12CLS63

I'm having some issues with my distronic system. If I'm all alone on the highway it seems to operate ok, but if I start getting into any kind of traffic it starts getting phantom returns or something and brakes randomly. At times it's fairly heavy braking that is borderline dangerous. It really seems to hate passing cars on the left, when I'm to their right. As soon as I get my front bumper up even with their rear bumper it will almost always brake check. It's rare, but will happen with cars on my left as well, like when cars pass me. I'm not sure the issue on the left is from them being on the left or if it's seeing a phantom issue ahead. Definitely has problems with cars in front of me. Doesn't seem to have any effect on what follow distance I have the system set for. The car has a prior design front bumper and the whole thing is wrapped. Prior to the bumper and wrap the system worked fine so it's obviously a result of one or both of those changes. My question is how does the system work so I can start troubleshooting and correct whatever it is the car is hating right now. Also, is there plain old fashioned cruise control on this car I can use until this issue gets worked out? Do quite a bit of highway driving.

I'm going to take my front emblem off as it covers the radar box and see if it changes anything. I'll post on here as I go through this in case it helps anyone else.

Rehabguy

First off, lemme say that I feel for you... Having gone through my own round of "WTF problem is this?!" with my E63. Are you getting Brake Assist warnings? This sounds pretty scary.

12CLS63

Occasionally it'll give me the beeps as if I'm about to crash into someone. It drives along perfectly normal and then sometimes it'll just brake a bit for a second and then continue on like I'm the a$$hole brake checking someone and other times it'll beep at me and try to cram on the brakes. At any time I can step on the gas and override the system and it'll allow me to continue on down the road. It doesn't try to fight me or anything or bring the car to a stop. The two systems I can turn on and off from inside the car as I'm driving, that I know about, are the Pre Safe Brake and the Radar Sensor. I tried turning both off or only one at a time and no combination had any effects on the symptoms. Since I don't know the logic of the Distronic system I can't really focus on what may be feeding it the misinformation so I'm kind of going about this blind. Don't know if it matters or not, but the star has the chrome wrapped.

I wouldn't call it scary since the most obvious workaround is I don't use cruise control, but it is definitely annoying on long trips.

Rehabguy

Sounds like sensors are being messed with by the new bumper and/or the wrap. Can you have the people who did this install look at it? Have you looked at if this system needs to be "calibrated" by the dealers or "a qualified tech" after someone disassembles the bumper?
Good luck with getting this issue fixed.

ygmn

When you drive do yo uhave the little Distronic display up?
Try that to see if what it shows for car in front. if it does not show one in front of you but brakes come on I think it is one of the BRAKE SAFETY packages working not Distronic.

Also; clean bumper sensors, radar cover under emblem and windshield top middle where cameras are first.
See if that does not help if not - Time to visit dealer to see what is wrong.

12CLS63

Uhhh,,,yeah, about that. You're talking to the installer, lol.

Rehabguy

LMAO! I guess it'd be very much against your interest to sue the installer for wrongful doing?

12CLS63

Yes to the distronic display coming up when it brakes. As soon as it brakes the screen shows a car in front of mine like when you are getting close and your car is matching speed. The speedo will also show the speed it is trying to match with the bars. If you have distronic you will know what I'm talking about with that. Of course, when it is slamming on the brakes it doesn't show the speed because it is just trying to stop. The system seems to be operating exactly as it was before the bumper and wrap, just now it is getting phantom readings.

I'll work on the getting the sensors cleaned up and try removing the front emblem. I want to do the bumper sensors last because they are wrapped. I've had wrapped cars before and never had this kind of issue before. The parking system works just fine and has no problems with getting close to other vehicles or giving false readings. It's just the distronic that is having problems.

One other thing I just remembered is that the new bumper has a very lightweight aluminum mesh grill whereas the stock bumper was a 100% plastic grill. Wonder if that has any effect. That grill was a huge pain to shape and put in. Really hope it doesn't get to a point of taking that out.

12CLS63

If I do I'm guaranteed to win! Of course, if I do I'm guaranteed to lose as well. Decisions, decisions...