unexplained sudden braking
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Mercedes e350 BlueTec
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e350
You guys need to relax. I'm and RF engineer and telecom expert. This was not caused by the air traffic radar. Freaky one time things happen. The car's radar got mixed up and saw something that wasn't there.
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From: Richmond, VA
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Whenever I drive to an airport loading/unloading area, it is at best controlled chaos. I would bet that the car's radar saw a vehicle that the driver didn't. Maybe a driver opened their door or started to pull in front of the OP.
JK
JK
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1953 300 Adenauer, 1971 300 SEL 6.3, 1975 600, 1978 450 6.9
Don't know what happened but it was completely unrelated to the airport. While Audi blind spot detection systems set off automotive radar detectors all the time, airport electronics will not affect any in-car systems.
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I should clarify, i wasnt at the loading/unloading area yet, if anyones been to MSP airport theres a long road (bout 1/4 mile) that splits at the end going up for drop off and down for pickup, i was half way down that road when it happened. it was just after 11PM and there was only one other car on the road, 2 lanes over to my right and about 20 feet behind me.
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If the dealer wants to say it's airport radar...then he should call mercedes. Irrespective of the cause, the OP should report to NHTSA.
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It is far more likely, the OP hit the brake instead of the gas. Hard to believe this thread made it to page two. My money says that the driver was at fault for this. Nothing intentional, but, things happen. If it was my vehicle, I would get rid of it. That is too freaky a safety issue to wait for a fix. At the very least I would go to another dealer that was not so incompetent as to suggest airport radar. lol. Sometimes I feel like I am taking crazy pills when I read some of these threads.....lol
Last edited by ImInPA; Aug 22, 2012 at 01:32 PM.
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1953 300 Adenauer, 1971 300 SEL 6.3, 1975 600, 1978 450 6.9
It is far more likely, the OP hit the brake instead of the gas. Hard to believe this thread made it to page two. My money says that the driver was at fault for this. Nothing intentional, but, things happen. If it was my vehicle, I would get rid of it. That is too freaky a safety issue to wait for a fix. At the very least I would go to another dealer that was not so incompetent as to suggest airport radar. lol. Sometimes I feel like I am taking crazy pills when I read some of these threads.....lol
When we drive, we identify hazards and steer around them. A cement divider in the road isn't a hazard for us as we know that we're going left or right but the car only sees a block of cement front and center.
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2010 E550, 273 Engine: 2012 S550, 278 Engine
I should clarify, i wasnt at the loading/unloading area yet, if anyones been to MSP airport theres a long road (bout 1/4 mile) that splits at the end going up for drop off and down for pickup, i was half way down that road when it happened. it was just after 11PM and there was only one other car on the road, 2 lanes over to my right and about 20 feet behind me.
So did it happen at about half way point when you were getting under or just before that sky-walk between the B concourse on right and the parking garage on left?
I have had this happen three times on interstate at full speed when coming to an over pass. Just before going under a bridge I get the collision warning triple beep but it never applied brakes or the seat belt tension. I guess what ever the radar saw went away and it did not need to apply brakes.
All of these incidences happened while CC was on and foot was not even near the brake pedal on an empty road ahead of me. No other cars in sight.
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From: St. Paul, MN
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So did it happen at about half way point when you were getting under or just before that sky-walk between the B concourse on right and the parking garage on left?
I have had this happen three times on interstate at full speed when coming to an over pass. Just before going under a bridge I get the collision warning triple beep but it never applied brakes or the seat belt tension. I guess what ever the radar saw went away and it did not need to apply brakes.
All of these incidences happened while CC was on and foot was not even near the brake pedal on an empty road ahead of me. No other cars in sight.
I have had this happen three times on interstate at full speed when coming to an over pass. Just before going under a bridge I get the collision warning triple beep but it never applied brakes or the seat belt tension. I guess what ever the radar saw went away and it did not need to apply brakes.
All of these incidences happened while CC was on and foot was not even near the brake pedal on an empty road ahead of me. No other cars in sight.
