I have a MB L model van from the 1960's I think. It is a 2 ltr. diesel. I think it was the grandfather of the Sprinter. Any one know anything about them?

 

sorry, wrong place

 

Well I have had the car back from LB Mercedes since Friday. The service took almost a whole day. Went up to Arrowhead for the weekend so I have had a good mix of highway/city driving. Car is a 2013 ML350 with 75k miles. Initial impressions....

1. Runs at least 20 degrees hotter. Consistently running 202 degrees according to my Scanguage. This was obviously due to the new thermostat that was included in the recall.
2. Performance actually feels better than before the fix. This is probably due to my DPF being about 50% blocked but it feels like the turbo might come in a little earlier.
3. MPG is currently 24.2 after 250 miles
4. DPF shows a 6% load after 250 miles

As for MB of LB, they have always treated me well. The fact that they are a Sprinter service location makes me feel better than taking it to most MB dealers. They probably work on more Bluetecs than most dealers in the country.

Will update as I get more miles on the rig.

 

wrong thread

 

Has anyone received a settlement check? If not, does anyone know the timing?

 

I'm not a lawyer, but do have some insight into these large $ class action settlements - bottom line: Don't hold your breath - payments may take some time to process (i.e. years). Some of the reasons (not defending MB or the Class Action legal firm - just telling it like it is):

(1) Per EU regulations, MB (a.k.a. Daimler) has to notify share holders of the proposed class action settlement - they are just doing this now even though the outline of the terms was agreed to in 2019. (I'm a Daimler shareholder - and got the notice today!).
(a) Shareholders don't vote on the settlement - they are just notified that there is a settlement. The board can approve the settlement so long as there is not an action from the shareholders to reject the settlement.

(2) MB and the law firm would like to get a handle on the total expense of the settlement before they start cutting checks - a few things that go into this:
(a) How many vehicles will they end up having to do the AEM? (the number will be less than what they sold - but they now have an idea since the deadlines are expiring for claims to be filed)
(b) How many previous owners will bother to file claims?
(c) On some older, "problem" vehicles it may end up be cheaper to do a buy-back rather than develop the AEM (e.g. '09 GL320's, etc.) - depends how many claims they get on vehicles that are still on the road.
(d) Once they can estimate the actual costs, MB will no doubt re-negotiate the settlement with their attorneys and the court (it doesn't matter that the settlement has been approved by the court - things can and will change)

(3) Once the "final" round of negotiations in complete, MB/Daimler will then fund the settlement account to (a) pay the lawyers and (b) disperse anything left over to the owners that filed claims. I have not seen any indication that Daimler has funded the settlement account to date.

I think it is fair the expect the payments to take another 6 months to a year to process (i.e. hopefully issued some time in 2022). In all likelihood they will be lower than the "up to" figure in the paperwork that everyone got to file a claim - probably much lower. (Fun fact: It's easier for a company to "write off" legal fees for a class action than it is cash payments to members of the class, so it may be in MB/Daimler's interest to be generous with the lawyer's payments - at the class member's expense.).

Don't shoot the messenger - but this could take some time to be completely settled. Like everyone else, I'd like it to be resolved quickly - but my expectations are low!

 

@xsramo or others, any updates on what "4Q 2021" will mean for our EMC 5 class vehicles? I'd like to get mine done.

 

Got my check $3950 at the end of December.
Applied back in April.

 

Right after emissions modification was done on my GL350 it immediately started to excessively burn oil.

 

Took my 2009 GL320 in first week of February. Dealer took a little over a month to return it. Fortunately, I had a loaner. After the AEM, the car drives noticeably worse, making strange vibration around 800 rpm. Dealer says not related to AEM work, that it's motor mounts and wants $1400 more. I'll get the motor mounts done somewhere else and see if it gets any better.

The mpg seems down about 1 mpg (21 vs 22 mpg) on my usual circuit, but maybe that will improve over time as it learns the tune. It seems tuned to rev higher before switching gears.

If anyone is thinking it makes sense to buy a used diesel eligible for AEM to get the extended warranty and cash, I would urge caution. It might work out, but I doubt it. I strongly encourage the selection of a different vehicle that is easier to service and is more reliable. Diesel has unfortunately risen, negating most of any cost savings. The GL looks good, and I find it comfortable to ride in, but I would not do it again. I am also not impressed at all with the dealers here in the Denver area. YMMV.

 

wrong thread

 

I owned a 2016 MB GL350 Bluetec and after the emissions modification was completed by our local dealers, we noticed the lack of power and turbo lag (hesitation). Recently we started smelling fumes coming from the engine compartment and found out that two (2) of the injectors were leaking. Dealer found heavy carbon deposits and the mechanic told the service advisor that it was the "copper seal" that needs to be replaced (a $3.00 part x 6 cyl = $18). However, they need me to cough $2300 for removing all the injectors to replace the seals. Keep in mind this car has been serviced by same dealer since date of sale. We have mentioned to the dealer the lack of power, smell and hesitation numerous times but this is the first time they claim the issue may be the leaking injectors (or the seals). We are currently driving a loaner (2023 E350) until they can resolve this issue with MBNA and the "emissions extended warranty". Any comments or suggestions are welcome.