Parktronic help needed

[Gary-W]

Hi all,

I picked up my new C-Class on Friday and very nice it is too - it's got to go back for a couple of minor issues but on the whole I love it.

Now. Parktronic.... It's not something I'd use a great deal as I've parked perfectly adequately for the last 25 years but of course it's a new toy and I'm keen to do it. So far, not so good.

The paper manual and the in-built manual in the car are either elusive on the finer points or I'm missing where it's written. I had to resort to watching Youtube videos which claim that, if you're driving slowly, you get a 'P' parking sign come up on the dash. When it sees a suitable space on the left, you then get an arrow to the left of the 'P'. You stick it in reverse and it asks you if you want help parking. Hit 'OK' and away you go.

So the first thing is this..... I get the 'P'. But getting the arrow to come up? I've seen it a few times but on no occasion has it appeared at a sensible place. The first time I try it 'in anger' I don't want it to be anywhere busy so I tried it earlier around a few quiet roads. As soon as I got an arrow, I put it in reverse and sure enough it went backwards and turned the wheel. But not in a sensible manner that would have helped me park. I tried three times on on the third occasion it was just reversing me down the middle of the road. It was definitely 'on' because it said so and the wheel was under the car's control but parking? No.

So really I need to understand:-

1. What is the trigger for it to 'see' a parking space? I know you've got to be going slowly but I was hence the 'P' being there.

2. Is it just parallel parking or will it reverse into (say) a standard space in a supermarket (I'm guessing not as it just has the left and right arrows)

3. How do you get a 'right' arrow turning up?? I went past a perfectly good space on the right. Between two parked cars. I was close to them, drove past them. The 'P' was on but no arrow!

I've had quite a few other things up till now where I've thought 'how do you.....' and then I've discovered the answer. But this one is eluding me so any help greatly appreciated

Thanks

Gary

 

[Vazza]

1. Ultrasound sensors in the bumper automatically look for a space when travelling below a certain speed, then when the system finds one the P symbol appears.
2. Parallel parking only
3. I believe the system searches and indicates for spaces on the left as default but if you indicate right, the arrow should appear for a space on the right?

BTW the feature you describe is Active Parking Assist. Parktronic refers to the parking sensor system Mercs have used for a while now with audible/visual warning.

 

[Vazza]

Here's a good link which illustrates the Active Parking Assist system:
Mercedes-Benz TechCenter: Active Parking Assist

 

[Gary-W]

Thanks for the replies.

I was doing this earlier pretty much as described in the video but no joy. I'll have another go tomorrow and see how I get on

 

[Vazza]

Interestingly, I've been doing some research following your original post and it appears the latest generation of Active Parking Assist DOES allow bay parking such as in the video below (not clear which models except the latest E-class...will be trying it out tomorrow on my cars to see)!

Autoblog Short Cuts: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class - AOL On

 

[Gary-W]

Thanks for that

So must you indicate? Is that part of what tells the system what is required?

 

[Vazza]

Indicator is not needed if the space is on the left as the system automatically detects it and alerts you with the arrow but if the space on the car's right hand side, then you need to use the indicator I believe (never normally use Active Parking Assist on my car so can't be sure).

EDIT: The need to use indicator for spaces on the right seems to be confirmed below.

If the right turn indicator is active, parking spaces on the right-hand side are also detected.

https://www.zungfu.com/CLA-Class/assistance-systems.shtml

 

[RobertoMercini]

Had park assist for 11 months now and not used it once. Think I might try and find a quiet place today to try it out!

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Had park assist for 11 months now and not used it once. Think I might try and find a quiet place today to try it out!

Had Park Assist for 33 months now and not used it. I'm happy to trust Parktronic to help avoid objects in front or behind, but still haven't plucked up the courage to use Park Assist and risk kerbing the expensive alloys!

 

[Red C220]

I use this on the E class a lot now. It parks the car very well and fast at about 4" from the curb.

Not tried it for bay parking though, just parallel parking.

Our dealer demonstrated both options to us the day we collected the car. It still feels a little odd not touching anything, but I'm getting used to it.

 

[Gary-W]

Thanks for the replies - this thread + perseverance meant I got it to work. Sort of

It does actually do the 'reverse into a supermarket bay' parking as well as parallel parking; once you're gone past a suitable bay on the left and got the arrow next to the 'P', you put it into reverse. When it asks if you want help, look at the graphic on the dashboard. That'll show you whether it thinks it's going parallel or into a bay. I'm guessing my previous issue was that it thought it was reversing onto someone's drive as opposed to going parallel so the graphic is vital to know what's on it's mind

It went into a reversed bay space yesterday perfectly. It wasn't a difficult one but I didn't want to give it anything tricky for the first go. It is a weird sensation for sure.

Last night, I drove a friend of mine to a pub. Roadside parking was required and there was a suitable space between two cars. Beside the space was a very narrow path (I'm talking 10 inches of silliness) and then a drystone wall....

