SL-Class (R231) 2013 on: Discussion on the SL550

SL/R231: Appreciate a few pointers please

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Old Apr 9, 2013 | 09:32 PM
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Sold 06 CLS500. SL550 09. SL550 2013. Own C6 Corvette heavily customized garage queen 2005.
Appreciate a few pointers please

So far absolutely love the new car......taking her easy for the first 500 miles or so, but a couple of questions...and hope you won't mind me asking many more in the near future........Thx also Wolfman for the pics...

Salesman assured me that the connectors for my iPhone 4S would not only charge the phone but would work correctly, but once again I find the lead not fitting tightly, therefore audio keeps getting disconnected and it certainly does not charge the phone at the same time, which obviously totally defeats the object as if I wanted to listen to my music files or Pandora, I soon would run out of juice on a long journey. Am I missing something or is there another alternative please?

Also Parktronic.....Never been a great fan, but since I have it, might as well get my money's worth. Think it will be useful when you park and in front of you there is one of those dead men cement type stoppers that will take the undercarriage off........I get the usual indications on the panel on top of the dash in the interior, but how near do I have to get before I audibly receive a warning sound that I am going to hit something head on........as no warning sounds are heard when I go into the garage and drive right up to the front. In the manual it says a sound will be heard 8 inches away.....surely that could be too late in some circumstances?
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Old Apr 10, 2013 | 01:06 AM
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Originally Posted by branmin
So far absolutely love the new car......taking her easy for the first 500 miles or so, but a couple of questions...and hope you won't mind me asking many more in the near future........Thx also Wolfman for the pics...

Salesman assured me that the connectors for my iPhone 4S would not only charge the phone but would work correctly, but once again I find the lead not fitting tightly, therefore audio keeps getting disconnected and it certainly does not charge the phone at the same time, which obviously totally defeats the object as if I wanted to listen to my music files or Pandora, I soon would run out of juice on a long journey. Am I missing something or is there another alternative please?

Also Parktronic.....Never been a great fan, but since I have it, might as well get my money's worth. Think it will be useful when you park and in front of you there is one of those dead men cement type stoppers that will take the undercarriage off........I get the usual indications on the panel on top of the dash in the interior, but how near do I have to get before I audibly receive a warning sound that I am going to hit something head on........as no warning sounds are heard when I go into the garage and drive right up to the front. In the manual it says a sound will be heard 8 inches away.....surely that could be too late in some circumstances?
I posted a couple of rants about the iPhone integration, especially the lack of control for other apps like Pandora, etc.

Audio/Video works fine via the media interface cable and I thought it charges the phone too. Have to check again but am pretty sure about that.

So far OK for iPhone media, minus Genius playlists, etc. Not sure about iTunes Music Match either as I have most on my 64GB phone.

Unfortunately, we are somewhat between technologies here when it comes to additional music apps. MB used to have the Media Interface Plus, a black box that added things like Pandora, but poorly. This has been discontinued to make way for the new iPhone Siri interface called DriveKit Plus with it's own app.
Has some useful features and a lot or worthless social media crap. IMO, the Facebook/Twitter apps from Mercedes & BMW are a joke.

Finally web radio and a Siri-based interactivity!

As usual, this is coming late to the US (supposedly this month) but no word on the SL. It's been out in Europe.

Here is a link to the European website as a teaser...
http://drive-kit-plus.com/en/#s/start

Re. Parktronic, people love to hate it. Why I have no idea. The sensors are not very obtrusive like in so many US cars; like ugly warts.
I have had countless scratched/cracked bumpers due to the low front SL bumper (more so if the car is lowered). I found the Parktronic to be a good aid, but I always approach a curb slow and with care. It's just too expensive o fix...

Last edited by Wolfman; Apr 10, 2013 at 01:08 AM.
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Old Apr 12, 2013 | 05:07 AM
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Originally Posted by branmin
Also Parktronic.....Think it will be useful when you park and in front of you there is one of those dead men cement type stoppers that will take the undercarriage off.

how near do I have to get before I audibly receive a warning sound that I am going to hit something head on.
It won't detect the parking blocks. The first red light on my car lights at about two feet away. The second one come on at about a foot.
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Old Jan 7, 2023 | 07:57 PM
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Sorry to revive this old thread, but I didn't find an answer in the operator manual.

