I have just learned that the control of my power steering at highway speeds is affected when the distronic or cruise control system is engaged. When engaged on level highway roads, steering is impacted by a noticable continuous small back and forth correction motion. It resembles a condition where position control is being performed with the use of a poor resolution position sensor. Has anyone experienced a similar steering control condition with their electronic power steering? It would also be interesting to know why the Distronic control system is mutually controlling the power steering positioning as well.

 

I've had that nasty back and forth unstable steering DistronicPlus effect.
I attribute it to the hot solderless stereo-camera.

Start by cleaning the inner window and the plastic optical lens with a wet Q-tip. A glase firm tends to develop and impact lane recognition.

I cleary put 0% chance this is caused by the $5000 electric rack itself.

There is another opportunity to make the steering better than new... the solderless steering column optical angle sensor. Once fixed the rack will holds a center bias all by itself instead of acting unstable ona barrel like it needs another wheel alignment.

The MB specialist may diagnose this system correctly with factory training & MB remote support experts.

 

If I understand your response to my question is the unstable steering directly related with unstable image processing signals or other types sensor signaling within the Distronic control? Are there online resources available that provide an overview of the basic functionaliy of Distronics system and related component control? Are there MB engineering resourses that can provide information regarding system adjustments or locations for service?

 

Kill the nanny system... drive the car and not let the car drive you.
I am so blessed my car has NONE of those dumb-azz steering aid, except parking sensors....and I dont even use the auto parking.
Even ECO start stop annoyed me big time and I killed it.
Without nanny sysem, it will force you to be more alert at all times....as how pure driving should be.
Normal cruise control OK.

In my country with whacko bike riders , distronic becomes VERY dangerous for the car behind my car.

 

You likely can find all system specifics in the WIS document library. This will lead to Xentry data acquisitions.

The dirty optical surfaces should be cleaned before other considerations.

Replacing stereo camera requies calibration and tools...

The combination of radar, camera, electric rack and precise steering angle are the best part of this platform.

Independent automatic braking + steering + throttle are a real comfort on open or crowded road and slow traffic crawl.

 

CaliBenzDriver
It is obvious I am not familiar with the systems being questioned.
Can you provide a link to the WIS library? Are the optical surfaces you refer to located at the top center of the windshield or within the grill?
I am familiar with optical systems used in detecting and controlling anomalies within a structured environment. Using various sensing systems to control position within the frontal field of view on a moving vehicle isn't trvivial matter. It would seem the range of the control setpoints need to be rather broad in order to minimize irratic responses.

 

Yes the stereo cameras module is hosted high up on the windshield.

The long-range radar module is installed behind the front grill plastic cover. (Short-range radar modules are located under the bumper-skin cover).
DON'T BOTHER WITH RADARS about your wandering steering issue. Concentrate on cameras and steering faults.

-- Clean the inside section of the windshield + cameras plastic lens as needed.

-- Use an MB scanner to retrieve all chassis faults to see transient fault collection.

-- Decide on next step based on above (camera: pass/fail?)


Many MB enthusiasts have used "Google search" to find options about access professional WIS documents.

 

First go to lastvin.com and get ur data card, to decode your options related to ADAS and then post the PDF here.
I am looking at WIS for you and I already got migrain, because my car has no bull-shiet ADAS and there are names or code changes for these system in 2014 and up,
thus my system names familiarity is very low. MB also has newer Model Year 2015 variant with improved capability...dang.

Attached for the time being what I can dig out for you to read..
Finding WIS for the correct options and correct car need lots of time, the search feature of the WIS is very bad.

You want to learn more about your car, get knock-off EPC/WIS, a must have.
Spend time when car not in trouble to read about it while not under pressure, it will take more than 50 hours of WIS use just to know how to find stuff in WIS.


I have not gone as far as code 266, because too much reading...............


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You got decent scanner like the baby launch ?
If not, get one , you MUST own one.
Check if your R50 heater on the front windshield serving the multifunction camera is bad or not ? This is an important anti-fog device, that R50 heater.




Now, post the datacard from LastVin.....asap.
Today is my last free day on my PC with WIS/EPC. I will be in Bali soon and my laptop has no EPC/WIS.

.

 

To add, option code 266 is NOT COMMON. Maybe cost a lot of $$
Only option 266 can correct your steering within lane keeping using its own logic, that is what I gather from the document below and attached



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If you dont have option code 266, your steering doing its own "wondering" around is then nothing to do with multifunction camera, because if no code 266 those cameras are not being used for lane keeping or steer assist.

Most common USA cars options for W212 seems to be code 258.
I went thru 6 used W212 from 2014 to 2016, could not find one with code 266

 

Before facelift these two are the lane keeping assist option code. Damn it is so confusing when I don't have any of them




Before facelift tech manual, snipet below and the PDF attached




I can't find the word ACTIVE LANE KEEPING ASSIST.
MB have always confused me when it comes to naming option code which over time changes or more mature.
My headlight is the ILS, but the highest model ILS and the WIS tech document call it not ILS but DYNAMIC.., the label on the headlight itself is ILS ( intelligent Light System ).

