E-Class (W212) 2010 - 2016: E 350, E 550
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 07:18 PM
  #1  
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Why does the P appear when I put my E550 in gear? It goes out and then comes back seemingly randomly. I've looked in the online manual, but I don't see any reference to this indicator.
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 07:31 PM
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S65
P = Park?

I presume your car has the steering wheel column mounted shifter? If so, when you press on the tip of the shifter, (as indicated by the arrow), the tranny goes into park.
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Sathinas
P = Park?

I presume your car has the steering wheel column mounted shifter? If so, when you press on the tip of the shifter, (as indicated by the arrow), the tranny goes into park.
I know how to put it in park. I'm asking about the P in an open box on the lower left that comes and goes while driving.
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 08:25 PM
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The P is for parking assist. There should be arrow that will appears next to it if you will stop and put in reverse. Then you will get a message asking if you want park assist and if you press ok the car will guide you to park. Newer MB’s will park themselves.
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 08:29 PM
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Originally Posted by C280 Sport
The P is for parking assist. There should be arrow that will appears next to it if you will stop and put in reverse. Then you will get a message asking if you want park assist and if you press ok the car will guide you to park. Newer MB’s will park themselves.
Curious why it comes and goes while driving. Could there be a bad sensor somewhere?
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 08:44 PM
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^That.

Newer MBs has it there too but it is a blue symbol.
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Old Aug 10, 2025 | 11:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Kaycee58
Curious why it comes and goes while driving. Could there be a bad sensor somewhere?
I don't think you have a bad sensor , when you drive below a certain speed , the car assumes you are trying to find a proper parking spot and it just pops up there to help you guide when you need it . Yes, newer gauge cluster models have a blue indicator for it
That parking assist also shows you how to steer when you put the tranny in R or D but I find it very complex to use that's why I park the car myself
Happy Driving
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Old Aug 11, 2025 | 08:46 AM
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Yeah, didn't even see the circled P...
The replies above are correct, Park Assist.
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Old Aug 11, 2025 | 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Kaycee58
Curious why it comes and goes while driving. Could there be a bad sensor somewhere?
No, you have park assist, it's searching for a parking space whenever you go under 5-10 MPH, if you put on your right turn signal, it will automatically look on the right side for a parking space and the arrow will point in the opposite direction, your system is working just fine, depending on the year of your car, the actual process of parking changes, the newer models do much more than the pre-facelifts

Last edited by pierrejoliat; Aug 11, 2025 at 05:12 PM.
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Old Aug 14, 2025 | 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by pierrejoliat
No, you have park assist, it's searching for a parking space whenever you go under 5-10 MPH, if you put on your right turn signal, it will automatically look on the right side for a parking space and the arrow will point in the opposite direction, your system is working just fine, depending on the year of your car, the actual process of parking changes, the newer models do much more than the pre-facelifts
In my 2010 model it looks for the parking spot automatically without the blinker on the right side of the street. If I want it to look for the spot on the left side I need to put the left blinker on.

Looking for the spot means the car measures the space between two cars on parallel parking. When it finds a spot long enough to park the arrow will pop up next to the P in the square and from there you can use the park assist and back it in the spot. Car needs to first pass the parking spot for it to measure it.
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Old Aug 14, 2025 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Arrie
In my 2010 model it looks for the parking spot automatically without the blinker on the right side of the street. If I want it to look for the spot on the left side I need to put the left blinker on.

Looking for the spot means the car measures the space between two cars on parallel parking. When it finds a spot long enough to park the arrow will pop up next to the P in the square and from there you can use the park assist and back it in the spot. Car needs to first pass the parking spot for it to measure it.
Yes, Arrie, mine also but his arrow in the picture is pointing to the left,
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Old Aug 14, 2025 | 03:00 PM
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Originally Posted by pierrejoliat
Yes, Arrie, mine also but his arrow in the picture is pointing to the left,
What arrow? The only arrow is pointing to the transmission “P” position indicating it is possible to put transmission to “P”.

There is no arrow by the parking “P” in the square box.
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Old Aug 14, 2025 | 03:04 PM
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I wonder if it is the auto-park P
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Old Aug 14, 2025 | 03:53 PM
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Originally Posted by OldManAndHisCar
I wonder if it is the auto-park P
The arrows around the transmission show what moves are possible. OP has “D” selected. The little arrows show that he can go to “N”, “R” and “P”.

He obviously is stationary as the Reverse is available since when the car moves forward that arrow disappears as does the arrow for “P”, but “P” may still stay available at very low speed.
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Old Aug 14, 2025 | 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted by pierrejoliat
No, you have park assist, it's searching for a parking space whenever you go under 5-10 MPH, if you put on your right turn signal, it will automatically look on the right side for a parking space and the arrow will point in the opposite direction, your system is working just fine, depending on the year of your car, the actual process of parking changes, the newer models do much more than the pre-facelifts
Thank you! This was very helpful!
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Old Aug 15, 2025 | 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Arrie
What arrow? The only arrow is pointing to the transmission “P” position indicating it is possible to put transmission to “P”.

There is no arrow by the parking “P” in the square box.
Oh, you're right, I was looking at the wrong P
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Old Aug 15, 2025 | 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Kaycee58
Thank you! This was very helpful!
Anytime, I apologize for getting the Left and Right backwards, if you're in the USA, it will automatically search the right as Arrie said, you will need to turn on the left turn signal to get it to search on the left.
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Old Aug 15, 2025 | 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by pierrejoliat
Oh, you're right, I was looking at the wrong P
You weren’t the only one. No need to think of yourself as the Lone Ranger.
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