C230 ESP issue after unplugging the battery
03-11-2020, 04:35 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
C230 ESP issue after unplugging the battery
Greetings all,
My C230's supercharger blew out its oil a few months ago, and I replaced it and a bunch of other parts while I was in there. One part I replaced was the steering shaft bellow on the firewall. This meant I needed to disconnect the steering linkage to install it. Since I had the fuel rail off, I unplugged the battery for this entire repair. I made sure to not spin the steering wheel while it was disconnected. I got it all back together and everything is fine except there is an ESP warning on the dash. It says ESP not available see owners manual or something to that affect. I searched the net for a solution, and found there is a reset procedure for the steering angle sensor. Just turn the car on, and rotate the wheel left and right a few times. Well I rotated it back and forth 22 times. So 11 in each direction, and still no joy.
The next step was to take it to an indy shop to see if their Snap-on ODB scanner could touch the ESP module. Long story short, it could not. They told me to go to the dealership. So I did. I had them do a four wheel alignment to center the steering wheel and then the computer would know where the center position of the steering wheel is so the ESP would work again.
Well that is what I thought would happen. They performed the alignment, and got the wheel straight, but said that the steering angle sensor can only be programmed one time, and since the wheel was off when the battery was plugged in it can't be re-calibrated. So they want close to $900 for parts and labor to replace the steering angle sensor. They say I cannot use a part from the junkyard because it needs to be programmed or calibrated or whatever.
I had them give me the part number of the SAS, and to my surprise it is just the clockspring. P/N 169-464-11-18
My question is this:
Can I just unplug the battery again, and have the new centered position learned of the SAS?
Can I get a used part and just replace it?
If not, can I replace the clockspring myself and not have to worry about using a STAR tool to re calibrate it? or is there potential to kill a brand new expensive part?
If not is there a OBD scan tool I can purchase that will let me reset or at least see what the value the SAS is showing? Maybe I did freewheel it and it is 360* off?
PS all the buttons on the steering wheel work, and the horn works just fine. Please help, money is very tight for me right now, and I need a safe car to haul my wife and kid around.
Thanks a lot!!
Matt|ttaM
My C230's supercharger blew out its oil a few months ago, and I replaced it and a bunch of other parts while I was in there. One part I replaced was the steering shaft bellow on the firewall. This meant I needed to disconnect the steering linkage to install it. Since I had the fuel rail off, I unplugged the battery for this entire repair. I made sure to not spin the steering wheel while it was disconnected. I got it all back together and everything is fine except there is an ESP warning on the dash. It says ESP not available see owners manual or something to that affect. I searched the net for a solution, and found there is a reset procedure for the steering angle sensor. Just turn the car on, and rotate the wheel left and right a few times. Well I rotated it back and forth 22 times. So 11 in each direction, and still no joy.
The next step was to take it to an indy shop to see if their Snap-on ODB scanner could touch the ESP module. Long story short, it could not. They told me to go to the dealership. So I did. I had them do a four wheel alignment to center the steering wheel and then the computer would know where the center position of the steering wheel is so the ESP would work again.
Well that is what I thought would happen. They performed the alignment, and got the wheel straight, but said that the steering angle sensor can only be programmed one time, and since the wheel was off when the battery was plugged in it can't be re-calibrated. So they want close to $900 for parts and labor to replace the steering angle sensor. They say I cannot use a part from the junkyard because it needs to be programmed or calibrated or whatever.
I had them give me the part number of the SAS, and to my surprise it is just the clockspring. P/N 169-464-11-18
My question is this:
Can I just unplug the battery again, and have the new centered position learned of the SAS?
Can I get a used part and just replace it?
If not, can I replace the clockspring myself and not have to worry about using a STAR tool to re calibrate it? or is there potential to kill a brand new expensive part?
If not is there a OBD scan tool I can purchase that will let me reset or at least see what the value the SAS is showing? Maybe I did freewheel it and it is 360* off?
PS all the buttons on the steering wheel work, and the horn works just fine. Please help, money is very tight for me right now, and I need a safe car to haul my wife and kid around.
Thanks a lot!!
Matt|ttaM
03-12-2020, 03:16 PM
#2
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Went to a couple of independent shops today, asking them to scan the ESP module to see exactly where my Angle sensor thinks it is, and they all want me to make an appointment and let them have the car the entire day.
03-13-2020, 02:27 AM
#3
I sort of had a similar issue. My son wrecked my c280 and popped the airbag. I had a donor car I used to swap everything. Well I swapped the clock spring. When I did this, I got the esp error. Took it to my friends shop and used his snap on scanner. It showed with the wheel dead center at 180. If I turned it to the left it went to -320, to the right it went to 700. Even though we had the option to relearn it, it would show that it relearned but actually didn’t.
I then installed the original clock spring. Odd thing was on the scanner it showed the same thing but completely opposite! So, I used the scanner and zero’d out the clock spring by hand with the wheel off. Reset it and it’s been fine ever sense.
I then installed the original clock spring. Odd thing was on the scanner it showed the same thing but completely opposite! So, I used the scanner and zero’d out the clock spring by hand with the wheel off. Reset it and it’s been fine ever sense.
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ODIOUS (06-28-2021)
06-23-2021, 12:39 PM
#4
How does a steering sensor cause the steering wheel to be 20 degrees off? I can understand it causing an electronics fault like the ESP error you were experiencing.
Edit to add:
Sorry for this post. It seeMs i posted here instead of another thread i was reading.
Edit to add:
Sorry for this post. It seeMs i posted here instead of another thread i was reading.
Last edited by ODIOUS; 06-28-2021 at 02:02 PM.
06-28-2021, 01:55 PM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
First the steering shaft must be centred then the sensor must show Zero degrees on actual values. If it doesn't then your shaft is mechanically out of centre. The sensor can also be off by 360 degrees either way. Then it will never calibrate. The dealer talks nonsense the sensor can be calibrated any amount of times you need.
11-02-2021, 10:45 PM
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
Did this EVER get resolved? Did no one mention, that anytime you disconnect the battery, you must turn the steering wheel lock to lock 3 times,
then turn of the car, remove the key and restart? Yes, dealer talks nonsense!
When you take the steering wheel off, the sensor actually has a starting point of sorts, shows you where to start from, assuming the wheel is straight, ie
you marked the threads ie alignment before removing.
then turn of the car, remove the key and restart? Yes, dealer talks nonsense!
When you take the steering wheel off, the sensor actually has a starting point of sorts, shows you where to start from, assuming the wheel is straight, ie
you marked the threads ie alignment before removing.