The car got in the space but the tyres hit the kerb.... So I don't know whether that's a pass or a fail? Will try again as, despite the fact I can park just fine, this thing makes you feel like Gandalf

 

[Gary-W]

I was in at the dealer today due to a couple of minor niggles.

Whilst I was there I asked 'can you please show me how to use the automatic parking thing because it seems to not want to work in a consistent manner'..... In short, if the arrow comes up it works fine. Unfortunately the arrow hardly ever comes up despite the 'P' being there (so I'm going slowly enough) and despite there being a space that I park in manually just fine. So I asked.

'Certainly sir - it's quite simple. You jump in to the passenger seat and we'll go and park it over there'.

Several circuits around the car park then took place before it was finally agreed that my automatic parking isn't actually working properly When it actually sees a spot it works just fine. The trouble is that is completely ignores plenty of perfectly decent parking places.

The other minor niggles are still there too so it's going back next week. The funny was that on my way home, I was in a queue of traffic on normal city road. No row of parked cars, no nothing. Just a curb on my left. And bugger me if the arrow didn't come up and want to park when

a) I didn't want to and
b) there wasn't actually a space

 

[Teflonso]

I hope you find it useful, but I suspect it will drive you nuts.

On my E-Class it's very finicky about what it will pick out as a viable space for perpendicular parking and if there are two empty side by side it gets all stressed out and has a crisis of confidence.

Parallel parking works very well and it will have a go at spaces far smaller than I would normally attempt unless I'd driven around the block three times and could find nothing better. But the angles it selects are rather extreme and my wife won't even sit in the car while parking, let alone use it herself. It looks for all the world like you are going to wipe out the car in front with the nearside wing as it swings in. Worse, it always parks about 4" from the kerb which offends my manhood so I end up doing the back and forth shuffle to get the 1" my OCD demands.

Have fun with it. I'm just glad I didn't shell out a lot of money to have it as an extra.

.

 

[stevehg]

Worse, it always parks about 4" from the kerb which offends my manhood so I end up doing the back and forth shuffle to get the 1" my OCD demands.

Does it use the other cars front and rear as reference points? I only ask as it slightly crunched the rear offside alloy when I tried it once. The cars both front and rear had both parked touching the kerb with their wheels so I assume this was the reason for it choosing to park so close.

cheers, Steve

 

[Teflonso]

Does it use the other cars front and rear as reference points? I only ask as it slightly crunched the rear offside alloy when I tried it once. The cars both front and rear had both parked touching the kerb with their wheels so I assume this was the reason for it choosing to park so close.

cheers, Steve

Hmmm. I shall investigate. Carefully.

.

 

[Richardc1972]

1. Ultrasound sensors in the bumper automatically look for a space when travelling below a certain speed, then when the system finds one the P symbol appears.
2. Parallel parking only
3. I believe the system searches and indicates for spaces on the left as default but if you indicate right, the arrow should appear for a space on the right?

BTW the feature you describe is Active Parking Assist. Parktronic refers to the parking sensor system Mercs have used for a while now with audible/visual warning.

Would I get a blue p if my car only has parktronic and not active parking assist. So far I've not had the message on screen asking if I want to be parked? I drive a 2014 AMG line E class your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[SteveSS]

Would I get a blue p if my car only has parktronic and not active parking assist. So far I've not had the message on screen asking if I want to be parked? I drive a 2014 AMG line E class your thoughts would be appreciated.

If you don't have 'Active' Park assist, you still get the blue 'P' and when you engage reverse on seeing the little white arrow beside the 'P', the car asks if you require assistance and if you press 'yes', then it gives you instructions as to how far to turn the steering wheel and when to change from reverse to forward. Effectively instructing you throughout the parking process. If you do have 'Active', pressing 'yes' means the car steers itself and you just have to change gear and accelerate & brake.

 

[Richardc1972]

If you don't have 'Active' Park assist, you still get the blue 'P' and when you engage reverse on seeing the little white arrow beside the 'P', the car asks if you require assistance and if you press 'yes', then it gives you instructions as to how far to turn the steering wheel and when to change from reverse to forward. Effectively instructing you throughout the parking process. If you do have 'Active', pressing 'yes' means the car steers itself and you just have to change gear and accelerate & brake.

Ah ok so I am going to have to do a bit of space hunting at work to see what I trigger, thanks for the information most helpful.

 

[E55BOF]

I had Parking Assist on my first W212, but I found it would not pick spaces I could get into perfectly adequately without it, so never used it. The E63 has Parking Guidance, and I've no idea whether that is Parktronic or Parking Assist, but I assume it's the former. I find parking sensors and a reversing camera entirely adequate.

 

[Richardc1972]

No camera alas but as iveI never had one I don't miss it if that makes sense. I was trying to find out how it works for those occasions the girlfriend borrows the car as the first time she drove it she wasn't confident about getting it out the space I'd parked in