ABC control board?

Chris Turner

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Medway Towns, Kent
Your Mercedes
CL500 (02)
I have had worsening ABC "visit workshop" messages until now, it will come up when stationary. Only twice (just recently) has it moved on to "too low" and in both cases the up/down wouldnt work and there was a sound underneath (or forward/nearside) that sounded like a blown silencer and was engine-revs related and present when stationary. Meanwhile it doesnt drop and doesnt leak.

I took it to an independant, they did the madatory oil change, no better, rang Mercedes (which gives me a concern) and they suggested its a control board fault and that there's a modified one to overcome the issue. I dont believe them and have asked for a sale/return on the £1000 spare - silence!

Question is - has anyone heard of a control board update? Given its a 2002 and has slowly deteriorated I'm sure its mechanical in nature. Shall I just collect it and find someone else or is there a pointer I should give them?
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
why have they dismissed the obvious? pumps are very well known to fail, do you have any information on their diagnosis route?

EDIT: i have changed 3x ABC pumps this year, 2x last year, never a control module...
 
OP
C

Chris Turner

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Medway Towns, Kent
Your Mercedes
CL500 (02)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
Well that would be my un-educated guess as well - especially since its got progressively worse, dropped twice, and makes a hell of a noise when it does. Isnt there a Star test for pump pressure? I'll ask them how they got to where they are - incidentally how much are the things? Cheers and thanks for the reply.
 

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
Even with a minor fault on the control board the car ABC will not work while the message is up, turn off and on and all works.

Now if you park on say uneven ground while the ABC lamp was lit, the car will sink on the corner where the ABC fault is..

Now I had this problem and I traced it down to a dry joint on the connections on the Control ECU, these plugs and joints are micro and you need very good gear to check them, and that I have.

Mine was quite intermittent at first, but it got to the point that it would come on as soon as I started. there must be fault codes that they have not given you to help a little.

Mine is a 2002 car
 
OP
C

Chris Turner

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Medway Towns, Kent
Your Mercedes
CL500 (02)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Exactly the same - off and on, clears it for a duration. I'll ask about codes. They did say the board is up behind the dash - not good. Is there a wooden block equivalent of uneven ground? Two under both nearside wheels then offside wheels and look for a wheel that doesnt level?
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
new pumps are circa £850 plus vat, or circa £220 from euro car parts, but not recommended.

i had forgotten about malcolm's unusual fault - what symptoms and codes malcolm??
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
.....They did say the board is up behind the dash - not good.....

ABC control unit is in the 'fuse and relay box' under the bonnet, drivers side i think (exact info on which side components are located is always unclear on RHD cars).
 

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
That is worth a go I think on the blocks, the standard height on my 230 is 70cm from the bottom of the wheel arch to the ground on all 4 corners, you can measure yours with the engine running and no ABS lamp on.

My fault was a B27 height sensor connection for the off side front and it always dropped on that corner.

One point of warning on these cars and not in the book is that you at all times park with the wheels straight ahead

I cannot comment on the noise
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
......My fault was a B27 height sensor connection for the off side front and it always dropped on that corner.

do you mean that that was the fault code, but the actual fault was a dry joint in the ecu?
 

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
do you mean that that was the fault code, but the actual fault was a dry joint in the ecu?

The fault code said the B27 was was faulty, a hall effect device, I replaced it on the top suspension arm but fault still there, so the I removed the ECU from under the dash and re soldered all of the plug pins and cleaned them, put it back and perfect for the last 2 years.

I do not really know if a joint or just a poor connection
 
OP
C

Chris Turner

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Medway Towns, Kent
Your Mercedes
CL500 (02)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
Managed to get the codes. I'm told there's a control board upgrade-a software issue where it creeps up when stationary then drops quickly when it realises. I've got the advisory about this, but I can't see that it has anything to do with the "visit workshop" fault that has gradually got worse. It would have been there since new. MB have refused a sale/return on the board. Where to from here?

Critical vehicle level front left
Critical vehicle level front right
System pressure too low
Malfunction in pressure supply
Ci 525-001
Ci 525-002
Ci 525-064
C1526-016
STORED
STORED
STORED
Current and stored
 

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,
Looking at them codes, i would say a new pump is likely, some time on a star would confirm!!
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
looks like the pump then.

EDIT: smarty pants! get back in the coal sellar :D
 

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
All one can do is to fit the new pump and see,,,guess mine will be next, mind you its had at least 30 litres of new fluid over the years
 

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,
You can see the pump outlet pressure on star, around 190 bar on tickover, last one i did was down to 40 bar!!!
 

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
You can see the pump outlet pressure on star, around 190 bar on tickover, last one i did was down to 40 bar!!!

I am sure that mine runs at 200 bar :D
 
OP
C

Chris Turner

Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Location
Medway Towns, Kent
Your Mercedes
CL500 (02)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #19
Alex could I just go back to the comment about a Euro Car Spares pump? Just spoke to them, its a special order item at £239.95+ and has 12 months warranty. Is there a massive bad record on them? Given you could buy three for the equivalent MB cost...isnt it worth a try? Why doesnt everyone use them...
Cheers
 

Mic

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
4,271
Reaction score
130
Age
74
Location
Oxfordshire
Website
www.bennettgibbons.co.uk
Your Mercedes
MB SL500(2003), MB SLK320(2001), Volvo V70 XC AWD(2001)
Alex could I just go back to the comment about a Euro Car Spares pump? Just spoke to them, its a special order item at £239.95+ and has 12 months warranty. Is there a massive bad record on them? Given you could buy three for the equivalent MB cost...isnt it worth a try? Why doesnt everyone use them...
Cheers

Chris

I had my ABC pump replaced in November last year (MB pump) and I still have the failed pump in my garage in the hope that one day someone will be doing refurbishments/exchange units. I tried hard to find someone but the manufacturer is not releasing repair kits onto the market so what is it that Euro Car Spares are offering?
The pump is a big lump and I imagine any failure is likely to be a valve or seal which would be a relatively small cost. I found people who do this sort of work but as soon as they learned of the manufacturer......same old story.

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=74590&page=5

see Post 48

Mic
 

Stop looking for the Best Garage!! We are here and have the best advanced solutions for you, at Competitive prices. Put us to test with any issue you may have.
Top Bottom