Bas/esp

mark sutton

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Hi all hope you are all keeping well.

The BAS/ESP light came on the other day on my ML 270 CDI so I rang a man who works for a MB garage.
I went to his place and he plugged in his hand held diagnostic machine and told me that I had a fault on the steering column positioning sensor (what) which senses how much you are turning the wheels and when you break in to a corner your ECU can break each wheel differently .
I was told you can’t buy the sensor separately you have to buy the hole steering column which I am yet to find out the price but I will update this post when I do find out (gona be a lot of money) I bet, whish I never bought a merc now never had so much trouble with a car thinking of selling the dam thing and getting something I can maintain myself (****** German engineering)to smart for there own good.
 

television

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A known fault for this is that the ESP control module get corrosion on the contacts to the plug, and this needs cleaning with a good switch cleaner, and for codes 1140,1145,1185,1186 and or 1187 you do not replace the ECU.

1140 and or 1154 the steering column tubes may not be aligned.
This could be loss of tension in the disc spring and this can be replaced, you do not change the steering column.

Again with code 1140 and 1504 this could be a low battery blip and the fault code just needs to be erased.


I think that you need to find a good man with STAR that knows these cars
 
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television

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Does it need a whole column on the ML?
I had just the sensor replaced on my 211.

No it does not Julian, a part has to be taken out, but not replaced
 

Myros

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while we're on the BAS thing

the holy trinity of BAS ESP and BAS came up on the newbie s210 on Monday, on restart in the carpark ( nothing on the drive in) It then follows up with a lamp warning, and one of the brake lights go out ( then comes back on again later).
Like the good boy I am, I have put in a new brake switch, swapped all the rear lights, twice, twiddled the steering wheel side to side (twice) and it's still there, although the light warning didn't crop up this morning.
Methinks I'm going to have the codes read, aren't I.
 
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mark sutton

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Hi All

update as promist, ok price of a steering colum £450 didn't get fitting price as the guy I know was going to do it himself.

3 days before the BAS/ESP light came on I had my tracking done and I sore that the guy only adjusted one side so after my hols I took it back and got them to do the tracking again but adjusting both sides, BAS/ESP light didn't go out straight away but after a short trip the light went out, so NO £450 + to spend out.
 

television

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Hi All

update as promist, ok price of a steering colum £450 didn't get fitting price as the guy I know was going to do it himself.

3 days before the BAS/ESP light came on I had my tracking done and I sore that the guy only adjusted one side so after my hols I took it back and got them to do the tracking again but adjusting both sides, BAS/ESP light didn't go out straight away but after a short trip the light went out, so NO £450 + to spend out.

This has been an interesting post and show just how sensitive the centering is on ESP,,pleased you got a good result:D:D
 

jberks

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This has been an interesting post and show just how sensitive the centering is on ESP,,pleased you got a good result:D:D

been thinking about this and can't quite figure it.
The steering column has no centre position in itself. Rather its a spinning pole with a movement sensor on it. Hence you have to calibrate it, lock to lock, so it can calculate the centre position.
So how did this cure it, unless he had more left lock than right - causing the centre position to be miscalculated....
 

television

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been thinking about this and can't quite figure it.
The steering column has no centre position in itself. Rather its a spinning pole with a movement sensor on it. Hence you have to calibrate it, lock to lock, so it can calculate the centre position.
So how did this cure it, unless he had more left lock than right - causing the centre position to be miscalculated....

The ESP needs to know where the center position is so that the BAS can be applied in the correct amount when needed.

On cars with ESP they should be plugged into STAR and the center straight ahead position can be found, the wheels are then aligned. The centering device is a pendulum type thing where the forward motion of the car is monitored. When the adjustment is made with it off set, the ESP cannot operate as it does not know what to do, so the lamp comes on.
 

