This appears to be a first. A recall for an electronic failure caused by fumes?
Mercedes-Benz USA is recalling 6,517 2019-2020 G550 4MATIC SUVs. The German luxury car maker says that some model year 2019-2020 G-Class vehicles (463 platform) have a control unit of the differential locking module that might not meet current production specifications. The driver will be made aware of the safety defect by an ABS and ESP message in the instrument cluster.
The electrical contact of a resistor might be impaired due to sulfur fumes originating from the axle oil. Due to a development “deviation” at the supplier Tollo Linear of Sweden, a batch of electrical resistors don’t meet the requirements for chemical resistance.
In the required NHTSA filing Mercedes said: “ABS and ESP functions would be deactivated. The deactivation of these systems is consistent with the strategy for a locked differential and is a protective measure. It was also found that if the condition occurred at low speeds, as was consistent with most reports from the field at the time, the vehicle could be stopped safely, and braking performance was not affected. Subsequently, in December 2019, MBAG analyzed the effects of the condition at higher rates of speed. While field data indicates less than 2% of the reports occurred at higher operating conditions, on February 7, 2020, decided to conduct a recall to address the condition.”
Owners will be notified of the voluntary recall campaign approximately one week after launch to the dealers on April 14, 2020.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Sulfur Fumes Cause Mercedes ABS and ESP Safety Recall?
This appears to be a first. A recall for an electronic failure caused by fumes?
Mercedes-Benz USA is recalling 6,517 2019-2020 G550 4MATIC SUVs. The German luxury car maker says that some model year 2019-2020 G-Class vehicles (463 platform) have a control unit of the differential locking module that might not meet current production specifications. The driver will be made aware of the safety defect by an ABS and ESP message in the instrument cluster.
The electrical contact of a resistor might be impaired due to sulfur fumes originating from the axle oil. Due to a development “deviation” at the supplier Tollo Linear of Sweden, a batch of electrical resistors don’t meet the requirements for chemical resistance.
In the required NHTSA filing Mercedes said: “ABS and ESP functions would be deactivated. The deactivation of these systems is consistent with the strategy for a locked differential and is a protective measure. It was also found that if the condition occurred at low speeds, as was consistent with most reports from the field at the time, the vehicle could be stopped safely, and braking performance was not affected. Subsequently, in December 2019, MBAG analyzed the effects of the condition at higher rates of speed. While field data indicates less than 2% of the reports occurred at higher operating conditions, on February 7, 2020, decided to conduct a recall to address the condition.”
Owners will be notified of the voluntary recall campaign approximately one week after launch to the dealers on April 14, 2020.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.