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The icon for active steering assist is always grey - never green (active). Active lane keeping assist, however, is active.
I thought it might be due to messy roads or dirt on the windshield / grill - but that's no longer the case and it remains greyed out.
The only thing I can think of is that I had a paint protection film applied to the front of the car and he applied it to the plate in the center of the grill as well. Could that interfere?
You don't say if you have DISTRONIC engaged. Active Steering Assist is only active while DISTRONIC is engaged. It's not recommended to put PPF on the the Mercedes Star emblem as that can interfere with the radar sensor, but that would ultimately cause issues with DISTRONIC and not really Active Steering Assist I would think. The Active Steering Assist uses the stereo camera in the windshield, but as opposed to lane keeping assist it uses more than just the lane markings. It keeps an eye on other cars and objects to orient itself. If it doesn't go green after engaging DISTRONIC then it doesn't have sufficiently good data to steer. There could be several reasons for that, including the navigation/GPS not working properly, because the road information is factored into it. Sounds like you need to have it diagnosed.
Did you make sure that the 2 left-most buttons left of the steering column on the lower dash are pressed and showing red? You may just have it turned off.
The system is OK on long freeway cruises, but you have to give the steering wheel a little bit of input every 10-15 seconds and the car does drift around in the lane, which is kinda scary and disconcerting, especially if there are other cars around you. The Tesla system is far more advanced and stable.
While I had the Distronic system turned on, I didn't realize that I had to go as far as to set a speed and activate the actual cruise control in order for steering assist to become active.
It's a departure from the BMW 750 I just traded in. In the BMW, I could engage the steering assist (by way of a steering wheel mounted button) without having to use the cruise control.
I thought it was useful - I could open a cup of coffee, for example, while continuing to drive for a few seconds, hands free. I also used it as a safety feature while on long drives. I didn't want to use cruise control but It would theoretically keep me in the lane if were to become incapacitated, fall asleep, etc.
You don't say if you have DISTRONIC engaged. Active Steering Assist is only active while DISTRONIC is engaged. It's not recommended to put PPF on the the Mercedes Star emblem as that can interfere with the radar sensor, but that would ultimately cause issues with DISTRONIC and not really Active Steering Assist I would think. The Active Steering Assist uses the stereo camera in the windshield, but as opposed to lane keeping assist it uses more than just the lane markings. It keeps an eye on other cars and objects to orient itself. If it doesn't go green after engaging DISTRONIC then it doesn't have sufficiently good data to steer. There could be several reasons for that, including the navigation/GPS not working properly, because the road information is factored into it. Sounds like you need to have it diagnosed.
Hi! Help me please to clarify. Is Active Steering Assist REQUIRES stereo camera, or it can operate with mono cam? My V167 has mono camera (with sign recognition functionality) and Distronic PRO and I want to know if it's possible to add code Active Steering Assist.
Hi! Help me please to clarify. Is Active Steering Assist REQUIRES stereo camera, or it can operate with mono cam? My V167 has mono camera (with sign recognition functionality) and Distronic PRO and I want to know if it's possible to add code Active Steering Assist.
To my knowledge the MB Active Steering requires the stereo cameras. The stereo cameras give it depth perception, so it can gauge how far away all the obstacles are. That's not possible with a single camera. Some other systems that are limited to stop&go traffic can operate with a single camera and use the parking sensor for proximity, but since the MB system works at highway speeds it needs the stereo cameras.
While I had the Distronic system turned on, I didn't realize that I had to go as far as to set a speed and activate the actual cruise control in order for steering assist to become active.
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This is exactly why I liked the stalk cruise control on the left side of the steering wheel for the past 40+ years. You didn't have to look down to do a 2-step authentication process to go into cruise control, you didn't have to look down and make sure you pressed the correct buttons, you don't have to remember if the system is on/off., you didn't have to look down and set the trailing distance control.......Everything was handled by one lever with no reason to look down. I know all of the other car brands do it like Benz is doing it right now but that doesn't mean it's better. I really wish MB would go back to the stalk, but I know they won't. Quite a shame.