Myros

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well, I splashed out for a new steering angle sensor

and it still hasn't cured the problem. I'm thinking that little ECU thing on the front of the ABS block by the washer bottle next.
What say you Malcolm, is it a likely culprit.
 

television

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and it still hasn't cured the problem. I'm thinking that little ECU thing on the front of the ABS block by the washer bottle next.
What say you Malcolm, is it a likely culprit.

The corroded contacts is a very well known thing on this
 

Myros

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I have the error codes now

of 1140 and EPS yaw rate sensor and steering angle sensor. ( after new sensor fitted.)

The fault arose on start-up after a warm day in the car park, not during driving.
 
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Myros

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so I had a sniff about the engine bay last night

and took the plastic cover off that thing near the windscreen, behind the ABS block. Holy cow, where did all those wires and connectors come from. How do i know which one to disconnect and clean up. Which one is it that goes to Houston and runs the space shuttle.

I don't scare easily, but boy oh boy did that lot scare me. I just squirted contact cleaner wherever i could, put the cover on and ran away. Needless to say, that hasn't solved the problem. I didn't dare unplug anything in case China suffered a brown-out.

Hopefully someone here knows what's what and can point me in the right direction re this ABS/ESP/BAS monster.
 

Myros

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so I had another look last night

after seeing the diagrams on the russian site. As far as i could tell, it said the ESP contol bit was the bunch of wires/connector terminal at the front of the box/tray thing in the engine bay. I took out all the fuses, one by one, gave them a visual, and a squirt of contact cleaner, and unplugged everything that would unplug, and did the same. Some wouldn't unplug, so i squirted like mad in the joins and hoped for the best.
No change.
Should I disconnect the battery and wait a while and reconnect. Should I be running voltage checks on the alternator.
Any ideas where the yaw rate sensor is located, in case I have to fit another one of those.
Soemtimes, I hate all this technology. Like now.
 

television

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Either SAN or I will help you out over the weekend
 

hawk20

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Hi All

update as promist, ok price of a steering colum £450 didn't get fitting price as the guy I know was going to do it himself.

3 days before the BAS/ESP light came on I had my tracking done and I sore that the guy only adjusted one side so after my hols I took it back and got them to do the tracking again but adjusting both sides, BAS/ESP light didn't go out straight away but after a short trip the light went out, so NO £450 + to spend out.

To me this shows the benefit of going to an MB dealer who knows the cars well, or a good independent with full knowledge of the model in question.

Amazing how often one hears of people going to non specialists and being given barmy and expensive advice.
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Myros,
As disconnecting the battery resets the ecu why don't you give this a try and leave for half an hour before reconnecting. When you reconnect do the usual resets for steering, windows and sunroof. Before you do this though give the battery a health check, the electronics are very sensitive to an undervoltage battery. How old is your battery? I consider that its not worth keeping a even a good branded on these cars over 6 years, this should really come under standard service procedure as a poor or faulty battery can lead to so many spurious faults.

Hope this helps!
 

Myros

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Malcolm

what is it about the malcolms here that they are all so sensible.
I hadn't really thought about the battery as everything springs to life promptly on the turn of the key, and nothing jumped out about it on the diagnostics, but I really ought to formally rule it out.
With this weather, and the only electrics in use being radio, perhaps any deficiencies are being masked very well. It looked like the original unit in there when I inspected it on buying the car.

Spanners and AVO to the fore this evening then,
 

Myros

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did the battery last night

alternator give 13.8v at idle and rises with revs. battery gives 12.48 connected , 12.58 disconnected. Did the resets etc, all the bas faults still there.
It does look like the original battery, but seems on iniltial examonation to be ok. I'd be happier if it had 12.7v, but this probably won't sink the ship. All the other car batteries we have are also in 12.4-12.6v range.

Looks loke some more sleuthing is required
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Old batteries can be troublesome in hi-tech cars. Bearing this in mind as you appear to have two 210s why not swap batteries just to be certain. I know from experience that a dying battery encourages the ECU to close down ancillary systems, so worth a try just to be sure.
 


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