guti

Correct, my car did not have Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist, and it was impossible to install distronic. If the car does not have these options, do not waste time. greetings to all

2012 CLS 550

Distronic plus.. Can it be added to 2012 cls 550 base model

OnlyGerman

No

CL3315

Good evening,

I just read this file on Distronic in full: Bravo for the quality of the information given by the speakers on the Distronic system.

Despite all this information I have not managed to resolve my Distronic problem: I live in France (Bordeaux) and I have a 2013 SL 500 (WDD2314731F000530) with the Distronic + (233, 235,237,238,23P) which works perfectly everywhere in France ..... except within a radius of 30 km around Bordeaux where I live .....
The Mercedes dealership in Bordeaux is categorical: It is normal on the S and SL of this generation there is a frequency problem with a transmitter on the zone ... .. I had several Mercedes models (E350, C43) with Distronic in Bordeaux and none had this problem ....

While reading you I imagined (??) that in the coding of the Distronic one can configure zones (exclude them for example) or find another menu for adjustments of the Distronic (frequency ...).
Another question, how is the deactivation (and therefore the activation) of the Distronic in the procedure for starting up this function?
So many questions !!!

Thank you for reading me and maybe helping me to solve my problem of not functioning of the Distronic on a zone..



,

Diabolis

The dealership already gave you the answer. The frequency of the radar(s) is not adjustable - it is part of the hardware itself. Also, there is no coding provision where you can enable some features to only work in some areas but not others. The car doesn't know what area it is in.

There are three radar modules on the car (two short range in the bumper and one long range behind the grille emblem). You would first need to find out which module(s) is/are the one(s) that the radio transmitter in the area is interfering with, and try to retrofit, align and calibrate radar modules from a later model car in their place. If this was possible, Mercedes would have already approved the change with a TSB and changed them for you, but I suspect they are incompatible.

And, suppose that you somehow manage to rig them in and actually get the system to work. Would you now trust trust the car with your own life to operate as designed and slow down / stop when the vehicle in front is stopping?

It would be safer, easier and cheaper to just blow up the offending transmitter in the area.

CL3315

Hello Diabolis,
I have just made inquiries to make "disappear" 🤢the cause of my concern which is on this list https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_...%C3%A9lescopes
Paragraph Europe and city 'Floirac' ... but I will try to find a more reasonable solution ....

Is the incompatibility you are talking about between the sensors and the Distronic computer or is it something else?

I looked on https://www.tsbsearch.com/Mercedes-Benz?Page=207 the Techenical Bulletins Services of the R231 of 2013 but without success.

On the other hand I know that this problem has been fixed on the following models, in what way I do not know ...? Someone on the forum may have the operating diagram of the Distronic?

Thank you in any case for your involvement in my concern😉.

CL3315

The TSB Mercedes-Benz TSB LI88.40-P-058355 obviously talks about it but I can't see its contents .....

Diabolis

Interesting - it's a radio telescope from an observatory!

The Distronic radar in your car transmits a signal on some frequency in the K band (10.9 - 36.0 GHz), but instead of receiving a reflection from the car in front and calculating the distance based on the delay, it is instead constantly picking up the signal from the radio telescope that operates in the same K band. Essentially the signal from the radio telescope acts as a radar jammer. It is not the Distronic computer - it is the physical transmitter and receiver circuits and antennas in the Distronic unit. Police radar - and radar detectors - also operate in the same K band, and there are numerous reports of radar detectors going off every time Distronic was engaged on cars that had both.

The Distronic Plus system that was first introduced in late 2012 operates on much higher frequencies (77 GHz for the long range radar) so there is no interference with the radio telescope transmitter in your area, but it would have first appeared on 2014 model cars which is likely the reason why the other cars you mentioned do not have the same issue.

That TSB (LI88.40-P-058355) references a specific issue with moisture getting trapped between the plastic layers in the long range radar cover - the Mercedes emblem in the grille - that can sometimes interfere with the Distronic operation, but it is not applicable to your car (you can see the latest version here: https://f01.justanswer.com/73bbchevy..._distronic.pdf).

CL3315

Thank you for the clear and precise information.
So my concern with Distronic and blind spot detection which disconnect in the area of the Bordeaux Floirac radio telescope over a radius of 30 km and which work perfectly outside this area is due to the transmitter sensors of the SL R231 2013.

When looking at the VIN code of my SL https://www.lastvin.com/vin/mPD91dj004W2lrNM3
we see that it was manufactured on January 30, 2012 delivered in stock on March 5, 2012 and on the registration document put into circulation the 1st time on December 27, 2012 and it is a 2013 model.

As can she have the distronic plus (233), however well noted in the VIN, according to your information ???

Is it possible that my model is part of a "pre-series" manufactured with characteristics a little different from that of the official catalog?

Diabolis

There are no cars with pre-production components fitted that have ever been sold on the consumer market by Mercedes that I am aware of. Some small British sports car company that used whatever parts were available maybe, but not Mercedes.

The Distronic and for that matter the Distronic Plus system have simply evolved over the years. Part of that evolution would have been to redesign the system and move the radar signal frequency outside of the band(s) where other devices and transmitters - be it cellular phones, remote garage door openers, police radars, radar detectors, wireless bank alarm systems or in your case radio telescopes - may interfere with it.

o_Rage_o

I Am saddened as I read this story many years late. thank you for all the photos you provided and took, I too will now start the Retrofit process!

mbfanlefamsta

and no need for calibration at the dealer or something else?