100% agreed I love the steering stalk so much easier and natural to use vs. the newer system, which I have experienced on loaner cars/SUV's. My old 84' 300ZX has it there too and prefer it over any other system!
Understood about the ease of blind operation, but I'm glad the stalk is gone. Got tired of hitting it by mistake when I wanted to activate the turn signal. HUD, heads up display now informs on status of distronic and other activation's without the need to look down if you have it.
Having had both the stalk on previous cars and now the buttons on the steering wheel I don't see it. I operate the buttons blind just like I did the stalks. The stalks didn't tell whether DISTRONIC was actually active and what speed was set. For that I had to look at the instrument cluster. My previous car also didn't remember the following distance. It always reverted back to the default and since I preferred the shortest following distance I had to adjust it the first time after each engine start. The one thing the stalks had was that the overall system stayed on if you left the stalk in the ON position and you could feel whether it was in the ON or OFF position, but as said, you still had to look at the instrument cluster to see what speed was set. Now the systems turn off every time the car is shut down and I have to turn it on again before setting the speed for the first time. Not a big issue, though. But the buttons on the steering wheel being physical buttons with proper spacing and proper haptic feedback I can operate them all blind. I honestly don't really have a preference either way. They both work equally well. Now the new capacitive buttons on the latest steering wheels are a different story. If you don't hit them properly they either don't react or you trigger the wrong function. Those are a major step backwards.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 2, 2022 at 02:19 PM.
Having had both the stalk on previous cars and now the buttons on the steering wheel I don't see it. I operate the buttons blind just like I did the stalks. The stalks didn't tell whether DISTRONIC was actually active and what speed was set. For that I had to look at the instrument cluster. My previous car also didn't remember the following distance. It always reverted back to the default and since I preferred the shortest following distance I had to adjust it the first time after each engine start. The one thing the stalks had was that the overall system stayed on if you left the stalk in the ON position and you could feel whether it was in the ON or OFF position, but as said, you still had to look at the instrument cluster to see what speed was set. Now the systems turn off every time the car is shut down and I have to turn it on again before setting the speed for the first time. Not a big issue, though. But the buttons on the steering wheel being physical buttons with proper spacing and proper haptic feedback I can operate them all blind. I honestly don't really have a preference either way. They both work equally well. Now the new capacitive buttons on the latest steering wheels are a different story. If you don't hit them properly they either don't react or you trigger the wrong function. Those are a major step backwards.
Which steering wheel design are you referring to? The facelift W213 (or the current S-class) steering wheel has "no real buttons" and hardly any haptic feedback (have not used it more than a couple of times on the wife's car). Thought your 2019 car would have the same steering wheel but the MBUSA manual shows the older style. I think I could learn to use the older style blindly but the new one is difficult.
The problem with the cruise stalk is that they switched the positions with the blinker stalk at some point. Even if the blinker stalk is longer and larger, I still at times use the blinker when trying to switch cruise on. Old brains do not learn quick, even if not many cells left to change.
I guess wife's previous E had the "older style steering wheel with distronic control" but I did not drive that either more than a few times. The separate cruise stalk is my personal favourite at the moment but perhaps I could learn to use the new one too, will see soon.
Which steering wheel design are you referring to? The facelift W213 (or the current S-class) steering wheel has "no real buttons" and hardly any haptic feedback (have not used it more than a couple of times on the wife's car). Thought your 2019 car would have the same steering wheel but the MBUSA manual shows the older style. I think I could learn to use the older style blindly but the new one is difficult.
The problem with the cruise stalk is that they switched the positions with the blinker stalk at some point. Even if the blinker stalk is longer and larger, I still at times use the blinker when trying to switch cruise on. Old brains do not learn quick, even if not many cells left to change.
I guess wife's previous E had the "older style steering wheel with distronic control" but I did not drive that either more than a few times. The separate cruise stalk is my personal favourite at the moment but perhaps I could learn to use the new one too, will see soon.
I'm referring to what I think you call the older style. I have the one below in my car. Great steering wheel design! The facelift W213 and the current S Class have capacitive buttons I mentioned, which I agree with you is a major step backwards.
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