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I love my 2016 E350 4Matic sedan. It is the best all around car I have ever owned.
That said, I recently discovered a bad feature. The normal operating sequence when you have stopped and are planning to exit the car is as follows:
Stop, apply and hold brake ON, push transmission position selector button IN, and push ignition button to STOP engine. This places the transmission in PARK with the engine off.
The bad feature I found is when the car is stopped with your foot on the brake and you push the ignition button to stop the engine but forget to push the transmission position selector button into park. The car is now in NEUTRAL. Releasing the brake and exiting the car can result in it rolling. I know everyone will say, "but you are supposed to set the parking brake before leaving the car". I agree but how many do? I set my parkimg brake whenever I am stopped on an incline so I don't place a strain on the park mechanism.
Maybe this thread has been posted before but I would be interested in any comments.
I love my 2016 E350 4Matic sedan. It is the best all around car I have ever owned.
That said, I recently discovered a bad feature. The normal operating sequence when you have stopped and are planning to exit the car is as follows:
Stop, apply and hold brake ON, push transmission position selector button IN, and push ignition button to STOP engine. This places the transmission in PARK with the engine off.
The bad feature I found is when the car is stopped with your foot on the brake and you push the ignition button to stop the engine but forget to push the transmission position selector button into park. The car is now in NEUTRAL. Releasing the brake and exiting the car can result in it rolling. I know everyone will say, "but you are supposed to set the parking brake before leaving the car". I agree but how many do? I set my parkimg brake whenever I am stopped on an incline so I don't place a strain on the park mechanism.
Maybe this thread has been posted before but I would be interested in any comments.
You are clearly right about that issue! automation has its limits....
Too often I come across the situation above where the tranny ends up in Neutral gear regardless of door being opened (It's all about IGN: ON/OFF).
At that point the IC Display shows a red warning message and beeps to alarm driver about hazardous roll-away condition...
I think this happens because we are used to relying on the tranny shifting automatically to "P" when driver door gets opened.
I have an experimental tip... the safest solution is to RTFM then practice manually shifting into Park when appropriate.
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Oct 29, 2025 at 07:41 PM.
Open the door if you don't want to put the car in park like you should. It'll put itself in park. (nanny system activated)
Note that if you're rolling at less than about 5mph it'll put itself in park when you open the door. Don't do that. (nanny system activated)
In other words, releasing the brake and opening the driver's door without putting it in park will put the car in park.
How many nanny systems are needed here?
I remember when you had to actually move a lever to put a car in park. Or make sure the transmission was in 1 or R before walking away. Or (god forbid) turn on your own headlights!
Last edited by rapidoxidation; Oct 29, 2025 at 08:36 PM.
I have 2010 E550 and 2012 S550 and both of them shift to “P” if engine is not running and door is opened.
I think you can intentionally put the car on neutral without engine running opening door with the key in the second position, but this would be intentionally, not accidentally done.
There is something wrong if this does not happen. It is not a “bad feature”, it is a malfunction.
That is not at all the case and my E350 that I had. It absolutely is the case in my AMG vehicles. I have never not once had the 350 move on me inadvertently whereas on a couple of occasions while sitting on the phone in the car after arriving at my destination I have rolled a bit here and there
That is not at all the case and my E350 that I had. It absolutely is the case in my AMG vehicles. I have never not once had the 350 move on me inadvertently whereas on a couple of occasions while sitting on the phone in the car after arriving at my destination I have rolled a bit here and there
In electronic parking brake system equipped cars like W214 Mercedes-Benz E Class, park brake will engage anyway . W212s didn't have that feature relied on mechanical release system . Well, I take it as a practice to engage the park brake before leaving the car but if the ground is flat , no slope at all I just put it P without setting the park brake on . I used to open the doors when the car in N and I could hear the parking prawl getting engaged with a grinding noise . It didn't damage the tranny in after 4 years but what I did was wrong to me .
