amiras

As I posted one week ago, I've got the BAS-ESP message on my computer display a couple of times. I went to the dealership and they said that there was a problem with one sensor and they replaced it. Well.... this morning (after 8 days) I saw the messages again !!!!!!!! I'm really pissed because I think that they just checked the connections, cleared the computer's log and sent it back to me. I'll call today and get an appointment and also ask for an MB loaner (they gave me an Enterprise last time )
I'm starting to think about going to another dealership!!!

aborwick

What dealer did you go to? I had the same problem and went to Euromotorcars in Bethesda for my first A service and to correct the ESP and brake assist error codes on my multifunction display. The dealer found corrosion on the ESP and BAS sensors, which are the left wheel well. They cleaned the corrosion and supposedly fixed the problem. Only time will tell.

amiras

I went to MB of Alexandria. They opened 6 months ago.
I'll probably go back tomorrow or next week. The weird thing is that they said they replaced the sensor (it's listed on the work order) so I'm thinking that something is not right with the job they performed.
Anyway, did you get an MB loaner from those guys?
Thanks!

aborwick

I did get a loaner, but I purchased the car from that dealer. I don't know about the dealer's loaner policy for owners who did not purchase the car from the dealer. Also, to get a loaner, you have to make an appointment for service.

TylerDurden

Had told you earlier buddy this is not a trivial malfunction it is
a bug which the dealers have no clue how to fix. They will of course love you to visit them quite a few times because they
get paid from MB as long as the car is under warranty.
All that they will do is replace the sensors, chips, clear error codes
and hope that the problem goes away. My experience was that
there is no method to the madness of fixing this particular error.

I invite you to scour this web site and you will find tons of other
people with the same symptoms and malfunction even on some
non-c-class forums.

Give the dealer one last chance but firmly let him know that if he
cannot fix the car they need to take it back under the lemon law.
Since this malfunction has to do with the braking system and
if the car decides to have a mind of its own and brake a wheel
when not required it might get anyone into some major trouble.

Please under no circumstances let the dealer fool you into
thinking it is not a big deal.

I was lucky I have good relations with my dealership so I was able to exchange my lemon without any major heartache.

Hope they are able to fix your problem.

Good Luck,

Faheem Daddy

On my w202, every once in a blue moon, my BAS-ESP light will come on for a short time, then immediately turn off. I've taken my car back to the dealer to check it out under warranty, and they've given me the same run-around. But my situation isn't as bad, it doesn't come on very often, and my brakes and ESP still work fine.

-Faheem

TylerDurden

Can you watch if your engine revs up unnecessarily when or after
you have this problem. My main complaint is my MB started driving very rough after I noticed this problem on it.

Also your dealer might entertain you right now as long as the car is under warranty. Imagine if something major happens to your
car after the warranty is up because of the ESP/BAS malfunction

I personally would not want to be in that situation. Neither would
I be comfortable driving a car where the VDO is constantly bugging with one malfunction or the other. Not when I have paid
a premium to buy a fine automobile.

Anyway I am personally extremely happy with my new benz.
It drives like a charm and no malfunctions yet. I am keeping
my fingers crossed though.

charlesu

Hey Tyler,
Can you post more information on your lemon law deal? Did you have to pay the dealer anymore money? Was the trade for a same model and year? I'm going through the same thing right now.

Tariq

This happend to me too the same but plus ABS..

i guess that comes from the front wheels , you may change something away from the agent as what happend with me.. so i toke it to the agent and they replace a part after long time and its good now..

Tariq

amiras

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I'll give the dealer one more chance to fix it and if I get the same error again I'll try to do something else.
Regarding the lemon law, is that applicable to all states or just for California?
Thanks again and I'll post my comments after my visit to the "workshop" (as MB likes to call it).

TylerDurden

The lemonlaw is applicable to all states but the rules are different.

For state specific details visit

http://www.nationallemonlawcenter.com/

I personally did not have to resort to the lemon law. But I exchanged my previous car for the same model year with very
minimal cost to me.

Basically I paid about 33 cents a mile for every mile I had driven
till the problem first started which was basically in the first few
months of ownership. After that things went downhill for my car.
Intermittent ESP/BAS messages started popping up and the car used to rev up abnormally.

Mercedes Benz is a fine car company. I believe they will do everthing to take care of the customer if a real problem exists
with the car. At least that has been my experience. I can't speak
for others. Personally after I switched cars I have been extremely satisfied with the new car. Other than a few initial defects that the car was delivered to me with ( which I had fixed in the first week itself ) no problems so far.

One more issue that I know of about a lot of C-classes is that the
cover over the shifter the one which shows P,R,D,N just kind of pops up from time to time exposing all the wires and everthing
underneath. It has very flimsy construction very unusal for a fine german automobile.

