Engine software 'upgrade'

[EmilysDad]

I've started another thread cos I can't find the others

Just got another letter from MB regarding them wanting my car for the 'upgrade'. However the wording now says it's a MANDATORY recall.

I'm just checking here with the font of information of the forum that it's not mandatory here in Blighty before I email MB customer services that they can stick their 'upgraded software' ...

 

[ajlsl600]

Tell em OK if you get in writing that you drove in with working car and no faults, that if any appear within 12 months of their "mandatory" then fixing them is at their expense, pretty sure that will kill that issue.

 

[Blobcat]

Thread with the words below

Engine software update on diesels. Euro5 emissions standard.

We’ve received a second request to take the B-Class in to have the software update done. They use words like “mandatory recall”. From a legal / MOT perspective do I need to get the update done? Car is a 2014 and running fine. I see no reason to change anything.

forums.mercedesclub.org.uk

 

[onefortheroad]

Tell them you no longer own the car .

 

[EmilysDad]

Tell them you no longer own the car .

They've enclosed a form asking for the the new keeper's details if applicable

 

[onefortheroad]

They've enclosed a form asking for the the new keeper's details if applicable

put a garage on the forms like Arnold Clarke etc . Traded in.

 

[EmilysDad]

I now await a reply to my email telling them where they can stick their software ....

 

[ajlsl600]

Plse f. O wud be my response to that I am afraid.

 

[DSK]

They've enclosed a form asking for the the new keeper's details if applicable

Enter the MB HQ address


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[mioba]

It is only mandatory if a legal requirement.

I guess it is MB now mitigating as much as much possible with all these diesel claims lawyers running about with their head on fire.0

 

[ajlsl600]

Frankly if mb get shafted over the emissions equipment I will be delighted, the legals costs will prob exceed the costs of resolving the issues fo majority of cases.

 

[onefortheroad]

Frankly if mb get shafted over the emissions equipment I will be delighted, the legals costs will prob exceed the costs of resolving the issues fo majority of cases.

My 2 claims are going through ATM. Hopefully get something next year .

 

[Botus]

how is it people can fully support crooked governments making the majority in the country penniless, deliberately increase crime, deliberately increase illegal immigration, deliberately undermine civilisation - yet when they ask you to do one tiny thing to reduce your impact on pollution - everyone offers support to circumnavigate individual responsibility ?

 

[ajlsl600]

Easy solution make emissions kit a near cost price repair option instead of a legal hoop to screw the motoring public
Most don't circumnavigate willingly. They to so because of the makers extortion, thru a legal obligation, in fact they create the desire to circumnavigate. That's how I see it anyway

 

[EmilysDad]

how is it people can fully support crooked governments making the majority in the country penniless, deliberately increase crime, deliberately increase illegal immigration, deliberately undermine civilisation - yet when they ask you to do one tiny thing to reduce your impact on pollution - everyone offers support to circumnavigate individual responsibility ?

I'll send you my bank details so you can pay for a couple of new NOx sensors after the upgrade .....

 

[DSK]

how is it people can fully support crooked governments making the majority in the country penniless, deliberately increase crime, deliberately increase illegal immigration, deliberately undermine civilisation - yet when they ask you to do one tiny thing to reduce your impact on pollution - everyone offers support to circumnavigate individual responsibility ?

Quality of the illusion (corruption, bribes etc) at play at the higher levels at the outset.

Annoyances, irritation at the end when some start to get a whiff of being screwed.


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[EmilysDad]

I now await a reply to my email telling them where they can stick their software ....

And their reply .... basically what they'd already said in their letters. They still won't concede to the fact that their interpretation of mandatory & mine & completely different. Interesting that they say they apply 'updates' when they get your car for other recalls .... apparently there are recalls for my car for a leaky boot & 3 bolts on the steering somewhere that they want to replace.

