service brake warning

[star]

Hi Guys
"Brake warning light -visit workshop" appeared, visited an indie and was told that the brake pads had been installed without putting the car to sleep??? Resulted in a damaged SBC unit costing in the region of £2000.
Is this indie pulling leg?
2003 E270CDi with 100k!
No problems with braking, has passed MOT and checked by high street tyre and exhuast place?

Never heard of this one before. Get it read, it might be timed out so should be done at a dealer foc.

 

[fiz170]

apparently the star test has identified that the pressure in the unit is low?
It has also identified that the car was not put to sleep when the brake pads were replaced?
Are the diagnostics suffisticated enough to define how the bake pads were fitted?

 

[andy@pcd-ltd]

Hi

I doubt very much not putting the system to sleep has damaged the sbc.

I think the indi is pulling your leg as these cars suffer with this sort of problem and it is a know problem to mercedes.

Take it to your local dealer and this will be covered under warranty even though the car is out of warranty, This is because it is a safty item and should last a lot longer.

What area are you in

 

[fiz170]

I'm in Amersham, Bucks.
Where can i get more information about the warrenty so that i can go armed with this when i visit the main dealer?

 

[star]

apparently the star test has identified that the pressure in the unit is low?
It has also identified that the car was not put to sleep when the brake pads were replaced?
Are the diagnostics suffisticated enough to define how the bake pads were fitted?

This can happen sometimes when pads are fitted, the sbc senses low pressure due to the pads not being in contact with the discs after replacement, a reset should solve this.

 

[fiz170]

i was told that he had reset it and the warning light went off, but as soon as you applied the brakes the warning light came back on?

 

[andy@pcd-ltd]

Any decent dealer will already know about this problem.

When you say the system was reset was it done with a proper mercedes star machine.

There is a set procedure you need to go through to tell it it has had new brake pads fitted.

I have my own star machine and would be willing to look at it for you as you are not too far from me

 

[fiz170]

Reset using a Merc star machine but several months after the new pads were fitted.
Warning light came on about a month after new pads, was told by local tyre/exhuast place that pads/disks looked OK, more than likely a faulty sensor.
Continued using the car for two months, checked again at service by indi and given the above advice?

 

[andy@pcd-ltd]

In all my years i have not heard of an sbc unit failing due to the system not being put to sleep.

I have worked on mercs for years and to be honest never put the system to sleep when doing brake work i just shut all doors and windows allow for ecu run on time and hide the keys, so the sytem is activated by the remote when the central locking is used, and to this day have never had a sbc unit fail.

I would be more inclined to still go along the lines of the unit has reached its serviceable life and needs replacing.

As i said the offer is there if you would like me to have a look at it, i can come to you as i offer a mobile service

 

[fiz170]

Thanks, i'll call you to discuss!

 

[andy@pcd-ltd]

ok look forward to hearing from you

 

[CLS500]

SBC issue

Okay, here goes: I took my car to MB today all prepared for an argument. The service department was however polite and very professional. My original anger dissipated within but a few minutes.

The service tech informed me the SBC Pump does not have a 10-year warranty in the UK, but this was a known problem. However they would submit the repair to Germany for authorisation as 100% goodwill, and were confident this would not be refused as previous submissions for the the same fault had been successful without questions asked. Within an hour authorisation had been given and within 4-hours my car was back with me. On this occasion I cannot fault the customer service received; particularly as I had £1200 repair done FOC.

If any members of this forum ever need advice on this, please feel free to contact me.

Hi MBDiesal,

I have a 2005 CLS500 and have just had the service break, visit workshop light come on. I thought it might be the pads so took it to a local mechanic who said it was showing the SBC pump as the fault (specifically it has a C249F error). I've taken it to my local benz dealer to see what they say, but they are pretty crap so wanted to know which dealer you used? Since your in Chiswick it must have been MB Brentford? If so I'll take mine down there and see what they say when, inevitably, my local wants £1500 to change it.... (though I could be wrong and they may do it FOC!).

Cheers.

 

[andy@pcd-ltd]

Hi which dealer did you take it to.

The dealer i have used in the past has never refused to replace one for me

 

[CLS500]

Sorted!

The stealer, on this occasion turned out to be the best place to take it... They apparently had to reprogram something to make it work and this was carried out under warranty so they fixed her FOC! result.

 

[andy@pcd-ltd]

They would have updated the software in the sbc control unit.

Anything that has to be done to the sbc control unit should always be warranty as the unit is supposed to last a lot longer than it does at the moment.

Glad you got it sorted