Glyn, Keep us informed of the outcome, JC

Will do John & the issue will be regularly updated on:

www.radue*********

The brown is hitting the fan - the press assault begins & top Google search status.

Benz collected car on a flatbed this morning.

Will keep the forum apprised.

You have to wonder about MBSA considering that their stationery lists Jurgen Schrempp as a director.

Let's see, how many years ago was it he was canned?

Jurgen is still non executive Chairman of MBSA, on the Sasol board etc.

http://www.mercedes-benzsa.co.za/cor...-of-directors/

Yet another Honorary Professor Doctor. The Germans do love their titles.

He must have some sort of contract so they put him as far from Stuttgart as possible. They have done this before.

great post i wish there was a clap graphic

I don't understand how MB is organized as a company but doesn't MB "Headquarters" or "Corporate" have some oversight on how MBSA or MB<insert country abbreviation here> conducts its business?

He grew up with MBSA. He is still very highly regarded with all apart from German Govt appointed board members in Germany that hamstrung his expansion intentions with FAW etc. His education is equally excellent.

They leave out his technical directorship of SA before he fixed the Euclid debacle - The days that I used to service his oil company requirements to MBSA as a junior exec. He has his detractors mainly in the US. There are, however, many that really appreciate & respect his abilities & what he achieved for DB with a generally uncooperative board.

Update - The Hydraulic Control Unit is being replaced - Ouch! really expensive here but Benz is paying.

Will let you know if this fixes the problem.

Ha, makes sense there was nothing left to replaced that would make the pedal sink to the floor, good for you guys that stood up against the giant

Well, we knew that all along, didn't we?

I'm certainly glad I have a competent dealer who doesn't try to run me off when there is a problem that isn't all stored codes.

Thanks tank - not out of the woods yet but progress. It could still be a leak-past in the master cylinder but I'm hoping the electro hydraulic block does it for Keith. I learned a long while back that assumption is the mother of all F---ups.

Because the master cylinder is new does not mean it's fine but hoping.

I'm certainly glad that you are not my dealer.

Also I'm sure there's more to this whole exercise than meets the eye. My guess is a miscommunication between the dealer and MB that kept the dealer from getting approval to replace the part under warranty.

Spot on Mark. The dealer is the main problem here. I believe that misinformation from a less than technically competent dealer fouled the waters. But in fairness, MBSA HQ knows all about this and did not react as one would expect.

I would have just replaced the braking system in it's entirety on this car once they ceased to make progress. Sent the customer away happy - & then done a proper analysis.

The trouble is this car had been troublesome in the past - the owner got stuck on the road in limp mode a number of times which after much arguing required replacement of the turbo & controller. The car was also hail damaged in the dealer's care.

I'd say his education sucks, since it would command very high ethic standards and mores beyond reproach. I think he loves money and comfort more than his Academic achievements, high as his exemplary instruction could have carried him.
Let's not blame the messenger so much . . . The Germany in he was raised was submerged in a demagogic game of we are the best, nobody else can be supermen. Seed this on kids and youth and you raise a country of fanatics who are not conscious of making themselves look foolish in front of a somehow normal world population. This is the root of arrogance, which though is contagious, never reached world epidemic proportions.

Should there have been an internal leak, rather than a valve or ECU ABS signaling failure, it could be due to porosity in the master cylinder die cast, or the ABS block if not machined out of bar stock (cast or extruded). This can be seen with UV using standard casting inspection equipment, and corrected by filling the pores with the proper impregnation.

Glyn: I admire your dedication, participation, and solidarity to the forum and users like me. Through you, SA rocks.

JV

Absolutely

Well - after MBSA was prepared to commit crap to writing in this regard.

A different dealership with a decent, competent Afrikaans Service Manager with a "can do" attitude has replaced the Hydraulic Control Unit - bled & calibrated the brakes/ESP/BAS etc. & all is now repaired.

The car went through roadworthy evaluation successfully yesterday afternoon.

Keith Radue is now a far happier man after all the time his vehicle has been off the road. He will keep his blog updated with all the latest documentation.

What remains to be answered is what at a regular front pad exchange damaged the HCU - too much pressure applied pushing back calliper pistons? Dirt pushed back into the HCU & circulated by the pump? Who knows?

CONGRATS! what a relief, the answer of what damaged the HCU it will be nice to know and very difficult to troubleshoot, the unit has too many components inside.

Thanks tank. It is a relief. Keith has had more than his fair share of trouble with this car. He will be posting the whole limp, TC controller, TC replacement saga to his blog. That damn turbo was another run around. Let him down on holiday trip in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks for the report Glyn.Good news.

Do you think MB will do an analysis of the HCU?

I might be an idea to open the calliper bleed v/v when pushing back the pistons to stop any chance of overpressurisation & dirt entering this complicated system ?.

Keith certainly has had his problems with this 220cdi . I liked the story of the 2005 C Class 220cdi with over 500,000 Km on the clock.The owners comment for such a high virtually trouble free mileage was to "treat her like a lady"!