I seem to recall that on the 2004 E that if you tapped the brakes while on a hill it would engage the brakes until you pressed on the accelerator (so you didn't need to keep your foot on the brake). Anyone know if this is correct, and how to make it work?

 

Quote

SBC STOP

The system offers several additional functions besides a new braking behavior, due to its electronic brain: In stop-and-go traffic the vehicle brakes automatically, when the foot is lifted off the accelerator pedal ("Traffic Jam Assist"). It can be engaged under 10 MPH, using the the cruise control lever and switches off automatically at higher speeds. It remains active under 40 MPH. When engaged the instrument cluster indicates "SBC S".

SOFT STOP

Is not yet released, though few people are aware of it since Mercedes advertises it already. It might be released in the 2004 model year. In city traffic soft-stop supposedly allows soft, jerkless stopping.

SBC HOLD

A "drive-away assistant" prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards or forward when starting on a hill or steep incline. A firm push onto the brake pedal, and the car remains stopped, even when taking the foot off the brake pedal, until the driver accelerates and the vehicle begins to roll. When set, the instrument cluster indicates SBC HOLD. I like using this function and miss it when switching back to other cars. As far as I know it was first introduced in the spring of 2003 in the 04 E-class Estate and lateron in the 2004 SLs.

 

I'm pretty sure all 3 features Oslo posted (thanks!) have not made it to the USA. Undoubtedly "liability concerns".

 

Thanks for the quick reply, Oslo! I'm starting to get the feeling that the SBC Stop hasn't made it to the USA yet as well.

Oslo - do you have to be on a hill for the feature to work, or can the hold feature be engage on level ground?

The soft-stop is definitely working - I had the 2003 E which was nearly impossible to bring to a smooth stop, however with the 2004 it's perfect!

 

No, you don't need to be in a hill. If your car is not equipped with SBC, it will not have the SBC Soft either.

There are roumers that the SBC Soft only will be a software upgrade for cars already equipped with SBC.

 

if i stop aggresively, the soft stop feature is activated. the car will stop much smother than w/o it. the dealer showed me on a test drive. but only on aggresive stops...not normal or emergency brake pressure.

now when you say that this will be released in 2004, are you talking about SOFT STOP will be on always? or is this something different completely?

 

I don't think my 04 E320 has any of the 3. Is it for non-US cars only?

 

Soft Stop is not (NOT - N O T - NNNOOOTTT) implemented yet! Your dealer really wanted to sell this car, right Did he also show you the absolute new refuel pump? It only works if you drive in a big town behind a truck. The car acually sucks in the emission gases and tries to extract all unburned fuel out of it. Then refuels your car. But you can only see it at full moon . It really works! Just kidding.. don't take it personally.

US cars don't have any SBC features because MB might be afraid of losing a lot of money if it may malfunction.

But SBC Hold is a great feature - so... relaxing and SBC Stop... never thought a traffic jam would be fun

 

Sounds like I could use SBC Hold in the hills and very steep streets here.

 

maybe what i'm taking about is not SOFT STOP, but my car's brakes most certainly release pressure on the pads just before the car stops like i said on aggressive stops. it provides a smoother stop. it doesn't work for normal or emergency stops.

can anyone is the U.S. confirm what i'm saying? i don't know if the 320 has it or not.

 

GIVE ME SBC HOLD!

 

Could it be that your car has BAS (Brake Assist)? This is also standard on European cars:

Here is what Mercedes-Benz says about it:

The Brake Assist System (BAS), an electronic system by Mercedes-Benz, interprets the braking behavior of the driver and initiates the full braking effect when it identifies an emergency situation. This reduces the braking distance substantially.

Here is the engineering foundation for BAS:

Conventional braking systems usually use engine vacuum to increase braking capability. Instead of relying solely on vacuum power to provide effective brakes, an electric pump pressurizes brake fluid to provide power assist for BAS and the necessary brake force for 4ETS.

The pressurized brake fluid is stored at about. 180 bar (2600 psi!) in a reservoir known as the accumulator. From the accumulator the high pressure brake fluid is supplied to the hydraulic operating cylinder in the master cylinder assembly. Commands to utilize the pressurized fluid comes from either 4ETS or BAS. When the brakes are applied and BAS deems it necessary, a lever connected to the brake pedal releases varying amounts of the high pressure fluid to assist in stopping the car.

Here is what BAS does for you:

Most drivers, under normal braking conditions as well as under emergency conditions, start out with little brake pressure and whenever necessary they will increase their pedal effort. In an emergency this behavior leads many times to a crash since the car could not be stopped in time. Those situations require maximum pedal pressure from the beginning - if necessary the effort can be reduced later in the process.

With other words most drivers do not use the ability of the brakes to their advantage - BAS automatically corrects that. The system recognizes emergency situations within milli seconds and releases pressurized brake fluid into the system as soon as the driver touches the brake pedal. As soon as the driver releases the brake pedal, BAS kicks back into a standby mode.

BAS creates a much higher stopping force for emergencies than most drivers are ever able to generate. By doing so BAS helps to prevent accidents


Just another good reason to drive a car made by Mercedes-Benz

 

thanks for the insight oslso, thats real cool, another thing is like if you suddenly release your foot off the accelerater, the brakes will actually move closer to eachother so when you hit the pedal, you save a lil time. and they dry themselves

 

According to the 2003 E Class brochure, all US cars have SBC with Soft Stop, Automatic Brake Drying, Predictive brake priming, ABS, and Brake Assist. The Soft Stop says " Soft Stop precisely modulates brake pressure as the car approaches a stop during normal braking." The 2004 literature shows the same features. I haven't noticed the Soft Stop working but I haven't felt any issues with the brakes anyway. The seem to be very strong and controlable.

 

I always thought that the brochures clearly showed Soft Stop, but I didn't have it in front of me to check. Mine stop smoothly when it is a hard stop, but a little more jarring when it is a slow stop.

 

YES!!

i asked the dealer if they could set it to be a smoothly stop all the time, not just a hard stop...he stated no (with no research done, of course.)