Distronic aftermarket installation on 2019 GLE?

[redtooth]

Hi

I have a 2019 GLE 400d Premium. Plus with tech pack but it doesn’t have Distronic. Is it possible to get a third party specialist to install this for me? Any recommendations really appreciated

 

[Botus]

possible - expensive

try comandonline at lightwater surrey

things like the radars and the new grille will push you above £2k

if it includes steering assist, these days might even need a new windscreen and a few cameras then we're talking £5k

they would do it using genuine parts and register it with Mercedes

 

[BillyBoy]

possible - expensive

try comandonline at lightwater surrey

things like the radars and the new grille will push you above £2k

if it includes steering assist, these days might even need a new windscreen and a few cameras then we're talking £5k

they would do it using genuine parts and register it with Mercedes

Plus new steering column and half the looms replacing. It would be cheaper to scour the internet for one with drivers assistance pack and PX I think.

 

[ajlsl600]

Hi

I have a 2019 GLE 400d Premium. Plus with tech pack but it doesn’t have Distronic. Is it possible to get a third party specialist to install this for me? Any recommendations really appreciated

Benz go out of their way to make post build upgrades difficult and mindblowing expensive. Even if you find the upgrade parts often the harness in the car will not support the electrical pts. Its deliberate.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Benz go out of their way to make post build upgrades difficult and mindblowing expensive. Even if you find the upgrade parts often the harness in the car will not support the electrical pts. Its deliberate.

Not quite; the cars are made to order including (plant- dependent) the harnesses. MB have fully- sequenced- to- the- line harnesses each custom made to the exact customer order.

BMW just give away all harness functionality because they have a less sophisticated production setup.

 

[ajlsl600]

Well I never been a bmw man but I am happy for them for that.its got to be cheaper in the production run and gives ability to upgrade good for customer,and bmw.

Are you suggesting that bmw produce less sophisticated cars,or that they have a better run production line ? The first I doubt the second,maybe ?
As said this and emissions faf is why I have after 20 yr bought my last modern benz. They seem to have little interest in after sales customer care and are living on previous ideals of quality that in many cases simply do not exceed any other decent maker today...

 

[BillyBoy]

I doubt it would be any simpler or cheaper to retrofit the manufacturer equivalent of Drivers Assistance to any modern car. Yes, there may be loom parts required on MB, but generally the core loom is there, but you require the extension loom to the specific equipment. This is small guns however. Any system like this will need radar sensors (there are six in the Drivers Assistance Pack), steering column, lanrrlane tracking camerasgcameras, software, coding, calibration etc. most of which will require considerable labour to fit, so whatever the make, it's not going to be cheap or simple. Also, where a safety feature like this is concerned, would you ever really trust something not fitted out the factory? I don't think Mercedes deliberately make it difficult, but they also don't spend lots of time designing upgrade capability in to their models as it's counter productive, and as above, if people start retro-fitting safety critical systems and they fail, that's not good for the brand. If you design upgrade capability in, then third parties will start making upgrade kits and MB lose control of the quality of components, but still take responsibility for the outcome.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Well I never been a bmw man but I am happy for them for that.its got to be cheaper in the production run and gives ability to upgrade good for customer,and bmw.

Are you suggesting that bmw produce less sophisticated cars,or that they have a better run production line ? The first I doubt the second,maybe ?
As said this and emissions faf is why I have after 20 yr bought my last modern benz. They seem to have little interest in after sales customer care and are living on previous ideals of quality that in many cases simply do not exceed any other decent maker today...

It’s far cheaper to build a unique harness for each car as per the exact sales order specification of each exact car, in terms of the materials cost of the car. The problem is in the complexity of order sequencing and in- plant logistics that deliver the exact right harness to the exact right car body at the exact right point in build on the line; they all cost money in technology and manpower. Most OEMs aren’t willing to invest in that. Toyota and MB are and have done (but dependent on plant- I know MB Sindelfingen has it, I don’t think the Alabama plant does however); BMW took a policy decision to only fit one harness variant (the highest cost one); others such as Nissan have low/ medium/ high grades of harness dependent on the grade of car ordered.

 

[Botus]

Benz go out of their way to make post build upgrades difficult and mindblowing expensive. Even if you find the upgrade parts often the harness in the car will not support the electrical pts. Its deliberate.

