E350 2015 Horrible "safety" feature

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

RhysC63?

Active Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Messages
105
Car
E350 2015 9g AMG Prem Plus, previously C63
Hello everyone, I've just taken delivery of an E350, overall I'm delighted with it, it's a totally different experience to the C63!

But anywhow, I've encountered a very annoying feature on the E350 that is driving me nuts - when I park in awkward spaces I like to open the driver's door just to take a look at the ground and get a proper idea of what's around me, but when I do this in the E350 it puts the auto box into park, it's so bloody annoying. Anyone know if this "feature" can be disabled?
 
Does it still happen with your seat belt fastened?

Sometimes (my Audi) the seat belt being fastened makes a difference to various "safety features".
 
I'll try the seatbelt suggestion later, thanks.

I could probably wean myself from doing it and just use the reversing camera or stick my head out of the window. But annoying nonetheless.

Still love the car though, it's going to save me a fortune in fuel avg. mpg 36 compared to 17.5 in the AMG and I think the mpg will get better because my first 500 miles has been a lot of narrow roads and conditions unfriendly to fuel efficiency. I'm guessing the saving will be about 200 a month, thst's almost enough to get the Mrs. a nice new A class!
 
I'll try the seatbelt suggestion later, thanks.

I could probably wean myself from doing it and just use the reversing camera or stick my head out of the window. But annoying nonetheless.

I was assuming of course you might unbuckle it to lean out of the open door, some people do I have noticed.

I would be hard pressed to buy a car without a reversing camera now I have had one on the past four or five cars, and in fact the last new car I bought just before Christmas was missing one and I annoyed the dealer I think by insisting it was a deal breaker, it got fitted before delivery of course. :D

But having said that I find it is most useful when judging how close you can manoeuvre directly behind, I still always prefer to use the side mirrors as I always have for getting into spaces, the camera is a useful supplementary aid.
 
Last edited:
Also do you set the mirrors to point down in reverse?

I can absolutely see for 99% of people the logic of putting the car into park from drive as you open the door.... to stop cars rolling away when people forget they are in drive or neutral.
 
Hi

I seem to remember that this feature was introduced after some minor pop star fell out of his Mercedes whist reversing with the door open and ran over his legs. The story hit the press and I believe the switch to Park on opening the door was introduced as a "Safety Factor". The only improvement in safety I can see is for Mercedes as it might protect them from lawsuits

Took a fair bit of skill to run yourself over ! :D
 
I forgot about the Harvey incident that should be up for a Darwin nomination. I don't get all this parking sensor and reversing camera nonsense. If you don't know where the front and back end of you car is at all times and what the limits are maybe you shouldn't sit in the drivers seat :dk: Not aimed at anyone because I do exactly what the OP does when reversing into my space at work :D

When I used to teach advanced driving you would not believe how many people could not manoeuvre a car when there were no reversing or parking aids fitted :fail
 
I don't get all this parking sensor and reversing camera nonsense. If you don't know where the front and back end of you car is at all times and what the limits are maybe you shouldn't sit in the drivers seat :dk:
While agreeing with you in general, I'd make the point that the high shoulder line on modern cars means that in most the extremities are impossible to see. Couple that with painted "bumpers" that are damaged by even a gentle touch, and I can see why many drivers are reluctant to drive without recourse to parking sensors / reversing cameras.
 
When I used to teach advanced driving you would not believe how many people could not manoeuvre a car when there were no reversing or parking aids fitted :fail

I thought I had failed my advanced test because I was not asked to reverse around a corner - something I was not looking forward to as the mirrors on the M3 I had at the time were tiny.

As it turned out, the examiner had observed me reversing a school minibus out of his lounge window on several mornings.

In actual fact, the minibus was easier to reverse accurately, nice and square with big mirrors...
 
I thought I had failed my advanced test because I was not asked to reverse around a corner - something I was not looking forward to as the mirrors on the M3 I had at the time were tiny.

As it turned out, the examiner had observed me reversing a school minibus out of his lounge window on several mornings.

In actual fact, the minibus was easier to reverse accurately, nice and square with big mirrors...

You repeatedly crashed a mini bus into his house and he still passed you?:D:D:D:D:D
 
I forgot about the Harvey incident that should be up for a Darwin nomination. I don't get all this parking sensor and reversing camera nonsense. If you don't know where the front and back end of you car is at all times and what the limits are maybe you shouldn't sit in the drivers seat :dk: Not aimed at anyone because I do exactly what the OP does when reversing into my space at work :D

When I used to teach advanced driving you would not believe how many people could not manoeuvre a car when there were no reversing or parking aids fitted :fail

Just goes to show that the Gene pool needs a little chlorine adding now and then!:D
 
I'd forgotten about the E17 incident. It's the sort of story you couldn't make up!

Troubled reality TV star Brian Harvey has provided an astonishing explanation for the bizarre and terrifying accident in which he was run over by his own Mercedes... claiming it was caused by a meal of three giant baked potatoes smothered in tuna mayonnaise and cheese.

Harvey, speaking for the first time about the incident that nearly cost him his life, says he fell under the car as he leant out of the driver's door to be sick because he had eaten so much - and the Mercedes rolled over him.

He fractured his pelvis in seven places, broke his ribs and punctured his lungs. He lay unconscious for three weeks and had to endure 12 hours of surgery as doctors battled to rebuild his shattered frame.
 
My.......haven`t times changed!.....

On our driving test in the `60`s you had to look which way the car was moving or going to move to pass the test...

To reverse around a corner you stopped one foot from the curb and lined up the back corner of the back side window with the curb and just simply kept the corner of the window on the curb while reversing, still do it today, no sensors, no mirrors, no nothing ......simples.
 
Troubled reality TV star Brian Harvey ...

Such a big TV star, I've never heard of him. Probably a good thing if he's that much of a ****!
 
My.......haven`t times changed!.....

On our driving test in the `60`s you had to look which way the car was moving or going to move to pass the test...

To reverse around a corner you stopped one foot from the curb and lined up the back corner of the back side window with the curb and just simply kept the corner of the window on the curb while reversing, still do it today, no sensors, no mirrors, no nothing ......simples.

And after that you fed the horse..........:p

:D
 
My.......haven`t times changed!.....

On our driving test in the `60`s you had to look which way the car was moving or going to move to pass the test...

To reverse around a corner you stopped one foot from the curb and lined up the back corner of the back side window with the curb and just simply kept the corner of the window on the curb while reversing, still do it today, no sensors, no mirrors, no nothing ......simples.

My father took his test in the 1940's in an army truck. He was asked to do a 3 point turn, and he asked the examiner if it was alright just to back into a side road instead. The examiner agreed, and Dad was passed!

Despite this, and despite my IAM pass, Dad always maintained that he was the better driver… :wallbash:

(that's why I always let him drive to & from the pub!):thumb:
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom