How best to have the Engine Management & Transmission software updates applied ?

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kraven

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
43
Car
2008 W204 C220 CDI Sport Auto 5sp
I have a 2008 W204 C220 CDI Sport, and although the car has been into the Mercedes garage a few times, I strongly suspect they have never applied the Engine and Auto 5g Transmission software updates. Fuel economy is not good and I get the terrible lag when pulling off at junctions.

Is there a way in which I can tell if the updates have been applied ?

How much should it cost to have them done ?

I'm a little peaved about it really, as I took it in a year ago for software update to be applied to the NAV, and I asked for any other updates to be applied, but I really think they didn't do it. The car is now out of warranty for 3 months, so i might have to go back to them and be awkward about it.
 
Sorry to revive this thread but can anyone shed any light on this?

Ive got a 2010 W204 C180 and it seems to suffer from a similar issue. Slow pulling away at junctions and when you do put your foot down to get round a roundabout quick it doesnt kick in till youre exiting.

Any way to check for this update? Also fuel economy is about 22MPG around town and 34MPG max on motorways.

Cheers
 
In the end I reset the throttle by following the steps I found somewhere on the web, and I also got my car remapped by Viezu. Since then I still get the occassional lag at junctions, but the power does kick in very very quickly once the turbo spins up, so much so that it can a bit too quick at times.

I guess your car is a Petrol, where as mine was a C220 CDI, therefore I am not sure that a remap is your best way forward.

Is your car a Manual or Auto ?
 
Its an Auto. I came from a manual though.

At first I just assumed it was a "thing with Automatics" but theres been a few times it just takes that wee bit too long to respond at junctions. or its as if it gets caught shifting down when i hit the accelerator and it takes a bit to realise i want to speed up. Ive only had it a month so ill speak to the dealer. Would be nice if I knew how to check for updates or if there was anything I could try first.

Is the thing you are talking about just a diesel upgrade maybe?
 
Simple cure is a Sprint Booster!
 
A what? lol.

Would that invalidate insurance?

Nice avatar mate! you live in cyprus? (ive got non-blood relatives there - cypriot god mother :) )
 
Apparently does nothing to your premium some members have said.
 
Sounds like you have the same 5sp Auto that I have, which in all fairness I don't think is anywhere near as good as the more recent 7sp Auto fitted to all C classes.

If you got the car from a main dealer, it is worth you on asking that they apply the following :

Engine ECU Updates
Gearbox ECU Updates

There were updates to fix the gearbox lag and these were released in 2010, so it's 50/50 whether you have them.

As for a remap, I'm not sure it's worth it on Petrol cars, but you might want to look at a Sprint Booster, it's a device that goes under the accelerator pedal which tells the car you're pressing the pedal a lot harder than you really are. But in the first instance I would reset the throttle using this link.
 
Reseting the throttle only lasts a short time.
 
Ah, I cant imagine that would improve MPG though eh haha. Ill take a look. Ta

My god mother & her family are from Famagusta but have been in Larnaca since the invasion. My parents now have a house in Avgorou. Been going over for about 28 years.
 
Dad's from Famagusta, mother was from Mazotos Larnaca, have you been to the camel park?
 
Sounds like you have the same 5sp Auto that I have, which in all fairness I don't think is anywhere near as good as the more recent 7sp Auto fitted to all C classes.

If you got the car from a main dealer, it is worth you on asking that they apply the following :

Engine ECU Updates
Gearbox ECU Updates

There were updates to fix the gearbox lag and these were released in 2010, so it's 50/50 whether you have them.

As for a remap, I'm not sure it's worth it on Petrol cars, but you might want to look at a Sprint Booster, it's a device that goes under the accelerator pedal which tells the car you're pressing the pedal a lot harder than you really are. But in the first instance I would reset the throttle using this link.

Cool - Ill look into the throttle reset. Why would that be needed though? & why does it only last a short time? Ill maybe just swing by the garage on saturday then, ask them about the updates. Thanks tons :)

Dad's from Famagusta, mother was from Mazotos Larnaca, have you been to the camel park?

I havent been to it no. Not been to Mazotos either. It seems my family done all the sight seeing stuff when I was too young to remember haha. Looks pretty cool though. An idea for next time! It would be hilarious to get the Mrs on a camel!
 
Cool - Ill look into the throttle reset. Why would that be needed though? & why does it only last a short time? Ill maybe just swing by the garage on saturday then, ask them about the updates. Thanks tons :)

The car ECU adapts to your driving style, so if you're 75 years old and drive 20mph, it will adjust to that, if you're last name is Schumacher, it will give full rev's all the time and adjust the gear changes to that. It's just that once the system adapts to your driving style, it's still not brilliant. Hence why you would also use a Sprint Booster.

What I have found with my car is if I push the pedal all the way to the floor the acceleration is very laggy, however if I press more gradually, it will accelerate more quickly if I keep the request for power just ahead of what the car is giving me. The reason I believe is that I think the car starts off in 2nd gear at lights, if I press too quickly sometimes it drops to 1st and then revs hard. So if I press more slowly it stays in 2nd but the acceleration really kicks in once the turbo spools up to 1500rpm+. This is just my observations, and maybe be completely wrong!
 
The car ECU adapts to your driving style, so if you're 75 years old and drive 20mph, it will adjust to that, if you're last name is Schumacher, it will give full rev's all the time and adjust the gear changes to that. It's just that once the system adapts to your driving style, it's still not brilliant. Hence why you would also use a Sprint Booster.

What I have found with my car is if I push the pedal all the way to the floor the acceleration is very laggy, however if I press more gradually, it will accelerate more quickly if I keep the request for power just ahead of what the car is giving me. The reason I believe is that I think the car starts off in 2nd gear at lights, if I press too quickly sometimes it drops to 1st and then revs hard. So if I press more slowly it stays in 2nd but the acceleration really kicks in once the turbo spools up to 1500rpm+. This is just my observations, and maybe be completely wrong!

No that sounds spot on with my experience. I believe that pressing the pedal to the floor (though not beyond the wee click point where it will red-line all gears) makes the car want to drop down a gear, hence the further lag. Ill try the reset as weve only had it for a month and the previous owner had low mileage but no idea if it was a 75yr old guy or not haha. Thanks
 
So I followed the Throttle reset procedure. There was no indication that it worked or completed or anything. By going on feel, I dont think it has worked, or its not made a difference. I had 2 situations at roundabouts where I was left lulling halfway out of the junction for a few seconds before the car decided to move beyond 2mph.

Ill try pinpoint exactly how it happens & when to see if theres a pattern. From memory I think its happening when I slow to a roundabout then try to increase speed to get through it. The car is still slowing long after ive hit the pedal. Cheers for the input though guys. Ill update here if I make any progress.

Ta
 

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