In some ways Mercedes is trying to copy the Toyota model, in working with the suppliers but it is also taking a step backwards by having less electronics than Lexus. Lexus has more electronics and is more reliable at the same time. Below is what Mercedes has done or is planning to do:

MERCEDES: NO MORE SUPERFLUOUS ELECTRONICS
In a move aimed at reducing “needless” functions and boosting quality, DaimlerChrysler
AG’s Mercedes arm eliminated some 600 electronic features from its vehicles last year.
And it vows to be more discerning in the future in terms of adding new technology, and to
rigorously test those that it does.
The automaker has been plagued by a string of electronics-related glitches in recent
years that dropped it into the second tier among brands on recent quality surveys. It
reasons that one way to minimize the risk of such problems is to limit the number and
complexity of in-vehicle gadgets.
In a speech at DCX’s Innovation Symposium last month, Stephan Wolfsried,
Mercedes’ vice president for electrical and electronics and chassis development, outlined
the brand’s plans to better focus vehicle content and improve the reliability of onboard
electronics. He says future vehicles will be designed more for normal users rather than
techies, with the amount of adjustable controls and memory settings confined to those
that are used regularly. One casualty of the new strategy: multi-person memory settings
on individual key fobs that get used only if a driver borrows another person’s set of keys.
At the same time, Mercedes is adopting a “zero error” policy that strives to make the
reliability of electronic features at least equal to that of comparable mechanical systems
for both safety and non-safety functions. Standardized software tools will be used whenever
possible, and suppliers will be required to test and certify all software—including
how individual components interact with other systems.
To help suppliers improve quality, Mercedes promises to provide them with more
precise specifications—and stick to them throughout the development process—that
detail functionality and durability in measurable terms. Semiconductors will be sourced
from fewer suppliers, which Wolfsried says will allow Mercedes engineers to work more
closely with each one to meet tight specifications such as those for temperature and
vibration-resistance.
Mercedes also has asked its semiconductor suppliers not to add new functions or
continually reduce component size during a vehicle’s life cycle. It says it would rather use
the same system throughout the life of a vehicle than have to re-integrate and retest
slightly upgraded units every few years.
In coming years, the automaker expects to revert from plastic fibers to copper for the
MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) communications bus to minimize dispersion
losses that can occur when plastic units are bent into tight spaces. But it plans to switch
from conventional CDs and DVDs to emerging HD, Smart Media and PCMCIA cards for
future telematic and multimedia applications other than music systems, due to the
temperature sensitivities of CDs/DVDs.
JUNE 2, 2004

__________________
Zafar
94 E320 58000 Miles