BOTUS

in 8 years of ownership never really noticed the front and rear parking sensors make a different tone till last weekend... can people here on early Rear SAM software confirm there's definitely a different tone front and back?

it might be the range is so short you seldom get both going off together... but running the software I have in the Rear SAM now, there is clearly a different tone... but as usual it remains at half the vol you need (where other models can have it adjusted in dealer kit - the radar hidden sensors you get on early distronic plus cars don't have this vol feature.....)

MBCO

I have not noticed any difference in sound but will check it out next time I park in a public garage. And report back

Senecat

I think I was more focused on the LED's on the ceiling through my rear-view than I was the beeping, and I'm 2012, so not early, but I can check if you want.

BOTUS

yes please - I'd be interested to see if you notice

its odd on a BM it was very obvious - but as I say, had it for 8 years and was convinced it was the same both ends... then after working on the car in the autumn, I got the idea maybe there is a difference.... now after getting in a tight spot def different both ends. Wish I could wind up the vol... But in mine the normal module isn't fitted. So maybe car with the normal (better) visible sensors you can wind up your volume in dealer kit?

Senecat

Ok. I'll back into the garage door and see what happens. Try not to hit it, of course.

vettebk

Per your request, I took my 2007 S600 to an underground Parking garage and backed into the space slowly. The little red lights in the rear view did the progressive dance as I closed in on the wall behind the car. On the next to the last red light (probably just before I hit that wall), the rear sound alert with the same pitch as my front sensors commenced. The rear sound was at a different volume level than my fronts. But both had the same pitch (at least to this aging rock fan's ears). What was markedly different from the front/rear sound was the pitch of the collision alert sound from the front when the car thought I was getting too close to something.

Hope this helps. And I always warn everybody that you won't go far in life if you listen to a liar like me.

BOTUS

thanks for looking, at this age do you have have the 4 round visible sensors at each end ?

the really early cars in europe Dec 2005 to Early 2007 got invisible senors (looks exactly like it doesn't have any) but if you have the front grille DTR radar they do get hidden radar parking sensors both ends

List below Rear SAM iterations I'm aware of - So on my invisible parking sensor car - I suspect software update 4423300 changed the beeps each end to a different tone, but on mine its the same vol level

4421300 04.2006
4422400 31.10.2007
4422600 6.05 2007 - current replacement part with pre-built bodge up release
4423300 6.05.2007 - noticed different beep at each end - radar cuts out in heavy rain loosing cruise, from 4421300 cruise in traffic slightly smoother, ABR more frequent nags
9021400 16.01.2009
9021401 6.1.2009
9023903 1.6.2012
9024003 4.6.21012
9024903 03.04.2013 - main dealer R SAM update you get this - you can't choose, I suggest you don't want this - distronic braking goes dangerous - aka mostly forgets to do it

my car only went back to R SAM 4423300 2007 iteration late last year, had been on the last release but I didn't enjoy anything it does to the car. Oddly I didn't get the different tones on parking sensors with this release but then no early car had visible sensors and this software was written for cars than only had the later sensor type ????

vettebk

I definitely have the distronic radar unit at the front of the car and the clear plastic cover over the grille. But I took a look at the front and rear valence and mine are perfectly smooth. No little circular sensors are visible. Let me know if you need a pix. There was an older post where I clipped a Prius and showed a pix of my front valence in need of cosmetics. But I have not posted any pix since it was all beautifully repaired.

BOTUS

so sounds like mine - the earlier one where hidden radars do the parking duties - interesting about the change in tone I now have front to back?

blind spot assist was not common in europe way back when... as we don't allow undertaking there is far less need...
so the front DTR does much of the active cruise, but either side hidden are the front SGR radars that do more support round town (and the parking sensor duties).
at the back my two rear SGR hidden radars only do parking.... but then I wonder if its these that do USA blind spot ?



radar



later ultrasonic visible ones








.

Senecat

Sorry for the delay, BOTUS

So I performed the test. My 2012 makes no noise at all. All I have are those LED's on the ceiling. Sooooooo is that normal or is mine ****ed up too?

Senecat

Or do I need to get closer like vettebk til I see red LED's? I got pretty close, close as I thought I could without backing into the damn thing, but I didn't see red LED's....

BOTUS

oh yes Merc love to temp fate - you have to go full red and only 0.5m away (just over half a yard), before they make any noise at all - which normally feels like you are already scrapping things. easiest is to get them active. stay stationary and get a fellow human to stand close... much safer way to test

Senecat

Ok, well, I guess mines broke. It don't make no noise. What a piece of junk.

BOTUS

are they off on the dash? and if you use it does it shut up the noise of both display and noise ?

Senecat

It beeps like crazy when I get near anything in the front, but only the lights happen on the ceiling in the back. I will try to get a little closer to the garage door this time til I see red LED's while in reverse.

BOTUS

lets hope its just the perception of you being further away than you think.... don't forget to try and listen out for a difference in tones - I guess a big empty cardboard box is better than potentially risking a human?

Senecat

It's just my brother, he'll be ok

Senecat

Ok, so I grew a pair and reversed toward my garage door (brother was curiously unavailable for the experiment?)

I saw red LED's and heard an audible beep that originated from the rear of the car. The tone was audibly different than the front warning beeps.

There ya have it!

BOTUS

thanks - (for almost risking your brother), so hidden or visible parking sensors?. and if hidden one's (looks like it doesn't have any) do you know the software version of your Rear SAM ?

MBCO

Closing the test loop on my test, 2012 w221 :

Front alerts are lights increasing bars in center display with loud alarm when red light appears.
rear alerts are center displays bars and very faint almost inaudible tone on red.

Used garage wall for front test and closed garage door for rear test. (I’m replacing garage tomorrow so I nudged it a little to be sure)

Why the difference in audible levels? Only Helmut and Hans the Command coder dudes know?

BOTUS

further away from your head ? and or as a later model with the PTS module maybe you can get at it to change the vol (an indie near me that only does interior toys - says its adjustable on most model - but option wasn't there to tweak on my early one)

MBCO

I'll explore around DAS for a place to adjust volume next time I'm in there. I'm thinking that in Reverse one would want a LOUD warning when inches/MM away from objects. There is no way I could have heard that had the radio been on.

BOTUS

I think the idea is these cars are mostly used to chauffeur important people - and they won't want to be disturbed whilst in the back

my LWB version gets other ideas to make sure the sat nav doesn't intrude for the same reason

vettebk

Hey Botus,

I just took my 2007 S600 on a 1100 mile trip. On arrival, I stopped at a big Car Wash (assembly line style) and when the front washer stepped in front of the car it sounded and then when the rear washer dropped down about two seconds later it sounded again. With that short interval, it was very clearly two pitches. In my case, it was almost a "dit dah" and the dah was at about a little better than half the volume,

I know I told you a previous lie about not hearing a difference, but in that car wash it was as clear as a bell.

My car got almost 23 mpg for the 1100 miles mostly at 65 mph.

BOTUS

I wish u had the same size gallon - that sounds about
3.7 23 6.216216
4.56 28.3459 uk mpg

I was thinking that's doable then realise you mean on the V12 and that's pretty incredible - mine seems to do hardly any worse mpg at 83mph which is unusual as wind resistance is much more... under 60 gets the highest I ever see but only by 1 to 2 mpg or so