What is the Magic sky in Mercedes Benz?

This blog will answer the following questions: what is the Magic sky in Mercedes Benz? How does the magic sky work? Which models have the Magic Sky? How to operate the Magic sky in Mercedes Benz?

What is the Magic Sky in Mercedes Benz?

The Magic sky in Mercedes Benz is a feature that can control the opacity of the glass in the roof or sunroof in a car. It is also known as Magic sky control and the driver can make the glass in the roof completely transparent by pressing a button on the overhead control panel. It is not a standard feature in some convertible models but customers can also install it in an S class.

It was predominantly developed for the hard-top convertible SL and SLK models. Making the glass on the roof transparent allows more light inside the cabin and it looks more spacious. However, transparent glass is not ideal as it also lets UV rays and heat in the vehicle.

Mercedes Benz Magic sky control can make the glass on the roof dark almost like tinted glass at the press of a button. The Magic sky control technology was tested in Death Valley, California where the temperature exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the roof is in the dark mode it acts as tinted glass and blocks the sunlight entering the cabin. The glass is capable of blocking 95 % of light and UV rays, it also helps to keep the interior of the vehicle cool. The load on the air conditioning systems is also reduced.

As the driver is more likely to drive the vehicle with dark glass, in normal mode the Magic sky roof is in dark or opaque mode. When the passenger wants to enjoy the clear sky, roof glass will become transparent at a flip of a switch.

This is a great feature for convertible cars as there is no sunroof on the roof. The roof can either be completely folded or closed in the driving position. Later, Mercedes Benz also introduced it as an optional extra in other models as it gained popularity.

How does the magic sky work?

The magic sky works by applying current to fluid particles that are present within the glass on the roof. The glass itself consists of two panels fused together, when current is applied the fluid particles get aligned and allow the light to enter the vehicle cabin.

The fluid particles can only respond to the electrical current, it is not like a photochromic glass that gets darker with respect to sunlight. The operating principle is based on the science behind a plate condenser.

When the glass is subjected to electrical current, the particles re-position themself so that the light is able to pass through the glass. Once the electrical current is removed, all the particles are scattered and block the light.

Apart from the Glass in the Vario roof, Magic sky uses a dedicated control unit that is connected to the interior CAN network. The switch to control the Magic sky is located in the overhead control panel and the signal from the switch is transferred over the CAN bus.

Magic sky control uses high voltage for the operation. If the roof or headliner is damaged then do not touch any exposed electrical lines. There are also warning symbols on the control unit and electrical lines. Electrical links that carry high currents are completely orange.

The Magic sky control uses the signal from the electronic ignition lock. When the key is in the 0 position, the control unit will automatically darken the glass. This is helpful if the driver left the glass in the transparent mode, removed the key, and left the vehicle.

When the driver returns to the vehicle or turns the ignition key back to ON or 1 position, the control unit will switch the magic sky back to the mode it was set to before the vehicle was turned off.

In some models, it is also possible to change the degree of transparency of the glass by pressing the same button in the overhead control panel. The Magic sky control unit can control the opacity by varying the voltage levels of the glass panel. 

The outside temperature has an impact on the speed with which the Magic sky control unit can change between the two modes. If the outside air temperature falls below 0-degree celsius, switching from dark to transparent mode can take time.

Which models have the Magic Sky?

The Magic Sky is found in the following models:

• SL400, SL550, SL63 AMG, and SL65 AMG
• SLK 200, SLK, 250 CDI, SLK 55AMG
• SLC 43 AMG, SLC 300, and SLC 200
• Mercedes – Maybach S 600/680 

Magic sky control is also offered in other variants of the S class. It costs an additional 3000 USD over the standard cost of the vehicle. It is not possible to retrofit the Magic sky as it uses SPD-smart glass in the roof of the car.

The Mercedes Benz S class Magic sky even has two separate panels. The degree of transparency can be adjusted separately in both panels or it can be synchronized by pressing the same button. There is also a motorized Sun blinder in the S class and the degree of transparency will change only when the roller sunblind is open.

How to operate the Magic sky in Mercedes Benz?

The procedure to operate the Magic sky in Mercedes Benz is given below:

Operate the Magic Sky from the front.

• Unlock the vehicle and insert the key in the electronic ignition lock.
• Turn the key to position 1 or ignition ON.
• Locate the button for the Magic sky in the overhead control panel
• Press the button once to change the mode of the Magic Sky.

Operate the Magic sky from the rear 

• Turn the key to the ignition ON position.
• Completely open the roller sunblind for the sunroof.
• The button for the Magic Sky control is in the rear left and right door.
• Press the button to change the mode of transparency.

The button to control the Magic Sky from the rear or second-row seats is only on the Mercedes Benz S class Maybach models. In the SL and SLK roadster, there is only one switch to control the mode of transparency in the overhead control panel.

If the ignition is left on for too long, the Magic sky control will drain the vehicle battery. Therefore, use the magic sky in the transparent mode only when the engine is running as the smart glass panel needs high voltage to align the particles.

Conclusion

This blog explained the Magic sky in Mercedes Benz and how it works. It is one of the expensive optional extras that cost more than 2000 USD but it significantly reduces the load on the air conditioning systems compared to getting tinted windows.