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Recently I took my 2017 E300 for service B, but also told them to check on my speakers crackling on phone calls. They said they updated the software oh the infotainment system to fix it.
Took it home and noticed the driving dynamics of the car felt completely different. Before the service / update, in comfort mode, the steering was very light, there was no feedback from the road at all (which did feel nice when you just wanted to glide along the highway) and the car felt heavy while turning. Now it is completely different, car feels planted, has solid road feedback on the steering wheel, cornering has changed completely where the car feels like a lighter hatchback instead of a heavy full sedan. Here are some other things I noticed with the update:
Carplay supports touchpad and the little touch nub thing on the steering wheel.
Display has been color calibrated, colors look more vibrant and match iphone's display more closely.
You can use mercedes navigation even when carplay is on, on the down side, NAVI and MUSIC buttons map to the built in apps instead of carplay ones like it used to.
On sports+ the car used to feel rear biased (the front of the car lifted a bit while accelerating), now it feels like the power is coming from all wheels and feels a bit more punchier on the throttle.
Shifting used to be jerky on sports+, now its much smoother but not as smooth as comfort mode.
There is more body roll in general, but pretty noticeable on sports+. I like this change because you get a better feel for the amount of available traction now.
The dead-zone in steering wheel while in comfort mode is gone. There used to be a little bit of play in the middle of steering wheel before the car reacted to steering which made steering feel rubbery.
Crackling speakers are fixed.
Infotainment feels faster in general, and boots up faster, and even carplay loads faster.
Carplay issue where GPS based apps would get wrong speeds has been fixed.
You can have music on the screen behind steering wheel while carplay is on.
There are a lot of other little changes throughout the system too. This has fixed a lot of issues I had with the car and made it feel like a completely new car. I am trying to figure out if all the handling changes are because of the software update or if it could be something else on service B. Does MB update firmware for dynamic suspension and other components too? If so, thats great news. I thought it was placebo when I first drove it home from dealership, but after a few days of driving I can confirm that things have changed quite a bit.
maybe they just added some air to your tires? haha JK, but find it quite surprising. I dont think the E300 has any computer controlled suspension options, therefore I dont think a software update would/could make a difference?
another question i have for you is this - what were you driving while the car was been updated? Can it be that you are comparing what you were driving vs the returned e300?
The steering feeling i do know can be changed through the system, for example comfort through sports +, but the suspension does not.
maybe they just added some air to your tires? haha JK, but find it quite surprising. I dont think the E300 has any computer controlled suspension options, therefore I dont think a software update would/could make a difference?
haha they must have added some magic air.
Originally Posted by jhpmbusa
another question i have for you is this - what were you driving while the car was been updated? Can it be that you are comparing what you were driving vs the returned e300?
The steering feeling i do know can be changed through the system, for example comfort through sports +, but the suspension does not.
the car was in the shop for half a day only and I didnt have another car for that time period. when i was driving from dealership to home i thought it was some sort of placebo, but after taking it to canyons over the weekend i could tell it was a night and day difference.
i know they have dynamic dampening on the suspension and software controlled torque vectoring using brakes, i feel like they might have calibrated those pieces to make the car drive different. im still not 100% certain what exactly could have made the changes, but i am really happy overall.
another possibility is that my car's system might have been buggy and that might have cleared up after update? but again hard to tell.
IMO software can play a big role in how the car handles. To see for yourself by adjusting the individual settings or experience the differences between eco, comfort, sport and sport+ settings.
I've had several software updates that were NOT infotainment system related. What part of Service B could account for handling differences other than tire pressure changes? IMO the changes mentioned are all related to software.
the dynamic settings on the e300 hardly makes any difference to the steering, has no impact on the suspension and the only thing that really changes are the rpms holding on longer - which makes the car feel faster. The suspension has no hardware/software that can be adjusted via the computer, at least from what i know.
Dynamic settings can have a large impact on performance. Two out of three w213 suspensions can be adjusted via dynamic settings.
From page 142 of my Operator Manual
Depending on the drive program selected the following
vehicle characteristics will change:
Drive:
- Engine and transmission management
- Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
ESP®
Vehicles with AIR BODY CONTROL or
DYNAMIC BODY CONTROL: Suspension Steering
yes air suspension settings can be changed ...though personally i do not feel a difference .
it's a waste of money.. but that's another discussion for another thread :-)
You say you adjusted the tire pressure a few days before the car was serviced; have you checked it since it was serviced?
