S Class BAS & ESP warning

[Slaphead]

I had a quick look around the forums and couldn't find this problem elsewhere so.......

I've noticed that if my car isn't driven for a day or two that the warning for ESP and BAS comes up on the dash - a "visit the workshop" message to be more sepcific.
If I turn off the ignition and start her up again everything's fine - although when it was in an airport carpark for two weeks it took a few turns of the ignition to get rid of it.
I think I remember reading somewhere that this is a false alarm but I can't help thinking if there's something wrong with my baby I should get it seen to....

Anybody else expierience this before?

 

[Blobcat]

Brake light switch?

 

[robbo]

Could well be that your battery needs replacing. when the battery voltage gets low, all kinds of fault messages can be thrown up.

 

[Slaphead]

ok... thanks for those suggestions.
I don't think it's the battery because it was checked when I had a problem a few months ago with a sensor on the camshaft but, of course, it could be low now!

 

[robbo]

How old is the car?

Batteries in MB cars usually last 5 years tops. I had exactly the same problems with mine recently. The brake switch is an option too, cheaper than a new battery so try that first.

 

[Slaphead]

How old is the car?

Batteries in MB cars usually last 5 years tops. I had exactly the same problems with mine recently. The brake switch is an option too, cheaper than a new battery so try that first.

2000. As I say the battery was checked not so long ago when the car would occasionally refuse to start. Battery was 100% then.

Can you elaborate on the brake switch theory? I don't get it.

 

[television]

Its not the battery, it will be the brake light switch, easy to replace, it sits over the brake pedal. It goes goes high resistance putting the warning lamp on as soon as the brake pedal is pushed.

malcolm

 

[mioba]

HAd esp malfunction pop up a few times on my 04 w220
"visit workshop"

this would pop up every now and the as you say, sometimes i would think its fine then start the car to be greeted by the same message.

on 2 occasions i took the car to the dealers and when i shown the service people the dash, on starting the car - the message had disappeared, when they plugged it into their "computers", they said there was no fault
all was ok. But i was obviously concerned

so when it happened again i took the car to them pronto and left it running ,while I grabbed the service guy.

Anyway in the end they replaced an ECU, since then i have had no problems.

 

[nialler]

Howya slaphead

Been having the same problem myself for the past two weeks, malcolm and others pointed me in the direction of low voltage (especially with the abs light) but had the battery checked, wasn't the case, was a bit low in the front 3 cells so topped them up just in case.

Anyway, like yerself an S320 00 reg it, it got more and more difficult to start and the ABS/ESP/AIRMATIC warnings kept hopping up, and eventually she wouldn't start at all, ignition wouldn't turn, absolutely nothing, thought it was f*cked to be honest.

Found out a lad that babysat me kids now works for stealership out by the airport and he brought the star thingy down with him and did a check on the car and all came up clear (all that you can without starting it) and took one look at the key and threw it away, 24 hour wait, new key, not a sniff since, working perfectly (touches wood).

So that may be the key (apologies for the pun) to yer problem.


Nialler

 

[robbo]

Its not the battery, it will be the brake light switch, easy to replace, it sits over the brake pedal. It goes goes high resistance putting the warning lamp on as soon as the brake pedal is pushed.

malcolm

Glad you are so certain. I had exactly the same problem and it was the battery!

 

[Slaphead]

took one look at the key and threw it away, 24 hour wait, new key, not a sniff since, working perfectly (touches wood).

So that may be the key (apologies for the pun) to yer problem.

As mentioned elsewhere I did get a new key recently but as I'm waiting on the 'blade' (the actual metal bit) I can't attach it to my key-ring with gate opening gizmo. I'll follow up that blade just in case....

If the brake light switch was the problem would it not cause the brake lights to fail? I'm pretty sure they're working fine.

 

[nialler]

thanks for reminding me, have to see if my blade is in.

 

[jberks]

If the brake light switch was the problem would it not cause the brake lights to fail? I'm pretty sure they're working fine.

No - the lights continue to work fine. Its a very common cause for the ABS/ESP/BAS warnings. Normally it does log the fault but in any case, a new switch is less than £10 and easy to fit so worth trying before you get into anything more complex.

 

[television]

Glad you are so certain. I had exactly the same problem and it was the battery!

Hi Robo, yes I agree with what you say,if its going to be one or the other, then in summer I would opt for the switch. also since I have at least 10 multi meters, I asume that everyone else has too.

Malcolm

 

[Slaphead]

Quick update...

we stuck it on the "machine" and while the Foot Brake Switch did come up as a fault so did the earth connections on the BAS and ESP sensors. It coudl be just the Foot Brake Switch so we'll change that first. Should do this Thursday.

 

[television]

Quick update...

we stuck it on the "machine" and while the Foot Brake Switch did come up as a fault so did the earth connections on the BAS and ESP sensors. It coudl be just the Foot Brake Switch so we'll change that first. Should do this Thursday.

I think that you will find that the leak is on the switch,and that is what goes wrong with it. we have never had any other fault recorded for this.

malcolm

 

[Slaphead]

I think that you will find that the leak is on the switch,and that is what goes wrong with it. we have never had any other fault recorded for this.

malcolm

Yeah I suspect so.... but we checked the codes on the ESP and BAS faults anyway while it was connected up.

 

[Slaphead]

hopefully this is a last update!
Switch replaced and ran a diagnostic, everything looks ok. I won't really know until the car is lying up for a few days (this is what triggered the warnings before) but I'm optimistic.

 

[Bustermou]

I had this problem with an ML320 last year, it was actually the brake light switch, £10 from main dealer, 10 minute job! MB wanted £90 just to put it on diagnostics!

Thanks to this forum I saved a small fortune!

 

[lawrence hiller]

Have had the same problem occasionally with my 'S' when not used for a few days. I have found it to be a false alarm.