Locking car without setting alarm

[Margaret]

Hi. I might be taking a ferry journey in the coming weeks. I have a basic question. How do I lock my car without setting the alarm. Is it as simple as taking the key out of the fob and using it ? It’s a 2019 e class est. Sorry if it’s a very dumb question. As an aside can I ask what’s the best nav to use in France. Is it the car nav or do I use apple car play via my mobile. I rarely need to use nav so not that au fait with what’s best.

 

[markjay]

Locking the car with the metal key blade won't set the alarm.

That said, there's a button in the roof panel that you can press before leaving the car, but I don't remember if it only disables the motion detection (volumetric sensors) or disables the alarm completely - but this is what you should use if you leave a window or roof open, e.g. if leaving a pet in the car.

 

[markjay]

Keep in mind that in France you are not allowed to use a satnav that has speed camera warning.

The built-in satnav in MB cars - COMAND - does not have native support for speed cameras, so that's fine. But you do want to have a working traffic data subscription (TomTom Live Traffic).

If using Waze / Google Maps / Apple Maps on a smartphone, check if there's a setting for France that disables the speed cameras warning.

The main advantage of the smartphone apps is that the maps are always up-to-date. The downside is that it uses roaming data.

I am assuming your COMAND system has the optional Apple CarPlay / Android Auto feature?

 

[Margaret]

Thank you. I just realised the apple phone subscription I’m bringing does not currently allow roaming. Another issue to be sorted ! In any case I’ll probably end up using the car nav. I’m not sure whether it’s command or not. It’s a 2019 premium estate. It’s certainly missing some of the new roads where I live but I manage. I find it’s not as user friendly as the previous nav I had in my old saloon. I don’t like having to select letters and enter them. Sometimes it says searching online and then comes back with nothing. If I use the voice search it often picks the wrong location but as I said I mostly don’t need it so it’s not an issue. But it looks like I could end up having to use it !

 

[jimbg]

Update your maps for France via the Mercedes Me portal before you go.
I send destinations ( any country ) from Google Maps to the car before I leave.
.Find your exact destination on your phone and then "share" by selecting Mercedes Me from the list.

 

[st13phil]

How do I lock my car without setting the alarm.

Depending upon the model, this is accomplished either by pressing a button on the overhead console prior to locking the car with the fob, or from within the car's "Settings" menu on the instrument cluster. Note that you can separately disable tow-away protection (which is what you will need for a ferry crossing) or interior protection (which is what you need to do if you want to leave a window or the roof partially open for an animal in the parked car).

As always, the car's Manual will tell you all. Look up "ATA" or "Anti-theft Alarm System" and the subsections on "Priming/deactivating tow-away protection" and "Priming/deactivating interior protection".

Note that regardless of whether the deactivation is accomplished by an overhead console button or via the Settings menu, it is only deactivated for the first time the car is locked after the deactivation, and automatically resumes when the car is locked again after it has been unlocked and and a door is opened. So if, for example, you deactivate tow-away protection before locking the car on the ferry then realise you've left something in the car that you need, unlock it and open a door, you will need to go through the deactivation process again before locking and leaving your car.

 

[Petrol Pete]

A quick one on the sat nav with speed camera function in France. I am going back a few years but having it active was a massive no no to the point where just having in the car , in the glove box and switched off could get you in trouble with an over enthusiastic cop . It had to be in the boot. I was told each time they had occasion to stop a UK car they would look for the tell tale sat nav sucker mark on the windscreen . Bit different these days I suppose with more cars having built in nav.

This caused me a few tense moments on my commute from my work in Belgium if I took the back road. This road popped in and out of France as it crossed the invisible border. Every now and again Mrs Tom Tom would say "Welcome to France "..."Welcome to Belgium.." , " Welcome to France.." and so on . Each time I was welcomed into France I Became paranoid that I would be spotted by a cop !

I took a different route from then on.

 

[jimbg]

@Margaret

If you want detailed instructions on how to send destinations, I could probably take some iPhone screenshots to explain it further.

 

[esscee]

Might be worth trying this. When ready to lock the car, open a door (Not Driver's door) lock by pressing once on key fob. Ensure visual lock indicators have lowered into door cards, then shut respective door.

 

[jimbg]

The E class does have a tow-away alarm that would be triggered on a ferry.

You can disable this in your Mercedes Me app.

 

[Margaret]

Ok. I can lock the doors with the metal key. How do I lock the boot ? Do I have to disable tow away as it might be set off by the motion of the ferry ?

 

[jimbg]

Yes, you must disable tow-away before the ferry moves!

Just lock the car as normal, no need for the metal key, just turn off the tow-away alarm via the app after you have locked the car.
Alternatively turn off the tow-away alarm via the Comand screen before you exit the car, then lock the car as normal.

I have been through this on many occasions!

Do you understand how to send destinations to the car and avoid all that Post Code, Road hassle?