knew that after I showed him.
 
#27 ·
I'm no genius, but I do know that when I use the remote to lock the doors, it also locks the console, so the door locks and console are connected. Therefore, when you open the door....get out....shut door....fog lights come on, so I guess the console door is recognized by the same sensor that works for the doors.
Like I said, I'm no genius, just a guesser!
 
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