W212 - E350 Coupe parking sensors - (hit the wall!)

[johny5_uk]

ok, reversing sensors and camera along with the audible sound one would have thought I shouldnt have hit the wall when reversing and watching the big concrete post to my left but yep, I hit the wall with my rear bumper.

Looking at it, there is hardly any damage at all as it hit the bottom black mottled plastic to the bottom of the rear bumper, right on the edge but I am 99% sure that the audible sound came on when the orange lights did!???

Please can someone confirm this? as now it would seem that the audible alert only comes on when the LEDS in the front or rear of the car are on RED? I really could have sworn that the beeping started when they were orange?

EDIT: reading the manual it would appear I am imagining things and the beeping only starts on the 6th LED segment onwards :/

 

[survey]

ok, reversing sensors and camera along with the audible sound one would have thought I shouldnt have hit the wall when reversing and watching the big concrete post to my left but yep, I hit the wall with my rear bumper.

Looking at it, there is hardly any damage at all as it hit the bottom black mottled plastic to the bottom of the rear bumper, right on the edge but I am 99% sure that the audible sound came on when the orange lights did!???

Please can someone confirm this? as now it would seem that the audible alert only comes on when the LEDS in the front or rear of the car are on RED? I really could have sworn that the beeping started when they were orange?

EDIT: reading the manual it would appear I am imagining things and the beeping only starts on the 6th LED segment onwards :/

I find that the parking sensors are too slow to react. I wold certainly prefer to have the beeps start after say the second or third LED's come on - this is especially so with the rear sensors.

 

[jaymanek]

they only beep in the red.

 

[davidjpowell]

I found this out on Saturday, the hard way after colliding with some paving slabs that were beneath the boot level

 

[survey]

they only beep in the red.

A bit late by then, as I previously mentioned especially with the rear ones.

 

[MOCAŠ]

The sensors on my SLK (front or back) work by emitting an intermittent beep as soon as the orange lights come on, and the beeping becomes more urgent as more orange lights illuminate. Once the red lights come on, the beep becomes constant.

This would seem a much more intuitive set-up than just having the beep coming on when the lights go red, so I wonder why they'd have changed it? Perhaps there was negative feedback from some owners about beep overload...

 

[mbenz76]

IIRC they beep only on red. 1 red (either side) and you get one particular beep, and 2 reds (either side) and you get solid beep. Solid beep is about 30cm from target.

They aren't super fast to respond but neither were the ones in my previous car, so I am used to taking it steady when reversing now as I don't expect them to react quickly enough.

Camera is a great asset, but as you have found, not much use when you are looking elsewhere.

 

[johny5_uk]

Thanks all, there was a definate delay this time for the beeps to come on before I hit the wall but I think maybe the newness of the car got me all complacent?

it was a step out from the wall that I hit, about 1.5ft off the ground and protruding about 5 inches from the wall itself.
I think I did hit it with some force and there was a loud bang along with my heart sinking as I put the car in first gear and there was a noise when I pulled away.
I had visions of the rear bumper pushed in and then maybe bouncing out but it looks like the bottom plastic of the bumper sat just on the top of the step and then scraped as I pulled away.

Doesnt look like any damage really but I think I was looking for something/someone to blame other than myself!?
I was more shocked that I hit it without prior warning, you do tend to get a feel of a virtual surrounding of the car the more you drive it.....

 

[survey]

The sensors on my SLK (front or back) work by emitting an intermittent beep as soon as the orange lights come on, and the beeping becomes more urgent as more orange lights illuminate. Once the red lights come on, the beep becomes constant.

This would seem a much more intuitive set-up than just having the beep coming on when the lights go red, so I wonder why they'd have changed it? Perhaps there was negative feedback from some owners about beep overload...

Yours is a much more sensible set-up!

 

[Merc Owner 2B]

I nearly got caught out with mine as I've been driving a Mondeo for the past 4 years which had a series of bleeps as there wasn't a display. I still listen for them in the E Coupe but they don't come on 'til the last minute!

 

[survey]

I nearly got caught out with mine as I've been driving a Mondeo for the past 4 years which had a series of bleeps as there wasn't a display. I still listen for them in the E Coupe but they don't come on 'til the last minute!

Hopeless aren't they. Does anyone actually test these things before they manufacture/install?

 

[BobbyHowie]

I was reversing the SL and was at an oblique angle to another car, no sound but thought I was extremely close so stopped. Just as well, as the milli-second I stopped I touched the other car. Not a mark on either car but those sensors aren't good at specific angles.

 

[Mudster]

The sensors on my SLK (front or back) work by emitting an intermittent beep as soon as the orange lights come on, and the beeping becomes more urgent as more orange lights illuminate. Once the red lights come on, the beep becomes constant.

This would seem a much more intuitive set-up than just having the beep coming on when the lights go red, so I wonder why they'd have changed it? Perhaps there was negative feedback from some owners about beep overload...

My Saab works in this manner, noise goes constant at about 100mm gap.

Mrs M's A150 only bleeps when you're about to hit the object...not a great system IMO.

 

[vincenz]

So really we have a thread of people saying they can't drive properly? I'm all for gadgets but they do take away some common sense sometimes.

 

[C240Sport97]

I think MB's parktronic system is excellent.

In contrast to most other systems, you don't get annoying beeps until you get to the 'danger' zone -- even with 2 red bars/lights on, you still have about 10cm. Most have systems do not have visual displays.

I have always found parktronic to be fine and helpful.

 

[MOCAŠ]

So really we have a thread of people saying they can't drive properly?

I'll admit that I have always been pretty hopeless at judging where my rear bumper is (no wise-cracks, please!). Luckily I'd tend to under-estimate the distance, and end up finding I'd left a silly amount of space behind me.

The SLK's the first car I've had with sensors, and it took me a while to trust them fully, but they've never let me down yet and I now have a far wider choice of parking spaces available to me.

 

[greekCL]

on the CL ... it has the 4 or 5 orange bars ... on each corner... and then two red.
Intermetend beep on the first red
solid continuous beep on the second(last) red
when the last red is on .. you are 3-4 inches away from the targer hehe
Now if you reverse fast ... ie 10mph ... the sensor does not have time to represent the space colours beeps all together and by the time you hear it ... you are crashed.
Have to manuever with crawling speeds once the orange's are full ...

 

[johny5_uk]

So really we have a thread of people saying they can't drive properly? I'm all for gadgets but they do take away some common sense sometimes.

I think I got lazy and trusted (waited) for the beeps to come on.
I have always been extremely careful at parking and liked to think I know the car size pretty accurately when parking without electronic aids.
Just got damn lazy on this occasion will learn to use the camera, bleeps, LEDS and my common sense that excludes all the gadgets from now on

 

[tylerdurden]

I agree that beeps come on too late.

When reversing at minimal speed (no accel, just creeping) the beeps come on so late that you have to slam on the brakes.

Makes for an ungentlemanly manoeuvre.

They should grade the beeps in from a bit further so there is still reaction time to stop.

Still, you do get used to it

 

[Gridlock]

A member here reversed into the front of my car in his parktronic-equipped w203..

Luckily just a new number plate surround needed; but hopefully he learned a valuable lesson about saying "I've hit your car" at 9am, before I've had a coffee