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My 2016 has lane tracking package #993. It consists of two elements. Blind spot assist and lane keeping assist. Blind spot assist is easy to determine whether it is functioning, especially on a multi-lane highway.
My question is: How do you test lane keeping assist?
Three of the other safety features are attention assist, collision prevention assist plus and also, pre-safe. Again... my question is how do you test these?
A response of read the manual won't help because while the manual explains all these functions, it does not give any advice on how to test the functionality.
As far as the others, attention assist just monitors your driving and determines if you should take a break... the coffee mug symbol. If not sure what triggers the warning, but I imagine distance (longer trip) and erratic driving. I never had it come up, then again I don’t do more than 2-4 hour stretches.
My 2016 has lane tracking package #993. It consists of two elements. Blind spot assist and lane keeping assist. Blind spot assist is easy to determine whether it is functioning, especially on a multi-lane highway.
My question is: How do you test lane keeping assist?
Three of the other safety features are attention assist, collision prevention assist plus and also, pre-safe. Again... my question is how do you test these?
A response of read the manual won't help because while the manual explains all these functions, it does not give any advice on how to test the functionality.
Thanks in advance.
I am curious as to what compels you to wanna test these driver assist features??
The best thing you can do is to learn and practice to use the driver assistance the way they are described in your MB manual. Your practicing will also be your testing.
What I mean is these features are wonderfully smart but are limited to certain conditions you must learn and recognize. There are thousands of limitations no amount of software update will fix.
The way I enjoy the driver assist package is when it does not get in my way of driving!
I got sick and tired of the Lane Keeping madness and disabled it early on.
DistronicPlus steering does an amazing job and BlindSpot radars really rocks too with its combination of brales and steering.
What can make these features a bit dangerous is when the drivers over rely on the car being smarter than them.
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Jun 8, 2021 at 12:35 AM.
I am curious as to what compels you to wanna test these driver assist features??
The best thing you can do is to learn and practice to use the driver assistance the way they are described in your MB manual. Your practicing will also be your testing.
What I mean is these features are wonderfully smart but are limited to certain conditions you must learn and recognize. There are thousands of limitations no amount of software update will fix.
The way I enjoy the driver assist package is when it does not get in my way of driving!
I got sick and tired of the Lane Keeping madness and disabled it early on.
DistronicPlus steering does an amazing job and BlindSpot radars really rocks too with its combination of brales and steering.
What can make these features a bit dangerous is when the drivers over rely on the car being smarter than them.
I was just curious as to whether the lane keeping was working at all .You see I recently had a rental car Chrysler300 C .(the car was a monster V-8 land cruiser) . The lane keeping was awful. I honestly thought the car had broken steering components ,like tie rod ends or ball joints. Drift slightly out of the center of your own lane and it literally pulled the steering wheel out of you hands from left to right. Anyway I stopped at a rest stop, got out the manual and figured out how to turn it off. I do not like the feature at all, just wanted to see if mine was working.
Lane keeping assist works best with Distronic Plus. It keeps you between the lane marker paint automatically. It will slightly drift back and forth between the markers while tugging on the steering wheel, which can be unnerving. Do you have Distronic?
Crossing lane markers will cause your car to apply the brakes and throw up a nice graphic with the lane you have breached highlighted in red.
i have had the driver alert pop up after driving in the highway for 3 hours or so. It monitors steering wheel input and knows when you are not paying attention
My 2016 has lane tracking package #993. It consists of two elements. Blind spot assist and lane keeping assist. Blind spot assist is easy to determine whether it is functioning, especially on a multi-lane highway.
My question is: How do you test lane keeping assist?
Testing lane keeping assist is as easy as blind spot assist. If LK assist is Enabled (check that first), then go out on the highway (minimum set speed is 40mph) then lazy-steer (drift) over the lane markers, right or left. The steering wheel should vibrate to alert that you are departing the lane.
Originally Posted by Alandf
Three of the other safety features are attention assist, collision prevention assist plus and also, pre-safe. Again... my question is how do you test these?
As I recall the manual, Pre-Safe is tested everytime you fasten the sealbelt... that annoying over-tightening of the belt that quickly releases, showing that the system is testing itself.
The only way to test collision prevention assist plus is to put a large piece of cardboard in the street in front of your home, and try to hit it. But I don't want my neighbors thinking I'm more weird than I really am, so I haven't done it.
As far as the others, attention assist just monitors your driving and determines if you should take a break... the coffee mug symbol. If not sure what triggers the warning, but I imagine distance (longer trip) and erratic driving. I never had it come up, then again I don’t do more than 2-4 hour stretches.
