2001 CL600 ABC Red Alert message (hydraulic fluid leak)
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CL600
2001 CL600 ABC Red Alert message (hydraulic fluid leak)
Hello everyone, after only a few hours of no problems, here we go again, it never ends with this car but still love to keep it alive, what a joy it is to ride this car!!. This time the red ABC alert comes on and as soon as I refill the hydraulic reservoir the message goes away (I now have fluid readily available so I don't make the problem worse) but a month or so later I have to refill it again. Looking under the car, I can not see any leaks but for sure there is one. Is there locations with the ABC system that would most likely leak, since after filling the fluid the car rides fine and it runs smooth as well as the buttons on the dash work also. Thank you all for the responses. This forum has definitely helped me avoid unnecessary repairs 
, specially by the dealers.
, specially by the dealers.
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cl500 2001
Have you had the recall done for the hose (recall mentioned here http://repairpal.com/mercedes-benz-cl600-2001/recalls? You could have a leak at any of several locations. Take it in to the dealer and see if all the recalls have been done and mention the fluid issue. You may get a free fix out of it or at least have the problem identified so you can go to a indy or even do it yourself.
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CL600
I was told a while ago from a dealer that the valve blocks were leaking internally. From the information I found here in mbworld, when the valve blocks leak the car usually tilts or sinks. This car does not have that problem, you can leave it for a month and it will be perfectly leveled. And if that is the case why would I have to add fluid since fluid is still inside the system. I do not drive it at all anymore, I've learned not to ignore symptoms, you are right, the cost increases a lot more if you do keep driving it. I'm going to see into the recall, but I read that the owners still ended up paying a lot of money to have it fixed. We'll see...
Last edited by AtlanteanTitan; Jul 15, 2011 at 01:49 PM.
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cl500 2001
You do not get charged for recall work. You can call your local dealer and give them your VIN number to see what open recall items your vehicle has associated with it.
I don't know how you received a diagnosis that the valve blocks where leaking if it doesn't sink over time? A internal leak in a valve block will not cause you to lose fluid from the system.
I don't know how you received a diagnosis that the valve blocks where leaking if it doesn't sink over time? A internal leak in a valve block will not cause you to lose fluid from the system.
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CL600
Thanks again for all your inputs, the recall repair was done but did not fix the problem. Again they tried to have unneccessary repairs done and gave me an estimate of over $7K (replace both valve blocks, flush, rodeo and some other b.s.) got pissed off and when I accused the manager and the rep. there of unethical tactics, they played like they were insulted but I didn't give a sh*t. I decided to put on my mechanic's uniform and find out once and for all. The reason why there was no sight of fluid leak was because it was being collected underneath in the covers, which by the way the dealer failed to tell me. Took everything out, cleaned all underneath the engine and saw the leak coming from a loose clamp. I think most, if not all dealers can't be trusted. The whole repair cost me under $100 for the fluid plus 4 hours of cleaning and tightening all of the clamps. I think it was well worth the $7K+. I'm done with dealers... I learned so much from this site that they were not able to take me for a ride.....Thanks mbworld, This site rocks!!!
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cl500 2001
You can help others by calling 1-800 mercedes and making a complaint. Explain what happened and what their diagnosis involved. Then tell them what you did to resolve it yourself.
The dealer must have seen the fluid on the covers when they did the hose recall and they are supposed to view the connections before buttoning it back up.
The corporate people don't want the dealers that do stuff like this to customers as it's bad pr and makes everyone suspicious of having any dealer work done.
The dealer must have seen the fluid on the covers when they did the hose recall and they are supposed to view the connections before buttoning it back up.
The corporate people don't want the dealers that do stuff like this to customers as it's bad pr and makes everyone suspicious of having any dealer work done.
