Comfy_Couch

kluge
One entry found.

kludge

Main Entry: kludge
Pronunciation: \ˈklüj\
Variant(s): or kluge \ˈklüj, US also & British especially ˈkləj; ˈklü-jē\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1962
: a system and especially a computer system made up of poorly matched components
— kludgy also kludgey \ˈklü-jē, US also & British especially ˈklə-\ adjective

grover432

So for anyone ordering a GL, it will be an '09.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-x164/248005-2009-gl550-confirmed-date.html

oknish

Say when. Need to take you to a great Indian place we just discovered in Santa Monica.

I will trade if they have GL with D+ available, as our Patron Saint mentioned. I sure hope that Gods of MB hear him much more louder and clearer then they would hear me If no Distronic for GL by that time then I would keep this one but it would then be used only for hauling 7 and I would get a new daily driver. Only time will tell.........

oknish

Correct me if I'm wrong, Jack, but I think only MBUSA dropped it. Rest of the world can still get it.

I couldn't agree more that adding D+ would probably increase demand and am praying that they do so for '10. What I don't understand is how LX/BMW etc. keep offering this but MB is bowing out due to competitive pressures? I can see if they put a restriction that if you want D/D+ you will have to order but totally eliminating it ???????

Nevada Jack

Yes...only MBUSA. Definitely had to do with less than 1% of orders with it. Price of $3100 did not promote many sales I am sure. It was also older technology. I would have ordered it had it been an option on the '08 GL550.

MBUSA must purchase vehicles (and options) from MB in Germany and it is MB who sets the prices. I would guess the price of the D+ for US models was more than MBUSA would want to pay because it would boost the MSRP above levels they did not want to exceed. Based on sales of the old D they also probably determined the selection would be small and not worth the effort to redesign the body and all the associated parts to accommodate D+ on any of the models. I don't even know if D+ will be available on the new E in 2010?

Just more of my ramblings Nish...

oknish

We can still dream, can't we, Jack?

IMO, sad part is that adaptive cruise control, side proximity sensors, etc. are going to be part of standard safety packages in 5 years and then MB will be behind in safety.

Nevada Jack

I doubt they will fall behind in their concerns for safety which they have led the industry in for so many years. If not D+, perhaps some new technology to surpass that system.

MB Fanatic

Jack some of the E320 Bluetec's for California had AdBlue for 2008 MY. These were lease only vehicles though, you had to return it at the end of the lease.

dmfick

The price for distronic was and is $2,200, not $3,100 as Nevada Jack indicates. It may be older technolgy, but it works great - maintains a specific amount of time (1-2 seconds - user adjustable) between me and the car in front. It is very smart about lane jumpers and can apply 20% braking power to slow the vehicle. The current GL Distronic also uses radar - a single radar unit integrated into the grille MB symbol. The Parktronic sensors are not part of the D system - they are there for front parking assist. I think the D+ system works the same way as my D system except it discriminates a bit better, having two radars.

I tried the newer Distronic+ on an SL and saw no diference in operation, controls or performance (the little wheel specifying hw much distance to maintain had a different configuration, and the on-screen indicators had the word 'plus' after distronic - that was it). Seems like plenty new technology to me.

Also, I had my cop brother-in-law run radar on my truck when the Distronic was on - he couldn't get a good reading - his speed indication went haywire - jumping around. I doubt that was intentional, but now run with the active beam on all the time...

We live in Annapolis, MD and have a farm on the Eastern shore of Virgina that is about 150 miles away, all on four-lane surface roads that have at-grade crossings, multiple speed limit changes, and stop-and-go beach traffic on summer weekends, with a bottleneck at the Chesapeak Bay bridge. We drive both ways most weekends, and those 300 miles make Distronic of any kind a godsend.

Virtually all luxury vehicles are adding this technology - Inifiniti, Acura, Lexus, etc. Very stupid of MB not to keep up. I'd hate to go elsewhere next time, but won't do without it. The new perimeter cameras on the lexus LX are very neat too....

oknish

I believe price dropped in '08. I can scan and post my sticker, if you would like, which show D at 3150.

I believe D maintains a "preset" distance and not time. Yes, it is good about lane jumpers but does get "confused" at curves. I haven't tried D+ so can't comment on it but I believe that D+ can maintain speeds much lower than D.

I don't think MB is dropping it all the way. They are just not offering it on GLs, I believe. I personally hate the perimeter cameras since they provide "too much information". I do like MB's implementation of side alert which simply shows an ! in an orange triangle in the side mirror of the corresponding side. Enforces the good habit of checking your mirrors and the discreet but hard to miss sign does get your attention.

oknish

From your lips to D God's ears, Jack I am OK as long as they offer it in GL, else, I will have to justify a newer MB "model". It won't be purty, let me just say.

