Sl500 R230 ABC Issue

ajlsl600

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clk3202001,sl6002003 with everything regrettably sold ,A class 170cdi auto. NG/TF1800 ML250
Can you imagine the upheaval of having an ABC strut, pump, leak issue when touring around Europe? Makes me shudder just thinking about it. What would it cost to get the car recovered back to UK, plus the cost of having to hire a car, and the general pain in the ass it would be.


pretty much my view and the cars only real downside. and why i would seriously look at coil overs, no known kit yet for V12. i understand ABC is a great drive , but i have been happy enough with coil overs for 30 plus yrs and i vote for reliability,i dont view my chances of a roadside resolution to ABC issues very highly especially in foriegn lands. had the R230 NOT had ABC i certainly would not have been put of from buying a car with timeless style..
 
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H24k

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Yes it is, recognise the plate number, good to see it's still around, usually when these cars are cheap it is for a reason and then you never heard of them again. I think they end up being spares for the dearer other ones.

Yeah ive actually fixed quiet a few things so far including the pse pump and some leaks but still have a host of issues! lol The seller mentioned a few faults but hid all the others, he was a proper little sneaky rat!!

Ive still got the issue with my radiator fan being on constantly and the horn not working, also a battery drain for the battery in the boot which drains after a few days even though its brand new! And also the ABC which is a strange one cos the suspension works but the drivers front is slightly lower so the car is crabbing slightly but no loss of abc fluid or leaks etc and i have the white or blueish white message not the serious red abc warning and its been like this since i bought it so I recon its something like a sensor
 

Submariner1

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Yeah ive actually fixed quiet a few things so far including the pse pump and some leaks but still have a host of issues! lol The seller mentioned a few faults but hid all the others, he was a proper little sneaky rat!!

Ive still got the issue with my radiator fan being on constantly and the horn not working, also a battery drain for the battery in the boot which drains after a few days even though its brand new! And also the ABC which is a strange one cos the suspension works but the drivers front is slightly lower so the car is crabbing slightly but no loss of abc fluid or leaks etc and i have the white or blueish white message not the serious red abc warning and its been like this since i bought it so I recon its something like a sensor

Just checked my calender and its not the 1st April, if you think a recon pse pump is expensive ....
You ain’t seen nothing yet!
So about £8,000 of Essential repairs; and en route to a complete new ABC system and a new engine!
Best advice take it to Phil at Welwyn Merx ... and mend and flush the ABC system and sort out the engine cooling issues before it siezes.
Or sell it for spares PDQ.
Not being rude (actaully being kind) but you clearly dont understand the financial implications of running a car with broken ABC.

Might be worth listening to people like Craig and John and LK. They know what they are talking about ... Or face repairs that could make that the most expensive 2002 SL ever!

TBH from what I have read with 160K on the clock its already BER.
 

Craiglxviii

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970 Panamera Turbo; W221 S500L AMG Line, C215 CL500, W251 R350L AMG Line, plus several more now gone
Yeah ive actually fixed quiet a few things so far including the pse pump and some leaks but still have a host of issues! lol The seller mentioned a few faults but hid all the others, he was a proper little sneaky rat!!

Ive still got the issue with my radiator fan being on constantly and the horn not working, also a battery drain for the battery in the boot which drains after a few days even though its brand new! And also the ABC which is a strange one cos the suspension works but the drivers front is slightly lower so the car is crabbing slightly but no loss of abc fluid or leaks etc and i have the white or blueish white message not the serious red abc warning and its been like this since i bought it so I recon its something like a sensor

The struts need their ride heights recalibrated in Star.

The white/ blue message (VISIT WORKSHOP) means that ABC has shut down and is not actively functioning. It means that you need to err visit a workshop and get the problem diagnosed.

Saying “it’s just a sensor” ignores the fact that there’s an internal sensor on each strut that, if it fails, requires the strut to be replaced...

The battery drain is serious if it’s drawing 30A.h a day. That needs diagnosing too.

With 160k on the clock the car is fine (we have one member with a CL on 276k) BUT it depends what you intend for it... and how deep your pocketbook is.
 

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