Although my dealer's service department is top-notch, they consistently over-inflate the tires and neglect the recommended difference in pressure between the front and back tires (my car has different sized tires on the front and back). The service technicians seeming just pump everything up to about the same level, a good 2 to 4 PSI over the recs. Like you, I immediately noticed a difference in handling when I drove the car out of the service area, so I checked the tire pressure on the car's computer and saw what they had once again done. I adjusted the pressure at home the following day after letting the tires cool overnight, and the handling returned to what it was prior to the service.
BTW, this has happened every time I've taken the car in for service, and it happened repeatedly with my prior cars, both Mercedes models and cars from other manufacturers. Service technicians are in a hurry, I guess, and figure more is better than too little.
I've had several software updates that were NOT infotainment system related. What part of Service B could account for handling differences other than tire pressure changes? IMO the changes mentioned are all related to software.
I think they did tire rotation as well on Service B, but I doubt that would make this big of a difference. It seems like they updated all software, not just for the infotainment.
Originally Posted by Egonvdv
i understand that the air suspension can be updated, but don't think you have that ?
and agree with @jhpmbusa that updating the infotainment system has no impact on the rest of the car
but i had the same experience for the infotaniment ; my comand system was slow as sh*t on my 2017, and the update did wonders
I do not have air suspension, but it does have the dynamic dampening suspension which is electronically controlled as far as I know.
Originally Posted by jhpmbusa
the dynamic settings on the e300 hardly makes any difference to the steering, has no impact on the suspension and the only thing that really changes are the rpms holding on longer - which makes the car feel faster. The suspension has no hardware/software that can be adjusted via the computer, at least from what i know.
This does not line up with my experience. Even before the update, there was a big delta in handling going from comfort to sports to sports+, specially in canyons and tight corners. The suspension does have electronically controlled dampening. Mercedes benz's official website mentions that the handling characteristics change: https://www.mercedes-benz.co.nz/pass...ic-select.html
Originally Posted by The_Judge
You say you adjusted the tire pressure a few days before the car was serviced; have you checked it since it was serviced?
Although my dealer's service department is top-notch, they consistently over-inflate the tires and neglect the recommended difference in pressure between the front and back tires (my car has different sized tires on the front and back). The service technicians seeming just pump everything up to about the same level, a good 2 to 4 PSI over the recs. Like you, I immediately noticed a difference in handling when I drove the car out of the service area, so I checked the tire pressure on the car's computer and saw what they had once again done. I adjusted the pressure at home the following day after letting the tires cool overnight, and the handling returned to what it was prior to the service.
BTW, this has happened every time I've taken the car in for service, and it happened repeatedly with my prior cars, both Mercedes models and cars from other manufacturers. Service technicians are in a hurry, I guess, and figure more is better than too little.
I have not checked that, I will do that. I doubt the handling would change this drastically because of tire pressure itself, but its a plausible theory.
Basically confirms that the suspension's dampening is electronically controlled based on a lot of factors.
Are you in the USA with a standard e300? did you pay anything additional for the suspension? I believe in the USA for the E300, you only get the stock suspension (whether it be luxury or amg line) and then you have an option to pay for the air suspension.
If you did not opt for the air suspension, you probably have the stock suspension that all e300s have. which is not controllable, even though the language on the brochures and owner's manual make it sound like its adjustable.
On the E43s 53s and 63s the suspension does change with the dynamic settings. I think the link you provided is referring to the AMG line, not AMG package.
All US models had the option of 3 different suspension systems. My '18 e300 has the optional AMG Dynamic suspension.
My E550 had air suspension with settings for soft, medium and hard. At the hard setting one could tell if a coin was heads or tails when driving over it. With soft settings - what coin?
All US models had the option of 3 different suspension systems. My '18 e300 has the optional AMG Dynamic suspension.
My E550 had air suspension with settings for soft, medium and hard. At the hard setting one could tell if a coin was heads or tails when driving over it. With soft settings - what coin?
For KSubedi and UA549 - Do you have a E300 4matic or RWD? for the 4matics, the adjusting of going from comfort to sports+ does nothing to the suspension settings. It only turns on and off the ESP which i believe is traction control.... which is meaningless.
Driver Controllable:
True AMG vehicles come with the following, (not AMG LINE Appearance package) : AMG RIDE CONTROL Sport Suspension with 3-stage damping The AMG RIDE CONTROL Suspension responds with equal skill to the demands of the racetrack, city streets, highways and back roads. Lighter and more rigid than the standard C-Class suspension, its AMG-developed springs and shock absorbers deliver highly responsive tracking and cornering with a balance of comfort and control, even as driving conditions vary. Along with 3-stage variable damping, the modes of AMG DYNAMIC SELECT also adapt the steering feedback.