Cali's message reminded me a backing up Lamborghini Countach , what a poor driver lol
CaliBenzDriver, I in a slight fog regarding undestanding your experimental tip. Please explain what RTFM is and "manually shifting into Park" means.
My transmission shift pendant is always in the mid position unless you need to select R or D which is momentarily up or down. N & P are selected with the button on the pendant.
To all who responded to my comment about what I called a Bad Feature in my 2016 E350 I thank you. Someone indicated that if the the transmission is in Neutral when the engine is turned OFF the transmission will immediately go into PARK when the door is opened. I tested this and it does place the transmission into PARK. The forum works! I learned something today. Thanks again.
You want a REAL bad feature in the W212? In one of my cars the blinker is above the cruise control...in the other...switched......
push to wipe stalk...
The picture above is the one I have... push to wipe and DistroPlus stalk all the way low.
Another flipping troublesome setup are steering column stalk levers with push buttons...
the Right side stalk ... push for Park!!
the Left side stalk ... push to Wipe
Presumably there is some kind if fail safe that orevent blowing up tranny when commanding PARK at freeway speed... I have not experimentef with the 15mph limit.
I've trained my right hand priority is to hang on the wheel so my left hand can be free to work cruise stalk, signals and wipers.
The wobbly wiper arms always impress me so I control "manual wipes" when possible. The wiper mechanism is beging for a overall with high temp silicon lube like strut bearing mounts were. Perhaps this winter ??
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Oct 30, 2025 at 04:44 PM.
I love my 2016 E350 4Matic sedan. It is the best all around car I have ever owned.
That said, I recently discovered a bad feature. The normal operating sequence when you have stopped and are planning to exit the car is as follows:
Stop, apply and hold brake ON, push transmission position selector button IN, and push ignition button to STOP engine. This places the transmission in PARK with the engine off.
The bad feature I found is when the car is stopped with your foot on the brake and you push the ignition button to stop the engine but forget to push the transmission position selector button into park. The car is now in NEUTRAL. Releasing the brake and exiting the car can result in it rolling. I know everyone will say, "but you are supposed to set the parking brake before leaving the car". I agree but how many do? I set my parkimg brake whenever I am stopped on an incline so I don't place a strain on the park mechanism.
Maybe this thread has been posted before but I would be interested in any comments.
If key is out of ignition slot N73, it will automatically goes to PARK no matter what steps you do or don't do, this is for my car.
BUT : I dont use push buttom start, I remove it since day 1, it is lame and dangerous for guys like me who like to mess with my engine.
I guess you found what you dont like, because you are using the push button start.
S-Prihadi, This is the 1st car I have ever owned with PB start. All my other Benzs have had keys and console transmission selectors. This arrangement prevents key removal if park is not set. At 1st I thought I would go back to using the key in my latest E350 but I have gotten use to it. I am the primary driver but if my wife or someone else are to use it, the key will be used.
2025 E450 All Terrain Wagon, Nautical Blue Metallic, Macchiato Beige/Black Interior
Originally Posted by CaliBenzDriver
The picture above is the one I have... push to wipe and DistroPlus stalk all the way low.
Another flipping troublesome setup are steering column stalk levers with push buttons...
the Right side stalk ... push for Park!!
the Left side stalk ... push to Wipe
Presumably there is some kind if fail safe that orevent blowing up tranny when commanding PARK at freeway speed... I have not experimentef with the 15mph limit.
I've trained my right hand priority is to hang on the wheel so my left hand can be free to work cruise stalk, signals and wipers.
The wobbly wiper arms always impress me so I control "manual wipes" when possible. The wiper mechanism is beging for a overall with high temp silicon lube like strut bearing mounts were. Perhaps this winter ??
I remember back when I was test driving an S212 Wagon, which was the 1st I drove with the column stalk for shifting. At 70 mph I mistakenly pushed the Park button (at the time I did not know that button was for Park). Nothing happened to the transmission, but a warning popped onto the screen letting me know that the car should be stopped before trying to engage Park. I was very happy that nothing happened! Bought the car and it was wonderful.
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