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Long story short I am all over the product line with my current search; from SL to GLE, 2016 to 2022. I was wondering if every car equipped with two cameras next to the mirror has lane centering? Not lane keep, but lane centering? If not, is there a universal way to figure it out? A lot of older cars have the steering wheel button above the left front vent but not all.
Edit: I thought using a vin decoder would be pretty fool-proof, but my current car (cl63 amg) has option 233 which is distronic plus, but does not have lane centering. But my car only has one sensor next to the rear view mirror. Maybe the key is two sensors next to the mirror and option 233?
Last edited by loudog3114; 04-20-2021 at 07:41 PM.
No, I don't think you can go by that. Yes, the stereo camera should indicate that the car has the full driving assistance features that were available at the time, but what specific features that means depends on the year. The driver assistance packages have evolved over the years, and they also work a lot better in newer models. For my 2019 C63S coupe for example, option 233 says "DISTRONIC PLUS With Steer Assist and Stop & Go Pilot". The Steer Assist is what you are looking for and apparently that's part of option 233 if it was available for the model and year. Another option that might be relevant is 23P, which is "Driving Assistance Package Plus". However, I just noticed I also have option 266 which also says "DISTRONIC PLUS With Steer Assist and Stop & Go Pilot".
The clearest way to identify it is the corresponding assistance systems button. It's the one all the way to the left in the picture below. The one next to it is for the lane keep assist. The Steering Assist and Lane Keep Assist can be controlled independently, however, the Steering Assist is only active in conjunction with DISTRONIC being active, but the button allows you to have DISTRONIC w/o active steering when desired.
Last edited by superswiss; 04-20-2021 at 08:55 PM.
No, I don't think you can go by that. Yes, the stereo camera should indicate that the car has the full driving assistance features that were available at the time, but what specific features that means depends on the year. The driver assistance packages have evolved over the years, and they also work a lot better in newer models. For my 2019 C63S coupe for example, option 233 says "DISTRONIC PLUS With Steer Assist and Stop & Go Pilot". The Steer Assist is what you are looking for and apparently that's part of option 233 if it was available for the model and year. Another option that might be relevant is 23P, which is "Driving Assistance Package Plus". However, I just noticed I also have option 266 which also says "DISTRONIC PLUS With Steer Assist and Stop & Go Pilot".
The clearest way to identify it is the corresponding assistance systems button. It's the one all the way to the left in the picture below. The one next to it is for the lane keep assist. The Steering Assist and Lane Keep Assist can be controlled independently, however, the Steering Assist is only active in conjunction with DISTRONIC being active, but the button allows you to have DISTRONIC w/o active steering when desired.
Yeah I had an e43 with those buttons. I always turned off LKA (lane button second from left) but kept on steering assist (left most). The problem is used GLE63s don't have that button section. Nether do SLs, and some GLCs. So it's pretty awful to try and decipher. To make it even more difficult the VIN decoders have listed the same exact options on my CL63 ( no steering assist) as my E43 had, which did have steering assist. It makes buying remotely damn near impossible without an actual window sticker, and there's almost nothing near me.
I will say, I know that a lot of cars with single camera systems, including my CL63, do not offer any steering input. My guess would actually be all cars with single cameras don't. What they will do is apply the brakes to one side to try and push you back into your lane.
What makes me think anything with dual cameras will offer steering assistance is that there are 2016+ cars out there with no cameras at all that do not have the driver assistance package listed... Then there are cars with two cameras. Nothing in-between. That just makes me think anything with two cameras has distronic plus with steering assist.
Yeah I had an e43 with those buttons. I always turned off LKA (lane button second from left) but kept on steering assist (left most). The problem is used GLE63s don't have that button section. Nether do SLs, and some GLCs. So it's pretty awful to try and decipher. To make it even more difficult the VIN decoders have listed the same exact options on my CL63 ( no steering assist) as my E43 had, which did have steering assist. It makes buying remotely damn near impossible without an actual window sticker, and there's almost nothing near me.
I will say, I know that a lot of cars with single camera systems, including my CL63, do not offer any steering input. My guess would actually be all cars with single cameras don't. What they will do is apply the brakes to one side to try and push you back into your lane.
What makes me think anything with dual cameras will offer steering assistance is that there are 2016+ cars out there with no cameras at all that do not have the driver assistance package listed... Then there are cars with two cameras. Nothing in-between. That just makes me think anything with two cameras has distronic plus with steering assist.
You are probably right. I believe the main reason for the stereo camera is the steering assist and stop & go pilot. It does also make the safety systems more capable. The buttons are most likely in a different place. Not sure where they are in each model, but these features can be turned off in all models as far as I know. Would be annoying if you had to go into COMAND/MBUX to do it. Definitely be aware of the different generations of these systems. The GLE would have the latest gen starting with MY2020 and the SL would have the oldest. The tech in the SL is several generations behind. I'm not sure where the CL stands. The lastest gen systems get introduced with the mid cycle refreshes of the S Class and whenever a new generation of the S Class comes out. The W222 FL (MY2018 I believe) introduced the system you'd find in the 2020 GLE. It's the same generation system I have in my C63. The all-new W223 S Class now has the very latest, which will trickle down to all the other new models as they are getting refreshed. As opposed to Tesla, MB doesn't update their systems in existing cars.
Last edited by superswiss; 04-20-2021 at 10:05 PM.
You are probably right. I believe the main reason for the stereo camera is the steering assist and stop & go pilot. It does also make the safety systems more capable. The buttons are most likely in a different place. Not sure where they are in each model, but these features can be turned off in all models as far as I know. Would be annoying if you had to go into COMAND/MBUX to do it. Definitely be aware of the different generations of these systems. The GLE would have the latest gen starting with MY2020 and the SL would have the oldest. The tech in the SL is several generations behind. I'm not sure where the CL stands. The lastest gen systems get introduced with the mid cycle refreshes of the S Class and whenever a new generation of the S Class comes out. The W222 FL (MY2018 I believe) introduced the system you'd find in the 2020 GLE. It's the same generation system I have in my C63. The all-new W223 S Class now has the very latest, which will trickle down to all the other new models as they are getting refreshed. As opposed to Tesla, MB doesn't update their systems in existing cars.
Thats another fun part about this. Other then a few cliffs notes on mb dealer websites you can’t really find any technical details on the systems like you can with Tesla. All they list the new system as having as a new capability is slowing down for corners and turns, IF you use the MB navigation, which I won’t because I live near a city and always use Waze. I cannot for the life of me find information on frames processed or more technicals stuff like that.
Thats another fun part about this. Other then a few cliffs notes on mb dealer websites you can’t really find any technical details on the systems like you can with Tesla. All they list the new system as having as a new capability is slowing down for corners and turns, IF you use the MB navigation, which I won’t because I live near a city and always use Waze. I cannot for the life of me find information on frames processed or more technicals stuff like that.
You don't have to use navigation. It knows based on the map data in the background when you are approaching sharp turns, intersections and roundabouts on the current road and slows down for them, or changes lanes on a multi lane highway if you signal and the adjacent lane is empty. It also slows down for highway exits if you signal. If you do use navigation then it knows where you are going and it slows down for your exit even if you don't signal, or an upcoming turn.
Last edited by superswiss; 04-20-2021 at 11:36 PM.
You don't have to use navigation. It knows based on the map data in the background when you are approaching sharp turns, intersections and roundabouts on the current road and slows down for them, or changes lanes on a multi lane highway if you signal and the adjacent lane is empty. It also slows down for highway exits if you signal. If you do use navigation then it knows where you are going and it slows down for your exit even if you don't signal, or an upcoming turn.