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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
American investigators are looking into Mercedes maker Daimler's use of engine management software that is alleged to help its vehicles pass emissions tests, according to reports.
German tabloid Bild am Sonntag splashed yesterday (behind paywall) that US investigators had found "several software functions that helped Daimler cars pass emissions tests".
The report included several references to documents from US investigators, though none of the English-language translations state which agency these investigators or documents are from.
Another feature outlined in the documents allegedly detected whether the car was on a stationary test rig based on a comparison of speed and acceleration data.
A Daimler spokesman told Reuters the company was cooperating under a confidentiality agreement with the US Department of Justice: "The authorities know the documents and no complaint has been filed."
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @09:28AM
"How do you feel, Mr. Yung?"
"I feel... so much better! Thank you, doctor! This physical therapy treatment worked! Amazing!"
"Yes, I had a feeling you'd say that. This form of treatment always works to relieve stress."
The doctor and the patient laughed and chatted happily, and the woman under the patient continued bleeding profusely.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @09:47AM
"Trust me!"
Proprietary Software Is Often Malware [gnu.org] and that's really the smaller problem with it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @11:04AM (1 child)
It must be true then.
I'll believe it when the Daily Sport runs it in England.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday February 22 2018, @12:06PM
Take it from Reuters [reuters.com] (citing "Bild am Sonntag") - if Daily Sport doesn't run it, perhaps their subscription to Reuters elapsed and they didn't notice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Thursday February 22 2018, @12:41PM (2 children)
All compliance software is designed to pass tests, the question is: how much does the software change during test cycle vs typical operation?
I reprogrammed my (aftermarket) ECU to different settings at idle so I could pass the tail-pipe sniffer tests in Houston - did nothing to typical operation, but the test is at idle, so that's where I tweaked. Now, if I re-programmed after the test a) that would have felt like cheating, and b) I would have had to program it back for the next test - so I didn't.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/24/7408365/
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @01:06PM
All strawmen arguments are meant to mislead debate. I.e. where did you get "compliance software"?
Sounds like you didn't break the law. Who knows whether Daim did.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @01:25PM
Gas?
If I'm not mistaken, gasoline cars are tested at idle, diesel cars at load. So your trick wouldn't work for a diesel car.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @06:31PM (5 children)
I am surprised it has taken this long to uncover this. Diesel works for big trucks (18 wheelers and 10 tonners, not your "offroad" Ford 4x4) that work hard, NOT passenger vehicles. ALL diesel cars are a bad idea. When the "new diesel" thing came around, circa 2000, I already smelled a rat. Its just too good to be true.
The Europeans seemed to think diesel was their gas crisis salvation. So they built small cars with diesels, then larger ones, even luxury brands like Mercedes and BMW. Now you can even find a Ford Focus in diesel. These are all death traps, or more accurately, cancer spewing death distributors. ALL of them. Forget VW and now Daimler. Governments everywhere should BAN diesel vehicles under 5,000kg - with "yesterday already" kind of urgency.
(Score: 2) by gawdonblue on Thursday February 22 2018, @08:48PM (4 children)
What is wrong with cars that use less fuel and are cheaper to run? My understanding is that diesel cars at idle or low speeds - such as inner city stop-start driving - pump out more harmful particulates and so should be avoided in this instance, but modern diesel cars at speed are generally less polluting than equivalent gas/petrol vehicles, both in greenhouse and toxic emissions.
My understanding is possibly wrong so feel free to correct it and please provide relevant links.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22 2018, @10:54PM (1 child)
Or do your own fucking homework.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @04:40AM
Save at the today and you won't be around to watch your kids die from cancer. So it doesn't matter?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 23 2018, @09:52AM
The only reason diesel engines uses less fuel is that diesel has a higher density (14%, I believe). That is, more energy and more pollution per liter/gallon.
The only reason they are cheaper to run is that there are still fewer of them, you should be paying 14% more.
(Score: 1) by RedIsNotGreen on Friday February 23 2018, @06:07PM
In one word: particulates.