E270 W212 SBC Pump Warning - Service Brake

S

Stevitee

Guest
Gents

I have read through several posts on this subject so I think I understand what the implications of the 'Service Brake - Visit Workshop' fault warning are.

I have also noted several threads where - if the pump needed replacing - Mercedes should do it FOC under a 10 years guarantee. My car was registered in December 2003.

Today I had my local workshop make enquiry through a contact in Mercedes Tonbridge. He has told me that their stance is that Mercedes now make a 'contribution' to the cost and that means 50% of the cost of repalcement. The total cost being approx £2k + VAT so I'd be faced with something over a £1K to pay. They also said that because my pump is working (the car was MOT'd today and the brakes are A OK) it could just be a case of a system re-set.

However, before I take it in to Mercedes could I ask please for any comments on this where owners of similar aged cars have recently had to get this sorted and whether or not Merceds honoured the FOC route or went 50/50 as has been suggested to me.

I am hoping of course that it is just a re-set required.

Many thanks for reading this and comments as above will be appreciated.
 

Corned

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
1,470
Reaction score
5
Age
121
Location
East Midlands
Your Mercedes
2005 S211 E320CDI Avantgarde
I can't comment about the 50/50 (or better) manufacturer contribution. However...

If your system has had no previous issues in this respect, there should be a good chance that the dealership can reset the system as they suggest. It is a one-shot option and cannot be repeated - even if you were to try - as the system will not allow a second reset.

You will, no doubt, have read all the wildly uninformed comments on here about how dangerous this method is, and how you are 100% certain to kill dozens of women and children, mostly in long bus queues, schools, and hospitals, if you even dare to contemplate having this done.

Fortunately, there are the informed and learned among us who know full well that it is a factory-issued method of first choice (the second choice being the full replacement of the SBC unit), and would not have been issued by the factory at all as an option if there was any risk to your, or more importantly - their, reputation.

I hope, for you and your wallet's sake, that the reset can be successfully executed. I am confident that you will not risk heading the leader board in Death Race 2000 as a result. :D

And neither will you have to program each bus queue, school and hospital into your satnav as exclusion zones. ;)

Good luck with it, I'll keep my fingvers crossed for you - and please let us know how you get on.
 
Last edited:

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
There are not any factory re sets as far as I know, there were updates, but that was for car without warnings, if the life of the pump is finished then an exchange one is used. See what your dealer says and take it from there, some indies charge about £1400 for doing this job with a new pump.
 

NW_Merc

Banned
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
801
Reaction score
0
Location
Oop Norf
Your Mercedes
Mercedes W202
Could you not pop your car into one of the indies in your area and get a second opinion about it?
 
OP
S

Stevitee

Guest
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Corned, thank you for your re-assuring and I have to say, highly amusing comments.

I have spoken again with my workshop, having now collected the car and have been told that Mercedes Tonbridge also hope that it is not the pump as they say it is a 'pig of a job' to do.

I'll get it checked out and will report back.
 
OP
S

Stevitee

Guest
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
........and I meant to add (thank you NW Merc) I was going to seek out a local independent, which I have done and will be taking it in there on Wednesday.

Thanks all
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Only Mercedes can decide any contribution towards it.
 
OP
S

Stevitee

Guest
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Thank you Television, I have since learned that it is referred back the 'Head Office' so the 50/50 may or may not be how it could be . In the meantime, my trip the independent, which is just down the road, is to have him hook it up to STAR (?) to see what is really going on. The car hasn't been near a Mercedes garage for years, so far as I can tell so it needs it's software updated anyway and with luck the re-set will happen as a result........at least, I thing that's how it works. ......And he will do it while I wait whereas the dealer wanted me to leave it with them and they are 20 miles away.

