HBerman

This message just started a couple of days ago when I first start my suv in the morning. I have tried to shutdown and restart after 5 minutes with no effect. However, after driving about 10 minutes to the grocery store and shutting the car down, it will be working when I complete my shopping. Do you think that the 12V battery is not sufficiently charged. I did spend a lot of time with drive mode off while I was setting up things. Maybe I discharged it too much? The car is only 5 days since delivery. Thoughts?

bytemaster0

This usually happens if the radar systems find an implausible signature. Often if the car is covered in snow or anything else. Or if driving in very heavy rain and it receives too dirty of a radar signal back. On combustion cars, depletion of the auxiliary 12V battery could also cause the error. Not sure what it may be in your case - I doubt it's the 12V though. You have a DC-DC converter that keeps it charged. I've actually heard the system kick on by itself in the garage from time to time - contactors click on, and a very quiet cooling fan turns on for a little while, then it shuts off again and contactors open.

It's also possible that your vehicle is parked in a structure that gives off a very weird radar signature, which makes it throw an error on startup. When you're parked elsewhere and start the car after having been parked for a while, does it still do it? If so, the dealer can re-normalize the radar system, takes just a few minutes and should solve any issues that might continue.

HBerman

The message just started couple of days ago. I just took the car out after coming back from shopping where it had sat for about 30 minutes. No messages at all. I then drove it for another 30 minutes and then back to the house. I think the 12v battery is/was low. I'll see what happens tomorrow. If there was a problem in my garage, then it would repeat every time that I started from there. Additionally, if that was the case, then stopping the car for 5 minutes should have cleared it as well. Thanks for the response.

LastOne

The status of the 12V Battery can be checked from the Mercedes me app from the Service icon.

Crito

I frequently get condensation in front of the cameras in the windshield and that disables the forward collision avoidance system. The defroster turns on automatically every time I get in the car even when ac/heat is off so I guess it's a problem they're aware of.

HBerman

I started the car this afternoon and the message has gone! The battery charge level in the ME app shows charged (there is no indication of percentage but usually that means at least 75%). My ME app account was updated by Germany and it now correctly shows all of the purchased items as well as the state of charge, locking, etc. Thanks for all the replies.

HBerman

IT'S BACK!!!!!! Intermittent operation on startup. It's a software timing issue for certain. The car is going in for service on Monday morning. It's probably a software update/reload of the involved modules. I'll keep posting for the solution.

bytemaster0

Sorry to hear this. Question: is your tire pressure monitor showing low pressure? If so, the car will disable all ADAS as it can't rely on the contact patch if pressure is too low (or high).

If tire pressure is normal, it could well be one of the RADAR modules. About 8-10 years ago, there was a rash of bad Continental Teves RADAR units. To make matters worse, the number needing to be replaced created a huge supply shortage, so it took weeks or even months to get replacements. I highly doubt there's a shortage today, but it's not impossible that one of the units is faulting. If it wakes up and throws an implausible reading code, it may need replacement. From my memory of how SDS logs this, it should be immediately apparent which module is generating the fault. Good news is, it's easy to replace and recalibrate, you should be up and running in no time. Please let us know how it goes!

HBerman

Everything is normal as far as the tire pressure, etc. I'm taking the car into service next Tuesday. The problem is probably a software issue with the startup timing. It's thrown enough messages/codes that I don't think it will be hard to resolve. Unfortunately, it is intermittent so I can't tell when it will fail. Nothing else in the car seems to be affected so it will be resolved. Thanks for your reply.

HBerman

More analysis: I can get the error to repeat 50% of the time if I first identify myself through the fingerprint reader and then depress the start button. If I push the start button first and wait until the system identifies me through facial recognition or fingerprint then it always works. Still gathering more samples. Weird

LastOne

Something may be corrupt in your profile. Try setting up and using a second profile. If that seems to work then delete the original profile.

bytemaster0

That's very strange. Be sure to show your service advisor!

HBerman

Good idea. Thanks
Bingo!!! I reset the original profile and now the Welcome display is functioning (it was there but grayed out before). I had to reset all of the unique parameters for media, radio, lighting, etc.but I think that this cleared up my original issue as well. I

HBerman

I continued to receive the error messages even after resetting the profile, albeit very infrequently. I took the car into the dealer this AM. The tech ran diagnostics and determined that the left front sensor was generating the errors. There was a software update available to recalibrate all of the sensors and the camera which was applied. Hopefully, this corrects the issue. If not, the tech told me that the left front sensor might need to be replaced. Time will tell! There's so much software running in this vehicle that it's hard to tell what is wrong when errors happen. YMMV

Aegistar

I had gotten this error every time I started my car when I first took it off the lot. On the first service, I think they just reset the alert and sent me on my way. In the middle of driving, the inop messages came up again. Brought it back and they finally figured out a sensor in the back bumper was installed incorrectly and was just loose. No problems since.