Dear EmilysDad, Thank you for contacting Mercedes-Benz Customer Service. I am responding to your email to Mercedes-Benz on the 15th of November 2023, regarding the diesel recall. Your Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC with the registration DN14 YRD complies with the Euro 6 emissions standard and is part of a mandatory recall in which the engine control unit software is updated. We always recommend to have recall actions carried out. You can find this information on our website www.mercedes-benz.co.uk. The tool where you can check this can be found in section Owners Area by choosing Servicing & Repairs option in the drop-down menu, and selecting Current Recalls. As far back as 2017 Mercedes-Benz announced that it would offer voluntary service measures that would include software updates for several millions of diesel vehicles in Europe. The company has since then extended this update campaign. Mercedes-Benz has also been carrying out obligatory recalls — during which software updates are applied as well — at the order of Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) since 2018. Overall, Mercedes-Benz is developing software updates for almost the entire Euro 6b and Euro 5 diesel fleet in Europe which improves the average nitrogen oxide emissions of the vehicles during normal driving. The engine control unit is technically very complex and changes to the software can affect numerous parameters. It’s always Mercedes-Benz’ top priority to ensure engine and component protection. With this in mind, our engineers are very carefully developing the software updates in coordination with the KBA. Using, among other things, findings from the development of our new family of engines as well as experience from the field, we are able to better match the engine control to the vehicle and the driving behaviour of our customers. That way, the new software decreases nitrogen oxide emissions on the street even further. Beyond that, we ensure that the software update has no relevant influence on either the certified values for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, or the engine performance, torque, noise emissions, or longevity of the vehicle. We have also conducted extensive tests and have not seen any relevant deviations. Of course, a requirement for proper function is conducting the recommended and scheduled regular maintenance works. On this basis, the KBA has granted us the necessary approval for the software update of your vehicle. You can find more information on questions related to diesel here: https://group.mercedes-benz.com/innovation/diesel/en/?r=dai Should you have any further requirements, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of my colleagues. Yours sincerely, Alexander Maene Customer Service UK

 

[Botus]

And their reply .... basically what they'd already said in their letters. They still won't concede to the fact that their interpretation of mandatory & mine & completely different. Interesting that they say they apply 'updates' when they get your car for other recalls .... apparently there are recalls for my car for a leaky boot & 3 bolts on the steering somewhere that they want to replace.

we've been on this point in the past

it is mandatory that Mercedes undertake repairs to ensure every one of its vehicles still used on public roads meet their original legal responsibility - how they go about achieving this if an owner refuses to support will indeed be interesting... but Merc can't rewrite the law - its no different to murder - you either did (or didn't) and if caught, once found guilty at trial its game over

the punishment handed down was to put them all legal

I suppose you could just scrap the car to avoid the aggravation (at their cost) of making them fit the correct NOx sensors for the software they are applying

 

[Blobcat]

And their reply .... basically what they'd already said in their letters. They still won't concede to the fact that their interpretation of mandatory & mine & completely different. Interesting that they say they apply 'updates' when they get your car for other recalls .... apparently there are recalls for my car for a leaky boot & 3 bolts on the steering somewhere that they want to replace.

