What does the P on the Mercedes dashboard mean?
2 Answers
The P on the Mercedes dashboard stands for Parking-assistance, which is the parking assist system. Parking Assistance: It is a safety assist device used when parking or reversing a car. Currently, the mainstream parking assistance system consists of a rearview camera and an onboard display. When reversing, the front display can show real-time video from the rearview camera, making reversing safer. Activation Conditions: The vehicle speed must be below 36km/h; the turn signal must be activated (to indicate to the system which direction to park in); the parking area must be longer than 1.2 to 1.3 times the car's length (B-class car length is 4273mm); the vehicle must be within 1.5 meters of an obstacle (such as cars in front of or behind the parking area), meaning it cannot be too far away. The parking area must be like temporary roadside parking, with a row of cars lined up on one side. Parking lots with cars parked vertically side by side cannot support this function.
Don't panic when you see a P pop up on your Mercedes dashboard - as an experienced driver, I've seen this countless times. The most common occurrence is the electronic parking brake activation indicator - that red triangle with a P inside. Especially when you brake hard at a traffic light, this symbol will illuminate, indicating the AUTO HOLD automatic parking function has engaged (your car won't roll even if you take your foot off the brake). If you see a yellow P when shifting to P gear and turning off the engine, it's reminding you to engage the parking brake. Should the icon flash or turn red, be cautious - there might be an issue with the electronic parking brake system. Last time, my friend's car showed a flashing red P on a slope, which turned out to be brake failure caused by a loose sensor connection. My advice: if you encounter abnormalities, first pull over and try restarting the system. If that doesn't work, head straight to the dealership to read the fault codes.
