ABC warning light and oil leakage

[Nemo20]

Morning all. We went away for the weekend yesterday. OH was driving the car (05 SL500), and stopped at a garage for petrol. On leaving, the red ABC light came on with the warning, Drive Carefully. We drove on for a bit whilst I read the manual for what the issue might be, and then stopped to make some phone calls asking for advice. On driving off again, the ABC light went out and remained out for the remaining few miles, driven slowly, to our destination.

A noise had started in the front near side, sounding like a clatter or a rattle. Looking at the car, there is now some oil around the near side front wheel arch and under the bonnet behind the headlight. The ABC is not working in terms of lifting the car up and down.

I'm hoping to get the RAC out today to have a look, on the assumption they have a code reader and there's no question she needs to get to a garage next week for some TLC. I have six days left of warranty; rang up Warranty Direct and their suggestion was take it to Halfords! Being a Saturday, I suspect most local garages are shut; I rang the nearest main dealer yesterday and they said they were fully booked and couldn't help, and gave me the number for Mercedes Roadside Assistance. I don't plan to pay for that as I'm not covered by the Mobilo scheme.

Prior to any more useful info than this, should we even contemplate driving 60 miles back home if the light stays off or do you think I need arrange to have her recovered to a garage? What might the issue/fix be?

 

[television]

With luck this should be the washer behind either of the sensors in the valve block that has corroded away through the wrong metal in the voltanic tables. I presume the leak is in the front section of the wheel arch. you can fill the system up with some more ABC fluid to enable you to drive the car.

 

[Nemo20]

Is there anyway an RAC guy would be able to diagnose that? Where would I get ABC fluid and should I drive the car to get it, if I can find some? I'm in walking distance of Oxford town.

 

[television]

I have crawled home 20 mile with the car right down by just topping up the fluid. Yes the AA man should have looked in the ABC filler tank, open the bonnet and look on the right hand side and you will see 2 tanks with caps on, the ABC one is the front one, not the round one.

Yes Mercedes are big in Oxford and the AA man should have got you a couple of litres of fluid to get you home.

 

[Nemo20]

What type of fluid is it, the RAC guy is asking as he has several types?

 

[television]

He is wrong there is only one from Mercedes.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Pentosin CHF11S only

 

[television]

Pentosin CHF11S only

Shocking Alex, where do these guys come from, and Halfords to sort out ABC.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Shocking Alex, where do these guys come from, and Halfords to sort out ABC.

You would hope they would have rudimentary training on things like this, especially for the price they charge!

 

[ajlsl600]

You would hope they would have rudimentary training on things like this, especially for the price they charge!

is anyone surprised at this news ??? its taken me over a yr to become a LITTLE bit familiar with how this car functions and anyway that design is cr*p it should drop onto some sort of metalastic cushion/bush prior to being able to bottom out so that one can get home without wrecking ones arches or anything else,dont you think ??

 

[alexanderfoti]

is anyone surprised at this news ??? its taken me over a yr to become a LITTLE bit familiar with how this car functions and anyway that design is cr*p it should drop onto some sort of metalastic cushion/bush prior to being able to bottom out so that one can get home without wrecking ones arches or anything else,dont you think ??

Not so much on the whole operation of the ABC system, but enough to know where the Res is and what fluid to put in it

Agreed, there should be some sort of limp home buffers, possibly included in the spare wheel kit

 

[Stability]

just be careful if the pump runs even the slightest bit dry it may do damage and their not cheap.

 

[television]

just be careful if the pump runs even the slightest bit dry it may do damage and their not cheap.

This is why blocks are available for the Air system but not for the ABC. You are right and so easy to kill the pump

 

[Stability]

i just bought a cl600, the pump was slightly noisey on idle, all levels were ok and no oil anywhere.

the gallery in the condenser for the power steering where leaking pas fluid whilst changing the rad i spotted it weeping.

he said he kept topping it up but couldn't source the leak so id say it damaged the bearings in the pump.

ABC all ok not affected but as you all know its the same pump

 

[Nemo20]

In the end, we got home today with a gentle run cross country. There's been no further warning light come on. Some loss of fluid, but I'm assuming/hoping that the reservoir is full enough for the final 20 miles to get it to the garage. It's about two thirds full.

 

[television]

You just need to change the washers on the 2 valves in the front valve block, dead simple.

 

[Craiglxviii]

OP, I recently bought a kit full of copper washers, you need to swap the aluminium washer around the temperature sensor in the front valve block for a copper one to prevent the issue reoccurring. Please let me know the size and I'll pop you on in the post FOC if you like.

Be really careful about what "2/3 full" means... your car has two marks for the dipstick, the upper one is "engine off" and the lower one is "engine on", the fluid level should be within the dipstick mark in either condition. If it's above the lower mark while the engine is running you have wayyyyyy too much fluid in the system...

 

[Nemo20]

Well once a diagnosis was made, the problem was the abc pump. With six days to go, unbelievably, the warranty actually have agreed to a replacement pump. I paid for some extra fluid so whilst the work was being done, I took the opportunity to have the system completely flushed through and new fluid put in. Fingers crossed that will sort any further issues for a while.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Good result!

 

[Nemo20]

I agree Alexander. Very lucky indeed. I do believe you were at the garage when I collected the car from Wayne Gates. Terry mentioned your name but you were busy on the phone, otherwise I would have said hello.