Has anyone experience the Brake Assist?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
From: NY/CT
CLK 320
Originally Posted by elchinocache
i have felt the brake assist kick in a bunch of times. Usually when i brake lightly for a long time after a few seconds the brake assist will kick in and slow the car down faster than i want it to. I like to give myself time to brake, and come to think of it it usually kicks in when i'm going down a hill. it feels funnny because the brake pedal will all of the sudden get really soft and move forward.
).Unless there's no BAS light in your car, I'd assume that if you don't see it, it's not kicking in. But I could be wrong.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 490
Likes: 1
From: Canada
05 CLK 500 cab
Well you wouldn't stall unless you forgot at some point to depress the clutch. Although the BAS shuts off the moment you ease up on the brake pedal, it is one of MB's electronic toys I would rather do without. It's activated for me a handful of times, braking me faster than I had intended, and the net result has been to re-educate me about how I shift from the gas pedal to the brake. I find it annoying and don't need this re-education because I often drive cars without BAS. I also worry that it will go off when I don't really need it (all of the occasions so far) and the car behind will rear-end me.
Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 219
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From: San Diego, CA
2006 Corvette Coupe
I'm not sure if I've ever activated brake assist, and I play around with my brakes hard. Before I get to a main road pulling out of my house I hit four consecutive stop signs on four blocks, running through a wide residental street with no traffic. If there is no traffic, as there generally isn't, I accelerate strongly until I hit 40 mph and try to stop as hard and as close to the stop signs as possible. Sometimes I hit the ABS threshold, sometimes I do not. I'm trying to train threshold braking and I must be about as hard as the car can, but even if I don't invoke ABS mode and even if I can press the pedal further down I don't feel any computer initiated assistance.
I also sometimes track my car and one of my weaknesses is judging when to initiate maximum braking and to make sure I'm at maximum braking prior to the turn in point for the next corner. I remember a few track sessions ago, the first time I brought the car up to a new personal high speed on the front straight, I braked, what I thought was pretty hard, but it was no where near maximum braking as it turned out, and still, I didn't sense any computer asistance. In the incident I was declerating much faster than you would in even aggressive street driving, but well below what the car could do. So is Brake Assist tuned differently on the C32 or is my system somehow broken without throwing any codes?
Come to think about it, my BMW 330i also had brake assist, but I never felt it activate on that car either. I also took that car to the track so I did put it through a lot of hard braking.
I also sometimes track my car and one of my weaknesses is judging when to initiate maximum braking and to make sure I'm at maximum braking prior to the turn in point for the next corner. I remember a few track sessions ago, the first time I brought the car up to a new personal high speed on the front straight, I braked, what I thought was pretty hard, but it was no where near maximum braking as it turned out, and still, I didn't sense any computer asistance. In the incident I was declerating much faster than you would in even aggressive street driving, but well below what the car could do. So is Brake Assist tuned differently on the C32 or is my system somehow broken without throwing any codes?
Come to think about it, my BMW 330i also had brake assist, but I never felt it activate on that car either. I also took that car to the track so I did put it through a lot of hard braking.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
From: Philadelphia, PA/Naples, FL
C320 Coupe
i can remember 2 times for sure that i activated brake assist. most recent, i was driving in traffic, and i saw an sl600 on the left side of the highway, so i'm staring at it. i turn to look back at traffic and the guy ahead of me is stopping REALLY hard....so i mash the brakes and am like "o sh*t!" the car jolted to a stop, my tires sqealing a little, and ABS kicked in so they were kind of skipping. i had a good foot between my car and his when i was stopped, i was impressed.
it's hard for me to decipher when brake assist could come on though, it could have come on at another time. all i know is that when i did notice it in, it was something i was definitely glad i had.
it's hard for me to decipher when brake assist could come on though, it could have come on at another time. all i know is that when i did notice it in, it was something i was definitely glad i had.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
I felt the BAS go off once when I was merging onto the Bay Bridge and a car in the adjacent lane merged into my lane. I took my foot off the gas and quickly braked... my car completely stopped in just a couple seconds. I knew what I was doing and I DIDN'T want to stop completely... But I suppose BAS calculated it to be an emergency and decided I should stop to be safe...
I wonder if BAS actually caused accidents like being rear-ended by other cars? That's my fear so I try not to brake too quickly when certain cars are driving behind me...
I wonder if BAS actually caused accidents like being rear-ended by other cars? That's my fear so I try not to brake too quickly when certain cars are driving behind me...
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
I like to think I have pretty quick reaction time in braking situations.
At first I thought it was a useful feature.
However, on those occasions where the panic braking engaged on my 320E it wasn't necessary and probably caused more danger for the cars behind me.
Overall, I don't like it.
At first I thought it was a useful feature.
However, on those occasions where the panic braking engaged on my 320E it wasn't necessary and probably caused more danger for the cars behind me.
Overall, I don't like it.
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Almost a Member!
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29
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From: so. cal.
'03 c230k sedan BMW 525it
I wonder if BAS actually caused accidents like being rear-ended by other cars? That's my fear so I try not to brake too quickly when certain cars are driving behind me...[/QUOTE]
the thought of rearending other cars is much scarrier than the thought of being rearended. ive been rearended and rearended someone myself. if your are on the receiving end it will always never be your fault. i like the BAS it has stopped me twice from rearending someone.
the thought of rearending other cars is much scarrier than the thought of being rearended. ive been rearended and rearended someone myself. if your are on the receiving end it will always never be your fault. i like the BAS it has stopped me twice from rearending someone.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,498
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From: Ashburn, VA
'19 GLC 300, '19 TM3SR+
It sure helped me big time at least 3 times: once it was a deer family that decided that there is no better place for them to walk in the night other than on a twisty road in a hilly area near Reston, VA; second time it was an a$$hole in an SUV in Washington, DC that thought he was very fast to cross the Constitution Ave., having turned sharply from the 2-nd far lane right in front of me, without blinking; just recently it was a silly little squirrel that instead of continuing to hop across the street, apparently got mesmerised by my car and stopped, wondering - what is this thing coming at it at 30 mph
Generally, if you get rear-ended, it will happen when both you and the car behind you are going in the same direction. This means that the relative speed is not likely to be too high. Worst case - if you are standing still and someone rams into you. But either way, it is better than, say, T-boning a car crossing your path. Also, you are protected by the seat against a rear impact and there is no glass and other stuff flying in your face. Plus, as others said - it is almost never going to be your fault.
Generally, if you get rear-ended, it will happen when both you and the car behind you are going in the same direction. This means that the relative speed is not likely to be too high. Worst case - if you are standing still and someone rams into you. But either way, it is better than, say, T-boning a car crossing your path. Also, you are protected by the seat against a rear impact and there is no glass and other stuff flying in your face. Plus, as others said - it is almost never going to be your fault.
Last edited by vadim; Jul 29, 2004 at 02:38 AM.
