2011 E350 trying to go into park while driving slowly. (see photo)

[Banksy6118]

Hi All.

Recently bought a lovely w212 E350 but it has a very annoying little issue i've just noticed.

When driving along at normal speeds all is good but under 10mph it try's engaging park.
I can't hear it forcefully trying to engage but it pops up on the dial, see photo.

From research iv seen that it could be the EIS (electronic ignition switch)
Basically here seeking the nod from you all confirming this. Photo below is the car stationary.

Any feedback appreciated. Many thanks

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Or it's spotted a gap and telling you , do you want to park in it

 

[Banksy6118]

Or it's spotted a gap and telling you , do you want to park in it

Can't tell if serious or not. If you are i will test this tomorrow!

 

[st13phil]

If you’re referring to the P in the square at the bottom left of the speedo, that is indeed indicating that the parking sensors are active and gauging if there’s a gap long enough to park in.

It disappears once moving faster.

 

[FiveAlive]

If you're referring to the P in a square at the lower left then, yes, it is informing you that it is looking out for a parking space using the side-facing parking sensors in the front bumper. Yours looks to be the same generation as mine so it can't actually steer itself into a parking space but it will provide instructions on the dash about when to steer left and right as you reverse. I've never actually used it myself but the owners manual will tell you all about it.

(st13phil beat me to it)

 

[Banksy6118]

Unreal. It happened between roundabouts on a dual carriageway so i jumped right to the worst case. Cheers Folks! Mind is a little more at ease now.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I wondered what that P was for on my dash. Not sure it's really doing that though ... mine is always on at below about 10mph....parking or not.

 

[Trickythemerc]

Is it just telling you that the parking sensors are active. My tell tale on the dash illuminates at anything below 15 MPH

 

[OneForTheRoad]

https://www.waltersmercedesbenzofriverside.com/videos/how-to-mercedes-benz-parktronic-with-active-parking-assist/

If ya know ya know but

Drive under 20mph to allow the PARKTRONIC® with Active Parking Assist to find a parking spot for you. Sensors will go off when your Mercedes-Benz determines that it can fit in a nearby space, which is highlighted by an arrow.
Put the car in reverse, it will then ask if you'd like the Parking Pilot to start? Hit "Ok" on the steering wheel to start.
Ease down on gas, and the brake, as needed to begin reversing into the parking spot. Your Mercedes-Benz will control the steering wheel for you.
Follow the PARKTRONIC® with Active Parking Assist prompts to know when to put the car back in drive or reverse.
Once you're in the spot, and straight, your Mercedes-Benz will say "Finished" and you can go ahead and put the car in park



For passenger side parking spot you need to use the indicators and at - 10 mph.

 

[ALFAitalia]

That's the 213 model..the OP (and I) have the 212...it cant self steer.

 

[keith of kent]

Mine is a 2015 S212 and it will park itself but my prewvious 20120 S212 did not have this feature

 

[OneForTheRoad]

That's the 213 model..the OP (and I) have the 212...it cant self steer.

It relates to any model with it fitted. My 212 e350 self steered. How would you even know , you e just learned it has it anyways .

 

[st13phil]

From memory - and it’s 10 years since I had a prefacelift W212 - Parking Assist will indicate a potential parking place on the left of the car if you slowly drive past a spot by adding a triangle to the left of the P in a box symbol.

Stop and put the car in Reverse. It will ask if you want to use Parking Assist: press OK to initiate it. The display will then indicate which direction to steer in as you release the brake. It will also tell you when to stop and engage Drive before again indicating in which direction to steer. The process repeats until you are parallel parked.

Also from memory, it will detect a parking spot to the right of the car, but only if you have the right-hand indicator on as you slowly pass a potential gap.

The later cars (including the facelift W212) have Active Parking Assist which automatically steers during the parking manoeuvre, and will also detect and automatically reverse park in an end-on parking bay.

 

[SpikyMikey]

From memory - and it’s 10 years since I had a prefacelift W212 - Parking Assist will indicate a potential parking place on the left of the car if you slowly drive past a spot by adding a triangle to the left of the P in a box symbol.

Stop and put the car in Reverse. It will ask if you want to use Parking Assist: press OK to initiate it. The display will then indicate which direction to steer in as you release the brake. It will also tell you when to stop and engage Drive before again indicating in which direction to steer. The process repeats until you are parallel parked.

Also from memory, it will detect a parking spot to the right of the car, but only if you have the right-hand indicator on as you slowly pass a potential gap.

The later cars (including the facelift W212) have Active Parking Assist which automatically steers during the parking manoeuvre, and will also detect and automatically reverse park in an end-on parking bay.

That's exactly how it worked on my 2013 S204 apparently.
I say apparently because I never felt the need to use it in the 5 years I had the car!

 

[SpikyMikey]

That's exactly how it worked on my 2013 S204 apparently.
I say apparently because I never felt the need to use it in the 5 years I had the car!

I also never felt the need to get a cuppa when the 'cup and saucer' icon lit up on the dash

 

[ALFAitalia]

From memory - and it’s 10 years since I had a prefacelift W212 - Parking Assist will indicate a potential parking place on the left of the car if you slowly drive past a spot by adding a triangle to the left of the P in a box symbol.

Stop and put the car in Reverse. It will ask if you want to use Parking Assist: press OK to initiate it. The display will then indicate which direction to steer in as you release the brake. It will also tell you when to stop and engage Drive before again indicating in which direction to steer. The process repeats until you are parallel parked.

Also from memory, it will detect a parking spot to the right of the car, but only if you have the right-hand indicator on as you slowly pass a potential gap.

The later cars (including the facelift W212) have Active Parking Assist which automatically steers during the parking manoeuvre, and will also detect and automatically reverse park in an end-on parking bay.

That's how mine works according to my manual....pre facelift....so no self steering.....just arrows on the dash display telling you which way to turn the wheel if you are, as they say, a bit "hard of thinking"!

 

[ALFAitalia]

It relates to any model with it fitted. My 212 e350 self steered. How would you even know , you e just learned it has it anyways .

See above!!!

 

[OneForTheRoad]

See above!!!

Yeah cos you looked it up. Mine was a facelift 2017 , obviously far superior to yours . And I did state ' with it fitted '

 

[ALFAitalia]

Mechanically superior....I guess so..but not as pretty!!

 

[st13phil]

That's exactly how it worked on my 2013 S204 apparently.
I say apparently because I never felt the need to use it in the 5 years I had the car!

I used to use Active Parking Assist very occasionally on my facelift W212 and also still use it very occasionally on my W177 A-Class.

It's actually rather effective at getting into a spot that's very tight, but the downside is that I cringe at the dry steering it engages in to achieve that.