arrow by the P on the dashboard ?

Its part of the parking system- at low speed its automatically assessing the spaces you are going past to see if you can park there when the P system symbol is lit - I assume the arrow refers to suitable spaces to the right or left of the car?
The slight movement on selecting "park" means you have disconnected the drive to the transmission but you have engaged the parking pawl which locks the transmission-- the slight movement is the slack being taken up by the propshaft differential and halfshafts transmitted to the wheels to stop the car moving. Forward or back depends on the gradient the car stopped on.

 

It's just the free play in the drivetrain, nothing to worry about.

 

It happens on my car as well I thought it was the handbrake needing adjusting or new pads

 

Not sure if it's the same set-up but in the W221 when the 'P' and arrow comes up, you can stop just past the targeted bay, shift into reverse and the Speedo turns into a bird's eye view animation with parking guidelines which adjust to show your course as you turn the wheel. Tried it a couple of times and didn't find it that useful or accurate to be honest

 

In our A-Class with parkotronic or whatever it's called, the car will reverse park for you when the P and arrow symbol is shown. At that stage you just need to accept the help and control the car's speed, it will do the wheel twirling itself.

 

The Active park assist you describe is still an extra cost option on the C and E class I believe but could see it becoming standard as people gradually lose the ability to park themselves!

 

I've used it about three times to amaze friends and mother in law... "look no hands!"
I think I can park in a smaller space myself, it doesn't always put you very close to the kerb and it's less fuss for me to just reverse into a space normally so it doesn't occur to me to use it most of the time.

My wife, who the car belongs to, isn't such a confident parker, in the stress of a parking situation with someone waiting behind for you get out of the way, she can't fathom out the buttons to make it work so she parks in a more traditional fashion.

It's not really all the obvious which buttons to press and it all feels a bit klunky and burried in menus.

 

As mentioned, nothing to worry about. But if you don't like the slight rocking/forward - backward , apply the electronic brake (aka handbrake) before putting in "Park". Trouble is most don't bother with this anymore, but I find it's less stress on the diff if you use it, especially if parked on a incline.

 

This is all I get:





I've found it pretty useless and rather inaccurate. The parking sensors provide more than enough guidance!

 

Holy Thread Resurrection!

Since getting my E class a week ago I've noticed this P and the flashing arrow to the left and it has bugged me. I've searched through the Owners Manual and could find nothing about it. At least I don't need to worry about this now.

 

on a 2010 car you won't have the active assist, it will simply tell you how far to turn the wheel. I had it on my old 2010 E class cab and never used it

 

OP. As you can see by the answers you have here from people who actually know what this is and have it on their cars.....it's a pretty useless gimmick. I have in the recent past experimented with this technology on various hire cars I have had and found it to be wanting.

As 'Kingdave' says, the kind of people this stuff is aimed at his (and my) wife for example would never use it.

 

I don't believe anyone who says he never used it.

Surely, everyone is curious enough to try it once, and only then never use it again......?

 

Looks like I’m the odd one out. I think it’s great. I don’t use it often because I don’t parallel park often, but when I have used it then it has placed the car perfectly.

Park assist can park the car better than me. Parking sensors can judge tight spaces better than me. Automatic gearboxes can change gear better than me. Cruise control can hold a set speed better than me. COMAND can navigate better than me, and estimate arrival time better than me.

Generally, when the car does something, it can do it better than me. Apart from climbing ladders, they’re rubbish at that. Something to do with opposable thumbs, I think.

 

Bugger i've been rumbled.....alright i'll admit i used it half a go as when i saw what a faff it was i abandoned it My SL has the active assist which i use if i'm feeling lazy but it's not that often i parallel park

 

I’m using it whenever I’m not sure the space is long enough. The sizes of some spaces it parked me in I wouldn’t even consider as a possible parking space for S212.

 

I had it on the 2014 S212, but any space it approved was one I could easily get into myself, so I never used it after those first few testers.

 

I did just this. I found a quiet cul de sac with a space where I could practice. I think I didn't turn the wheel as aggressively per the instructions on the dash. I ended up 45 degrees to the curb

I daren't use it with a queue of cars behind me waiting for me to park