JCM5

My co-worker 's SL600 ASR light keep lighting up and the car is now on limp mode and barely can drive it. Dealer wants $12,000 to fix!!! anybody know what's wrong? $12k to repair is ridiculous.
the car has about 60k miles on it.


tks

stonechip

I started having a problem with the ASR system on a 1992 500SL. I was driving on the highway when the ASR sensor light came on and the car defaulted to a "limp home mode": The engine output power was reduced and I was able to make almost home; after exiting the highway and reducing speed on a red light, the battery light came on, and the car completely stalled completely. I restarted the car and the ASR light was off and the car drove normally home.

The local Mercedes shop I use (not a dealer) replace two motors relating to the ASR system: part # 0005453165 -$ 1,500 Parts & Labor. The car was running fine for two months then the ASR problem returned. The repair shop then replaced the ASR sending unit: part # 0005401417 -$ 720.00 Parts & Labor.

Days after the sending unit was replaced the ASR problem continued to occur sporadically. The shop then told me it was the main computer causing the problem, the installed the electrical accelerating unit: part # 1295450132 - $ 2,160 Parts & Labor. In the hopes that the computer would resolve the problem I agreed to the cost. After picking up the car and driving out of the repair shop for a mile the ASR problem returned. I called the shop and returned the car, told them to remove the new computer since it did not resolve the problem.

The original electrical accelerating unit was reinstalled and I was credited for the cost of new computer module. The over voltage protection relay was also tested with a new unit but the problem persisted.

Without any other repair or testing, the owner of the repair shop told me he drove the car during the week without the ASR triggering once. I picked up the car on Friday, March 4, 2003 and a mile from the repair shop the ASR console light came on, the car began the ASR “limp home mode” process; reducing motor output power and when the car speed is reduced below a specific speed,20-25 mph, the battery light comes on, and the car completely stalls. This happened five times before I was able to make it home - I have to turn the car off, restart the car the light goes off, few minutes later the light comes on again and I have to through the same process to restart the car.

Finally the problem with the ASR has been resolved.

The shop first diagnosed the components listed below with no success:

Over voltage Protection Relay
Neutral Safety Switch
Stop Light Switch
Crank Sensor
Electrical Accelerating Unit Computer
ASR sending unit
Alternator Test
Battery Test
ASR wiring harness

The problem was finally pinpointed to the ASR Motors: Part # 0005453165, the new ones they installed were defective, they were replaced with new units. The cost was under warranty. The problem has not returned since three weeks ago.

One of Sherlockian quotations seems appropriate to my problem:

We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Hope this with your ASR problem.

Regards,

JR

JCM5

Thanks JR for the info. Really appreciate it but my co-worked traded his SL600 in for brand new '02 S500

blueSL

My experience with the SL600 is that before you take it to the dealer, do the following:

- Disconnect the battery for a few minutes
- Reconnect the battery and start the engine
- Turn the steering wheel lock-to-lock
- Drive the car for 10 - 15 miles

This has sorted out more than one gremlin for me. These parts prices are absurd and bear no relation to the cost of manufacture. You can of course expect the same problems with the new SL 5 - 10 years down the road, only more so. A new SBC Control Unit costs $3000 and there are a total of 42 control units in the car. Experience posted here to date suggests that when one goes down, it's pot luck how quickly the dealer will find the problem.

Generally, a failure will be due to a single component failing, so that if the dealer is listing more than one, you're being shafted by some ignorant technician who wasn't paying attention to that bit of the class he attended years ago.

It's stuff like this of course which explains why the resale values of big Mercedes are so bad; nobody buying a second-hand V12 wants the prospect of this kind of expense. And it's only going to get worse...

Santron

Wow...This is all great feedback, and timely too. Two days ago I was driving and the ABS and EPC lights came on. Shop says that the ABS pump is bad. Dealer wants $2,200 for a new one - they are trying to find a used one.

I just bought the car and think I'm going to take the dealer up on that extended warranty option for $2,700 for 4 years/48K Mi.

blueSL

Santron

The ABS and EPC lights is exactly what my "reset" procedure sorted out in my car.

