Mercedes Driver Assistance Nonsense

[MeanRedSpider]

Whilst my E400d A-T is being fixed, I’ve had quite a few different loan cars, By far the worst has been the 24-reg CLA200. Apart from the annoying squeaking from somewhere in the back, the nannying assistance systems drove me crazy.

I’ve already complained to the UK vehicle safety regulators about lane assist and its propensity to steer you towards danger - it’s a crazy system. In 40 years of driving, I’ve never drifted out of my lane. What I have done, though, because I was taught to do so by an ex-police driving instructor, was to take up the best position on the road to see as far ahead as I can. I don’t want to be fighting the car to do this.

The speed assist nonsense that can’t detect that the 30mph countdown signs are not the speed limit so bongs at me and starts slowing the car.

The collision avoidance system that so over-sensitive that it twice stood on the brakes in entirely benign situations.

And so-on. Fortunately (well, less fortunately because I wouldn’t have bought it if it had come with some of these) the E-Class doesn’t have most of these and the ones that it does have, seem to work in a far more sophisticated way.

I know I can turn off or turn down some of these but many reset for each journey. There should be a preference button that allows you to mute the ones you don’t like with one button press on start-up.

Anyway, I had them swap the CLA for a GLB220d which, apart from the spectacularly uncomfortable seats, is much better and a much better drive than I expected.

 

[davidmudley]

I've noticed similar things in a Jaguar I-Pace, and a Mercedes E class taxi I went in, both showed excessive interference in 'normal' driving situations. It's so scary when the car decides to do something that you're not expecting in a relatively normal driving situation.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The EU Driver Assistance nonsense.

Not the Mercedes, nor even the UK: the EU Driver Assistance nonsense.

We get what we voted for.

 

[davidmudley]

Fair point. I generally welcome the application of technology, especially when it support safety enhancements, but it does feel like the person is slowly being phased out of the primary role in vehicles (and other areas of life).

 

[TC350]

I've noticed similar things in a Jaguar I-Pace, and a Mercedes E class taxi I went in, both showed excessive interference in 'normal' driving situations. It's so scary when the car decides to do something that you're not expecting in a relatively normal driving situation.

At a much lower level, I had the same issues with a Hyundai Kona that I rented in the USA last month. I probably should have read the owners manual to find out how to stop the thing steering the car where I didn't want to go - but who does that on a hire car? With Americans having a gross disregard for speed limits and all being on the wrong side of the road, it's most disconcerting!

 

[davidmudley]

At a much lower level, I had the same issues with a Hyundai Kona that I rented in the USA last month. I probably should have read the owners manual to find out how to stop the thing steering the car where I didn't want to go - but who does that on a hire car? With Americans having a gross disregard for speed limits and all being on the wrong side of the road, it's most disconcerting!

You could suggest "who reads a manual at all" be it a car or otherwise. I am sure there is Ikea furniture the world over that would provide supporting evidence for a lack of us of instructions...

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Its not Mercedes, its EU law.

Just come back from using a VW for a week in Spain, its borderline dangerous. You have to fight the car to change lanes.

 

[fourwheels]

So glad someone’s picked up on this because these things drive me mad but I’ve been so involved with the insane rear camera calibration, which is all likely part of the same stupid safety issue, that I’ve had to put my thoughts aside.
Yes Lane assist tries to force me towards what I perceive to be a dangerous route. Attention Assist is now permanently on (so I assume a fault) but I’m fed up taking a break and drinking coffee to try and dislodge it.

 

[GrahamT]

The EU Driver Assistance nonsense.

Not the Mercedes, nor even the UK: the EU Driver Assistance nonsense.

We get what we voted for.

On my E class of 2017 i can swithc it off. I'm sure it will be possible withother models too.

 

[TC350]

So glad someone’s picked up on this because these things drive me mad but I’ve been so involved with the insane rear camera calibration, which is all likely part of the same stupid safety issue, that I’ve had to put my thoughts aside.
Yes Lane assist tries to force me towards what I perceive to be a dangerous route. Attention Assist is now permanently on (so I assume a fault) but I’m fed up taking a break and drinking coffee to try and dislodge it.

