AustinGuy

So, does a high end radar detector like the Escort 9500i w/GPS work in a base S550? I recently test drove an S550 - pretty sure it dit not have distronic+ and my radar detector's GPS sensor would not register. The radar would not even go off at all. It was completely non functional!

Can someone enligthen us on whether this is a problem?

XJ9

Yes... any cabin mounted radar detector will have seriously degraded reception because radio waves have a very difficult time propogating through the glass. Again, the distronic plus issue and the coated glass are two totally seperate and totally different problems....


SOME S classes have distronic plus (not regular distronic.. only distronic plus) and will have radar interference on K band... Your detector will go off all the time with K alerts.

ALL S classes have the coated glass which severely limits the amount of radio waves that get into the vehicle. Since radar detectors need the radar waves to actually get into the detector to work this is going to be a problem unless you go with a bumper mounted unit.

Courage

Soon I'll cry !!!
I'm so mad...

I have an ML 2007 with Distronic (simple, NOT plus).

I have problem with the radar detector: Beltronics rx75 plus
The first one got stuck and did not detect anything. After a big speeding ticket and filmed prouves, the dealer changed the detector with a brand new one (it costs ± 1000 USD).

This one is working very well, so good that I cannot use it because it's always in alarm !!!
Can it be an electrical problem ?
I'm going crazy here...

hstmercedes

There are two uncoated areas on the front windshield specially made transparent to RF so that transponders such as EZ-Pass can be mounted inside and will operate correctly.

The S550 owners manual describes these 2 areas, one which is used by the night vision camera if the vehicle has that option.

jbondox

yeah i seen it under the rear view mirror... I couldn't imagine tossing a radar detector there, ya'd have to look under or dunk to view out at the traffic on the right side of you while at an intersection

and regardless about the film, if you have D+ your still not getting a radar detector to work without some extra cash. I did a few for the local dealership, with my own interface, rob came out with his own interface also which he markets to the world, and the dealership just does it if you go to them.

branmin

Saw this old post of yours...don't know if you are still around or if anyone can answer me but I am having the same problems..don't have distronic but I don't berlieve the V1 is working correctly..it's placed right under the mirror...now according to yuo and others, the only place it would work would be on the lower center of the windshield, but surely in a sl550, the arrows wouldn't be able to see out of the back window, as it is so low?

Never new about the infra red metal placed on the windshields and just had mine hardwired in?

jbondox

it should pick up something, maybe it is broken, been doing any top down driving lately? it should pick up the rear at least

Val678

LOL

We left Los Angles to go to Las Vegas yesterday and we were in the s550 and it was funny because we came up behind a car and bam brakes, then we thought to ourselves, Distronic Plus...lol

jbondox

yeah that is some pretty funny shiet right there. Kind of makes you wish t would project further out so that way the fast lane will be cleared while you are on cruise at 90

Mat

It is the glass coating indeed - I have tried, tested and confirmed

aleksandar1099

That is awesome!

Mat

None !! my friend ofcourse without having to compromise and giving up the K-Band (or atleast making it significantly weaker) -Unfortunately K-band is the most commonly used frequency by cops - so my 2 cents - DO NOT BUY THIS CAR - UNLESS YOU ARE CONSTANLY GONNA WATCH YOUR SPEEDOMETER and make sure you are within limits - NOW FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS HERE ON THIS FORUM MAY BE FUN - not for me
By the way, I have also tried the escort 9500i that ties up with GPS and is not supposed to go off under 30 miles/hr - well - sorry to say - that one goes crazy as well (as soon as you start the car) - This is plain utter stupidity and nothing else (IMHO) - This car is not for use in the USA - Auto Bahn -way to go ..

trumpet1

I had 3 cars zooming up from behind me on different occasions today in the left lane (I was in the middle lane), and each one of them drastically slowed down as they got even with my front bumper. One of them I know had a detector as I saw it flashing above his dash