And, Jack, please don't tell her about the deal you and your wife had

mortenmol

D goes from 30km/h - 20mph to 180km/h - 120mph
D+ from 0-? I would believe its 180 / 120 as well, but I'v mainly been driving my GL420 and my fathers ML63, he hasn't been to keen on me driving the CL550 with D+ So I honestly don't remember...

Regarding the distance the D keeps, it must be time related, since the distance changes with the speed, the faster you go, the longer distance D keeps

MB Fanatic

We just can't get Distronic here in the states folks. A family friend over in the UK has a GL with Distronic.

Nevada Jack

The D+ system uses both a long and short range radar and eliminates the Parktronic sensors in the bumpers. It also allows the system to bring the car to a complete stop. I think it is superior to the older one but never having either one available at the time of ordering, I would be happy just to have it.

The price when I ordered my GL320 CDI was $3100 and apparently the price has been reduced since. The price for the D+ on my S550 was I think $2850 or so but was not available due to inventory shortages when I ordered it.

StevethePilot

I've seen this working on the S-Class in England, on Top Gear. It's seven and a half minutes, but you can watch it stop the car. (Just under 2 minutes in) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Sd4x9VSAw

STP

oknish

morten - in my GL, Distronic is controlled by a wheel on cruise control stalk. When I move the wheel, the Distronic screen displays a solid line indicating how much distance would be between my car and car in front. From what I have seen, D just changes speed to maintain the distance specified between my car and car in front. I don't see any time specifications????

mortenmol

The faster you go, the longer the GL keeps from the car in front of you. You don't really set a distance, but you can specify if you want it closer or not. Thats why I feel, that it some how is time related. We learn here while taking the drivers license, that you have to keep two seconds between you and the car in front of you, which is more or less what the gl does, when ordered to stay as close to the car in front as possible, regardless of your speed

oknish

Check out the Cruise Control page in the online manual. Distronic keeps a set distance by controlling the speed to match the speed of vehicle in front. You can specify a minimum distance to a maximum distance and D will work to keep that distance.

mortenmol

But it's not a static distance, it changes with your speed, regardless of the setting. Try putting the mfd on the distronic, and drive behind some one, from low to a higher speed, the line indicating the distance being kept will get longer when you go faster and shorter when you go slower, I will happily document this for you.

oknish

You have me wondering if Distronic for US is different then the one for EU. Would you mind documenting what you see and I will try to capture mine too. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, only do this if you can do it safely.

GL Fahrer

The MY'08 E-320 BlueTEC's leased in California do not have AdBlue tanks.
They have the "BIN-8" diesel which uses an oxidizing catalytic converter and a particulate filter. While this reduces NOx and smog, the levels are not low enough to sell outright in the CARB states. The MY'08 "California" cars are a special fixed number of cars that were lease only so that they can be returned prior to their cumulative polluting weight reaching a specified level.

The MY'09 R, ML and GL-Class BlueTEC's have "BIN-5" certification. These do meet CARB standards and can be sold in all 50 states. While the system includes an oxidizing catalytic converter and a particulate filter, it also uses urea injection upstream of the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). The result is over 85% reduction in N02 and N03 emissions.


On the subject of DISTRONIC: MBUSA has tried to sell this system on the SUV's for several years now and nobody is ordering it!
MBUSA wanted D+ on the trucks as well, but it is just wasn't developed.
Your argument that DISTRONIC is offered in other regions, fails to recognize that 1844 euros ($2850) is not much when buying a 90K euro ($140K) car.

In the U.S. DITRONIC is $650 cheaper than in Europe yet <1% of all GL customers order it. Its just not a U.S. required option.

oknish

It is probably a bit ahead of it's time but I can't see how Distronic will not gain traction in the near future as all manufacturers are offering it. I do take hope that maybe D+ will be available down the road.

2 things come to my mind here -

1. Based on UK costs given, Distronic adds on another 2% to cost of a GL. Using published prices in US, Distronic adds on 2.8% to cost of GL 550. I really doubt .8% of a difference in price is going to bring many more customers across the pond.
2. If Distronic is available as an option on GL in other-then-US regions, then why can't it be available as a "special order only" option in US? It's already designed for the car but is not put an any US destined car till a order for it is in.

thebishman

Thanks for the explanation re: AD-Blue for the '09 GL 320 CDI.

A quick question: do you mean that the '09 will be 85% cleaner NO2 and NO3 wise than an '08 simply because of the urea injection system, or 85% cleaner than a diesel without the other emission controls that the '08s already have?

TIA,
Bish

GL Fahrer

Good question. The MY'09 GL320 BlueTEC system with AdBlue reduces NOx >80% more than the current GL320 CDI. I believe it is half that with the "Non-AdBlue" E320 BlueTEC (which is why the E320 BT is not CARB qualified)

GL Fahrer

DISTRONIC wasn't developed for the U.S. version of the GL550.


Adding DISTRONIC to a $60K GL450 adds 3.6% to the price of the car. If MBUSA could add DISTRONIC to a 320 or 450 for only 2% they would certainly have sold more.


Why can't it be special ordered?