Mercedes failure
11-18-2006, 04:34 AM
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Maybe you know the option in Mercedes S-Class "Distronic Plus". It's the same as Active Cruise Control. But between these two systems is a big difference:
BMW's system works and Mercedes' does not
The most known car magazine in Germany, Auto Bild, tested Mercedes' system in a crash hall. See what happened:
For those who speak German:
Ich finde es sehr lustig, zu sehen, wie der Redakteur die S-Klasse gegen das andere Auto setzt und dann wird ihm auch noch die Schuld in die Schuhe geschoben, er habe den Fehler gemacht Dabei haben diese Halunken ihm gar nicht gesagt, dass das System in der Halle nicht einwandfrei funktioniert 
BMW's system works and Mercedes' does not
The most known car magazine in Germany, Auto Bild, tested Mercedes' system in a crash hall. See what happened:
For those who speak German:
Ich finde es sehr lustig, zu sehen, wie der Redakteur die S-Klasse gegen das andere Auto setzt und dann wird ihm auch noch die Schuld in die Schuhe geschoben, er habe den Fehler gemacht
Dabei haben diese Halunken ihm gar nicht gesagt, dass das System in der Halle nicht einwandfrei funktioniert
11-18-2006, 06:31 AM
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What exactly happened? 
It looks interesting.
It looks interesting.
11-18-2006, 06:35 AM
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M-technic Silvergrey whith beige dakotaleather
don?t belive everything that is published in the paper news 
This thing was a sett up whith the driver(reporter) to manipulate the test and he was fired from Autobild Zeitung after that 
Please se here Icemans post http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=18544#
11-18-2006, 06:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Rudy' post='357598' date='Nov 18 2006, 04:34 PM
11-18-2006, 07:28 AM
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Here's what iceman wrote:
Originally Posted by Iceman' post='199187' date='Nov 17 2005, 01:22 AM
This stuff was really funny. I was ROFLMAO about the stupidity of the MB engineers and the involved journalist of one of the major auto magazines.
Here is what happened:
They have this new system what is a combination of the distronic and a brake assistant.
They put two MB's in a row, created fog and let the test driver, a journalist from Auto Bild, drive the car in a straight line into the fog.
The system in the S-class was supposed to see the cars in the fog and give a warning signal and chime. Then the driver is supposed to brake, while the car helps him with the brakes so that he is using the optimal brake force and comes to a complete stop before crashing.
That's the theory...
What happened is, the driver was wired by the TV team and forgott about the mike... You can clearly hear that the warning chime started AFTER the car had crashed!
But... the test driver, who told the TV team that he will not brake before the chime, used the brakes...
So, why did he used the brakes without the chime?
The MB engineers had set up a wooden plank on the floor, so that the S-class runs over it with the right front wheel. THAT was the sign for the test driver to use the brakes...
After the crash you could hear the test driver (the journalist) talking to the MB engineers. They discussed what to say in front of the TV camera... Then the official statement, just what they have discussed before...
Then the test driver demonstrated a couple brakes. ALLWAYS used the brakes when he came to the piece of wood, and said the system gave him the signal to use the brakes, but it never did! The mike was on all the time... no beep!
Then the TV team asked if the camera man can be in the rear seat for the next test run and they (MB engineers) agreed. The test driver immediately took the engineers aside and said that the TV team then will be able to notice the missing beep! Suddenly the MB engineers switched their minds and said it's for the safety of the camera man!
And on the following test run... guess waht... NO beep, and a crash!
The TV magazine is Stern TV, host G?nther Jauch. They had the MB engineer, who is responsible for driver assistance systems, in the studio (live, not taped) and he appologized. His explanation was:
This was the shooting of a staged "movie" what should have been a demonstration of how the system works. Unfortunately, all tests outside the building worked before, but inside the building the system fails due to all the metall in the floor and the the metall wall. So, when they had found out that the system fails inside the building, they put the wood on the floor, so that the driver will not crash without any using of the brake once the system fails. He claimed that the beep was there in four out of ten tests in the building... Anyways... The wood was a safety feature... He claimed... And he appologized for not telling the TV team that the system malfunctions inside the building...