TechSuperstar

Wow, My C230 just started having this problem as well. I thought it was my fault and now I find all of these posts. I get this error every once in a while, maybe once a week, sometimes twice. My C230 decided to run into a curb one night and now the alignment is slightly off. This problem started occuring a couple weeks after. I don't know if that has anything to do with the errors. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else with the ESP BAS problem has an alignment that is off or maybe even somewhat used/warped brake rotors. Something happened last night that totally makes this whole thing a bit strange. I got the errors last night while the car was parked. I had the ebrake on and the car running but I didn't touch anything else. I guess this would answer my own question above whether the alignment or rotors could cause the problem. If the error is capable of appearing with the car stopped in neutral then I have no idea. I guess its time to go visit my local Merc dealer and get some free coffee.

antonio

if your cars starts revving then i would seriously make a stink.. in my case, i got the entire steering column replaced and it has occured once since then. no abnormal things though. its like another member said, "Microsoft designed the chip." i would let it pass if no "funny" things are happening. like i've always said, too many gadgets are just asking for trouble. the more basic, the better.

deanlnh

I started getting these messages last weekend. It seems to happen to me when I taking a corner at a higher speed. IE: on an on-ramp getting onto the highway. I called my dealership and they said I should bring it in. I'm kind of think it's a waste of my time to bring it in since it doesn't happen all the time and I'm sure it won't happen while my car is there. Weird things like this never happen when your trying to show someone.

I hope this isn't the start of thing to come since the car only has 5000 miles on it....

JonH

I had this problem... humidity seemed to make the problem worse and when I took in to the dealer, they replaced the ESP control unit harness. On the work order they also indicated that it was bulletin 42/43 if that means anything.

That was done about 2k miles ago and the problem has not returned.

--Jon

session

lemon law for a BAS-ESP light?

getchellad

I've get an ESP light every once in a blue moon. I've found that with my car, if you turn it off, while that car is in gear, when I turn the car back on later, the esp light will kick in. I figured this out while removing the ashtray, which requires that the car be in gear to do.

I couldn't get it to go away until I drive the car for a couple hundred of feet, and turn it on and off several times.

amiras

Dean: You should go to the dealer and let them fix it. It's a well known problem on the C class and they are expecting customers to go there with this error. And don't worry about that happening while your car is at the dealership because the error codes are stored on your car's computer and they'll find them.
Good luck !

Angel

hphan

I had this problem a while ago with the BAS/ESP errors. I took it in to the shop (Autobahn Motors in the SF Bay Area) and they diagnosed the problem, told me it would take up to a month to get the parts as they were backordered. They had me back in there a week later and got it fixed, haven't had the errors in over a month. Here is what was written up on my service invoice, I'm not positive about what all the numbers mean, but hope this helps some of you:

-----------------------------------------------------------

428236 CONTROL MODULE - ESP, REPL.
540WAR93
541011 SHORT TEST, PERFORM
540WAR93
541010 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, TEST / DETERMINE CONDITION
540WAR93
023753 CABLE FOR ESP CONTROL UNIT (AFTER TEST) REPLACE
540WAR93
541012 TEST PROGRAM - AFTER SHORT TEST, PERFORM
540WAR93
1 001-546-99-41 CABLE CONNEC
1 006-989-84-85-10 ADHESIVE TAP
1 209-545-21-32 CONTROL KIT
1 203-540-47-33 KIT

PERFORMED DTC GOT CODE C1140 & C1145. PERFORMED ELECTRICAL TEST. CHECKED POWER SUPPLY TO BRAKE PRESSURE SENSOR GOT 5V OK. CHECKED CONNECTIONS AT ESP MODULE OK. CHECKED POWER SUPPLY TO ESP GOT 12V OK. PERFORMED WIREING UPDATE 02 3753, AND REPLACED ESP CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED PART #. CLEARED ALL CODES.

deanlnh

Thanks Angel, I will do that.

partsguy

I had the same issue with my C320 Wagon. I took it to the dealer and he was aware of the problem and said that MB was working on a repair kit and would be releasing the kit soon. that was in September. The shop cleaned the corosion and told me they would order the kit and contact me when it came in.

Less than 10 days went by and the service advisor called and asked me to bring the car is as the kit had arrived. I did not have time to bring the car in so they offed to come and get it and leave me a loaner. They did all of all of the above and I have not had a problem since!

I could not have asked for a better response to the problem.

vadim

I took my Coupe for Service A 2 weeks ago, during which the ESP/BAS issue was addressed (according to the service report paper). Well... last night this message popped up again... Go figure.

Diego

They fixed mine two days ago!! i hope i won't happen again!

Iceman's C230

The weird thing is, mine also does this BAS-ESP thing everytime after i wash the car. Go figure? I am going to wait till spring to get it looked at.

aborwick

I went to Eurommotorcars in Bethesda; they replaced a wire harness yesterday (12/9/2002); so far, no BAS-ESP fault codes. The wire-harness replacement seems to solve the problem.