Parking Sensors B Class

[johnjohnr2005]

In October 2005 I purchased a brand new Mercedes” B” class.

From the day I purchased the vehicle the parking sensors both front and rear have sporadically malfunctioned. The front sensors activate occasionally for no apparent reason usually when the vehicle is in motion when there is nothing whatsoever in front of the car and no activity on the pavement that could give reason for the sensors to light up inside the car along with the noise the sensors gives out.

The rear parking sensors malfunction more frequently than the front sensors, the only difference is occasionally the sensor fails to function and on three occasions have caused me to slightly damage the rear of my car.

On three separate occasions I have asked the dealer that I purchased the vehicle from to check the parking sensors, on each occasion I have been told they could not find a fault with the parking sensors.

During the last 40 years I have owned and driven several different makes of cars and I have never damaged any of my cars either driving them forward or reversing.

I have contemplated writing to the Sunday Times Motoring supplement and or the motoring trade journals to find out if any other Mercedes owners were experiencing similar problems, perhaps before I explore that avenue I was wondering whether anyone else has had similars problems and how you have resolved them.

 

[Splatt]

You had better buck up, you have been living with the problem for 4 years

 

[hawk20]

If you drive close to a hedge or somesuch, the sideways vision of the sensor will trigger an alert when going forward. But that is no problem IMO.

Going backwards if you go too fast, you can hit something before the alarm sounds -or so close together that you will think it failed to go off. Need to edge backwards at snails pace.

These are the only things I have heard of. Got them on my E and had them on the two A's I had, and on the S and on the ML270 and on the B200cdi I owned. All worked perfectly.

Intermittent faults -if that is what it is -are a so and so to find.

 

[jberks]

its hard to say whether you have a fault from the description or not. Assuming you've experience of sensors from previous cars I have no reason to doubt your view. As to whether this is a common issue, all I can say is mine work perfectly and so do the parktronic systems in friends and relatives cars. That's not to say they are infallable. Mine went a bit silly last night, beeping when I knew there was nothing there, but I put that down to the cold weather with possible ice forming on the sensor. I've also had sensors going off in heavy rain but again it's obviously picked something up, even if its water. For the rest of the time no complaints really. They don't react instantly so if i were to shoot into a space and hit the wall I wouldn't expect to hear from them until afterwards but when menouverning in a tight space I wait until I hear from the sensors before using up the last few inches of space. They often go mad 2 seconds after someone has walked past the car - as I say, tehy're not infallable.
On your point about damaging the car, I'm struggling a bit. If you're saying they didn't go off at all, why did you continue?. They give a warning when you are a fair way off and then get progressively more urgent as you close in. So, if they remained silent when I thought they should be beyond 1 or 2 dots I'd be more cautious, possibly climbing out and checking my sanity. Like most electronic drivers aids, they are useful but should never be relied upon 100%. If they support my understanding then thats great, if they contradict it, telling me it's clear when I don't think it is, I'll err towards my belief. Conversely, if it tells me to stop when I think I'm ok, I'll stop and check.

The dealer is in a difficult position. intermittent problems are a nightmare to resolve and have led me to consider changing cars at times. If the sensors work most of the time, as you say they do, then when the dealer tests them, he will get correct results. Hence tehre is no fault to find.
I can only suggest that the next time it's doing it, you take it directly to the dealer and don't turn off the engine. A tall order I accept but I did manage to do this will an annoying heater fault once and at least, when given a car that is malfunctioning as they look at it, they've got a chance of finding it.

 

[hawk20]

Great posting JBerks. Take a new year pay rise!

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Great posting JBerks. Take a new year pay rise!

Hi Hawk,

"Hawk, you know that you are now enrolled as chief technical director". - Television.

I saw that Malcolm had promoted you "in the field", but did not realise that now entitles you to adjust the terms and conditions of other Forum members!

In which case I shall take special care to be nice to you in future ...........

 

[jberks]

Thanks chief - I'll have 10% if thats ok ;-)

 

[hawk20]

Thanks chief - I'll have 10% if thats ok ;-)

Fine. And with negative inflation supposedly on the way that should make a tidy difference.

Heard a nice one today in Waitrose. You know like people say they have a dose of the Mondays or Monday morning blues. Conversation goes like this: -
Woman: 'How you feeling Harry'
Man: 'Not good today; feeling a bit 2008 if you know what I mean'
Woman: Two thousand and eight?
Man: 'Yes, the year the world fell apart -just like I feel.'