MultiBeam LED

A conventional headlight has two states - low beam and high beam. A MULTIBEAM LED headlight is built from many small LEDs that the car switches and dims one by one. That lets it shape the light pattern for the road ahead instead of choosing between two fixed beams.

How it works

A camera behind the windshield watches for oncoming cars, vehicles ahead and road signs. The headlight control unit uses that information to switch off only the LEDs that would dazzle other drivers, while the rest of the high beam stays on. Mercedes-Benz calls this camera function Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus.

Typical functions

• Partial high beam - high beam stays on with a dark pocket around other road users.
• Active light - the beam follows the steering into a bend.
• Cornering light - extra light to the side when turning at low speed.
• Speed-based patterns - a longer, narrower beam on the highway and a wider one in town.

MultiBeam on US cars

For years the US lighting standard FMVSS 108 had no way to certify adaptive high beams, so many US-market cars were delivered with MultiBeam hardware but without partial high beam. On February 22, 2022, NHTSA published a final rule that allows adaptive driving beam headlights to be certified. Whether a function may be activated on an existing car is a separate question, so check the rules that apply in your state.

MultiBeam and MWMods

An activation module changes the headlight settings through the OBD-II port. It only works on cars that already have MULTIBEAM LED headlights, and the right module depends on the chassis code and model year.