2014 ML350 Bluetec
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28
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2017 GLS 450
2014 ML350 Bluetec
I have the subject car and have asked questions about Distronic Plus before, but have never gotten definitive answers and have some added questions:
1. If a vehicle in front of me slows to a stop D+ stops my vehicle as well. If I approach a stopped vehicle it does not appear D+ will stop my vehicle. I suspect it will crash into the vehicle ahead but, of course, have not proven that to be the case. Can anyone clarify?
2. Sometimes D+ will follow a vehicle around a 90 deg. corner . . . . . .sometimes it disengages. Why is it not consistent?
3. After hitting the brake and coming to a stop, sometimes I can reengage D+ while stopped; sometimes not. Again, what changes that?
I have pre-safe as well.
Thanks
1. If a vehicle in front of me slows to a stop D+ stops my vehicle as well. If I approach a stopped vehicle it does not appear D+ will stop my vehicle. I suspect it will crash into the vehicle ahead but, of course, have not proven that to be the case. Can anyone clarify?
2. Sometimes D+ will follow a vehicle around a 90 deg. corner . . . . . .sometimes it disengages. Why is it not consistent?
3. After hitting the brake and coming to a stop, sometimes I can reengage D+ while stopped; sometimes not. Again, what changes that?
I have pre-safe as well.
Thanks
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,130
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A gaggle of MB's
Please red thru pages 194 thru 202 (?) in your Owner's Manual for better clarity for you - you can download a pdf copy from mbusa.com under the Owner's Section..
1) See page 195
2) Pg 201 will be helpful
3) There are several different "situations" you describe -
Read thru the entire section several times - to better understand Distronic "logic" - remember Distronic is a safety and convenience tool - and Distronic is NOT intelligent autonomous driving.
Keep the beat !
1) See page 195
2) Pg 201 will be helpful
3) There are several different "situations" you describe -
Read thru the entire section several times - to better understand Distronic "logic" - remember Distronic is a safety and convenience tool - and Distronic is NOT intelligent autonomous driving.
Keep the beat !
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
2017 GLS 450
The section on Distronic starts on page 150 in my manual and I had read it several times before posting on this forum. The manual download also does not have the information on those pages and none of them address my questions. If you have specific answers, please post them. I know the manual seems to state that it will ignore stationary objects such as stopped vehicles but that seems illogical and I would appreciate confirmation. Many other vehicles with Intelligent Cruise do stop automatically for stopped vehicles.
Thanks
Thanks
Please red thru pages 194 thru 202 (?) in your Owner's Manual for better clarity for you - you can download a pdf copy from mbusa.com under the Owner's Section..
1) See page 195
2) Pg 201 will be helpful
3) There are several different "situations" you describe -
Read thru the entire section several times - to better understand Distronic "logic" - remember Distronic is a safety and convenience tool - and Distronic is NOT intelligent autonomous driving.
Keep the beat !
1) See page 195
2) Pg 201 will be helpful
3) There are several different "situations" you describe -
Read thru the entire section several times - to better understand Distronic "logic" - remember Distronic is a safety and convenience tool - and Distronic is NOT intelligent autonomous driving.
Keep the beat !
Last edited by rabend; Feb 22, 2015 at 08:19 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 1,117
A gaggle of MB's
Asked and answered - and "yes" those "download manual pages specifically address your question #1 and #2 - if you need "more" - use the mBrace "i" button and the Concierge during daytime hrs will be able to transfer you to a Product Specialist.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28
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2017 GLS 450
2014 Distronic +
Well, I finally got a definitive answer to one of my questions by asking MB. If you come up behind a stationary vehicle and don't hit the brakes, you will crash into that vehicle. If you follow a vehicle to a stop that is slowing down, the M will also slow down and stop. The 2015s have been enhanced so they will come to a stop if you approach a stationary vehicle. Presafe will stop the 2014 vehicle if you apply any level of braking force and there is a stationary vehicle in front of you. That is what I have been told, but I don't recommend testing. I am not sure why the 2014s won't stop for a stationary vehicle.
Regards
Regards
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Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Perth, Australia
Mercedes Bus & ML350BT
I have the subject car and have asked questions about Distronic Plus before, but have never gotten definitive answers and have some added questions:
1. If a vehicle in front of me slows to a stop D+ stops my vehicle as well. If I approach a stopped vehicle it does not appear D+ will stop my vehicle. I suspect it will crash into the vehicle ahead but, of course, have not proven that to be the case. Can anyone clarify?
D+ of your car will follow a moving car to a complete stop if it can be stopped with 40% of the braking power. This is a parameter determined by MB.
