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360 degree camera

4888 Views 27 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  BEQCAMG, 
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My 2021.5 EQA250 is fitted with the 360 degree camera option. There are aspects of it I quite like and others I don't.

The likes: it provides quite a good range of views, although it takes a while to assimilate to the level of distortion shown in each image and therefore fully appreciate the proximity of objects of interest.

The dislikes: the image provided has nowhere near the clarity of my wife's 2016 B250, although the B250 only has a rear-facing camera - apart from the after-market cameras I've fitted to monitor the front (AMG-line) bumper bar view and front tyre proximity to the kerb to minimise the likelihood of scrapes.

The thing which really annoys me about the EQA's system is its on/off switching as we approach our garage. The camera seems to switch on when we approach our front gate, then it turns off as the gate moves out of range, then on again as someone walks near the car to disarm our alarm, then off again as they move out of range, then on again when we enter the garage. Of course all of this is accompanied by the noise of the pivoting three-pointed star emblem in the tailgate, on which the rear-facing camera is mounted. I keep wondering: how robust is that pivoting three-pointed star emblem; it's kept very busy?!

There's no need for the 360 degree view in any of the above scenario, so a simple on/off switch would solve the problem. Yes, the camera can (apparently - but see below) be switched on or off, via the following circuitous route, but what a rigmarole!: Settings / Assistance / Camera & parking / Switch auto reversing camera on/off.

That said, I have tried switching both the auto reversing camera and manoeuvring assistant off as an experiment to try to stop the rear-facing camera (in particular) from operating, but the 360 degree camera system (including rear view) seems to persist in operating.

I would be interested in learning more about this system from anyone who understands it well.
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On the EQC, once it's activated the rear camera, it tends to stay out for quite a while. I often get 100m down the road before I hear it being retracted.

Another tip, if you want to quickly force the cameras on while maneuvering into a position where there's nothing close enough to auto-trigger it, do a long-press on the button with the Car icon. Useful when you want to check how well you've lined up with the painted lines in a shopping centre when there are no other cars around.
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Thank you for your insight on the EQC, dBC.

Yes, the EQA rear-facing camera tends to stay on for a while as well. I think in the EQA the camera is supposed to remain operational until about 16kph - rather than being time- or distance-dependent.

As you may have gathered, I'm keen to try to find a way to keep it buttoned up unless I want it, in which case I might activate it via say the Car icon (which I'm yet to find). In the EQC, is that button on the centre console, the steering wheel or the touchscreen?
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Thank you, dBC. My EQA has a similar button on the left side of the touchpad, low on the centre console. I've not previously used it, but having pressed and held it. all cameras seem to activate.

If only there were a similar (one touch) sequence which temporarily deactivated all cameras!
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I've had a further thought about the Car icon button, dBC - which I've trialled a couple of times today. Pre-empting circumstances such as the approach and entry to our garage, when the EQA camera system annoyingly switches on and off several times in quick succession, that sequence can be curbed to some extent by using the Car icon button. Activating the camera system using that button keeps the 360 degree cameras activated for a short time, such that there's only one 'switch on / switch off'.

It's a bit like switching the idle stop / start system off in a modern ICE vehicle. With some vehicles so equipped, when performing brief stop/start or forward/reverse manoeuvres - such as when parking - I've heard the engine stop and start several times in short succession which, like overworking the rear three-pointed star emblem on my EQA, offends my mechanical sensibility. To me stopping and starting the engine in quick succession is a significant shortcoming of ICE vehicles, easily prevented by switching the idle stop/start off.
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Handy to know dBC long press method as I was just using the Active Parking Assist button.

It might be Parktronic which is opening the camera. You can disable in EQC with a dedicated button, or in EQA it might be as a virtual button in Quick Access menu and also the virtual button pops up when Parktronic activates camera if I understand EQA manual excerpt attached. Parktronic is also disabled in EQA car wash mode which my EQC doesn't seem to have.

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Thank you for your suggestion, Dar.

I have tried disabling Parktronic via the virtual button in Quick Access and the 360 degree camera still seems to respond to a trigger. I have only done this once and I think I disabled Parktronic correctly, but if someone thinks my finding is incorrect I'm happy to be put right.
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EQA-S.oz said:
Thank you for your suggestion, Dar.