Attention Assist (page 175) seems to work only on the interstates (above 37mph for at least 30 minutes), and I'm sure there are other variables that must all align before it alerts. I've read that there is a camera or some sensor in the dash that monitors your eye/head movements and looks for erratic behavior.
First time I had this alert was on a very long drive. After 6-8 hours, the alert made me think whether I needed to take a break (No). But I have found that I can make it alert after as little as 30 minutes, simply by moving your head around. I periodically take highway trips with a good friend in the passenger's seat. We chat the whole way, and my animated head and hand gestures will trigger an alert. Look down to adjust the A/C or the radio several times and that will trigger it also. Sometimes to distraction that makes me want to turn it off.
Just a comment on all these safety features... It's easy to get acclimated (habituated) to these features. (Think center, high-mounted stop light habituated).
For example, Lane Keeping Assist alerts do not always get my attention anymore, because I have become used to the vibrating steering wheel. So I view these aids as supplemental (secondary) to driving while alert. I could never get comfy with Distronic, either.
@Alandf the feature being called "lane keeping assist" when you don't have Distronic is misleading. The car actually offers you no steering assist at all, it merely vibrates the steering wheel. That is how you know it is working. Mercedes calls the system that is paired with Distronic the same thing only "active". The feature you had and that my 2016 had should be called lane departure warning - that would be accurate.
I kept the feature turned OFF in my W212 as it was annoying.
Just a comment on all these safety features... It's easy to get acclimated (habituated) to these features. (Think center, high-mounted stop light habituated).
For example, Lane Keeping Assist alerts do not always get my attention anymore, because I have become used to the vibrating steering wheel. So I view these aids as supplemental (secondary) to driving while alert. I could never get comfy with Distronic, either.
A-Ha! You have become numb for the steering vibration because you don’t use the blinker much when changing lanes...😊
The reason I have not disabled the lane keep warning is that it keeps me using the blinker as I also don’t like that vibration.
@Alandf the feature being called "lane keeping assist" when you don't have Distronic is misleading. The car actually offers you no steering assist at all, it merely vibrates the steering wheel. That is how you know it is working. Mercedes calls the system that is paired with Distronic the same thing only "active". The feature you had and that my 2016 had should be called lane departure warning - that would be accurate.
I kept the feature turned OFF in my W212 as it was annoying.
There are two different kind lane keep assists. One is just “Lane Keep Assist” the other is “Active Lane Keep Assist”. Neither one has anything to do with “Distronic Plus”.
“Lane Keep Assist”, that I have in my 2010 E550, just vibrates the steering wheel when drifting over lane markings IF THE CAMERA SEES THE MARKINGS.
The Active system, that I have in my 2013 S550, uses vibration and brakes. If I drift on solid line in either side I get steering vibration AND the car uses brakes to pull the car back in lane. If I drift on dashed line on either side I get steering VIBRATION ONLY.
The active system does not pull the car back in lane if there is no solid line between the lanes. And the key is that THE CAMERA SEES THE SOLID OR DASHED LANE MARKINGS.
I have found the lane keep assist systems in both cars quite unreliable just because the lane markings must be in so good condition for the systems to work. This is a bit of disappointing as my 2017 Durango sees edge of the pavement without any paint on it.
But I keep the systems running so for keeping vibration out I need to use the blinker...
There are two different kind lane keep assists. One is just “Lane Keep Assist” the other is “Active Lane Keep Assist”. Neither one has anything to do with “Distronic Plus”.
I mean, your post correcting me basically says the exact same thing.. it's clear we both know the difference between the active LKA and the poorly named passive LKA in Benz.
In terms of how it relates to Distronic - the two were paired together in the 23P package with some other things. You don't get one without the other. I'm aware it isn't related in terms of function
I mean, your post correcting me basically says the exact same thing.. it's clear we both know the difference between the active LKA and the poorly named passive LKA in Benz.
In terms of how it relates to Distronic - the two were paired together in the 23P package with some other things. You don't get one without the other. I'm aware it isn't related in terms of function
Can you explain how LKA is tied to Distronic other than if they sell them together?
You can buy a car with LKA only but I’m not sure if they sell Distronic only without LKA but they could if they wanted to.
Can you explain how LKA is tied to Distronic other than if they sell them together?
You can buy a car with LKA only but I’m not sure if they sell Distronic only without LKA but they could if they wanted to.
They could do anything if they wanted to - but you have to have Distronic in the W212 to have active LKA, as they are bundled together, and this is not a common configuration. The fact you cannot have one without the other in the W212 is quite a strong connection and why it was relevant in the first place. Many W212s have lane track, which includes passive LKA and blind spot assist.
The OP was asked if he had Distronic. He said he does not. Therefore he has passive LKA and no ability to correct via steering or brakes. It is merely a steering wheel alert.
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Lane Tracking Package #993
