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So straight to the point, I installed the ECU and the car just runs way smoother than before. It hesitated at start up probably because it's 30°F here, but nevermind that. Gear changes are smoother imo, better acceleration at low engine speeds, etc. The only thing that I find wierd is that the car idles as if it's cold 100% of the time now... Idk if that's part of the tune or... But, other than that it feels smoother. I'm not gonna push it hard yet because my DPF is plugged, obviously. I'm on my way to my mechanic with the delete pipe and I'll update once it's on and I've taken it on a test drive
Emissions requirements did drive the change. Starting in 2004 the US introduced 10 "Bins" of differing emissions compliance levels. Bin 1 is the cleanest (zero emissions) and Bin 10 is the dirtiest. Over time increasingly cleaner levels are required of light duty passenger cars. Bins 9 and 10 were no longer permitted as of the 2007 model year. Bins 6, 7, and 8 were no longer permitted as of the 2010 model year.
The om648 E320 CDI is a Bin 10 vehicle, hence not legal for sale in the US after 2006. The om642 E320 Bluetec is a Bin 8 vehicle, so OK for sale from 2007 through 2009 model years. The e350 Bluetec (with DEF) introduced in 2010 is a Bin 5 vehicle (which also happens to have been the California standard all along).
For comparison, Bin 10 permits 0.6 grams/mile of NoX, Bin 8 is 0.2. Bin 10 permits 0.8 grams/mile of particulate matter, Bin 8 is 0.2. CO and Formaldehyde standards are the same between the two. So there are significant reductions in NoX and PM emissions going from the 648 to the 642 - approximately 70%.
We did the DEF/DPF/EGR delete on our 2013 ML350 back in November. Best $1400 I ever spent.
Bought the truck with 20k kms or 12k miles in September of 2017. Literally owned by an old lady. In the first year and under warranty, the DEF tank had to be replaced @ $3700 CAN and the EGR at $1700. The writing was on the wall after that...
- Installed an oil filter adapter which allows the use of a honking big spin-on oil filter for superior filtration
- Popped the belly pan and engine covers to allow for lower under-hood temps during the summer. Hopefully my oil cooler seals will appreciate the gesture
- Started running high-zinc content oil, first motorcycle oil and now Amsoil Dominator 20W50 oil for summer, and Signature series oil for winter. Hoping my timing chain will thank me by lasting much longer than they seem to presently
- Did the above-mentioned DEF/DPF/EGR. So no worries about clogging my DPF, especially now that I'm running high zinc/phosphor oil
Other than a noisy(er) first minute of engine operation when she's left out in sub-freezing temps, you can't tell a difference. No black smoke that I can detect, same power level.
And yes, I drank the Stephen's Garage Koolaid. No regrets to date whatsoever. The only regret was buying a diesel MB under the false impression that I was buying reliability. If I'd done my due diligence beforehand, I'd have never bought the truck even though I'd gotten it for a fantastic price.
But, I've made my bed and now I have to sleep in it. At least I'm trying to put the odds in my favour LOL
Great thread, looking for further updates. My GL320 is still humming along but soon to go to my friend who is looking to delete everything and get the Green Engineering tune. I wasn't aware of other tunes for this platform so looking forward to results in this thread. There is definitely not enough info out there on aftermarket tunes for these engines.
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT! This car is an absolute wild animal. For starters, it's A LOT and I mean A LOT more responsive. At a cold start I wouldn't dare recommend revving the engine because you're gonna roll coal like a freight train from hell. But when engine is up to temperature it's a lot more calm. You can definitely smell the difference after the DPF removal and "IT STANK" according to my friends haha. But I haven't driven it like a normal person yet because I'm just thrilled. I highly recommend this if your 642 is being choked by the DPF, but man so far the smell is an atrocity. Oh, and it climbs steep hills like it's on a flat road... I thought that was pretty interesting. I don't think my transmission is all that happy though lol... There's a lot of torque. I can ramble on this forever to be honest.
I'll more than likely provide clips on request. But, for now... I'm going back outside to play with the diesel from hell!
To the point, I drove it for about 400+ miles today and I averaged 26MPG (75% highway, 25% City). I was still pushing it hard though I just couldn't resist. But although it was pushed hard (90MPH+ in most areas, floored on the on-ramps, random take-offs from a standstill, etc.) I know, stupid. But the hell with it. I'll calm down over time; I'm obviously just having fun since I've been living with a car that took 13+ seconds to hit 60mph. Now it's around 8 seconds. I find it amazing how it throws you in the seat on acceleration from a halt. When you kickdown randomly while driving it accelerates rather quickly and the engine speed doesn't change dramatically like a petrol does. 2,500rpm, which I recommend staying under when cruising is at 80MPH in 7th gear. So, if you prefer cruising at like 70mph, mpg isn't gonna be an issue since when I drove that speed I was seeing like 30mpg give or take.
