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Mercedes calling in CLS, E-Class over rubber seal fire risk

Mercedes-Benz has discovered a problem with certain E-Class and CLS-Class models and has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of a recall it's undertaking to resolve the issue. The problem is with the rubber seal at the back of the engine bay, which according to the statement below "may temporarily stick to the hood when it is opened and then may fall into the engine bay when the hood is closed." If it then comes into contact with the exhaust system, it could start a fire. And fires in the engine bay are never a good thing, unless they're contained entirely within the combustion chamber. The issue affects an estimated total of 147,224 E-Class and CLS-Class vehicles, all told, across America – including four-doors, wagons, hybrids and AMG performance models (but no E-Class coupes or convertibles) from the 2013-15 model years. To fix the problem, Benz dealers will simply need to attach four additional clips to keep the seal in place, and will start doing so midway through next month. RECALL Subject : Rubber Seal may Dislodge and Contact Exhaust Report Receipt Date: FEB 13, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V088000 Component(s): STRUCTURE Potential Number of Units Affected: 147,224 Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. SUMMARY: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 E350 Sedan, E350 4Matic Sedan, E350 4Matic Station Wagon, E400 Hybrid Sedan, CLS 550 CGI, and CLS550 4Matic, 2013-2014 E550 4Matic Sedan, 2013 E63 Sedan, E63 Station Wagon and CLS63, 2014-2015 CLS63 4Matic, E63 4Matic Sedan, E63 4Matic Sedan "S", and E63 4Matic Station Wagon, 2015 CLS400, 2015 E400 Sedan, E400 4Matic Sedan and CLS400 4Matic and 2014 CLS63 "S". The affected vehicles have a rubber seal at the back of the engine bay that may temporarily stick to the hood when it is opened and then may fall into the engine bay when the hood is closed. CONSEQUENCE: If the rubber seal falls into the engine compartment, it may contact parts of the exhaust system, increasing the risk of a fire. REMEDY: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will attach four additional retaining clips to the rubber seal, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by mid-March 2015. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-201-573-5339. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2015020001. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Are future vehicular hacks inevitable?

Before the hack of the Uconnect system in a Jeep Cherokee resulted in a 1.4-million vehicle recall, the potential software vulnerabilities in vehicles were already a hot topic with Congressional inquiries and even proposed legislation in the US. As cars' interconnected systems gain the ability to go online, they become open to a host of new threats. Automakers are trying to stop this, but it might be too late to put the genie back into the bottle. Throughout 2015, the issue of software security in vehicles has become increasingly vital. For example, the recent Jeep case wasn't even the biggest hack this year. In February, a major flaw was discovered in the BMW Connected Drive service that allowed researchers to remotely lock and unlock the doors and potentially affected 2.2 million cars. The fix was an over-the-air patch for the problem. Automakers are actively working to fix the issues. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi reportedly are using encrypted connections and firewalls in their vehicles to prevent hacking. "Absolute, 100-percent safety isn't possible," Daimler spokesperson Benjamin Oberkersch said to Automotive News Europe. "But we develop our systems, tested by internal and external experts, so they're up to date." These vulnerabilities seem to be popping up more often. A successful hack took $14 in parts from Radio Shack in one case. There was also a 60 Minutes report earlier in the year about DARPA's ability to hack into OnStar to take control of a Chevrolet Impala. Experts aren't so sure companies can contend with hackers' advancement. "The difficulty for the carmakers at the moment is the question whether they can keep pace with advances in technology, and especially hacking technology," Rainer Scholz, executive director for telematics consultant EY, said to Automotive News Europe. "We seriously doubt they can." At this point, vehicle hacks are coming more from researchers looking for holes than from those with malicious intent. Still, the vulnerabilities are definitely there. It's up to automakers to keep patching the problems before they become dangerous to drivers. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post via Getty Images Audi BMW Jeep Mercedes-Benz Safety Technology Emerging Technologies hacking cyber security

Mercedes-AMG could use electric turbos

Mercedes-Benz is joining Audi in analyzing electric turbochargers for its production cars. But while Ingolstadt will roll out its first e-turbo in its A8 luxury sedan, Stuttgart is studying the technology for use in small performance cars, like the A45, CLA45, and GLA45 AMG models. Auto Express spoke to Mercedes-AMG compact car boss Steffen Jastrow about the cutting-edge tech, which reduces turbo lag, improves fuel economy, and occupies less space under the hood than a standard turbo. "Of course we need more power for the next-generation of cars, but electrification does not mean we have to use an electric drivetrain." Jastrow said. "They have to be faster and e-turbos are an option. We use them in motorsport, but the technology has to be payable for the customer." As AE tells it, bringing the price of e-turbos down from the A8's luxury car level to the relatively affordable sums demanded by compact AMG models will still take some time. So don't count on seeing a Mercedes with an electric turbocharger until the new A-Class arrives in 2017, at the earliest. Related Video: