More bad news re Mercedes Diesels - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Graham · #1 06-07-2018, 01:33 PM

Looks like another diesegate may be brewing

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20180528/ANE/180529775/daimler-faces-scrutiny-of-mercedes-vito-c-class-diesels-paper-says

Daimler | Mercedes-Benz Parent Linked to Diesel Defeat Device | WardsAuto

Quote:

Some Mercedes-Benz diesel models are equipped with software that may have helped them pass emissions tests, according to a report published by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

The report, citing information Bild Am Sonntag says is contained in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, reveals engineers from Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler developed several software programs that allowed unspecified diesel models to pass U.S. emissions tests through manipulation of the engine and its selective catalytic reduction system.

The software programs are alleged to have been tailored to the specific demands of various cycles in the U.S. emissions-testing procedure, allowing the Mercedes-Benz diesels to run in an ultra-clean state but only for limited periods of time, after which the engines were switched into a so-called “dirty mode.”

tjts1 · #2 06-07-2018, 02:14 PM

I find it interesting that GM, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and a few others are able to build 2018 model year US and California compliant diesels without cheating. Why is that?

scottmcphee · #3 06-07-2018, 06:26 PM

Maybe because some use blue fluid for exhaust and others don't?

tjts1 · #4 06-07-2018, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmcphee

Maybe because some use blue fluid for exhaust and others don't?

MB uses the same DEF as everybody else. The only ones that claimed they could do without was the 4 banger vws.

JimFreeh · #5 06-07-2018, 06:41 PM

Hasn't Mercedes ceased diesel car sales in the US already, citing low sales?

Jim

jay_bob · #6 06-07-2018, 07:50 PM

Yes unfortunately 2016 was the last M/Y for any diesel MB in the USA. A true tragedy since I feel it is a superior engine technology and you can’t beat the fuel economy and the torque. Everyone compares the cost of running gas vs diesel but they forget that every MB made (except for a single year of one of the W201s that I can’t recall at the moment) requires Premium fuel, which in most areas of the country is more expensive than diesel. Even if premium is more expensive than diesel then you still have 25% better mileage on diesel than gas.

So is there anyone on here with experience with the VW issue, was that a mandatory buyback (i.e. did the government force you to turn your car into VW and receive a check) or were you allowed to keep it if you wanted to? Just curious if they are coming for my 2014 ML350, my wife will be severely upset, she loves that vehicle and does NOT want a gas burner.

I heard there are hundreds of thousands of TDIs parked in the Mojave waiting for a settlement, and then a software update, and then VW plans on selling them as used cars.

I am hoping some sanity can come back to the EPA, and we can get the unobtainable standards relaxed to where we can reasonably produce these cars without having to resort to unreasonable technology chasing the last bits of pollutants. I’m not saying we need to go back to the 60s where black clouds billowed out of everything but just back to where it’s sensible.

97 SL320 · #7 06-07-2018, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

(i.e. did the government force you to turn your car into VW and receive a check) or were you allowed to keep it if you wanted to? Just curious if they are coming for my 2014 ML350, my wife will be severely upset, she loves that vehicle and does NOT want a gas burner.

I see a remake of this movie

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082642/

jay_bob · #8 06-07-2018, 09:00 PM

I was thinking more “Red Barchetta” by Rush

https://youtu.be/PjjNvjURS-s

tjts1 · #9 06-07-2018, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

I am hoping some sanity can come back to the EPA, and we can get the unobtainable standards relaxed to where we can reasonably produce these cars without having to resort to unreasonable technology chasing the last bits of pollutants.

Blame the victim much? Ford, GM, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nissan, Hyundai all offer compliant diesel engines in the US without MB/VW style cheating. Tell me more about these "unobtainable standards".

ykobayashi · #10 06-08-2018, 12:01 AM

I don’t know the real reason but I can take a wild guess. I think it has to do with fuel economy. Perhaps the fancy emission controls systems need extra fuel to burn off emissions or strategies like regeneration waste fuel.

The VW and MB cars have really remarkable mpg. And remember the cars can pass the environmental tests when the need to.

So my gut is the engineers didn’t want to take the hit in mpg and performance.

DeliveryValve · #11 06-08-2018, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjts1

I find it interesting that GM, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and a few others are able to build 2018 model year US and California compliant diesels without cheating. Why is that?

Because Bosch is not a supplier for those companies? Bosch has also been in trouble with dieselgate.

.

DeliveryValve · #12 06-08-2018, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

....
So is there anyone on here with experience with the VW issue, was that a mandatory buyback (i.e. did the government force you to turn your car into VW and receive a check) or were you allowed to keep it if you wanted to? Just curious if they are coming for my 2014 ML350, my wife will be severely upset, she loves that vehicle and does NOT want a gas burner.

You have the option to keep your vehicle or have VW buy it back. 300,000 vehicles were sold back to VW because the buyback payout was too good to pass up. People were making money on their buyback.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

....
I heard there are hundreds of thousands of TDIs parked in the Mojave waiting for a settlement, and then a software update, and then VW plans on selling them as used cars.

Mojave is one place. There are 37 facilities around the US parking 300,000 TDI's that will be updated or if the vehicle found in poor condition will be scrapped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob

....
I am hoping some sanity can come back to the EPA, and we can get the unobtainable standards relaxed to where we can reasonably produce these cars without having to resort to unreasonable technology chasing the last bits of pollutants. I’m not saying we need to go back to the 60s where black clouds billowed out of everything but just back to where it’s sensible.

It's not unobtainable. Just as posted earlier, how can other automakers can comply. In VW and Bosch's case, it's culture within the companies that allowed engineers who were scared of upper management to cheat.

.

BirthdayBenz · #13 06-08-2018, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay_bob View Post
....
So is there anyone on here with experience with the VW issue, was that a mandatory buyback (i.e. did the government force you to turn your car into VW and receive a check) or were you allowed to keep it if you wanted to? Just curious if they are coming for my 2014 ML350, my wife will be severely upset, she loves that vehicle and does NOT want a gas burner.

I owned a 2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI with a 6 speed manual transmission. I purchased the vehicle new with 40 miles on it.

It was such a nice car. I averaged about 43 miles per gallon and sometimes saw up to 48mpg on a tank. That thing had the ability to go about 640miles on a single fill up. Way farther than my wife's bladder. It was super comfortable, quiet and reliable and quite quick. At the time VW took possession of the car for the buy back it had 178,000miles on it. I didn't want to give the car back to them but the $14,500 check they cut me was too much money to pass up as that was about double the price of what I could ever hope to sell it for.

sloride · #14 06-08-2018, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjts1

Blame the victim much? Ford, GM, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nissan, Hyundai all offer compliant diesel engines in the US without MB/VW style cheating. Tell me more about these "unobtainable standards".

Who knows if they are cheating?