Thanks again
 

G-a-r-y

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
557
Reaction score
4
Location
Bristol
Your Mercedes
S211 320 CDi, SLK 200 R171.
'Service Brake - Visit Workshop'

Have the codes been read on this car, mine displayed this message last week whilst on holiday in France, it was nothing more than a brake light switch. (Mobilio service helped out with translation)
102 Euros. inc.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
'Service Brake - Visit Workshop'

Have the codes been read on this car, mine displayed this message last week whilst on holiday in France, it was nothing more than a brake light switch. (Mobilio service helped out with translation)
102 Euros. inc.

True and thinking it is only when the dash is bright red that your pump is done with.
 

Cole@MBS

Forum Supporter
Authorised Forum Supporter
Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Messages
13,702
Reaction score
950
Age
54
Location
Southampton
Website
www.mbssouthampton.co.uk
Your Mercedes
124 300 CE 24 Coupe, C220CDI, Porsche 911 4s, Dolomite sprint,
Pig of a job to do..........

What would they think of a really hard job?????
 

Ian B Walker

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2006
Messages
401
Reaction score
0
Location
Lancashire
Your Mercedes
300td
If you go into developer mode on star the instructions on how to reset the SBC pump are there (all be it in German).
 
OP
S

Stevitee

Guest
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #15
Just an update as this story is not yet over.....unfortunately.

I visited the local indie this morning who hooked it up to a generic analysis system. This flagged up numerous faults (resulting, it seems from a recent battery failure) including the SBC fault. All were cleared save the SBC. He went though a number of key strokes and screens and the fault was removed. However, after we started the car a second time the fault returned.

I mentioned that I had been advised that by using STAR it was possible to re-set the SBC , but only once, so could he use STAR please. He willingly did this and went through various screens etc etc including disabling and then re-enabling the SBC. The result was that the warning disappeared. He warned me that he wasn't confident and that it may re-appear at any time. True enough later today after a couple of trips it came back.

So, I have booked it into Mercedes Tonbridge next Wednesday. The Service Manager assured me that they can do things that an indie is unable to and as such they will do their best to get the SBC r-set/re-programmed or whatever rather than change it. IF they do have to change it Mercedes now 'contribute' to the cost which he told me would be in total £1.6k to £1.7k incl.VAT. They did one ealrier this week for this model and Mercedes agreed 50/50 but that car had a FSH, mine hasn't so it would be likely I;d have to pay more than 50%.

I'll let you know.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I have never seen this re set business, sure you can reprogram and all kinds of things but not extend the running life.

Could it be worth changing the brake lamp switch
 
Last edited:

Miffy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
7,356
Reaction score
4
Location
Bromley, London
Your Mercedes
CLK 320 CAB Elegance C208
Malcolm, load up SDMedia
passenger cars
211
Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC)
Programming of SBC control unit
AD — Use of extended special tool kit
 

star

Forum Supporter
Authorised Forum Supporter
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
6,209
Reaction score
1,874
Location
Reading
Your Mercedes
Smart + others :)
Mentioned this kit a while ago, depending on the fault path, will depend if the goal posts can be moved. It's an add on to the official star diagnostic.
 

Miffy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
7,356
Reaction score
4
Location
Bromley, London
Your Mercedes
CLK 320 CAB Elegance C208
Mentioned this kit a while ago, depending on the fault path, will depend if the goal posts can be moved. It's an add on to the official star diagnostic.

Yes, I think it was you that first posted this info last week
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
It looked all on line as well, so this is how they do it. Thanks Star as well and sure if the goal cannot be reached then new it is.

So these after market versions are a kind of stand alone copy in some ways.

I will have a word with the guy in mercedes when I go down next.
 

AIB understand your special Mercedes deserves a special insurance policy. We have a refreshing attitude to insuring high performance, modified, imported or classic and vintage cars and deal with the UK’s leading insurers. We offer discounts for length of ownership, where the vehicle is kept overnight and limiting the mileage and can also cater for those clients who need higher mileage and business use. To obtain a quotation please call the team on 02380 268351 or visit us atAIB Insurance
Top Bottom