Ambient Lightning, yeh or nay?

[SmartAmg]

I really like the Ambient Lightning that you get on modern Mercs.
I would love it in my C207, but don't want it to look naff, it has to look O.E. I've found a firm in Huddersfield called Vanquish Customs who say they can fit it and it will look,
Factory fitted, the price is £360 +VAT that might sound expensive but, I'd pay that if it genuinely look O.E.
Thoughts?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Its great, but not worth paying extra for IMO

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
I am with you love the look of the OEM Ambient lighting, have been looking for a OEM looking product to fit on my 219 and my 207 Cab. I had considered the lighting strips which you can buy on E-bay mostly from China that are pushed into the seams/gaps around the various panels on the dash, but I am struggling on how I could get the ends of lighting strip in behind the panels neatly.
What parts are they doing for the money dash and front door cards? will they be single coloured, if multi coloured change it from dash/command menus?

 

[whitenemesis]

Love ambient lighting

That £360 sounds rather cheap for an OEM look retrofit?

 

[SmartAmg]

What parts are they doing for the money dash and front door cards? will they be single coloured, if multi coloured change it from dash/command menus?

The quote is for a single colour, across the dash from door to door, both doors and centre console

 

[SmartAmg]

Love ambient lighting

That £360 sounds rather cheap for an OEM look retrofit?

It's £360 + VAT for a single colour, connected to your ignition on/off.
Or £540 plus VAT for multi-colour, controlled from your phone, to be honest a single colour would do me, because if I had a newer Merc with it fitted, I would leave it on Purple anyway.

 

[GLK]

I looked at this some time ago, and decided there's no way to replicate the OE lighting strips quality, however there's a way to replicate the "ambient" part - as long as the light sources remain hidden - this is what I did in my car: footwell lights; power socket light; grab handle and release lever lights; rear seat lights; drink holder light. Footwell lights are on permanently, the rest is on with instrument cluster lights, and the drink holder light is motion and light sensitive (i.e it's off when it's bright and no movement) ... I like the result and it didn't cost me anything (well, a few quid of various LEDs, that's all)

 

[SmartAmg]

I looked at this some time ago, and decided there's no way to replicate the OE lighting strips quality, however there's a way to replicate the "ambient" part - as long as the light sources remain hidden - this is what I did in my car: footwell lights; power socket light; grab handle and release lever lights; rear seat lights; drink holder light. Footwell lights are on permanently, the rest is on with instrument cluster lights, and the drink holder light is motion and light sensitive (i.e it's off when it's bright and no movement) ... I like the result and it didn't cost me anything (well, a few quid of various LEDs, that's all)

What you've done, sounds good, I've done Red LEDs when I open the doors and Red front footwells when I'm driving, I also fitted Merc puddle lights when I open the door, nice but not as good as proper ambient lighting.

 

[ChrisEdu]

What you've done, sounds good, I've done Red LEDs when I open the doors and Red front footwells when I'm driving, I also fitted Merc puddle lights when I open the door, nice but not as good as proper ambient lighting.
View attachment 103163
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Mobile red light district!?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

IMHO ambient lighting is one the most effective innovations in cars & driving, and like many of the best innovations it’s a simple concept.

Again, IMHO I see absolutely no value in changing the colour. Our cars with different colour options are set to the colour closest to the other interior illumination.

 

[SmartAmg]

Again, IMHO I see absolutely no value in changing the colour. Our cars with different colour options are set to the colour closest to the other interior illumination.

Or Purple.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Or Purple.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

IMHO ambient lighting is one the most effective innovations in cars & driving, and like many of the best innovations it’s a simple concept.

Again, IMHO I see absolutely no value in changing the colour. Our cars with different colour options are set to the colour closest to the other interior illumination.

The newer ones come with all sorts of effects. e.g. in my son's E53, (as one example of the use of 64k colours) the colour of the vents go from blue to red as the heating warms the car.......utterly pointless - possibly popular in the far east and Russian markets.

There is a lot of useless stuff being done these days "just because we can" and solving a problem that does not exist.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

@SmartAmg Photo is a little dark but this is much more subtle

 

[moonloops]

Just hang a torch from the rearview mirror. Use a selection of wrappers over the lens from quality street chocolates to change the ambient lighting.

 

[SmartAmg]

The newer ones come with all sorts of effects. e.g. in my son's E53, (as one example of the use of 64k colours) the colour of the vents go from blue to red as the heating warms the car.......utterly pointless - possibly popular in the far east and Russian markets.

There is a lot of useless stuff being done these days "just because we can" and solving a problem that does not exist.

I have to sort of concur, Rory, in that Ambient Lightning is "utterly pointless" but it looks fantastic, so thatll do for me.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I have to sort of concur, Rory, in that Ambient Lightning is "utterly pointless" but it looks fantastic, so thatll do for me.

Remember aftermarket mods are pretty much worthless when you come to sell a car.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

What you've done, sounds good, I've done Red LEDs when I open the doors and Red front footwells when I'm driving, I also fitted Merc puddle lights when I open the door, nice but not as good as proper ambient lighting.
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This isnt ambient though!

 

[Deleted member 126251]

It is called "in your face lighting".

 

[SmartAmg]

Never said is was, Karl. Only lights up like that, When I open the doors, goes off when I shut the door and when I'm driving, apart from the footwells which dim to a nice Red.