Collision Prevention Assist Plus Inoperative

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My first experience with Collision Prevention Assist was in my boss’ E-Class. It was a small red light on the dashboard which I figured out came on when I got too close to cars in front of me while driving.

Then I got an A-Class and learnt a bit more about it. It wasn’t so basic. If it thought you might not be paying attention it would beep loudly (shout in my terminology) at you to warn you that you might be about to crash.

Then I heard stories from a colleague who says he was driving on the highway, came up behind a car and all of a sudden his car automatically slammed on brakes. And this was also the fault of Collision Prevention Assistance Plus.

Now I’ve had it beep at me many times, and with my CLA it has also actually lightly engaged the brakes, but not once has it been in an instance of real danger. In my opinion. It happens most often when you’re driving behind a car and they turn off the road you’re on, slowing down considerably. I however maintain my speed because I’m driving straight. The car doesn’t know they’re turning and so warns you of your impending demise.

It is however an important safety feature, and the one time it saves you from an accident will be worth all the false-positives.

Not too unhappy am I then when I turn on my car a few weeks ago to be greeted by a yellow message saying “Collision Prevention Assist Plus Inoperative”. I check the manual and it says I must drive slowly and take the car to a dealer. This is 16h00 the day before I’m supposed to go on a 3,000km road trip. So what do I do? I find a dirt road, check the ABS and traction control are still functioning and decide to take my chances. As far as I can tell the car functioned exactly as normal besides the lack of this one function. And it was actually quite nice, because with it inoperative, it was unable to beep at me.

2015-09-09 08.16.50Eventually though, several weeks after it started warning me I took it in to the dealership. They kept it for the morning and told me they did a software update, now the message is gone, hopefully for good.

From what I’ve read on forums and discussed with other drivers, it’s not an altogether uncommon occurrence amongst CLA and GLA drivers. And in most cases a software update fixes the problem for good.

Discalimer: When I took the car in the service agent told me if they couldn’t fix it they would have to keep it overnight, as they can’t let me drive with one of the safety functions malfunctioning. Fair enough. What it does mean is that I (and you) should definitely not drive an additional 3,000 km before taking the car to be checked out.

SA Driver’s Licence Tests

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This post gives a summary of the different Driver’s Licence Tests one can take in South Africa. What one is required to perform when taking the test. To do your driver’s licence you need to have a valid Learner’s Licence and appropriate vehicle for the test.

If you need more information on any of the below topics, all the instructions and guidelines are set out in excruciating detail on the eNATIS website, the documents will answer any question you can possibly have about the actual tests. See them all here.

All tests require a pre-trip inspection. These details vary per vehicle, but include such things as ensuring roadworthiness of vehicle, checking for obstructions and leaks as well as testing lights and other required electronics in the vehicle. A full list for the inspections is available for each vehicle in the earlier mentioned documents.

Motorbikes (A / A1)
There is no difference between the tests for an A or A1 licence. The entire test takes place in the yard and consists of a pre-trip inspection, a starting procedure and a skill test. You are required to supply a roadworthy motorcycle to do the test on; trikes, quads and sidecars are not permitted. Note: The bike you use will dictate what licence you get. If you use a 100cc motorbike you will only get an A1 licence, if you use an automatic (eg. scooters), that restriction will be on your licence.

The skills test comprises of the following.

  • Speed management (accelerating to 25kmph and then stopping at a fixed point)
  • Moving off/turn (drive in a straight line and turn left at marked area. Come to a stop before taking off again and turning a left corner again)
  • Lane change (accelerate in a straight line, do a lane change)
  • Incline start (from a stationary position, take off without rolling backwards)
  • Turning speed judgement (turn a corner riding through marked lines within a certain time)
  • Emergency stops/swerves (drive in a straight line, when a light comes on either stop or swerve depending on which light).

Light Motor Vehicles (B / EB)
For both B or EB the test consist of a pre-trip inspection, a yard and a road test. For the B test your vehicle must be a single vehicle with GVM less than 3.5 tons and be longer than 3m. For the EB you must either have an articulated motor vehicle with GCM less than 3.5 tons, or a combination of vehicles where the drawing vehicle has GVM less than 3.5 tons and the trailer is more than 750kg.

For the yard test, both tests consist of:

  • A turn (driving forward and round a corner)
  • An alley dock (reversing into a parking bay that is perpendicular to starting direction)
  • A parallel park (for EB the trailer is uncoupled)
  • An incline start (taking off from a stop on an incline)
  • Additionally an EB test requires a reverse in a straight line (reverse the vehicle while staying within the demarcated area)

The road test requires you to drive through a section of the town along preset routes. Their are certain minimum requirements for the route, but the driving is to test your ability to adhere to the K53 driving guidelines. Driving schools know these routes and the K53 guidelines and allow you to practise the routes before hand.

Heavy Motor Vehicles (C / C1 / EC / EC1)
For all codes the test consists of a pre-trip inspection, a yard and a road test. The test is for vehicles with GVM more than 3.5 tons, vehicles longer than 6m, vehicle combinations where the trailer GVM exceeds 350kg or an articulated vehicle GCM is more than 3.5 tons. Note: the licence you receive will be based on the vehicle you provide to test out on.

