Mercedes BlueTec Diesel Approved Emissions Modification Issues and Solutions
Those who around MB BlueTec vehicles are well aware of the somewhat recent emissions modification issued by MBUSA.
It has became noticeable that after the EMP, some vehicles have experienced a concerning condition: extremely long crank after shutting the engine off and allowing it to sit for a few hours – but not for too long.
Initially it was assumed to be a specific vehicle issue and attempt to address it have been made (by firing the parts cannon, of course) but as soon as the condition repeated in other vehicles, it was clearly related to the EMP.
A local dealership that has utilized our services in the past has reached our and asked if we would be willing to take a look while they are waiting for a solution through their normal support channels.
Looking at what is included in the EMP, what caught my attention is the complete software update to the drivetrain modules.
Through further investigation of the firmware, our calibration engineer was able to identify to culprit and address it, flashing the fixed calibration to a tester vehicle has proven to resolve the condition.
Why is this interesting? Become some $$$$ was thrown around trying to resolve a software issue, it is often the most overlooked aspect in diagnostics routines. Oh and yes, most recent update doesn’t always mean good – at least in this case.
And no, there is still no official solution to this.