HBerman

The error started to appear again. The tech determined that the left-front sensor was generating errors and ordered a new sensor. However, I was informed that to replace the sensor the front bumper assembly would need to be removed! Wow! I'm not thrilled about that! My bypass for the error is to not have the car be ready to drive on the first button push and to keep my foot off of the brake. After everything initializes, I can then step on the brake and then depress the start button again. No errors at all if I do that procedure. I believe that there needs to be another software update to delay the startup sequencing (probably too many systems coming online which drops the 12V voltage) for which the left sensor is sensitive. I do love new vehicle sorting. BTW, the tech informed me that my vehicle has remote diagnosis capabilities and that he could read the error(s) without connecting the diagnostic equipment to the car in the shop. Who knew?

bytemaster0

Yeah, that's fairly standard. Most cars have their secondary sensors mounted on the bumper itself. The long-range radar behind the star in the grille is supplemented by two (or four) units mounted to the inside of the bumper. In the 4-unit configuration, two are mid-range collision avoidance, and two are for blind spot monitoring. I'm not sure which configuration the EQEs use. I'm guessing they have two mid-range units. The sensors need to be that close to minimize any unwanted reflections, as they're firing through the plastic. Plastic is usually RADAR transparent, depending on thickness and mounting location.

Re: remote diagnostics: Ironically, GLKs back in 2014 were supposed to have remote diagnostics. I don't think I ever got a call about a fault in that car. I'm not surprised EQE does this well though, there's so much that's sent in real time over the telematics. Thanks for confirming this!

HBerman

Three days running with no additional errors posted from the sensor. I'm going to keep using my revised startup procedure until either the sensor permanently fails or MB comes out with another software update that revises the startup delay. The tech on the previous service recalibrated all of the control units and cameras so I'm not concerned that needed detection issues would be ignored by the systems. Thank you for your response.

bytemaster0

If it works for you, great. Personally, I'd have the RADAR unit replaced under warranty. RADAR is a finnicky contraption if it isn't entirely up to spec. I can tell you that every time I get into either the sedan or SUV, I always immediately put foot on the brake and start, and haven't experienced any issues. I would certainly have it replaced, because if it's operating in an "implausible" regime now, it'll get worse later. It could be a loose connector, or it could just be a defect in the sensor, such as a funky deposition on the antenna array or an intermittently-bad power amplifier. I definitely wouldn't just let it sit there and have to work around the car to get things to work properly. You didn't buy a Tesla after all.

ScottC2

This is how I always start too - and I have never had any issues. Why do I do it this way? I don't remember -- but I think it's because I read in this forum that somebody was having trouble when pushing the start button twice in succession, so I make it a point to never do this.

Crito

I know breaking-in sensors sounds crazy but someone at MB felt it was necessary to write a sentence or two about it under "break-in procedure" in my EQE SUV's owner's manual. And I have to admit all the random errors I was getting the first coupe of months seem to have gone away. Go Figure!

HBerman

Thanks for the info. The issue is definitely a initialisation error when everything is starting up. The tech applied a software update to the control units (they are integral with the sensor) which was meant to address the startup errors. 95% of the time i can start the car with my foot on the brake. The other 5% is the error state. There is no malfunction of the systems according to all of the diagnostics except for the occasional startup error. The service dept has opened a technical case for the condition. Meanwhile, I'm not interested in the frontal lobotomy of my new car in order to address this annoying issue.

Crito

Yeah, I figured there might be some kind of "false positive reduction" algorithm that needed to populate a table with data before it can determine min and max values for each sensor. But if you're getting the exact same error every time that's probably not what the manual was referring to. I'd just be cautious believing everything the dealer say. I've heard one too many BS stories while sitting waiting for my car to be fixed. Luckily it's usually the poor fool sitting next to me getting the spiel.

nsoltz

I continually have this sensor issue wth my EQB350. First trip to the dealer-- realigned sensors. Second trip to the dealer-- updated software and realigned sensors. Threw that same error message once again but seemed to go away after I turned off and restarted vehicle. If it happens again, back to the dealer and I will lemon it. In all cases, sensors were clean and unobstructed. Now that I see this in the EQE, I just have the feeling it is a Mercedes-endemic problem. Never had it with my prior GLC and GLE. Was considering EQE SUV if I had to lemon the EQB but this definitely gives me pause. Looks like I'd consider an iX. There seem to be some good discounts on the iX, BMW has an additional $2400 lease credit and the residual is far more favorable than MB. Could have an iX for about $100 more a month than the EQB. And I know the bimmer service people well since my 535 spent most of its life in the shop.

MB37

I'm with ByteMaster0 on this issue. The nature of electronics is that glitchy electronics can last a day or even a year or two before they actually fail. Sometimes you can reset a false positive with a software reset, but if the root cause is hardware, it will fail. I would prefer to get the hardware replace even if it requires a removal of the front assembly.

MB dealers are not going to be like those independent shops where they will just put anyone on a new model car to forget a screw, clip, or scratch up a finish because of inexperience assembly/disassembly of parts. In my experience, dealers are trustworthy in that aspect to get the job done right IF they know what they need to replace. Your car will likely come back as if nothing has been removed. It also helps if the dealer has an inhouse collision center. All the experts in one place.