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From: St. Paul, MN
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if this helps i took a pic off google maps, i was about where the red arrow is...i believe, im flying out again friday morning so ill try to take a photo from the car on the way in so you can see what i saw
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1953 300 Adenauer, 1971 300 SEL 6.3, 1975 600, 1978 450 6.9
Possibly the overpass, but please DON'T take a picture while driving.
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1953 300 Adenauer, 1971 300 SEL 6.3, 1975 600, 1978 450 6.9
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From: St. Paul, MN
2011 E550 4Matic
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Mercedes e350 BlueTec
If the dealer found "events" and can't explain them or claims that "these things just happen", I would not drive the car. I would file a safety notice with NHTSA and I would ask to speak to the area mercedes head service individual on the phone before I left the dealer. It is that unsafe...if what was reported is true. Not saying it's unsafe on any other car, but there is at least something seriously wrong with the car in question.
Perhaps the interim solution is for the dealer to find a way to disable that "feature", even though apparently you can't.
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+1 I would not drive the car either. That is a real safety issue if it happened the way the OP claims. I would either have a full explanation from MB along wiht the fix or I would be driving a different vehicle.
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Black 2012 E550
Hope they take care of you as I very recently bought my car from the same dealer. I do not have the "active lane assist and distronic" feature. However, isn't there a way to turn off the active lane assist/distronic function through your "settings" function?
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I wasn't there so... But I do use cc and d+ all the time, and there are "features" that one must consider at all times. A MB with d+ is a car that essentially thinks for itself, but it can be fooled.
One possibility not mentioned is this: The car sees something, and gives its warning. IF, and I am not saying this is the case, the OP reacts perhaps unknowingly by tapping the brakes, the car will see this as affirmation of the perceived danger and will apply the brakes MUCH harder than it would if the warning chimes had not sounded. I think this is called brake priming. Even though the touch on the brakes is light, the actual braking is done at an emergency level. I've had this happen, and it is quite surprising. One might feel it is the car taking over the braking, but it is really driver initiated.
Also, like CEB said, there might have been a static object that the car sees but the driver knows he will steer around. There are also dynamic objects that pose no danger but which the car sees as static. For instance, a car turning left might be doing 10 mph (say) from its perspective but from yours will be essentially stationary for a brief moment. Likewise, a car doing 30 mph perpendicular to your path will be briefly stationary to d+ in front of your car. Your mind sees the dynamics and says there is nothing in your path. Yourcar does not see the dynamics, and says there is something you might hit. This too happens to me a lot, and I have had d+ activate a few times even with cc off.
My feeling is that something happened where the car believed there was a danger and the OP "confirmed" it by tapping the brakes or something, and the car went into an "emergency mode."
One possibility not mentioned is this: The car sees something, and gives its warning. IF, and I am not saying this is the case, the OP reacts perhaps unknowingly by tapping the brakes, the car will see this as affirmation of the perceived danger and will apply the brakes MUCH harder than it would if the warning chimes had not sounded. I think this is called brake priming. Even though the touch on the brakes is light, the actual braking is done at an emergency level. I've had this happen, and it is quite surprising. One might feel it is the car taking over the braking, but it is really driver initiated.
Also, like CEB said, there might have been a static object that the car sees but the driver knows he will steer around. There are also dynamic objects that pose no danger but which the car sees as static. For instance, a car turning left might be doing 10 mph (say) from its perspective but from yours will be essentially stationary for a brief moment. Likewise, a car doing 30 mph perpendicular to your path will be briefly stationary to d+ in front of your car. Your mind sees the dynamics and says there is nothing in your path. Yourcar does not see the dynamics, and says there is something you might hit. This too happens to me a lot, and I have had d+ activate a few times even with cc off.
My feeling is that something happened where the car believed there was a danger and the OP "confirmed" it by tapping the brakes or something, and the car went into an "emergency mode."
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From: St. Paul, MN
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There is a way to turn Lane keeping off, however i use it all the time so i would like to keep it on. Dont think theres a way to 'turn off' dist+ other then just not setting it?
