Update Worth Doing?

[MilesWFB]

Hello all,

The Mercedes dealer where I bought the car from called me a few days ago offering a free software update of some sort for the car.

Is this update worth doing and will it make things better and not worse.

Sorry, I can't provide any details about the update as they did not say.

Thanks for any help.

 

[tonysmb]

Assuming yours is a diesel, it's more than likely an emissions 'update'; if it was me I'd steer well clear. Lots of reports of cars not running the same afterwards, changed gear-change parameters, increased fuel consumption (as in uses more).

Ask them what it is but be aware that there are some suggestions that if you take a car into a dealer now for ANY update, or any work, they will automatically do the emissions update (probably on targets); it is not reversible.

I'd search online and then make up your own mind.

 

[Gazwould]

They promise the earth it will change nothing , and will deliver nothing in way of help if it does .

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Put your reg into the mercedes recall website. It'll tell you whats what.

 

[MilesWFB]

Put your reg into the mercedes recall website. It'll tell you whats what.

Here is what it says on the website, Probably won't do it as people say that it can make the car worse.

 

[MilesWFB]

Assuming yours is a diesel, it's more than likely an emissions 'update'; if it was me I'd steer well clear. Lots of reports of cars not running the same afterwards, changed gear-change parameters, increased fuel consumption (as in uses more).

Ask them what it is but be aware that there are some suggestions that if you take a car into a dealer now for ANY update, or any work, they will automatically do the emissions update (probably on targets); it is not reversible.

I'd search online and then make up your own mind.

Thanks for the help,

this is what it says on the recall website. will probably not do it then if you say that it could cause problems.

Also, another recall was the Takata Airbags which I have not done. Do you/anyone know if this is very important to do or not?

 

[Gazwould]

It goes in for an airbag and the diesel NOx update will be accidentally on purpose be applied !

I've not heard of airbag issues in the facelift C Class , it's like a ploy to get you in and do the dirty...

 

[MrGreedy]

The update will "improve the average nitrogen oxide emissions"....


I had read that this 'improvement' was attained by using much more EGR activation, thereby necessarily allowing much more filth into the intake manifold and potentially bringing early failure/clogging of the manifold, and also with the more frequent DFP regeneration causing CO2 emissions to increase, plus higher revs generally causing more CO2 emissions/MPG penalty, plus earlier failure of the DPF, which will need to be replaced.

Can anyone suggest if what I've read seems correct?

Given the environmental penalty of requiring earlier replacement of parts, with the associated manufacturing and shipping pollution, it amazes me that this update makes any sense. But I guess the local NOx improvement is at the expense of 'off shoring' all that other environmental impact to somewhere else, so the regulators think that's okay.


We shifted on a VW Golf diesel for this very reason, as the DPF life was reportedly reduced from circa 100k mile down to 35-50k miles. Part of the calculation of our 'cost of change' to a petrol golf was that cost would be easily saved come new DPF time, plus reduced chance of being stranded somewhere when it fails

 

[SpikyMikey]

It goes in for an airbag and the diesel NOx update will be accidentally on purpose be applied !

I've not heard of airbag issues in the facelift C Class , it's like a ploy to get you in and do the dirty...

Think the OP has an S204 Gaz, and there has been a recall for driver airbag on that. Certainly an idea to get that done.

 

[tonysmb]

Think the OP has an S204 Gaz, and there has been a recall for driver airbag on that. Certainly an idea to get that done.
View attachment 111114

The final sentence in para 5 of that letter is the catch-all; it woild be interesting to know whether a dealer would comply with an owner's request NOT to undertake an emissions update at the same time or whether they would comply with the dictat from MB.

Some service agreement paperwork also includes an entry re updating all technical issues, or updates etc in the small print that customers sign when handing the car over for a service. How many people read the small print when taking the car in for an oil change?

 

[SpikyMikey]

Well spotted Tony. When mine went in, I told the service advisor that under no circumstances do anything else to the car; not even wash it.
They still tried to upsell a set of rear pads however......

 

[markjay]

As SpikyMikey said, the airbag recall is very real, and not related to the Dieselgate update - had the airbag recall done mine (petrol).

But good luck finding a dealer who will apply only the airbag recall repair but not the Dieselgate software update.

 

[Gazwould]

I wouldn't trust them .

 

[SpikyMikey]

I wouldn't trust them .

Me neither - nothing else was touched on mine to my knowledge.Maybe I was lucky as mine is a petrol, or maybe it was just that they wanted to get shot asap of the crappy 7 year old estate that was cluttering up their nice car park full of shiny new examples of Germany's finest......

 

[st13phil]

But good luck finding a dealer who will apply only the airbag recall repair but not the Dieselgate software update.

I have no particular knowledge on this, but it's quite conceivable that a dealer may have no choice in the matter.

For example, as part of the airbag replacement I would expect it to need coding to the car and that could result in an automatic mandatory update of other systems on the car as a pre-requisite. Bearing in mind it's likely that Daimler's agreement with the authorities over mis-stating NOx emissions requires that they take all possible steps to "correct" the engine management software, it would be a logical approach.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Is a 2011 S204 C220D actually included in the emissions software jiggery-pokery??

 

[Gazwould]

Yes .

Still both airbag and emissions update are "voluntary."

Worse comes to the worst and you do get an air bag light up an independent could reearth the airbags to procedure and updated on Star ?

Although you would have to pay for it .

 

[SpikyMikey]

I have no particular knowledge on this, but it's quite conceivable that a dealer may have no choice in the matter.

For example, as part of the airbag replacement I would expect it to need coding to the car and that could result in an automatic mandatory update of other systems on the car as a pre-requisite. Bearing in mind it's likely that Daimler's agreement with the authorities over mis-stating NOx emissions requires that they take all possible steps to "correct" the engine management software, it would be a logical approach.

Could be; but as I understand it, the driver's airbag issue required another ground to be installed. I don't believe that it was necessary to replace the airbag unit itself.

 

[markjay]

Risk is made of Consequences and Probability... in this case the Probability is low but the potential Consequences are dire:

Takata Airbag Recall: Everything You Need to Know

A guide to the key things consumers need to know about the massive Takata airbag recall, affecting millions of vehicles, made by several automotive brands.

www.consumerreports.org

Might be a good idea to get the airbag replaced under recall.... even at the risk of a Dieselgate software update.

 

[markjay]

Could be; but as I understand it, the driver's airbag issue required another ground to be installed. I don't believe that it was necessary to replace the airbag unit itself.

There were two separate recalls for the Takata airbags... the latest one is different to the previous recall.