Non driver controllable (passive)
E300s come with the following: Lowered suspension with selective damping system. Engineered to ideally balance comfort and control, selective damping can automatically adjust the individual shock absorbers based on the road surface and the driver's current driving style. Valving inside each shock absorber are designed to firm up during stronger body motions for sharper handling feedback and stability, and reduce the damping rate during gentler motions for a smoother, more composed ride. A lowered ride height enhances stability and cornering as well as appearance.
2019 E 450, 2016 E350 4matic (retired), 2018 Ford Edge Sport, 2008 Porsche Boxster
Originally Posted by The_Judge
You say you adjusted the tire pressure a few days before the car was serviced; have you checked it since it was serviced?
Although my dealer's service department is top-notch, they consistently over-inflate the tires and neglect the recommended difference in pressure between the front and back tires (my car has different sized tires on the front and back). The service technicians seeming just pump everything up to about the same level, a good 2 to 4 PSI over the recs. Like you, I immediately noticed a difference in handling when I drove the car out of the service area, so I checked the tire pressure on the car's computer and saw what they had once again done. I adjusted the pressure at home the following day after letting the tires cool overnight, and the handling returned to what it was prior to the service.
BTW, this has happened every time I've taken the car in for service, and it happened repeatedly with my prior cars, both Mercedes models and cars from other manufacturers. Service technicians are in a hurry, I guess, and figure more is better than too little.
Has happened to me as well.
I just tell the service advisor: Do not touch the tire pressure. It is written on my work order.
Problem solved.
I have an excellent air compressor at home and check my tire pressure every 30 days and more often when temperatures start to drop as they are now doing. I find for every 7 degree drop in temperature I lose 2 to 3 lbs. of tire pressure.
2019 E 450, 2016 E350 4matic (retired), 2018 Ford Edge Sport, 2008 Porsche Boxster
Originally Posted by jhpmbusa
For KSubedi and UA549 - Do you have a E300 4matic or RWD? for the 4matics, the adjusting of going from comfort to sports+ does nothing to the suspension settings. It only turns on and off the ESP which i believe is traction control.... which is meaningless.
I have a 2019 E450 luxury styling.
I do not have the air suspension - just the stock suspension.
Steering: I can feel a difference in the steering between eco/comfort and sport/sport+.
Suspension: I can also feel the difference in the handling/suspension between eco/comfort and sport/sport +.
The shift points are different between eco/comfort and sport and sport +. In sport + my E450 does not go into 9th gear. It does in eco, comfort and sport. In Eco when I am cruising a 50/60 mph, if I take my foot off the gas, the transmission disengages and the engine revs drop to 900. It is true coasting. The transmission stays engaged in comfort/sport and sport+. In sport + when I take my foot off the gas and the car slows down and downshifts, the exhaust "burps" like a Ferrari ,which is cool if you are into that sort of thing
But again definitely a difference in suspension/handling between eco/comfort and sport/sport+.
As a test, go to individual mode and only change the suspension with nothing else, no engine or steering.
If i recall correctly there should be only 1 option for the suspension and it is ESP related. You will notice it does absolutely nothing.
If you change the the preset dynamic setting, it will feel like the car has changed, this is only because you are feeling it through the steering and engine, and the suspension will passively (not through the software) adapt if you start to drive aggressively.
On the amg models (not amg package), there is even a separate button just for the suspension, comfort sport and sport +. and the dashboard will tell you you are changing the suspension settings and it is definitely noticeable.
Last edited by jhpmbusa; Nov 6, 2020 at 11:08 AM.
Reason: additional
Most new Mercedes-Benz vehicles usually come standard with steel-spring suspension. It is the most common type of suspension in passenger and commercial vehicles because it is inexpensive, simple, and has been known to outlive the cars it is put in. When the comfort mode is chosen, Mercedes-Benz vehicles will raise the vehicle up a few millimeters and loosen the suspension to absorb any bumps in the road. This mode is great for long trips on the highway, bringing Grandma to her pottery class, or saving a glass of milk in the trunk.
Mercedes-Benz DIRECT CONTROL Sport Suspension
Sport is the other option Mercedes-Benz gives to DIRECT CONTROL owners. It increases the amount of damping, making the suspension stiffer and lowers the ride height just a little bit. This mode is made for weekend track participants, street racers, and fugitives. It may not seem like there is much of a difference between the two modes, but trust us when we say it is more than enough to notice an improvement when in the appropriate mode.
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Could software update change handling?