I’ve been getting Attention Assist coming on more frequently recently, even just 15 minutes into a journey. Moving my head to check the rear view mirror and indicating where not necessary on empty roads persuades the coffee cup to disappear for the rest of the trip.

 

[davidmudley]

On my E class of 2017 i can swithc it off. I'm sure it will be possible withother models too.

I'm assuming the point of the law is so that it can't be turned off isn't it?

Interesting.

 

[fourwheels]

I’ve been getting Attention Assist coming on more frequently recently, even just 15 minutes into a journey. Moving my head to check the rear view mirror and indicating where not necessary on empty roads persuades the coffee cup to disappear for the rest of the trip.

Interesting, I haven’t tried that. In the Owners Manual it says you can ‘acknowledge’ it, which I assume means cancel the message but doesn’t tell you how and I can’t find a way.

 

[fourwheels]

On my E class of 2017 i can swithc it off. I'm sure it will be possible withother models too.

On the GLA you can turn it off by going into settings menu, selecting assistance, then select lane assist and turn the button off.
There is not a switch or touch sensitive button to turn it off directly on the Home Screen and it will come back on when you restart anyway. Several other functions all come back on when you restart.
Start/Stop is as far as I know the only one that has a physical button to turn off.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

On my E class of 2017 i can swithc it off. I'm sure it will be possible withother models too.

You can switch these idiot systems off on most models, with varying amounts of menu driven complexity to faff through every time you start the car.

The objective of this EU bureaucracy is to protect the inept driver while infuriating the majority.

Very much like 2FA and all the other regulatory bureaucracy that gives us three tonne Ferrari and Range Rover SUVs on the School run.

 

[fourwheels]

You can switch these idiot systems off on most models, with varying amounts of menu driven complexity to faff through every time you start the car.

The objective of this EU bureaucracy is to protect the inept driver while infuriating the majority.

Very much like 2FA and all the other regulatory bureaucracy that gives us three tonne Ferrari and Range Rover SUVs on the School run.

Yep!
I’m beginning to think this is the thinking behind the idiotic calibration of the reversing camera.
The inept will find it impossible to drive forward if the reversing camera is not working so check and calibrate on every start. Whoever dreamt that up?

 

[TC350]

Interesting, I haven’t tried that. In the Owners Manual it says you can ‘acknowledge’ it, which I assume means cancel the message but doesn’t tell you how and I can’t find a way.

On my C-class there’s an OK button on the steering wheel controls that turns it off. But I’ve found that it can sometimes come back on a while later depending on the road conditions. My jumping around and indicating like a maniac method is both fun and keeps it off for the whole journey. Alternatively, I could try driving with my eyes open!

 

[fourwheels]

I’ve got the OK button but it has no effect on this. Mines currently showing it suspended but I’m sure on the next trip we will be back to coffee. All a bit random

 

[Dryce]

Related digression - I find the eco-mode on the GLE 450 'interesting'.

It's a bit like adaptive cruise control in the sense that it affects the way the car drives within its environment. The car will switch off coast when you lift off - but it looks like there are a number of conditions that mean it won't coast or will stop coasting.

- forward looking camera picks up vehicle ahead
- speed limit detection
- approaching junction / roundabout

I haven't figured if it reacts to bends as well. It doesn't appear to coast when cruise control is active.

It does work. It is clever.

But the overall effect is disconcerting to a driver who isn't empathising with it - or not paying attention. The vehicle will gain energy going down hill - and sometimes braking light braking engages engine braking - and sometimes it doesn't.

So there is a risk it is too clever.

 

[Pontoneer]

You could suggest "who reads a manual at all" be it a car or otherwise. I am sure there is Ikea furniture the world over that would provide supporting evidence for a lack of us of instructions...

Real men don't read instruction manuals ; they are just provided for entertainment value after the task has been completed .

Someone once wrote something about 'the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools' , which seems to apply here as well .

 

[whitenemesis]

Someone once wrote something about 'the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools' , which seems to apply here as well .

Harry Day, the Royal Flying Corps First World War fighter ace, remarked that “rules are for the obeyance of fools, and the guidance of wise men"