As for the extended warranty, make sure that things like this are covered, the things that go wrong in SLs are electronic and hydraulic components, not the basic mechanics (engine/transmission). And, for some reason, these control units, pumps, control valves and the rest are all unbelievably expensive. $2200 for a hydraulic pump is obscene. I doubt it costs a tenth of that to make.

Santron

Thanks, Blue SL!! Yeah, it's rediculous that way. How much could it possibly cost? I like Mercedes because they are quality cars, and I'm a bit disappointed to have this unit fail with only 45K on the clock.

But the car was making a "clunk" when coming to a stop, and my mechanic tells me that they suspect it was because of something in the ABS, so if this solves that too, then I guess I'll be happy.

Thanks for the tip on that "reset" procedure - I will definitely use it if something further happens in the future.

blueSL

The point I'm making is that you should try the reset before doing any work on the car; the "safe" modes the car drops into when something goes wrong make the car pretty rough to drive. When my adaptive damping failed, the car drove like a farm cart.

With that safe strategy, what you see, hear and feel is not the root cause of the problem but the car's reaction to it.

It makes me wonder how many owners have had parts replaced which didn't need to be replaced and the problem turns out to be a locked up control unit, poor connection, blown fuse.

Wolfman

I have mentioned this a few times in these forums already, but when you have a low milage Mercedes in the US with issues like that, don't go to a small shop, but to a good Mercedes dealer and have them call their Mercedes support manager (don't know the exact title).
A $100K car is designed to last for many miles and many years; complain if it doesn't. As long as the car has a reasonable service history, Mercedes will pay for the part and potentially labor even if the car is out of warranty (and that guy makes the call on a one-on-one basis)...

Of course it never hurts to have a good relationship with the dealer to support you...

Good luck

Wolfman

kebowers

I strongly suspect what you have is wiring harnesses in which the wire insulation (PVC plastic) has turned to crumbs and dust. This involves the main wiring harness, the fuel injection harness, and the wiring harnesses that conncet the two Electronic Throttle Actuators to the main wiring harness. The ETA harness is integral to the ETA and not available separately, so, for $+/- $2800 each you replace them ( or rewire them yourself)

Main Harness is $3000, injector one $1300, labor ??

All in the name of biodegradeable wire insulation. In Eurpoe, car manufacturers are responsible for recycling the car when it is 'scrapped' , so lots of extreme experiments with 'self destruct' parts.

blueSL

Not denying the problem may be caused by a wiring harness failure and they are certainly big money to replace but I don't know where you get the idea that the insulation is bio-degradeable. That would lead to all kinds of safety and fire issues and, in a litigious country like the US, all kinds of legal problems.

The end of life recycling is not yet in force and is all to do with making the manufacturers take their cars back and recycle them or at least pay for them to be recycled. Current Mercedes cars are more than 95% recyclable as well as being designed for easy dismantling.

John_Collins

Check the service booklet that came with the car. You may be surprised to see that many of the computers and sensors that could affect emissions have a 7 or 8 year factory warranty on them. The time limit depends on the year of your car and the State in which you live. The list of covered items is really long.

SRHsl600

the reset advice is important for any driver wanting to arrive. I use to keep the open end wrench in the battery space, so it was a one stop event. Often I could complete the travel with only 3-4 such resets! hot weather took more.
Each dealer has its own take on the solution!!
New harness was the correct solution. the other issues all resolved. the only waring light now is a wonderfully sensitive MAS! ( air intake debris)
While the R129 was a primary victim, it is not the only benz or Euro vehicle with the magic harness ( Volvo, Saab ) but the manufactures caught on to their problem, but did not fix all.
I hope JCM5 helps his friend understand the problem. And good luck to RichSL600 with a legal approach.
I have the defective harness and repair bills ready to add to the class action.
MBUSA has already rejected my claim, outside the 48 months time. The vehicle had 37K miles when the dealers started the misdiagnosis.