 

My S212 from 2016 has 266, Distronic Plus Cross Support (DTR+Q), which I deactivated almost immediately. We have traffic circles/roundabouts and the damn system was fighting me as I travelled through these with other traffic.

 

Dang, it is that dumb.
If in my country with weird whacko lines or no lines on the road, it will go banana

My friend's 2025 new Land Cruiser 300, he too was pissed by the ADAS, keep braking hard when dumb-zz biker overtook him impolitely*( *local culture ).
Its OFF 100% now........... what a waste of money.

 

Mine has option 266 (facelift model 2013). It came as part of the 'Driving package 23P', list price was €2723 in 2013.

I quite like the option, it works great on the European highways. It only activates when distronic is activated. Let go of the wheel and it will steer itself fine, either following the car in front (object detection) or staying between the lanes. There are even circumstances with heavy rain when the car seems better at spotting the lane markings than me.

After about 10s, I get a warning that I have to keep my hands at the wheel. If I wait another ~5 seconds, it starts beeping and will eventually deactivate distronic.

The system works all the way from 0 km/h till 210 (if I remember correctly). The warning to keep your hands at the wheel does not occur below 30km/h, so the car can sort out traffic jam driving by itself.

It's a pretty advanced system for a 2013 car I think. Quite impressed by how well it seems to cover a lot of situations on my daily commute.

 

+1 great system that drives well in many settings.

I like the automatic traffic crawler in stop-and-go traffic jams. Car works traffic-jams so perfectly like a robot.

 

Seems like these nanny systems are early experimenting towards automated driving.

 

the worst part is when these systems go off-line at critical times... drivers get handed control in tough situations.

It's not "self-driving" system but "driver assist" with hands-on the wheel required above 30mph.

Drivers need to learn a different set of limitations to remain in control of safety.

 

Lots of great input to my initial inquiry about adjusting the sensitivity or response of the electronic power steering control system. I am not a controls engineer but understand the basic structural or architectural principles used in designing control systems. All the posted responses primarily identifiy the hardware and circuitry used in the various motion and object detection control subsystems. It is now apparent that there are no provisions for making adjustments to setpoints within the various control modules. Understandably, MB engineering has integrated application specific operating routines within each control module. These are most likely non accessable for good reasons.
I have one more question. Can the Distronics control function within the cruise control module be disabled? This would enable the cruise control to operate as a conventional speed control module.

 

Unfortunately I don't think this is possible as Distronic is the cruise-control.

The only way I know to disable it is by not activating its function.

The long & short range radars are always active regardless of Distronic On/Off activity.

The actively wandering steering is Not caused by the radar nor by electric steering rack but likely the murky MFK camera module lens.

You can disable Lane Assist function - Review the menu options exposed in Instrument Cluster display.

 

CaliBenzDriver you mention cleaning the camera lens. Does this require removing the rear view mirror and cover? It is hard for me to believe a small film on the lens would affect controlling the video module. The field of view (FOV) within the video routine I would think is rather large thereby making the resolution large also. The FOV is most likely an area of intensity (rearend of a vehicle) projected about the C/L of the hood and preset at some working distance. I am assuming the sensor being used is an area type with minimal pixel density, therefore, individual pixel values are probably large relative to the size of the aea of interest. If my assumptions are correct a small film on the lens is not going to affect overall results or precision within the image processing routine. If this were true why wouldn't drops of water on the windshield affect the level of precision?

 

Based on all that... now factor in the stereoscopic view from the dual-camera setup

I don't think anyone should be tempering with vehicle safety systems such as brakes steering or computers...


> - 1 - MFK...
-- My simple steps suggested cleaning the haze film on the inner windshield surface + delicate plastic sensor lenses.

-- My advanced steps suggest soldering the loose pins used by this fancy module.

-- Beyond that if I had to revisit this module I would drill venting holes in the casing being sure it does not introduce light nor dust - This module is above 100°C without windshield heat.


> - 2 - SCM...
Another worthy target of repair for the wandering cruise control electric rack is SCM.

The Steering Column Module host the high-resolution steering position sensor. It uses optical prism looking through a comb to compute fractions of degree.
This module reads the precise steering column position so the steering rack position as well.


> - 3 - CGW...
I am not exactly sure what CAN bus the rack is connected to nor how the MFK + SCM interface with it. If Central Gateway is involved in bus translation... you can suspect it impact dataflow.
Regardless of advanced theories simple chassis Reboots can deliver temporary CGE sanity to help troubleshoot which unstable disruption is playing out.


> Closed loop Combination....
I used to have the funny wandering rack that I magically transformed into great center-biased better than new.
Perhaps the steering system requires all working inputs to work well: SCM + MFK.
Now car stays planted straight without cruise control active. This is extremely comfortable to drive chassis that's not on a unstable barrel roll left to right at every road bump.


> High resolution throtle + brakes....
I certainly now have high resolution in the Distronic control of brakes + throttle.

I let you compare with whith your experience here:
DistronicPlus from factory used to be hard brakes plus hard throttle application, always too heavy: a lot of throttle followed by hard braking. Sort of primitive over reactions.

Having done steps aboves... my car now follow precisely with very little throttle followed by precise brake application.
No longer heavy controls like it used to be...

There's room for improvement to activate normal advanced functioning disabled by stock solderless setup.