Hi there,

Just purchased a used 1 owner, high mileage but mint condition W213 serviced at MB from new, with receipts (purchased private so no warranty here) I'm having a few issues unique enough where I couldn't find anyone else with this very specific problem.

When I am approaching a stop (say at a red light) the park sensors go a little nuts, usually telling me I'm too close to something (red bars). However, this is NOT my main problem.

When I put the car into say 'P' when stationary, and then re-engage 'D' to drive away, the car PREVENTS me from driving by what feels like power being restricted to the drive-train. The car feels like its moving forward but very heavily restricting me from doing so, almost like a jittery/grindy sound/feel. Now I know you think 'gearbox fault' but I'm sure this is NOT it as the gear sits perfectly in 'D' and also D1, etc. Just refusing to drive anything over 1-2mph (Rule out the park brake as it is NOT engaged. I've put it on and off and hear the mechanics working. It's NOT that.) This definitely feels like electronics stopping me from moving such as ESP or TC etc.

Trying to figure out what the hell was going on (as I'm constantly stuck when stopping) I had a brainwave and SWITCHED OFF park control via the button and VIOLA the car imminently drove off.

I pulled into a car park to put this to the test. I pulled up next to an object with park control on, waited for it to scream at me, then put the car in to 'P' then back into 'D' and sure enough, its preventing me from driving.

Repeated the above but with park control OFF, put the car into 'P' then back into 'D' and sure enough, not a single issue. I drove right off.

Repeated again a few times to make sure and yep, when park control is active before putting into 'P' it prevents you from driving when going back to 'D'

I am 90% sure that this is NOT the typical gearbox fault but some kind of software/park control fault.

Can anyone assist me with this? So far in the mornings I just turn the park control off when leaving but there are times where I forget and cause a massive panic at a set of lights etc, its really stressful.

All the help I can get is appreciated. Many thanks!

 

Good job picking all the right cues to pin nagging on your parking sensors.


It's no secret: you're not alone.
these perfect bumper sensors have acted up for years....

Which one needs attention??
You will need either a good scanner or a good local specialist or a good remote specialist?

 

Many thanks for the reply.

So just to confirm, it is definitely the park control system preventing the car from driving? As in, this is a programed feature (to avoid collision) and not some software bug, or mechanic problem with the gearbox? To clarify, the vehicles behavior is intentional and not random?

This will put me at so much ease to know its just a sensor and a intended programmed feature, and not a bug lol. Is it possible to just disable the park sensors for now via OBD2 port?

Thanks!

 

Hi, thanks for the reply.

So just to confirm, this is the intended design and not a bug or a fault with the gearbox? As in, the park sensors have control over the vehicles ECU to prevent drive in the event of the sensor hitting the red zone?

If this is the case then it will put me at ease as I was so stressed thinking the worst was happening (failing gearbox).

Would it be possible to turn off park control via OBD2 until I can have this look at?

Many thanks!

 

You are experiencing the Drive Away Assist. It limits the vehicle speed to 1 mph if an obstacle is detected in the vehicle's direction of travel. Time to read your owner's manual.

 

THANK GOD FOR THAT!

I was preparing for the worst sitting here feeling sorry for my finances and myself. Lol.

I hope I can temporally disable this feature via OBD2 until I can have the issues diagnosed correctly.

Many thanks!

 

Many thanks for the reply. I have replied to you a few times now but my posts are never showing. Very strange.

 

You really need a good diagnostic tool and even professional assistance. Turning off Drive Away Assist may be an option in the Instrument Cluster menu, or you may need it to be coded out; an OBD scanner is not going to do it for you. I recommend you contact @BenzNinja and look into joining the BenzNinja Club. It will save you a lot of money in the end, BenzNinja not only provides full working copies of XENTRY, WIS/ASRA, EPC, Vediamo, DTS Monaco and more, he also can remote into your car and help with diagnosis and repair services.

 

I would start with a visual inspection of the sensors maybe one is not on the same level as the others or the registration plate support is not firmly placed on the bumper.

 

You can disable the Drive Away Assist by disabling the Maneuvering Assist as described in the portion of the owner's manual I posted. Keep in mind, this also disables the rear cross traffic assist. Are you saying this happens even if there are no obstacles nearby? If the parking sensors come up every time you stop w/o there being an obstacle, then one or more sensors are obstructed. Try cleaning them and make sure there's no paint protection film over them or something.