Daimler should be at the behest of Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer Quick clarity on the extent of the case Mercedes created diesel cheat software. The carmaker and the authorities wanted to find out in an in-depth exchange on the highly complex technical questions, how many models are exactly affected, explained Scheuer after a conversation with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche on Monday in Berlin. “At another meeting in 14 days, the concrete results will be on the table,” he says.
Scheuer had summoned the Daimler boss to himself, because that Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) Last week, a recall of the Mercedes -Van Vito has been ordered because of an inadmissible shutdown device in the exhaust gas purification. The KBA is examining other suspicious Mercedes models. According to media reports, the C-Class and SUVs of the G-series could be affected.
Did Daimler want to cover up the manipulation?
Daimler is ready to recall, but denies that it is a legally prohibited function. “It was a good conversation, see you again in 14 days,” said Zetsche when leaving the Ministry.
But the head of Daimler must be pleased by Scheuer still another reproach, with which the affair over dirty Mercedes diesels takes on a new dimension. According to SPIEGEL information, the ministry has legitimate reason to assume that Daimler wanted to cover up the presumably illegal manipulations. The officials go after clues that the illegal engine software with an update could have been secretly dubbed – about as part of a normal service in the Mercedes workshop.
The customers would not notice. Such a procedure is however forbidden. Because every new software, in particular the exhaust system, must be approved in advance by the KBA, before it is loaded. This is no different than with a new type of brake or carburetor. Another list of the Stuttgart: They registered the Vito for a voluntary software update at the KBA.
4900 Vito vehicles affected
The KBA had stated that the shutdown facility would lead to increased nitrogen oxide emissions. Mercedes is therefore to get well over 4,900 Vito vehicles with the Euro 6 emission standard in the workshops worldwide and remove this function.
Mercedes had therefore set by the KBA a deadline set by 15 June, to submit a technical solution to it. In addition, there is a procedure whereby the type approval for the European Union subsequently had to be changed, said Scheuer on.
According to “Bild am Sonntag”, around 40,000 diesel engines of the OM622 series in the Vito and 80,000 more of the OM626 series in the C-Class may need to be examined.
Earlier, the SPIEGEL had reported it even threatens the Recall of more than 600,000 diesel vehicles , Scheuer had instructed the KBA to pursue further suspected cases at Mercedes “immediately”.
Illegal defeat devices had the Diesel scandal at Volkswagen triggered in September 2015. At VW, Audi and Porsche, such “defeat devices” were used to test the regulations for nitrogen oxide in the USA. Due to the shutdown device, the exhaust gas cleaning works only on the test bench of the authorities, but not in traffic.
Zetsche had stressed shortly after flying up the diesel scandal at VW, at Mercedes there is no “Defeat Device” for manipulation of the exhaust gas purification.