Well this is nice!

[Scooby Don't]

Hi
I'm new to the forum so please forgive any mistakes in posting this message.

I have just bought my first Merc (C270CDI estate on an 02 plate) having finally ditched the company car safety net. Obviously all the motoring magazine trumpetting "run a Merc on Mondeo money" clearly had an influence but I'm beginning to have serious doubts.

Since I bought the car from the local Merc dealer I have seen the ESP/BAS light come on a few times (there doesn't appear to be any pattern to it) and now the drop link bushes are rattling away on any road bumpier than a billiard table.

The car is still under the one year warrantly provided by the dealer but I suspect the "fair wear and tear" card will be played when it comes to the bushes and I'm dreading the phone call regarding the ESP/ABS fault!

Trawling the through the forum this all looks a bit familiar which is comforting in one sense but I get the feeling that the days of trouble free motoring courtesy of the Company Ford Focus (brilliant car) have gone.

Incidentally, I have just replaced all of the brakes pads - it may be under warranty but I'm running this car on a budget and I don't pay dealer rates for doing something so simple - and the "brake lining wear visit workshop" light is still on. Is it a trip to the dealer to get this reset? Or this a discussion thread I have missed?

 

[television]

Change the brake light switch £8,75 that should stop the ABS light coming on.

held on with 17mm bolt, two or three wires. Hope that's only uses a bit of the shoe string.


Malcolm

 

[nashu]

I have the same problem with the "brake lining wear visit workshop" warning. After I changed the brake pads (by myself) this warning appear only when I start the engine, not when I push the brake pedal, like it was before changing the pads.

What should I do get rid of this warning? I would much appreciate an answer at this question...

 

[nashu]

I need to mention that I didn't change the sensor. I used the old one.
My car is a MB W203 2002 model.

 

[jberks]

Nashu - I suspect the pad warning, once tripped needs a computer reset. The old system used to rely on the sensor putting the light on by making a circuit, but this meant it came on intermittently for a while first and only stayed on when braking. Now I believe it 'latches' so it probably needs unlatching. Find someone with a reset tool.

Scooby, you can't possibly run a merc for mondeo money if you use the dealer. Their hourly charge can be horendous and 3 figure bills are not uncommon. However, there is no reason it can't be run more sensibly if you avoid the dealer. Where are you? Someone will know a good local indie who will look after your car for sensible money.

The ABS/ESP is almost certainly the switch as TV says. That one has had most of us private owners panicking at some time or other as the dash light up like a christmas tree, very common and very cheap.

The drop links are also very common on the C class but I believe they modified them in some way so hopefully the new ones will be longer lasting.

 

[mercman_1]

brake sensors

Hi I changed the pads on our W203 not long ago and the sensor probes that insert into the pad are wire loops so when the brake pad warning light comes on you have worn through the wire and broken the loop, when you refit the pads with new sensors the circuit is reistablished and the warning light goes out there is no requirment to reset anything.Only thing to watch out for is I got my pads and sensors from Eurocarparts but the plug on the sensor was slightly different !.
Bob.T

 

[Scooby Don't]

Many thanks for the replies Mercman/JB.

Like Nashu I didn't change the wear sensors on the front or rear - the wire loops were both exposed but looked intact so I figured the warning light was triggered by the circuit made between the wire loop and the disk (bit like earth leakage). Having said that the sensor on the rear was a tight press fit so it's not inconceivable that I bent (broke) the wire pushing it into the pad. Fitting new sensors isn't a problem so I'll give it a try. I bought my pads from GSF and they were genuine Pagid / Textar items and, with the exception of the above, fitted without any fuss.

JB's reassuring comments are very welcome, and, no, I don't have any plans to use the dealer to fix my car unless I am absolutely desperate. I'm located on the Notts Derbys border between Chesterfield and Mansfield so tips on good locals indies would be gratefully received. However, I do lots of miles (25k p.a when I'm not sitting on the M1 going nowhere) so a full service history would be good when it comes to selling the car on.

It's in at the dealer for a B service next week so I'm bracing myself for a £500bill, but it's gone at least 18k since the last one and my previous Ford would have required 2 services over the same mileage. It would have still have been cheaper though but it is a different class of car (he said desperately trying to justify what amounts to daylight robbery). Still the coffee's good...

OK it's not the best of starts to Merc ownership but it's still miles better than driving the usual company car fodder and everything else I drive now seems somehow inferior. I know that can't make any sense but.....

 

[robbi-wan]

The drop links are also very common on the C class but I believe they modified them in some way so hopefully the new ones will be longer lasting.

Indeed they did. Original spec were tiny christmas cracker affairs, which were later modified for BIG ones, which are up to the job.

 

[Stulc]

everything else I drive now seems somehow inferior.

Apart from BMW...

 

[nashu]

thank you mercman! I solved the problem with a wire... until I will buy the sensor.

 

[Scooby Don't]

I'll second that Nashu - nice one Mercman.
I fitted a new sensor to the front brake pads this morning and the "brake lining wear - vist workshop " message disappeared.

I originally thought that the car was equipped with three sensors, one in each front brake and a further one in the offside rear. Mine only has sensors in the offside pads (front and rear). You can see the wiring for the nearside front but it's terminated at the suspension strut. Obviously a cost saving measure on the part of MB.