If the distance to the moving car in front is closing too quickly for the D+, the collision warning will sound and you need to step on the brake yourself. If you rely on D+, you will crash albeit the Presafe Brake (PSB - autonomous braking) will eventually kick in but it wont stop you crashing, it just mitigate the severity of the crash.
For a stationary car in front, D+ will not stop for u at all at any speed...you will crash unless u step on the brake yourself. If you dont, PSB - another driving system, will again kick in and mitigate the severity of the crash.
MB has a new D+ with Steering Control and PSB on their new s, e, c and soon the gle classes which uses two cameras like the Subaru Eyesight which, together with the radar system, will actually prevent a crash in full autonomous braking mode within certain speed range. A point of difference with the new Mb system is, it will also stop for crosss traffic car and pedestrain up to a certain speed.
For more infor, please visit the iihs.org site for actual test on the systems.
Subaru Eyesight was able to prevent a crash for their 12 and 25 mph tests.
D+ is able to reduce speed but crashes for both speeds.
City Safety (LIDAR laser) from volvo can avoid the 12mph test, but volvo can only avoid thr 25mph crash if the car is optioned with radar cruise control also.
All type of PSB system is for Emergency. It is very severe braking and you cannot rely on it to (drive) and stop the car!
Because of the dumbness of system, D+ is actaully pretty useless for following traffic. It is much more useful on the open road or freeway where D+allow the speed to be modulated to the max you set.
2. Sometimes D+ will follow a vehicle around a 90 deg. corner . . . . . .sometimes it disengages. Why is it not consistent?
It does not have eye, it dont think. It follow a parameter set by mb. It is dumb.
3. After hitting the brake and coming to a stop, sometimes I can reengage D+ while stopped; sometimes not. Again, what changes that?
If you stop behind a car, you can re engage D+. If you are the first car at the light, the radar got nothing to track, so you cannot engage the D+ until you reach the minimum operating speed, which is 40kmh in non-US parlance.
I have pre-safe as well.
Thanks
1. If a vehicle in front of me slows to a stop D+ stops my vehicle as well. If I approach a stopped vehicle it does not appear D+ will stop my vehicle. I suspect it will crash into the vehicle ahead but, of course, have not proven that to be the case. Can anyone clarify?
D+ of your car will follow a moving car to a complete stop if it can be stopped with 40% of the braking power. This is a parameter determined by MB.
If the distance to the moving car in front is closing too quickly for the D+, the collision warning will sound and you need to step on the brake yourself. If you rely on D+, you will crash albeit the Presafe Brake (PSB - autonomous braking) will eventually kick in but it wont stop you crashing, it just mitigate the severity of the crash.
For a stationary car in front, D+ will not stop for u at all at any speed...you will crash unless u step on the brake yourself. If you dont, PSB - another driving system, will again kick in and mitigate the severity of the crash.
MB has a new D+ with Steering Control and PSB on their new s, e, c and soon the gle classes which uses two cameras like the Subaru Eyesight which, together with the radar system, will actually prevent a crash in full autonomous braking mode within certain speed range. A point of difference with the new Mb system is, it will also stop for crosss traffic car and pedestrain up to a certain speed.
For more infor, please visit the iihs.org site for actual test on the systems.
Subaru Eyesight was able to prevent a crash for their 12 and 25 mph tests.
D+ is able to reduce speed but crashes for both speeds.
City Safety (LIDAR laser) from volvo can avoid the 12mph test, but volvo can only avoid thr 25mph crash if the car is optioned with radar cruise control also.
All type of PSB system is for Emergency. It is very severe braking and you cannot rely on it to (drive) and stop the car!
Because of the dumbness of system, D+ is actaully pretty useless for following traffic. It is much more useful on the open road or freeway where D+allow the speed to be modulated to the max you set.
2. Sometimes D+ will follow a vehicle around a 90 deg. corner . . . . . .sometimes it disengages. Why is it not consistent?
It does not have eye, it dont think. It follow a parameter set by mb. It is dumb.
3. After hitting the brake and coming to a stop, sometimes I can reengage D+ while stopped; sometimes not. Again, what changes that?
If you stop behind a car, you can re engage D+. If you are the first car at the light, the radar got nothing to track, so you cannot engage the D+ until you reach the minimum operating speed, which is 40kmh in non-US parlance.
I have pre-safe as well.
Thanks
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
2017 GLS 450
Thanks! That is a pretty good rundown. MB now tells me that presafe braking will in fact stop the vehicle without driver intervention to avoid a collision, but they are careful to point out that there is no guarantee of avoiding a collision. When I figure out a safe way to test the system, I will do so and post the results. There is considerable confusion even at MB regarding the operation and efficacy of these safety systems.