Ferromet

I have had just about every system you can think of, including the K40 bluetooth Calibre system which is still installed but disconnected on my Murcielago. The Laser diffusers are absolutely worthless except against the very oldest laser guns out there which are not even used in my areas anymore. The radar range is acceptable but not as good as V1. The best "functional" setup out there is the Laser Interceptors coupled with a V1. I have this in my S and two of my Lambo's and no tickets. Trust me, they've been tested. The K40 was punched through the very first time a cop clocked me. Go to the guys of lidar website to see ongoing comparisons. K40 won't let them test their equipment either from what I understand. Any company who won't let their products be tested is questionable in my book. Combine this with my results and a story is told. Do some research and listen to the power users of these things.

Bronc

The Valentine One website has instructions for disabling the K-Band portion of the detector. I tried it and it works great; no more constant beeping with Distronic / Night Vision/ Parking Assist, etc.

And, you must mount the detector in the small rectangle space to the left of the rearview mirror (without the infrared coating) or it won't work at all.

But, it's possible!

Contact your "Toll Tag" authority (the rectangle space to the left of the rearview mirror is designed for a toll tag sticker). The Toll Tag authority here in Texas also has a special request front license plate sticker to use in case your car has the infrared windshield coating. Get this license plate sticker as the windshield rectangle is being used by your Valentine One!

rob13572468

yes if by great you mean lousy... turning K band off does not help you when the police use K band radar, which is in use in about 70% of texas...

you could just as easily unplug the radar detector 42 minutes out of each hour and get the same results...

NJS430

Interesting observation! Does Distronic Plus/Blind Spot assist cause radar detectors to go off? If so at what range? I would hate to think I am the cause of people slowing down but it may explain why some people quickly move out of my way when I come up on them in the left lane.

FloridaMB

After some research I have decided to install a Passport 9500ic and the Mid-City Engineering interface.

The 9500ic has 2 functions, the radar signal detectors and the laser diffusers. Both functions will be performed by means of two components mounted behind/under the rear and front bumpers.

The Mid-City interface will make the 9500ic reading's show in the instrument cluster (not the Command screen), and most of the controls handled by means of the streeing wheel controls.

I don't have Distronic, so I am not worried about the Distronic produced K signals producing "false" alarms.

Given the planned location for the installation of my equipment, I am not sure that the Distronic signals would be picked up by the radar signal detectors. Maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in. If I am correct, then the equipment I am using will be the answer even for those owners with Distronic.

Mr.Radarguy

I saw this and thought I would include my 2 cents..... That PDF is old, I contacted K40 on this and at one time that may have been true. But it is no longer true K40 DOES OFFER several solutions to MB with Distronic Plus.

Mr.Radarguy

I am a little confussed by your above statemenst in one you say you dont have Distronic and the other you say you do. Either way I will shed a little more light on tht Mid-City interface. It looks out a specific range of frequency in K band, but the down side of it is, that specific frequency is in the very range that K band guns emit. So if you are hit with K band in that frequency you will NOT be alarmed of the LEO. So I guess you give a little to get a little. The biggest problem is it is not known whether the radars for Distronic Plus fluctuate cause if they do there would be no point in even getting the interface.

W210

So more than 5 years later, any updates on what detectors work with distronic plus?

Mr.Radarguy

K40 RL360 is customizable enough to where it can operate with any vehicle that has a radar-based accessory.

jbondox

mid city has a distronic plus interface for the vehicle, i did a calibre back in 07 on a s, though I disable the sensors ... actually I pushed a button which powered the calibre up and removed power to the sensors... cruise control didnt work though while the radar detector was on

WEBSRFR

SO after all this time, there is no good detector that will work with Distronic?

WEBSRFR

PS: So does this work by actually disabling some monitored bands? Not good if that is the case... Also I wonder if it has front rear and side protection from laser and radar or just the front.

http://midcityengineering.com/radar-...rfaces/k40d221