Parking Pilot space detection
 

Hello,

I'm rather frustrated with the parking space detection of the Parking Pilot. I can slowly drive through a parking lot and pass open space after open space without the PP detecting them. At that point I just park the car by hand.

The few times I did get the PP to work, I had to make the effort to drive up and down the lot a few times. It might detect spaces you drove past before without them being detected. Once a space gets detected, it parks beautifully.

Does this match the experience of others? Is it just my car?

On mine I've noticed I have to have the passenger side of the car facing the parking spots. I've noticed that it does not detect on the drivers side when going down a row. Also Parking Pilot finds spots based on cars parked, not lines or empty spaces. I tried to use it in a grass lot but it didn't work there the few times I used it.

Also I noticed with mine that when it does work, it pulls the car too far forward so the bottom of the front bumper scrapes the parking barrier so I usually stop it before it gets too far forward.

I have not tried it yet with parallel parking but I heard that it works a lot better with parallel parking over perpendicular parking.

not 100% sure, but don't you need to have the indicator operating?

The old system only looked for parking spaces on drivers side if you indicated that direction as it defaults to passenger side. New one looks both sides at once. Mine finds spaces aplenty but I'll admit, the only time I tried to actually use it I couldn't select a space to park in; rotating dial, pushing it, tried the touchpad, nothing selected a space. My COMAND has been updated since then but I've not got round to trying it, hope it works as I used it a fair bit on the old one.

It isn't just your car, I do have same problem with the parking pilot system.The answer I got from the dealer is Mercedes is aware of the problem and they are working to improve it in the next generation of E class.Looks like it is a beta version of the software and Mercedes is collecting data to find a way to make it more reliable. I don't using it anymore due to the system limitation, I park faster and better by myself.I will test drive the new E class coupe, maybe is coming with a better version of the Command system.

Seems like park pilot suffers from the same limitations as parktronic. Different name for the same ol thing.

The semi-autonomous mode (drive pilot, parking pilot, collision detection...) it is limited.It is a new born and it was released into the wild to learn.It will be a few years until will start "crawling" and do what it was design for.It will need "mother" (read AI/car to X) to overcome real life situation and human behavior challenges but it will grow up eventually, we need patience and money of course to buy the upcoming new generations of Mercedes "toys".

My wife had it (self parking) on her 2010 A class and it worked perfectly!!

When you pay $10K for an option package, you expect it to work the same way it does in Mercede's videos touting the feature.

Why would anyone actuate the parking assist when it is obvious that the car has chosen the wrong parking? It always is your decision to decide if the parking spot is appropriate! The owners manual is pretty clear on this!

That's funny.

There were / are 2 different systems -- one tells you how/when to turn your steering and the other actually parks the car.. I've owned one or the other on 4 cars. The proper self parking works really well.

or...you don't understand what you have

Park Pilot detects the space, not the painted lines.
It won't self park in wide open spaces either.
A bit of common sense is required to use these advanced features.

as you are new to the forum and have no credentials, I will be polite........no you obviously do not understand..........

The technology is meant for tight spaces, not wide open spaces. I've never had an issue with Park Pilot.

From the manual......

Parking Pilot does not assist you parking in spaces at a right angle to the direction of travel if:

• two parking spaces are located directly next to one another
• the parking space is directly next to a low obstacle such as a low kerb
• you forward-park

Parking Pilot does not assist you parking in spaces parallel or at a right angle to the direction of travel if:

• the parking space is on a kerb
• the system reads the parking space as being blocked, such as by foliage or grass paving blocks
• the area is too small for the vehicle to manoeuvre into
• the parking space is bordered by an obstacle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer

Parking Pilot is activated automatically when you drive forwards. The system is operational at speeds of up to approximately 35 km/h. While in operation, the system independently locates and measures parking spaces on both sides of the vehicle.
Parking Pilot will detect only parking spaces that are:

• parallel or at right angles to the direction of travel
• parallel to the direction of travel and at least 1.5 m wide
• parallel to the direction of travel and at least 1.0 m longer than your vehicle
• at right angles to the direction of travel and at least 1.0 m wider than your vehicle

You don't use the touch pad or dial...

From the manual.....

Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol shows the desired parking space in the instrument cluster.
http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
Shift the transmission to position http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...6_inv_006b.png.

• The Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No: http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...2_inv_0025.png message appears in the multifunction display.

http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
To cancel the procedure: press the http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...2_inv_0025.png button on the multifunction steering wheel or pull away.
or
http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
To park using Parking Pilot: press the http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...5_inv_0061.png button on the multifunction steering wheel.

• The Parking Pilot active Accelerate and brake Observe surroundings message appears in the multifunction display.

http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
Release the multifunction steering wheel.
http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at all times. When reversing, drive at a speed below approximately 10 km/h. Otherwise, Parking Pilot is cancelled. Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill when the vehicle approaches the rear border of the parking space.
http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
Stop as soon as Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sounds the continuous warning tone, if not before.

• Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking spaces.

The Parking Pilot active Select D Observe surroundings message appears in the multifunction display.
http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...s/nav_left.png
Shift the transmission to position http://moba.i.daimler.com/baix/globa...6_inv_0068.png while the vehicle is stationary.

• Parking Pilot steers immediately in the other direction.
  The Parking Pilot active Accelerate and brake Observe surroundings message appears in the multifunction display.

etc,,,,,,,

Yup, in my case these conditions had been met. The space (yesterday, not in my anecdote of earlier) was a single space on the passenger side, between two other cars. There were also similar spaces on the right. I travelled the length (slowly) and it failed to detect any of them. However, if you're able to look at the satellite image of the car park I mentioned in my last post I am certain it's to do with the width of the aisle between the rows. It has worked fine in multi-story car parks for me.