If the SL (mine is 2019) has an audible sound associated with the Parktronic warning display lights, how do you turn it on/off or adjust the volume?
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Old Jan 8, 2023 | 03:08 PM
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My Parktronic won’t make a peep until in the red zone. I don’t think there is a volume control.
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Old Jan 8, 2023 | 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted by branmin
So far absolutely love the new car.....
What year and model do you have? Perhaps I missed this info on your post -- an R231 or "new" R232?
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Old Jan 8, 2023 | 07:10 PM
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Originally Posted by slk55er
What year and model do you have? Perhaps I missed this info on your post -- an R231 or "new" R232?
Cao Black revived this thread from 2013. This is for his R231 2019 model...
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Old Jan 8, 2023 | 07:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Wolfman
Cao Black revived this thread from 2013. This is for his R231 2019 model...
Thanks! I see that on a subsequent post.

Last edited by slk55er; Jan 8, 2023 at 07:18 PM.
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Old Jan 8, 2023 | 07:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Cao Black
Sorry to revive this old thread, but I didn't find an answer in the operator manual.
If the SL (mine is 2019) has an audible sound associated with the Parktronic warning display lights, how do you turn it on/off or adjust the volume?
Is it happening when you put the car in gear, after you first start the car? If I remember right, if you have a faulty sensor, it will make an “audible sound/beep” when you first put it in gear.
No volume adjustment that I know of.
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Old Jan 9, 2023 | 06:28 AM
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There is no volume adjustment and it cannot be turned off...

Originally Posted by Cao Black
Sorry to revive this old thread, but I didn't find an answer in the operator manual.

If the SL (mine is 2019) has an audible sound associated with the Parktronic warning display lights, how do you turn it on/off or adjust the volume?
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Old Jan 10, 2023 | 11:13 PM
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Originally Posted by TheWuMan
My Parktronic won’t make a peep until in the red zone. I don’t think there is a volume control.
Originally Posted by ThatsMyDawg
There is no volume adjustment and it cannot be turned off...
Thanks guys. I can't help but think that peep sound when the display lights finally turn red means....TOO LATE!
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Old Jan 12, 2023 | 12:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Cao Black
Thanks guys. I can't help but think that peep sound when the display lights finally turn red means....TOO LATE!

You’re expected to be going pretty slowly at that point (in the process of parking) and just edging up to an obstacle........ Never been a problem for me in many, many years of owning MBs with parktronic.
How are your ears. Mine are shot and I can barely hear it these days. I need to turn the radio volume right down.
Is not disabled?


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Old Jan 12, 2023 | 02:26 PM
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Actually it does not. You still have 1, maybe 2 secs to hit the break after the loud beep and red LED. It beeps a little once you are a little close to something, but getting louder when you get closer. There is a constant loud beep when you have almost reached the crash point. Just have your spouse stand in back of the car and then slowly back up while looking in your rearview mirror to see the LED display. The lights grow more prominent to either side, or both sides the closer you get to the object.The lights go from amber to red like a traffic light. When you are in immediate danger of hitting an object it stays red and sounds a constant beep. I once was distracted while backing into my driveway where my SUV was already parked. The beeps went crazy AND my SL actually freaked and stopped (applied the breaks) in my car for me! After I got out and checked it looked like I had about 1 sec more to hit the breaks. (judging by how close I was to my truck) before a crash.

One other thing, Your radio can drown out the beeping sound if you are playing loud music. The radio doesnt auto turn down the tunes....

Just back up a few times to see the distance of the LED lights and the beeping. It actually works well..

Originally Posted by Cao Black
Thanks guys. I can't help but think that peep sound when the display lights finally turn red means....TOO LATE!

Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Jan 12, 2023 at 04:31 PM.
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Old Jan 12, 2023 | 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by ThatsMyDawg
Actually it does not. You still have 1, maybe 2 secs to hit the break after the loud beep and red LED. It beeps a little, once you are a little close to something, but getting closer. There is a constant loud beep when you have reached the crash point. Just have your spouse stand in back of the car and then slowly back up wile looking in your rearview mirror to see the LED display. The lights grow more prominent to either side, or both sides the closer you get to the object and then go from amber to red when you are in immediate danger of hitting an item. I once was distracted and backing into my driveway where my SUV was already parked. The beep went crazy AND my SL actually freaked and stopped my car for me! Had It looked like I had about 1 sec more to hit the breaks. (judging by how close I was to my truck when I got out to look) before crash.

Just back up a few times to see the distance of the lED lights and the beeping. It actually works well..
Geez, my attempt at a little humor went over like Kramer at the Improv.
So I experimented with a large cardboard box (just in case) and found that there is a fairly shrill peeping when the display lights turn red. No problem hearing it, thank you.
My E sedan (and Ford F150) start peeping sooner, slowly at first more rapidly the closer you get. Anyway problem solved. Thanks again.
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