Lane tracking / distronic software upgrades

[nmk]

The newest S Class has pedestrian detection as part of the driver assist package.
The driver assistance software on our GLS from last year (2017) is pretty advanced, but it doesn't have that feature.

Is there any way to upgrade a previous model to have that - it seems to me that if its just a software upgrade (the cameras and detectors themselves are presumably the same) then it should be possible.

Dealer says its not possible, but I figure there must be a way unless the control unit itself is fundamentally different on the newer system?

Another frustration is the speed limit detector software - the car flashes up the speed limits as it reads them from the signs it passes, but they haven't included the ability to automatically change distronic speed when the speed limits change. I'm sure there must have been that feature originally (otherwise what is the point of it...?). Anyone know what parameters to tweak to make it work?

 

[anglaslt]

I'm not sure that pedestrian protection is a recent software upgrade.

I've got on my data sheet "item 271 Autonomous brake actuation/Warning for pedestrian protection" and it's a MY 2015 car.

I presume that's what you mean although (thankfully) I've never had it self activate. Why driving assistance packages have different functions enabled I've no idea.

 

[markjay]

The MB STAR system allows updating the software on the car based on the options list showing on VeDOC.

It is meant to prevent the wrong software from being uploaded to the car's various ECUs (and with some systems such as the ESP ECU an incorrect software update can pose a serious risk).

So in order to update the software on the relevant ECU you need to either already have this option on the Datacard, or you need to be able to add this option if it's not there already (done via SCN coding).

In short, if the option code for the newer car is different than the one for the older car, then the question is whether the new option code can be added to the old car's Datacard (after which the software can be updated). This may or may not require replacing the current ECU and/or adding sensors etc.

But be aware that some options can not be added to the Datacard at all, and some options can technically be added but won't actually work.