I have tried disabling Parktronic via the virtual button in Quick Access and the 360 degree camera still seems to respond to a trigger. I have only done this once and I think I disabled Parktronic correctly, but if someone thinks my finding is incorrect I'm happy to be put right.
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Reversing will still trigger 360 even with parktronic off, however going very near posts and in forward drive mode the 360 does not trigger, in my car anyway. Parktronic resets to on every time car power button is pressed to ready drive motor, even if was previously set to off!

But you could go to car wash mode just as an extreme way to check Parktronic, as car wash mode even more certainly shouldn't be popping out the camera (as it could get damaged in the wash.)



Another way that seems to encourage the camera door to close is to use the side mirror close button. I use this going into a car wash as I don't have car wash mode. However the method of keeping the camera out you describe might be the best as that way you are also protected by Parktronic
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Thank you, Dar. I'll keep experimenting, but in the absence of single action rear camera door deactivation, activating the cameras with the Car icon switch currently seems to be the simplest way to stop repeated on/off activation of the rear camera door in the circumstances I originally described.

It has also occurred to me that using the foot gesture feature (or the key or the dashboard switch) to open the tailgate is another way to reduce wear on the camera door / tailgate opener. I like to be near the tailgate when it opens in restricted spaces (e.g. a carpark with a low ceiling), so that I can intervene if the tailgate looks like striking something.
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EQA-S.oz said:
Thank you, Dar. I'll keep experimenting, but in the absence of single action rear camera door deactivation, activating the cameras with the Car icon switch currently seems to be the simplest way to stop repeated on/off activation of the rear camera door in the circumstances I originally described.

It has also occurred to me that using the foot gesture feature (or the key or the dashboard switch) to open the tailgate is another way to reduce wear on the camera door / tailgate opener. I like to be near the tailgate when it opens in restricted spaces (e.g. a carpark with a low ceiling), so that I can intervene if the tailgate looks like striking something.
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Just to make sure I understood (since I'm also bothered by this) - was your solution to completely disable all the cameras?
If so, when you put the car in reverse you have to manually click on the car icon button? Or is it still starting all the cameras automatically?
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As I haven't found a way to quickly (and temporarily) "disable all the cameras" (especially the reversing camera and the associated camera door opening), I use the Car icon button to do the reverse (unintended pun): (temporarily) activate all cameras. This limits the opening and closing of the reversing camera door - in the short term - to one opening / closing action.

As outlined in an earlier post, I have a regular circumstance where, if left to its own devices, the system turns the cameras (including the reversing camera) on and off several times in relatively quick succession and each time that happens, the reversing camera door opens and closes.

My wish is to discover the means to - with a single action - temporarily "disable all the cameras", but so far I haven't found such a trigger.

Others have suggested using car wash mode, but that requires several actions: Multimedia / Settings / Quick access / (select) Car wash mode / (select) Start; deactivated by selecting Stop. Another suggestion is to fold in the outside door mirrors. Apparently that stops the reversing camera door from opening. I haven't tried it, because my concern for wear and tear on the folding mirrors is similar to that of excessive activation of the rear camera door. Perhaps I'm unduly paranoid about this?! I consider it a form of preventative maintenance: these things are mechanical and they will wear out.
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As I'm waiting for my EQA to arrive, I'm also concerned by this issue so I've contacted the dealership agency and they claim this happens because of the PDR sensors in the parking package.
I was told that in some cases such as when a vehicle is getting too close from the back, the camera will trigger even when not in reverse, for example when stopping at an intersection.

They sent me the following photo, saying it can be disabled from the "Quick Access Menu". I wonder if it helps...

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Disabling Parktronic via the means you mention, nb_irger, was discussed in posts 8 and 9 of this thread. I haven't abandoned my research on that, but my interim finding was that the reversing camera will still activate in certain circumstances with Parktronic turned OFF.

Referring to your second sentence; if I remember correctly, on one occasion a car pulled up close behind me at traffic lights and I heard the reversing camera door open, but I don't recall the camera image being shown. Perhaps the camera door opening was a pre-emptive action in that circumstance?
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EQA-S.oz said:
Disabling Parktronic via the means you mention, nb_irger, was discussed in posts 8 and 9 of this thread. I haven't abandoned my research on that, but my interim finding was that the reversing camera will still activate in certain circumstances with Parktronic turned OFF.