The only downside I have for this mod is that potent exhaust odor. Hopefully it'll improve over time, or maybe it won't but I think it calmed down a bit since earlier because it was just terrible. Obviously the DPF and DEF is gone so it's gonna have a smell anyway, but maybe that's something you want to think about thoroughly before doing this... Other than that I don't know what else to talk about at this very moment, but if anyone has questions I'll definitely reply when I have time!
The only downside I have for this mod is that potent exhaust odor. Hopefully it'll improve over time, or maybe it won't but I think it calmed down a bit since earlier because it was just terrible. Obviously the DPF and DEF is gone so it's gonna have a smell anyway, but maybe that's something you want to think about thoroughly before doing this...
A high flow cat is what BMW guys do for deletes on their diesels to cut down on the stink. Once it warms up, it cuts out the smell significantly (not completely).
Even if you have 100 cell or 200 cell cats, it is probably a serviceable item from all the soot PDF is suppose to burn off. The cat may get plugged quickly.
If you were doing 0-60 in 13 seconds prior to the delete, your DPF must've been majorly plugged to begin with. 7-8 second times are par for the course for a Bluetec.
As far as the smell is concerned, did you have the cats removed? My shop warned me that if I had mine removed, I "could" end up with a nasty smell. Matter of fact, while I was there to pick up my truck, there was a box on the counter with two aftermarket cats destined for a client who'd insisted that the shop remove the OEM cats. Client lasted about a week before breaking down and begging the shop to order high-flow cats for his truck. He couldn't stand the smell.
I agree - 13 seconds means something else was holding it back. But either way, it's nice to hear a real world report/review. I'll be curious to hear what your mileage is at various highway/city ratios once you get done "playing" with the new toy!
Peter - just a word of caution about that oil filter. I've cut open about 50 filters (not all mine, of course!). I've seen two Frams where the interior pleats came apart - essentially allowing unfiltered oil to pass right back into the engine. I have never seen this with another filter. The construction on the inside is inferior to other brands, as well. There's an old saying... Friends don't let friends use Fram. Also, just because it's bigger doesn't mean it filters better. And, with the superior engine oils in use today, along with the engines burning cleaner, the old line of thinking of 'needing a bigger filter' isn't as true anymore. Sure, it can't hurt - but it's not really necessary. In your case, you've got the adapter so of course keep using it. But consider a better brand. There's no such thing as a "best" brand, just like there's no such thing as a best oil, but some very good ones are Mann and Baldwin.
Even if you have 100 cell or 200 cell cats, it is probably a serviceable item from all the soot PDF is suppose to burn off. The cat may get plugged quickly.
So, I could use any high flow cat? And if so where do I install it, anywhere on the exhaust? I'm probably gonna get tired of the smell quickly.
Originally Posted by DennisG01
I agree - 13 seconds means something else was holding it back. But either way, it's nice to hear a real world report/review. I'll be curious to hear what your mileage is at various highway/city ratios once you get done "playing" with the new toy!
The DPF has been plugged for about a year. It recently started putting the car in Limp Mode because it was so bad, and I have to climb a hill on my commute to town and it would not go. Instead it would drop 2 gears and then realize it still wouldn't be able to climb, then limp mode would trigger as well as a nasty burning smell.
The DPF has been plugged for about a year. It recently started putting the car in Limp Mode because it was so bad, and I have to climb a hill on my commute to town and it would not go. Instead it would drop 2 gears and then realize it still wouldn't be able to climb, then limp mode would trigger as well as a nasty burning smell.
9.8 seconds to 60 and 17.2 in the 1/4 mile is what the GL 350 is rated as stock.
I think I'm seeing 7.5 to 8 now. The turbo whistles and it revs to redline now. It also seems to get all of the speed it can through the gears rather than just shifting whenever it wants. Yesterday it didn't do this... Something great seems to be happening. Maybe it's learning that it can breathe now? And the exhaust odor is becoming minimal, but you know it's there.
I think I'm seeing 7.5 to 8 now. The turbo whistles and it revs to redline now. It also seems to get all of the speed it can through the gears rather than just shifting whenever it wants. Yesterday it didn't do this... Something great seems to be happening. Maybe it's learning that it can breathe now? And the exhaust odor is becoming minimal, but you know it's there.
To the point, I just got the AdBlue starts remaining counter... To anyone that has knowledge on this, is it normal? Will it go away eventually or should I be worried? I've read somewhere that when it reaches zero it'll still start, but I'm not sure. Thanks in advanced.
The SCR is plugged in? Normally you have make a teach in prior to the removal and unplug the SCR control module. But now its in countdown mode it can be a big headache.
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