Mercedes Heads up display guide?

Jan 7, 2022
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Heads-up display is a technology introduced in 1988 by General Motors (GM). The technology which was used at that time was somewhat poor in terms of graphic design and even in terms of durability. But Mercedes introduced it again with more durable and attractive features, they reworked it and projected the graphic integrated image taking the information from the speedometer in a reverse manner to the windshield just at the same position at the line of sight of the driver. The total area of projection measures just 8-inches(diagonally). And now their HUD (Heads up Display) is also known as AR-HUD and features Augmented Reality.

To give this HUD system an extra upgrade Mercedes also linked this system with their new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment systems.

Table of Content

  1. HUD User guide.
  2. How to use Heads-up display.
  3. Which Mercedes-Benz models feature HUD?
  4. Can I retrofit a HUD in my Mercedes?
  5. Heads-up display vs Augmented reality.
  6. Pros and Cons of Mercedes Heads-up display.


1. Heads up display(HUD) User guide?

Firstly, to turn on the HUD on a Mercedes vehicle there are two ways actually, depending upon the generation of your Mercedes.

1.1 Mercedes vehicle equipped with MBUX

In Mercedes vehicles equipped with the latest infotainment systems known as MBUX, the user can switch on the HUD by simply accessing the infotainment’s setting and then under the Quick Access menu>>HUD. The dialog box asking whether to turn on the HUD will appear and to turn it on, click on the ‘Turn on’ button.

1.2 Mercedes vehicle equipped with previous infotainment systems (such as COMAND)

In vehicles that are not equipped with MBUX systems the switch on button will be located under the Driver’s side AC vent and may be available in the form of a Dial-type switch. If you encounter a normal HUD button just press it once to turn it on it may probably show a responsive light highlighting that the HUD is active. And if there is a dial-type switch just switch it to the ‘on’ position.



2. How to use a Heads-up display?

Apart from the two methods mentioned above the Heads-up display can be accessed from the mounted controls of the steering wheel. And for this press the home button>>swipe up once>> and click on ‘Heads-up display’. From this, the head’s up display will be visible on the windshield. (Note: the Heads-up display will vary according to different models but almost every feature will be the same as of the latest.)

Some basic functions which you can perform using the Head’s up display are:

2.1 Customizations

Customisations can be done simply by pressing the home button (on the steering wheel)>>swipe twice>> and finally adjust what you wanna view on your windshield.

Moreover, on some AMG models, this thing can be done via the instrument cluster itself by just pressing the home button and selecting the customizations you wish.



2.2 Position and Brightness:

Position and Brightness can be changed by just swiping right onto the gear icon or in some AMG models the options will be located in the instrument cluster itself after pressing the home button>>HUD settings.

This thing will change the angle at which you wanna see the information from the heads-up display and at the same time can also adjust its brightness.


3. Which Mercedes-Benz models feature HUD?

Not every model from the Mercedes Benz lineup features a Heads-Up display and it varies according to the variants too. But the list of models which features HUD globally are listed below:

  1. A-Class
  2. C-Class
  3. CLA
  4. CLS
  5. E-Class
  6. GLB
  7. GLC
  8. GLE
  9. GLS
  10. AMG® GT
  11. S-Class
  12. And etc (Depending upon the country)


4. Can I retrofit a HUD in my Mercedes?

Well, retrofitting is a very expensive decision especially for a Heads-Up display. As retrofitting of a new HUD requires a new dashboard, new components used to aid and at last which is the hardest step is its programming which needs to be done accordingly with the model. But all will be done genuinely i.e. this whole thing will be done by a Mercedes Authorised service center.

On the other case, if you are thinking to install it from outside i.e. from the local market they can make it work at a cheaper cost without even removing the dashboard but again it will face many problems in the future as usually these outside fitted Heads-up Displays don’t make use of the reflective which finally results in the issue of double image.



5. Heads-up display vs Augmented reality?

While most of the Mercedes vehicles feature almost the same kind of Heads-up display and this feature can also vary from country to country too but the new Mercedes S-Class features Augmented reality as an extra function over the Heads-up display in which a camera is placed at the top of the windshield and the footage are shown on to the infotainment system along with some integrated navigation guidelines in the form of arrows.

The main difference between a HUD unit and a more luxurious Augmented reality feature is that it is quite harder to understand the guidelines in the HUD as it features a very small area of projection while in an Augmented reality feature it is quite easier to understand all the guidelines and at the same time it features some extra features showing on the display such as to recognize the signboards and place it in the virtual footage on the infotainment system.



6. Pros and Cons of a Heads-up display

Some of the pros and cons of the Mercedes Heads-up display are as listed below:

6.1 Pros:

  1. Using the Mercedes Heads-up display eyes of the driver can re-focus much faster from the road to the projected display ensuring hassle-free driving.
  2. Most of the HUDs feature an Augmented reality function that is inbuilt making it more convenient for the driver to understand the navigation without even taking his/her eyes off the roads.
  3. Even if the user’s model does not support the Augmented reality feature integrated with the HUD, the normal navigation symbols are much easier to understand. As it doesn’t require the driver to look at the infotainment system, therefore saving the ‘eyes off’ time and reducing the risks of accidents.

6.2 Cons:

  1. Sometimes the flashing notifications and unnecessary signboards also shown in this HUD take the driver’s attention off the road. Thus, creating more chances of accidents.
  2. This HUD unit sometimes gets failed to run in extreme sunlight conditions in which the sun is just above your windshield. This thing makes the driver almost incapable to see the Heads-up display.

Conclusion

Well, no doubt the Heads-up display is completely an essential feature for the drivers especially. As it makes the driver focus more on the road rather than on the instrument cluster or on the infotainment system. But at the same time drivers should also take care that they should not be distracted so much by this feature and don’t try to configure the settings while driving.