Referring to your second sentence; if I remember correctly, on one occasion a car pulled up close behind me at traffic lights and I heard the reversing camera door open, but I don't recall the camera image being shown. Perhaps the camera door opening was a pre-emptive action in that circumstance?
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I didn't know that was the icon for Parktronic. This feature isn't enabled in Israel, so I guess my case it should only disable the surrounding sensors. Do you have this option available in your EQA?

About the 2nd scenario - yes, I was told it is used with other sensors to determine the "possible impact" that might happen. The camera door was opened but indeed no image was shown. The guys from the local agency was determined this can be canceled though, as I've written earlier. I hope they are right... :)
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nb_irger said:
I didn't know that was the icon for Parktronic. This feature isn't enabled in Israel, so I guess my case it should only disable the surrounding sensors. Do you have this option available in your EQA?

About the 2nd scenario - yes, I was told it is used with other sensors to determine the "possible impact" that might happen. The camera door was opened but indeed no image was shown. The guys from the local agency was determined this can be canceled though, as I've written earlier. I hope they are right... :)
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I assumed from the photo you posted that the Parktronic enable/disable virtual button is enabled in your local EQAs. It is in mine (Australian 2021.5 spec.), but as I said, I'm still working out exactly what functions it enables/disables.

As reported in post #9, Parktronic defaults to 'enabled' at each start, so to pre-empt unwanted camera door opening you would have to disable it every time you drive. It will be interesting to hear your findings when your car is delivered.

A couple of days ago I drove my car into a multi-storey carpark for the first time. That part of my journey was soon accompanied by MBUX camera images and proximity sounds as the car climbed from floor to floor - presumably getting too close to various structures along the way. I didn't think to try disabling Parktronic; instead, I steered a wider path as I passed the structure (same on each floor) I perceived to be triggering the response. To be frank, I found it a bit annoying!
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EQA-S.oz said:
I assumed from the photo you posted that the Parktronic enable/disable virtual button is enabled in your local EQAs. It is in mine (Australian 2021.5 spec.), but as I said, I'm still working out exactly what functions it enables/disables.

As reported in post #9, Parktronic defaults to 'enabled' at each start, so to pre-empt unwanted camera door opening you would have to disable it every time you drive. It will be interesting to hear your findings when your car is delivered.

A couple of days ago I drove my car into a multi-storey carpark for the first time. That part of my journey was soon accompanied by MBUX camera images and proximity sounds as the car climbed from floor to floor - presumably getting too close to various structures along the way. I didn't think to try disabling Parktronic; instead, I steered a wider path as I passed the structure (same on each floor) I perceived to be triggering the response. To be frank, I found it a bit annoying!
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I hope you'll figure it out, it's indeed annoying.
Please update if you have any findings!
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nb_irger said:
Please update if you have any findings!
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Will do.
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Following a short drive this evening, I believe I have a clearer understanding of how to deactivate the reversing camera so that the reversing camera door doesn't open.

I believe you need to BOTH deactivate Parktronic and turn the reversing camera off, as shown in the attached images. The sequence for deactivating Parktronic is: select Settings / Quick Access / toggle P button (top right in the image below) OFF...


Car Wheel Plant Automotive design Vehicle


...and to switch the automatic reversing camera OFF: select Settings / Assistance / Camera & parking / toggle Auto reversing camera OFF (as in the image below). Note: this requires scrolling down in the Camera & parking view.

Car Wheel Vehicle Plant Automotive design


So, it's quite a rigmarole to stop the reversing camera door from opening. If you only switch the reversing camera off, Parktronic will open the reversing camera door to provide the 360 degree view and that view is triggered by various sensors located around the car. If you deactivate Parktronic, selecting Reverse will open the reversing camera door and show the reversing camera view.

Hence, for now, to avoid repeated opening and closing of the reversing camera door in circumstances such as entering our property and the garage, I'm forcing Parktronic to activate as described in post #12 of this thread.

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I spoke to the person who sold me the car today and he suggested an alternate solution to the scenario in my last paragraph above (post #19): having stopped (in D), momentarily select R, then return to D: all cameras come on and stay on until triggered to turn off.

I still prefer to press - and hold, briefly - the Car icon button on the centre console.
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