Door Handles Rarely Pop Out When I Approach Car
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Washington DC
No more MB:(
Let's take something simple that was working flawlessly for decades and make it super complicated in an effort to be super "techy" and leading edge because Tesla has it. Ugh.
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Super Member
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From: Hong Kong, China
2021 S450 4Matic
BTW, I wonder how thick the ice has to be to prevent the retractable door handle from popping out.
I mean, the ice has to be frozen thick enough and how common can this be?
People living in extreme cold winter (eg those living with real winter in Europe...lol) please chime in.
I mean, the ice has to be frozen thick enough and how common can this be?
People living in extreme cold winter (eg those living with real winter in Europe...lol) please chime in.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2020
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From: Los Angeles
Panamera, '63 Impala
BTW, I wonder how thick the ice has to be to prevent the retractable door handle from popping out.
I mean, the ice has to be frozen thick enough and how common can this be?
People living in extreme cold winter (eg those living with real winter in Europe...lol) please chime in.
I mean, the ice has to be frozen thick enough and how common can this be?
People living in extreme cold winter (eg those living with real winter in Europe...lol) please chime in.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2021
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From: Hong Kong, China
2021 S450 4Matic
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Europe
223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
BTW, I wonder how thick the ice has to be to prevent the retractable door handle from popping out.
I mean, the ice has to be frozen thick enough and how common can this be?
People living in extreme cold winter (eg those living with real winter in Europe...lol) please chime in.
I mean, the ice has to be frozen thick enough and how common can this be?
People living in extreme cold winter (eg those living with real winter in Europe...lol) please chime in.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Europe
223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
"Thanks" to the climate change, we very seldom have a lot of snow on our country side roads (sparsely populated area but populated anyway
) and thanks to a lot of collected tax (impossible for US members of the forum to understand 
), roads are also cleaned 20 times better than 20 years ago. If it was windy, the local road could have snowdrifts much higher than the ground clearance of the car. One needs enough speed to pass those, AWD would not help a lot (we've had 2 AWD MBs out of all during some 40 years). Airmatic helps more when increasing the ground clearance. Often the most challenging task is to identify where the road goes. At winter our snow is absolutely white and everything to identify the road may be hidden by a flat snow surface.Our advantage is that at severe conditions it is unlikely to face other traffic, a bit unlikely even in good conditions.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Birmingham, AL
2019 S560, 2022 Audi S8
I saw on the news this morning that an extremely rare tornado was spotted in Southern California sometime this weekend.
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MBWorld God!
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Although this idea might be unfit (because it is and honestly it is such a terrible idea I came up with) for such a high tier vehicle, did they explore the idea of push to pop out and pop-in (like a click) because they wanted to build an aerodynamic vehicle being one of the reasons they wanted to hide those door handles. It also saves weight from the having a motor, and less chance of breaking. Other than maybe frozen by ice in the winter (I guess it can be used in places that doesn't go below freezing).
Actually better idea, bring back the door handles they used in the SLS gullwing. That handle is flushed, no motor and satisfies Mercedes' pursue for aerodynamics or at least make that a standard option for those that don't want to option the motorized door handles.
Actually better idea, bring back the door handles they used in the SLS gullwing. That handle is flushed, no motor and satisfies Mercedes' pursue for aerodynamics or at least make that a standard option for those that don't want to option the motorized door handles.
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Looks like I found a benefit of these new handles used on the W223 : https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ow-broken.html
For the W223, the retractable handle actually heats up so I guess this wouldn't had happen (just my opinion though) (and to be honest, handles being frozen and then breaking is not common to begin with) (also, I need to read that thread more carefully first to find out what really happened),
For the W223, the retractable handle actually heats up so I guess this wouldn't had happen (just my opinion though) (and to be honest, handles being frozen and then breaking is not common to begin with) (also, I need to read that thread more carefully first to find out what really happened),
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2019
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From: Houston
001 s600, 94 sl600
Many of the 'bling features' of the new Mercedes Benz are not 'user friendly.'
Just because a 'new feature' CAN be electronically operated and controlled does not mean it 'should be' implemented. Many of the newer cars require one to read, study, and understand the 'Users Manual.' Often when a warning light comes on, my wife has to refer to the 400+ page owners manual to see what it means and figure out if she can continue to drive safely. Sometime it even requires reference to an additional multihundred page manual to see what the symbol means.
Just because a 'new feature' CAN be electronically operated and controlled does not mean it 'should be' implemented. Many of the newer cars require one to read, study, and understand the 'Users Manual.' Often when a warning light comes on, my wife has to refer to the 400+ page owners manual to see what it means and figure out if she can continue to drive safely. Sometime it even requires reference to an additional multihundred page manual to see what the symbol means.
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2022
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Mercedes Benz S580
I'm having the same problem, the door handles only pop out some of the time. Then I was told then just swipe the handle, that NEVER works!
Does anyone have a solution???
Also, to lock the car "keyless" you have to press a spot smaller than a dime, and guess what it doesn't work with gloves on!!!!!
Does anyone have a solution???
Also, to lock the car "keyless" you have to press a spot smaller than a dime, and guess what it doesn't work with gloves on!!!!!
Last edited by HKC; Feb 22, 2022 at 12:55 PM. Reason: I left out a sentence.
Senior Member
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From: Houston
001 s600, 94 sl600
Well, the CitroenSM (1970--1976) had flush door handles that were sorta barrel-shaped and pivoted up following the body shape. They were not automatic---but always worked. The Geeks at MBZ are always trying something new but do not field test it before implementing it. The 90-95 wiring insulation disaster is a good example.