I don't agree, buyers need to understand that 40 quid's worth of bits should be specc'ed when they order it

because the accountants have been in control alongside the other idiot marketeer's for the last 20 years, wiring looms were missing vital elements to retro fit stuff in easily afterwards

so when you want something as simple as Bluetooth on a BMW, someone has to remove all the seats, the rear boot trim and the carpet down one side of the car - this makes it four and a half hours labour to fit a 23 pence wiring loom. Then someone needs to go online and go through the process of updating the systems so that future diagnostics or software updates don't kill the car. In turn the accountant decided that this procedure of allowing the use of the software could be licensed to each car (no doubt as a tax fiddle) so that's another 100 quid

and all because the dim witted manager (the one that gets a free car and or can afford to buy one) is so thick, rather than tick the box for the 100 pre wiring feature (probably as he wants to fiddle the tax man himself) its left off and the next owner has to pay 400 quid to get a stolen module and 3 wires from maplin jammed down the sill waiting to cause a fire

...and in the end all the savings the manufacturer believed he got, is totally blown when the software recall (to fix another unrelated money saving idea the accountant thought up) kills the car and the super tech spends 3 hrs per car trying to get it to start again

end result that brand is damaged and the guy buys a Hyundai with 7 year warranty, adaptive cruise and apple car play as std next round... in a moment of unexplained sensibility / mega catch up, VAG have woken up and stuff like active cruise and all the interior toys are now designed to be next owner "affordable" retrofit options

 

[redtooth]

Thanks all, lots to consider.. my car has head up display but the new 2020 model doesn’t have this. It is now only available on the AMG 63... so I can px mine and lose a lot of £ and buy a new GLE with drivers assistance pack instead. I also now understand it will be an expensive install and will likely void my Mercedes warranty if I have it installed.. will also check the Surrey company

 

[BillyBoy]

For some reason, the UK seem to have no choice in car specifications from MB. I see on the new E Class, it appears there are NO options other than colour, just half a dozen trim levels that include different "packs". Whether this is MB UK itself that decide this, or whether it is imposed on us from Germany, I don't know, but go to the German site and there are lots of individually priced options to customise your order. The same is true of the Erie site, so it's not a left hand drive restriction.

 

[Craiglxviii]

For some reason, the UK seem to have no choice in car specifications from MB. I see on the new E Class, it appears there are NO options other than colour, just half a dozen trim levels that include different "packs". Whether this is MB UK itself that decide this, or whether it is imposed on us from Germany, I don't know, but go to the German site and there are lots of individually priced options to customise your order. The same is true of the Erie site, so it's not a left hand drive restriction.

It’s imposed by the Marketability Team in Germany. In there sits a group of Regional Product Managers whose job it is to decide what their regional market demands are, then work with Engineering, Layout etc to specify the cars for each regional market. Because the U.K. is RHD and yet needing the cold weather packs and other Northern European requirements, it merits its own market (hence MB U.K. HQ).

So, blame the U.K. RPM..!

 

[rorywquin]

For some reason, the UK seem to have no choice in car specifications from MB. I see on the new E Class, it appears there are NO options other than colour, just half a dozen trim levels that include different "packs". Whether this is MB UK itself that decide this, or whether it is imposed on us from Germany, I don't know, but go to the German site and there are lots of individually priced options to customise your order. The same is true of the Erie site, so it's not a left hand drive restriction.

Might be due to supply chain issues after covid........

 

[Botus]

more and more cars come pre bundled with "packs of toys"... usually its totally the wrong mix

its supposed to be more cost effective for the owner, and will certainly make the builds easier.... half this batch get the big loom and the sunroof, the others get the wheels and the bumpers.... got to make the suppliers happy, however a panoramic roof that you never wanted would have got the head up display and the cruise you did....

 

[redtooth]

I think this is the reason for this nonsense... also can’t have this retro fitted, just confirmed with command online .... looks like I may px it

more and more cars come pre bundled with "packs of toys"... usually its totally the wrong mix

its supposed to be more cost effective for the owner, and will certainly make the builds easier.... half this batch get the big loom and the sunroof, the others get the wheels and the bumpers.... got to make the suppliers happy, however a panoramic roof that you never wanted would have got the head up display and the cruise you did....

 

[BillyBoy]

more and more cars come pre bundled with "packs of toys"... usually its totally the wrong mix

The cynic in me might say it's to boost profits. If I were ordering a "clean" car, I might add ILS, Drivers Assistance and ventilated front seats (no longer available on the E Class in the UK sadly), however with the "Pack" structure, I have to pay over the odds and include a lot of features I don't need / want like AMG Trim, big wheels, panoramic sunroof etc. just to get what I do want.

The other possibility is that it is driven by the Company Car / Lease market - not sure how big this is in the UK compared to Europe, but I guess if you are giving employees a company car choice or you run a lease company, it's much simpler to have 6 offerings rather than each employee configuring individually, trying to work out what fits in their "allowance" and tax bracket etc, and for Lease companies, they just order "500 E220d Premium Edition" please and stick them on their website and someone will lease them.