rexgold

Hi All

Just acquired a ML280 CDI 2007 model car. I am happy with the performance of the engine but have a simple question.

As the engine in the 280ML and the 320ML is the same except for the Engine Management Unit, can I not have the 280 reprogrammed to 320 Spec? Also, if the 320ML CDI can be chipped from 224BHP to 265BHP, why can the 280 not be reprogrammed to that? Has anyone done this?

Many thanks

Raj

240D 3.0T

Are you sure they are 100% identical? Is the turbo the same?

rexgold

Thanks for that.. I was led to believe that the engine is the same except for it being detuned to lower BHP. I dont know if the Turbo is the same or not. Will try and ask the MB Stealer.

Thanks
Raj

Prefo

I am getting into an 08 GL 320 CDI. There is a Benz performance tuner in the city that said they can "remap" the engine Management CPU for gains of ~ 20+% on HP and Torque (no chip upgrade req'd for this method). I might consider doing this if it produces the results claimed without any downside. Wondering if anyone has heard about this or had it done; and what were the results?

genew

Would increase your performance but how would it effect your fuel mileage? Let us know.

Prefo

Ya - I thought about that too... but their claim was that fuel mileage would stay the same or improve slightly. But it's their claim - so hoping someone has done it and can comment on the results.

240D 3.0T

Aftermarket tuners can increase MPG. They are not constrained by the strict emissions limits the manufacturers must meet so they can tune it for the best economy and power.

rexgold

Thats what I was told that the mpg would be improved after the remap. By not having to observe the emissions limit, does that mean the car is more poluting?

240D 3.0T

Yes, but not by much.

traumatic

Watch out! Many of the remaps can be detected by the service computer and void your warranty. Often times, the quick and dirty (and cheap) chip modifications are achieved by turning up boost pressure and fuel injection pressure (which is already amazingly high) which can damage some very expensive parts. The much more expensive plug and play sets (Kleemann and Carlsson) are removable, supposedly are undetectable, and increase power by changing the fuel injection timing and duration, without turning up the power. I have the Carlsson chip in my /05 CDI and am very happy with it. No increase in smoke or decrease in mileage.

harkgar

Don't worry. The British were burning big chunks of coal dug up from the ground right up to the 1980s. If you visit British homes you will see fireplaces blackened by decades if not centuries of coal burning. They did not have CPFs (Coal Particulate Filters) in those days. In Ireland people still use a type of coal called "bog" to heat their homes. In India they burn cow dung and goodness knows if they give off NxO or ****O! In China they burn anything!! Maybe they are more free than the self-congratulating developed world. Are the tree-bugging politicians listening in the Peoples' Republic of Cali-fornication?

If you cannot stomach little clouds of black smoke from diesel engines ride a cow to work.

harkgar

Why not? Do you not like thick black smoke?

240D 3.0T

Not a problem by me but you know how most people these days are more concerned with whats coming out the tailpipe than what emissions are released in making all these filters and cat converters.

Untertürkheim

Brabus has a very nice reprogramming for the 280 engine with a significant performance increase: http://www.brabus.com/deliver.php?id=164&W164 D5_III.pdf

rexgold

Thats what the MB Dealer recommended but compared to the other modifications, the Brabus is 3 times more expensive. Only benefit is that it will not invalidate the warranty as it will be fitted by the Dealer. However, I am not sure that claimed time of 0-60 will be reduced to 6.9 Sec.

Untertürkheim

On a related note, Brabus states that the 280CDI chip tuning is only for 7G-Tronic equipped vehicles. Is this because the 6-MT is not capable of handling the power?

I ask because I was musing over getting a E280CDI with the 6MT and adding a chip to have an excellent performance diesel with a manual transmission.