SBC Brake Issues: How to Address Service Warnings
Some computer trickery can fix that pesky SBC failure light.
SBC is one of those seldom spoken of, but well-known issues with some of our beloved Mercedes models. Sensatronic Brake Control is similar in a way to the ABC issues, in that it’ll work fine, right up to the point that it doesn’t. Then you’re looking at a huge repair bill for a car that’s in the lowest rung in terms of depreciation.
Dealer estimates can range up to $2,500 for a full, brand spankin’ new unit. But as it turns out, you might not have to go that route. The SBC unit is programmed from the factory to give an alert after it has been activated a particular amount of times. This means you might have a perfectly fine working unit, but it is alerting you that it needs servicing.
CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About Tavarish’s SL55
Online, you’ll be able to find a unit like the one Tavarish is using in the video above. It plugs into the OBD and essentially raises the limit of the SBC’s activation times before it sets off a service warning. Granted, it works, and does what it’s supposed to do by turning off the service indicator — but it doesn’t eliminate the problem.
The fact is, there’s a bit more to this repair than just tricking the SBC unit into thinking it is fine. Since the motor is brushed, it is pertinent to replace the brushes. Luckily, there are kits out there that are far cheaper than replacing the whole unit.