However... A system like that should also work when there is metal out there. Or in a tunnel...
But amazingly the journalist who seemed to care more about MB and their image than on the truth was not available for an interview, not even his boss. They were not even available for a live sat com interview...
Over all... It's an amazing story.
Unbelievable the journalist who was the test driver lied into the camera of another journalist. It's unbelievable that MB was doing this stuff the way they did.
BMW is working on similar systems but is not launching them yet. Seems MB wanted to be ahead, and failed...
Here is what happened:
They have this new system what is a combination of the distronic and a brake assistant.
They put two MB's in a row, created fog and let the test driver, a journalist from Auto Bild, drive the car in a straight line into the fog.
The system in the S-class was supposed to see the cars in the fog and give a warning signal and chime. Then the driver is supposed to brake, while the car helps him with the brakes so that he is using the optimal brake force and comes to a complete stop before crashing.
That's the theory...
What happened is, the driver was wired by the TV team and forgott about the mike... You can clearly hear that the warning chime started AFTER the car had crashed!
But... the test driver, who told the TV team that he will not brake before the chime, used the brakes...
So, why did he used the brakes without the chime?
The MB engineers had set up a wooden plank on the floor, so that the S-class runs over it with the right front wheel. THAT was the sign for the test driver to use the brakes...
After the crash you could hear the test driver (the journalist) talking to the MB engineers. They discussed what to say in front of the TV camera... Then the official statement, just what they have discussed before...
Then the test driver demonstrated a couple brakes. ALLWAYS used the brakes when he came to the piece of wood, and said the system gave him the signal to use the brakes, but it never did! The mike was on all the time... no beep!
Then the TV team asked if the camera man can be in the rear seat for the next test run and they (MB engineers) agreed. The test driver immediately took the engineers aside and said that the TV team then will be able to notice the missing beep! Suddenly the MB engineers switched their minds and said it's for the safety of the camera man!
And on the following test run... guess waht... NO beep, and a crash!
The TV magazine is Stern TV, host G?nther Jauch. They had the MB engineer, who is responsible for driver assistance systems, in the studio (live, not taped) and he appologized. His explanation was:
This was the shooting of a staged "movie" what should have been a demonstration of how the system works. Unfortunately, all tests outside the building worked before, but inside the building the system fails due to all the metall in the floor and the the metall wall. So, when they had found out that the system fails inside the building, they put the wood on the floor, so that the driver will not crash without any using of the brake once the system fails. He claimed that the beep was there in four out of ten tests in the building... Anyways... The wood was a safety feature... He claimed... And he appologized for not telling the TV team that the system malfunctions inside the building...
However... A system like that should also work when there is metal out there. Or in a tunnel...
But amazingly the journalist who seemed to care more about MB and their image than on the truth was not available for an interview, not even his boss. They were not even available for a live sat com interview...
Over all... It's an amazing story.
Unbelievable the journalist who was the test driver lied into the camera of another journalist. It's unbelievable that MB was doing this stuff the way they did.
BMW is working on similar systems but is not launching them yet. Seems MB wanted to be ahead, and failed...
11-20-2006, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by 700700' post='358408' date='Nov 20 2006, 04:21 PM
the stupid journalists had forgotten to switch it on 
11-21-2006, 11:58 AM
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Originally Posted by 700700' post='358652' date='Nov 21 2006, 04:40 AM
what? they admitted it, it was shown on top gearThan Top Gear is lying!
The truth is, so confirmed by MB and AutoBild (the magazine the journalist worked for), that they tested the system outdoor and it worked. Then they went inside and all the metal and steel inside the hall caused malfunctions. Therefore they put a wooden plank on the floor, where the journalist had to start braking. The system was on, and was allways too late or didn't even recognized the cars in the fog upfront.
They wanted to make this a staged demonstration, and since it usually works (outdoors) the journaliust claimed that the system worked... But in fact it malfunctioned. He was fired since his conversations were aired, he forgot that his mike was switched on.