GLE43_Sube

OK, so this is my first vehicle with Blind Spot Assist. I'm familiar with how this feature works from driving other vehicles. However, I've noticed MB's BSA is uniquely different. The wife was driving my car last week. She has BSA in her car, but she (and I) were confused as hell with this system. For safety sake, I felt the need to create this thread. If you're already familiar with how MB BSA works, feel free to ignore this post. If this is your first MB and/or you're unfamiliar with BSA, please continue reading.


1. Turn on BSA in the multifunction display. Page 214 in the manual. My salesman was nice enough to turn on all of the safety features before I took delivery. Obviously, you can't rely on all salespeople to do this.

2. Starting the vehicle or turning on the ignition will initiate a "check" of the BSA system. This is indicated by warning lamps in the exterior mirrors lighting up red for 1.5 seconds and then turning yellow.

3. BSA is now turned on, indicated by a constant "yellow" warning lamp in the exterior mirrors. BSA is on, but it is NOT functional until you reach a speed of 20 mph. So, if you're driving through a parking lot seeing that yellow warning lamp and thinking BSA is detecting vehicles in your blind spot, YOU'RE WRONG. The yellow light is an indication that BSA is turned on, but it is also a warning that it is NOT monitoring your blind spots. Just like traffic signals, yellow means "caution".

4. Once you reach a speed of 20 mph, the yellow warning light goes out. Once that yellow light goes out, BSA is now monitoring your blind spots.

5. Now, if a vehicle enters your blind spot(s), a steady "red" warning lamp will illuminate in your mirror for the duration. If you activate your turn signal while that red light is illuminated, it will flash and you'll receive a simultaneous audible warning.


"Active" Blind Spot Assist is part of the Premium 3 Package on the GLE43 Coupe. It adds the additional function of gently applying the brakes as a corrective measure in the event you attempt a lane change while a vehicle is in your blind spot.

A word of caution! BSA is only a supplement to attentive driving. It may not detect motorcycles or vehicles approaching at a high rate of speed. Therefore, it is not a substitute for good ol' looking over your shoulder.

The video below is helpful, but it does not even mention, let alone explain the purpose of the yellow warning light in the mirrors. In my opinion, this is a huge oversight.

Tbone8771

Thanks for posting that. I assumed that the solid yellow at the slower 'parking lot' type speeds just meant the system was detecting the other cars around the area.

GLE43_Sube

As would most people, including me. They really need to make sure customers have a thorough understanding of this before they drive off the lot.

I did some research to determine why MB decided their BSA shouldn't activate until 20 mph. Haven't found a definitive answer yet, but the consensus is so it wouldn't warn you if you're at a stop light and someone pulled up beside you. The 20 mph speed requirement isn't such a big deal, AS LONG AS YOU'RE AWARE OF IT.

drwolf

Parktronic works the same i think, the blue "P" turns of at 20mph and the two indicator lights in the front sensor turn off at 10mph

nookie

Would be nice if crosspath was part of same package.....

GLE43_Sube

I can't speak on other models, but if you're referring to Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function, it is included in the same package (Premium 3) on the GLE43 Coupe.

nookie

Nope. CrossPath detection helps with oncoming traffic from behind, helpfull when you cannot see properly. like backing up from between trucks. it will warn you of moving objects out of view, people, cyclists, cars.

Some cars use the same short range radar sensor (In the corner of the bumper on ML/GLE) to provide this feature.

The MB Cross traffic function is great safety feature also btw.

GLE43_Sube

Geeez! CrossPath, CrossTraffic, CrossWind Assist....I'm going to have to drive around with the owner's manual taped to the steering wheel just to remember all of these safety features.

Thanks for clearing that up, nookie. The range of the rear corner sensors on the GLE43 Coupe is 6-32 inches, so obviously it's only using those sensors for parking, not CrossPath detection. I can't find any mention of CrossPath Assist in the owner's manual. I can't find anything online about any MB having this feature. Is this feature not available on any MB models?

baobay

I have cross path detection on my other it works great.

Tbone8771

BAS Plus has cross traffic alerts, but not sure if it is for the rear of the car or only in the front.

RA112623

as a safety precaution, if you have active assist it is probably good NOT to let others drive your vehicle without a check out run. you can turn it off though. i don't let anyone drive my vehicle because if you are not ready for the "active assist" it could really cause a problem. ron

DarrenK

What I find annoying about the system is highway lane changes. When the lane next to me is empty, but there is a car in the far lane, once I have moved into the empty lane, but not deactivated my turn signal, the system beeps at me (loudly) due to the vehicle in the far lane. This is an annoyance. I find myself talking back to the system telling it I made my lane change already

fabbrisd1

I would suggest after inital drive off - with passive Blind-Spot active/Silver - then when decelerating to a braked stop - try to note (best done by a call out from a front passenger) you note note the speed Silver-Becomes-Yellow - which "should" be lower than your 20mph report on 1st-drive-off - I think (if I recall correctly) to be about 12mph or so..

The Yellow/Off-Line setting is so Red/Warning does not show at stoplights - if it remained Active/Red - then Red would lose it's "alert" significance

sayhibob

My understanding is that the amber light is simply a warning to the driver that the the Blind Spot Alert system is NOT monitoring for adjacent traffic at the moment. The presumption being that if you are below 12 mph you are probably at a red light, or in a parking lot, are parking, or "creeping" somewhere that the alert would be likely to be setting off unnecessarily or so frequently as to be meaningless while at a low speed. In those situations the amber light serves to remind the driver that he/she must use THEIR OWN continuous caution and judgement when navigating what might also be uncertain lanes.

GLE43_Sube

Sayhibob,

Your assumption is correct, except it doesn't kick in until 20 mph. In my opinion, that's too fast. On some other other cars it kicks in at 6 mph. 10 mph would have been preferable to 20. There're plenty of situations where you'd be changing lanes in an active flow of traffic at less than 20 mph.