NEVER buy the first year of 'new' features.
NEVER buy the first year of 'new' features.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 447
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Volvo XC90
I'm having the same problem, the door handles only pop out some of the time. Then I was told then just swipe the handle, that NEVER works!
Does anyone have a solution???
Also, to lock the car "keyless" you have to press a spot smaller than a dime, and guess what it doesn't work with gloves on!!!!!
Does anyone have a solution???
Also, to lock the car "keyless" you have to press a spot smaller than a dime, and guess what it doesn't work with gloves on!!!!!
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 893
Likes: 397
From: Hong Kong, China
2021 S450 4Matic
I have a fairly high success rate (85-90%) of having the door handles popping out.
The remaining 10-15% is when, after locking the doors and walked away (like 20 or 30 metres or for a brief period of a few minutes) and then went back to the car .
I never use swiping to open the door. If it does not auto pop out, I use the key fob.
Now, the swiping for closing is another funny issue. Usually it takes 1 to 3 swipes to retract the door handles. Success rate, when I first had the car, was only about 30-40%. Then, in these few months, I discovered that with a certain swiping speed and a certain part of my hand (usually my right thumb), the chance of success is higher. Now it gets up to 70%. I am not sure if it is just me learning the swiping technique or it is the car gets smarter due to its AI learning.
Frankly, I still prefer the old door handle type.
The remaining 10-15% is when, after locking the doors and walked away (like 20 or 30 metres or for a brief period of a few minutes) and then went back to the car .
I never use swiping to open the door. If it does not auto pop out, I use the key fob.
Now, the swiping for closing is another funny issue. Usually it takes 1 to 3 swipes to retract the door handles. Success rate, when I first had the car, was only about 30-40%. Then, in these few months, I discovered that with a certain swiping speed and a certain part of my hand (usually my right thumb), the chance of success is higher. Now it gets up to 70%. I am not sure if it is just me learning the swiping technique or it is the car gets smarter due to its AI learning.
Frankly, I still prefer the old door handle type.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,350
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From: Birmingham, AL
2019 S560, 2022 Audi S8
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 493
From: Birmingham, AL
2019 S560, 2022 Audi S8
I have a fairly high success rate (85-90%) of having the door handles popping out.
The remaining 10-15% is when, after locking the doors and walked away (like 20 or 30 metres or for a brief period of a few minutes) and then went back to the car .
I never use swiping to open the door. If it does not auto pop out, I use the key fob.
Now, the swiping for closing is another funny issue. Usually it takes 1 to 3 swipes to retract the door handles. Success rate, when I first had the car, was only about 30-40%. Then, in these few months, I discovered that with a certain swiping speed and a certain part of my hand (usually my right thumb), the chance of success is higher. Now it gets up to 70%. I am not sure if it is just me learning the swiping technique or it is the car gets smarter due to its AI learning.
Frankly, I still prefer the old door handle type.
The remaining 10-15% is when, after locking the doors and walked away (like 20 or 30 metres or for a brief period of a few minutes) and then went back to the car .
I never use swiping to open the door. If it does not auto pop out, I use the key fob.
Now, the swiping for closing is another funny issue. Usually it takes 1 to 3 swipes to retract the door handles. Success rate, when I first had the car, was only about 30-40%. Then, in these few months, I discovered that with a certain swiping speed and a certain part of my hand (usually my right thumb), the chance of success is higher. Now it gets up to 70%. I am not sure if it is just me learning the swiping technique or it is the car gets smarter due to its AI learning.
Frankly, I still prefer the old door handle type.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 893
Likes: 397
From: Hong Kong, China
2021 S450 4Matic
Yes, I think traditional door handle is available as an option as I have seen some (in pics only) with it. Maybe the 'entry' models like 300 or 350?
I personally do not mind new tech even if the new tech is not flawless (especially at launch) as long as the tech is not critical enough to cause an accident.
Having driven my W223 for about 5 months now, even adding up all the glitches that I come across so far, I would still pick it over an used W221/W222 whose exterior still look fresh to me but the interior is a little 'dated'.
I personally do not mind new tech even if the new tech is not flawless (especially at launch) as long as the tech is not critical enough to cause an accident.
Having driven my W223 for about 5 months now, even adding up all the glitches that I come across so far, I would still pick it over an used W221/W222 whose exterior still look fresh to me but the interior is a little 'dated'.
Last edited by bishop64; Feb 22, 2022 at 09:45 PM.
Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 147
Likes: 75
From: Philadelphia area
2022 - S580 and 2019 Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet
I few people have complained about the doors requiring excess pull force to open from time to time. Try this: pull slowly allowing the electric actuator to fully unlock before opening.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 258
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From: Southern California (L.A.)
2019 S65 Coupe, 2017 S650 Maybach Convertible, 2020 S560 Sedan, 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S
We now need classes on how to open the doors. Yikes. Here's the link: HowToOpenTheCrappyPop-Up-Mercdes-S-Class-Doors.com/We-Hate-The-Pop-Out-DoorHandles
It's a joke. How many of you actually clicked the link?
It's a joke. How many of you actually clicked the link?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,124
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From: Corona Del Mar, CA
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
The pop-out door handles are an absolute failure on MB’s part: They we’re not needed, they are overly complicated, they often do not work properly, they annoy customers, just wait until they age and need repairs out of warranty, I personally think they can be dangerous in case of a severe accident AND the handles they replaced were PERFECT! Game, set, match: MB LOSES!