Dear EmilysDad, Thank you for contacting Mercedes-Benz Customer Service. I am responding to your email to Mercedes-Benz on the 15th of November 2023, regarding the diesel recall. Your Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC with the registration DN14 YRD complies with the Euro 6 emissions standard and is part of a mandatory recall in which the engine control unit software is updated. We always recommend to have recall actions carried out. You can find this information on our website www.mercedes-benz.co.uk. The tool where you can check this can be found in section Owners Area by choosing Servicing & Repairs option in the drop-down menu, and selecting Current Recalls. As far back as 2017 Mercedes-Benz announced that it would offer voluntary service measures that would include software updates for several millions of diesel vehicles in Europe. The company has since then extended this update campaign. Mercedes-Benz has also been carrying out obligatory recalls — during which software updates are applied as well — at the order of Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) since 2018. Overall, Mercedes-Benz is developing software updates for almost the entire Euro 6b and Euro 5 diesel fleet in Europe which improves the average nitrogen oxide emissions of the vehicles during normal driving. The engine control unit is technically very complex and changes to the software can affect numerous parameters. It’s always Mercedes-Benz’ top priority to ensure engine and component protection. With this in mind, our engineers are very carefully developing the software updates in coordination with the KBA. Using, among other things, findings from the development of our new family of engines as well as experience from the field, we are able to better match the engine control to the vehicle and the driving behaviour of our customers. That way, the new software decreases nitrogen oxide emissions on the street even further. Beyond that, we ensure that the software update has no relevant influence on either the certified values for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, or the engine performance, torque, noise emissions, or longevity of the vehicle. We have also conducted extensive tests and have not seen any relevant deviations. Of course, a requirement for proper function is conducting the recommended and scheduled regular maintenance works. On this basis, the KBA has granted us the necessary approval for the software update of your vehicle. You can find more information on questions related to diesel here: https://group.mercedes-benz.com/innovation/diesel/en/?r=dai Should you have any further requirements, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of my colleagues. Yours sincerely, Alexander Maene Customer Service UK

For a dummy EBDII port… plenty available

 

[EdPhil]

I have an epic tome going on elsewhere on this site (Value 751) about all this. A lot of detail that people who like one sentence answers probably will not like.

Don't have the basic Diesel Software Update done then your car won't need fixing a short time afterwards when your original NOx sensors inevitably fail is my one-sentence advice.

I just came across this post whilst searching for detailed software information about updates codes 121 and 30o. For info., after installing the Diesel Software Update many vehicles started getting NOx sensor/system failures. Retrofit code 121 appears to have been Mercedes' original attempt at a fix that's been superseded by 30o that now appears to be the correct fix for the generation 1 and generation 2 BlueTEC systems. As it involves two new nox sensors with different numbers to the originals it is apparently 'hidden' (not publicised) as this will cost Mercedes a couple of thousand each to fix all the vehicles involved. The Diesel Software Update on its own upgrades software on three ECUs but (I believe) does NOT install (certainly does not activate)121 or 30o software as this changes speed of sensor readings. My research leads me to believe that the Diesel Software Update saga is far from over and Mercedes have 'bunkered down' for now and will only openly acknowledge and properly rectify the BlueTEC problems if or when the legislators force them to. Botus has good posts on some of this.

If you can get Mercedes to admit that code 30o is the correct fix and get them to install that and two new NOx sensors I would be very interested. So would lots of others.

Note that I believe in the USA and Europe the regulators are much more 'on the ball' than the UK lot, who are probably more concerned with diversity and 'likes' on Facilebook. The gen. 1 and gen. 2 systems (certainly without codes 121 or 30o) don't become 'operational' until you have driven at least ~10+ miles and the exhaust reaches a temperature where SCR NOx can work properly. I read some Bosch info. (they are the main contractors behind it all) where later iterations heat up the exhaust system more quickly so it works a bit quicker and is not so prone to becoming non-operational during idling.

Go to this link for Mercedes take on it all (well, the glossy bull) and do check-out the links in the document to their previous publications and the court rulings.

Overview: Service measures and recalls involving software updates at Mercedes-Benz in Europe | Mercedes-Benz Group

As announced, pursuant to an administrative order by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) Mercedes-Benz has been carrying out mandatory recalls related to diesel emissions since 2018, in which software updates are being installed. If technically necessary, NOx sensors are also...

group.mercedes-benz.com

As mentioned above, I am currently searching for information on the software modifications installed as part of the 30o update to a circa 2014/2015 CLS 350 BlueTEC generation 2. The software numbers are listed for the individual ECUs in a Xentry quicktest and I would be interested if anybody that has had the 30o installed has a copy of this information.

Best Regards