starshine

My SL500 (2003) (54,000 miles) was intermittently displaying a 'soft' (black and white) malfunction warning: ABC - Visit Workshop. The message disappeared on the next journey. Then it started to appear every time the car started.

The authorized repairer said that the strut needed to be replaced. Cost: around £$1,950 (remanufactured strut plus labor).

When I called to pick up the car after the strut replacement, on the turn of the key the 'red' warning appeared for the first time: ABC - Drive Carefully!

Hardly usual to have a car repaired and then get it handed back with an 'upgrade' of the same malfunction warning.

The invoice says:

Stripped and replaced n/s/r strut
Topped up fluid level and carried out calibration


They now tell me that the pump needs to be replaced: parts and labor $1,900.

I'm about to talk to the technician about the pump replacement. I just can't understand how both the strut and the pump could be faulty and how a problem with the pump wasn't detected when the strut was replaced.

Real financial horror here - pretty much the last straw with a car whose problems are legend.

Views very much appreciated.

BlownV8

At this point, I would just go ahead and bite the bullet on the coil spring conversion. If you do, you will never spend another dime on the problematic ABC system.

carguyshu

did the repairer have a star tool? it is pretty easy to figure out if it was a strut or something else. Your problem is most likely an accumulator or pump. It sounds like whoever is doing the repair is also way overcharging you.

hydrogen

I agree overcharging definitely.
At least he was happy to replace one shock absorber, dealers will tell u u have to change both the front together.
Sounds like not a good diagnostic. Should be able to differential the shock from the pump. They are linked. Origins l parts very expensive and ABC pump in Australia brand new merc part is $8000.00

Kman952

I can say from experience, not just a conversion, but the RIGHT conversion is the way to go! Don't believe all the non-sense about having to have the sway bar. I got my SL500 kit at American Air Suspension and are 100% happy with the ride. The kit costs a hair over $2k, but after you send in your old struts, they mail you a $1,200 check, so now it brings it down to $800 and change. No abc lite on afterwards, never have to worry about an abc breakdown in the middle of Knowhere. 100% recommended.

carguyshu

There is and will never be any passive suspension that gives both the ride and handling that an active suspension like ABC offers. You will usually get WORSE handling and a WORSE ride. If you happen to have one of these 2 items that is better, then the other will be substantially worse. The entire point of an active suspension like GM's old CVRSS or magnaride or ABC is to give you a good compromise between the two that minimally makes sacrifices. A passive suspension will never be able to do what an active suspension can do on this front.

The only 'magic' dampeners that work without a sway bar are ones with an active suspension that can immediately change dampening rates within milliseconds and in essence act like a sway bar. Please find me any other car manufactured in the last 15 years that has a passive suspension like you installed that doesn't have a sway bar from the factory. Lots of cars out there have progressive rate springs and they all have sway bars for a reason.

I'm glad you are pleased, but given your few number of posts & the content of them, I think more than a few people are going to suspect you are nothing more than someone from the company offering this product trying to get some free advertising. Not saying you are, but it clearly is a bit suspicious.

Speaking of that company, the line that states

"A single suspension repair can cost up to $23k for parts and labor by someone specially trained to work on these systems. If the one working on your car is more of a parts changer(yes, even the dealer has them) than a skilled technician, you can expect a higher bill! We have discovered in 30 years in this business, that only 1 in 20 mechanics are sufficiently trained in this area."

on their website actually had me on the floor laughing.