It is usually observed that on long monotonous stretches of road or on a congested road, there is a chance that the driver may miss a road sign such as speed limit board or a traffic signal, light signs etc. may be due to drowsiness or excessive concentration, thereby landing into the trouble of road accident. Traffic Sign Assist helps in such critical situations and work to prevent an accident which may occur as a result.
Mercedes Benz has installed this system to effectively help the driver to ensure safety on the road through complying with traffic rules. However, there are chances that the system gets malfunctioned due to some possible reasons but off course there are some easy ways too to fix the error. In this blog, we are providing information related to the traffic sign assist system that how it works, why it can fail to work and how can we fix this error on your Mercedes Benz.
What is traffic sign assist system?
Traffic sign assist system is basically a camera based equipment located under front mirror in your MB which continuously monitors the road and provides the drive with the important and relevant information regarding sign posted speed limits, entry and overtaking restrictions, and the signs indicating end of those restrictions along the whole journey.
System benefits for drivers
- Currently applicable road signs are in view for the driver
- Supports the driver observing speed limits
How does it Work?
The traffic sign assist system has a navigation screen and a camera to scan the information from signposts during the drive and shows similar information to the driver on multimedia display. 
But sometimes, the driver encounters an issue of “Traffic sign assist Inoperative” through a dashboard message which is not uncommon and may occur because of some problem only with the camera or maybe with the whole system. But, like many other electronic equipments, traffic sign assist system may also fail with the usage over the lifespan.
Possible Causes for the problem in Mercedes Benz Traffic Sign Assist System:
There could be some other reasons for this issue such as:
- The windshield in the camera’s field of vision is dirty
- Visibility is impaired due to heavy rain, snow or fog.
Since this system works with the help of a stereo camera fitted behind the windshield of the vehicle, there is a possibility that it gets dirty or dusty disturbing the focus of camera or if the vehicle is used for long hours in the rain or snow, lens may got an impaired vision so before moving on to any expensive or tricky solution let’s have a look on a simpler solution that is cleaning. If cleaning doesn’t work, then visit a qualified dealership because it means that the whole assist system has malfunctioned.
How to Fix!
Firstly, you should attempt to check and clean the camera for any dirt, dust or any moisture due to water or snow droplets etc. clean it off properly and this should resolve the error if there was something wrong with the camera lens only.
As a second step, you might turn off the car and leave it for some time to restore to its original functionality because sometimes there may be a system glitch that should be shut down with this. Restart your car and it should work fine now. Also, check if the message on the dashboard disappears or not.
But in case the problem persists, and the warning message is still showing up on the dashboard then you might need to replace the traffic sign assist camera.
After replacement, it is necessary that you re-code the system for the newly installed camera so that it gets perfectly connected with the map and navigation system of your particular country and works ideally on the road. It is advisable that you take your MB to the dealer or any MB specialist to do the coding on your vehicle.