The yard test consists of:

  • A turn (driving forward and round a corner)
  • An alley dock (reversing into a parking bay that is perpendicular to starting direction)
  • An incline start (taking off from a stop on an incline)
  • A straight reverse (reverse the vehicle while staying within the demarcated area)

The road test is as for a Light Motor Vehicle (see above).

Conclusion
Getting a driver’s licence in South Africa is often said to be difficult. If you are a capable driver though and are able to follow instructions for half an hour you should have no problems passing the test.

Although expensive, it is often of great advantage to take lessons with an accredited driving school. They will teach you how to pass the test, allow you to practice the yard manoeuvres as well as drive you along the route the road test will take and critique you on your conformance to the K53 guidelines.

Comment Note: Over the next few months I will have minimal access to the blog, as such comments are being locked until further notice.

2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA200 (C117)

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After 8 months with the A200, I’ve managed a switch to the CLA200. What is this? Well it’s the A-class that they made a bit longer and chopped the hatch off. Although it looks a bit like a sedan, Mercedes naming conventions have it down as a coupé. This is further aligned by the limited head-space for the rear seat passengers.

The CLA by name is not an A-Class, but by every other measure it is. Both cars share interior and exterior design features, have the same engine options and are based on the same platform. The CLA was introduced 8 months after the launch of the A-Class. A CLA station wagon (or shooting brake) has been released this year, looks beautiful, but is not yet available in South Africa.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake (this is not my car)

The specific cars (A and CLA) I drove have the identical engine, gearbox and FWD system. Sitting in the CLA feels exactly the same as sitting in the A-Class, besides the media screen’s thinner frame, and noticeable changes to the door due to the frameless doors on the CLA.

So I thought the A-Class I drove had no extras, but the CLA had even less. No ‘Mirror’ package, means the side mirrors don’t fold away (a nice visual cue for whether your car is locked or not) and also that the mirrors don’t auto dim when lights shine on them. Even with the lack of extras, the car still came with cruise-control, bluetooth and tyre pressure monitoring.

This is kinda like my car

This is kinda like my car

Outside, the bonnet has some extra styling lines, the side profile obviously differs with the boot instead of the hatch. Doors don’t have a window frame, and the stock 16″ wheels encourage an optional upgrade. Inside there are some minor design changes to the vents and trim, not specifically to my liking compared to the A-Class, but not bad. The rear seats do fold down, so I’ll still be able to get my bike in, which was something I was concerned about after the fixed rear seats of the old C-Class (split rear seats was an option).

this is my one

this is my one

The engine revving/noise seems to be tweaked slightly compared to the A-class, which means it doesn’t sound as strained. I also feel that the way it manages gears has also been tweaked slightly for the better, meaning I no longer have the issue of being in the wrong- or out of a gear when leaving a speed bump.

Although the CLA is marginally heavier (like 30kg) than the A-class, it still manages improved fuel-economy figures. Partially due to the car’s lower wind-resistance profile and partially due to an added ‘Charge’ fuel-saving feature. Only time will tell how accurate this is. Over the 18,810 km I did in the A-Class, I averaged 8.7 l/100km.2015-06-22 16.45.52

Overall I do like the CLA more. It’s a nicer looking car; I’ve always preferred a sedan shape to a hatchback (although the shooting brake really does take the cake) and I also feel it drives nicer than the A-Class. Suspension seems marginally stiffer, but this may be because I’m comparing a brand new CLA to an A-Class with several thousand Ks on the clock.2015-06-22 16.45.41

Another nice car, nothing amazing from Mercedes, but good looking, comfortable and decent handling. A very expensive car for what is a small sedan, but it is a premium brand, and the price is only marginally more than what you’d pay for the equivalent A3 sedan.

Sani Pass – June 2015

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panoramaLast weekend a friend and I spent some time with my family in Kokstad. While there we decided to take a trip up the Sani Pass, on mountain bikes. Sunday we headed out through Underberg and Himeville and on to the pass. The road to the South African border post was mostly good with a couple rough patches, and a bit of ground clearance would come in handy. That being said we saw a ford fiesta with 4 people that somehow managed to scrape its way to the border post.border postPassports are required, but it’s a quick stamp at the SA offices before you climb on your bike. The pass officially starts several kilometres earlier, but we decided to ride post to post. It was a long climb up. The route is only 8km, but you climb vertically from 1965m up to 2873m. A tough job for my sea-level accustomed lungs. It took us about 2hr15min to do the trip up, of which we were stationary for half an hour.up and upOnce up top we had a quick meal at the self-proclaimed ‘highest pub in Africa’, a glass of gluehwein to warm us up and a cup of coffee to sober us up for the trip down. It had snowed there several days prior, but most of the snow had already melted. Coming up the pass some sections which don’t get the sun were still iced over though. Only 4×4 vehicles are permitted to go up the pass, that doesn’t stop everyone though, and we saw some sliding fun by a RWD Ford Ranger on one particularly icy section.Frozen WaterfallThe trip down was a lot of fun. Definitely worth the tough climb, and I’d love to do it again. The first sections are particularly slow due to the ice. We also had a fair amount of traffic both ways, but it’s usually relatively easy to get past the vehicles. Especially on the way down they are driving much slower than a bike.High PubWhile there are a lot of rumours of tarring the route, till  now no work has taken place, nor any visible preparation. It’s gravel the whole way till you cross the Lesotho border, at which point you ride onto nice smooth asphalt.looking backMy full trip down can be seen below: