BAS ESP - A Class 190L - 2004 W168
 

Hello,

I am not a mechanic. I have basic, rudimentary understanding. I drive a MB A-Class 190 L - W168. First put into circulation 22.04.2004. Current mileage 197 000 KM. Since 1999, I have driven various MB Class A ( A140, A160 ) and also a MB Vaneo 190. I feel the design of this car is pure genius - besides it is one of the only cars I have driven without suffering tremendous back ache.

I have a light on the dash that lights up from time to time - BAS ESP. It only comes on when I do "sudden" pull-away or "sudden" accelerations. When this happens, the revs are capped and speed is also capped to 50 km/h. I have to gear down to 3rd as the car wont accelerate in a higher gear. To reset this I have to pull over, switch off the ignition and restart. In normal circumstances this is more an annoyance than anything else but on overtaking slower vehicles this can be potentially dangerous as I have to immediately engage the clutch and slow to 50km/h, then slow down further to stop.

As mentioned before, I am not a mechanic. I want to fix this but do not know what I am up against. I cannot afford to take it to a repair shop because I never get a straight answer (not to mention all the "additional costs") and any MB dealership is going to want me to pay a packet to repair this (not to mention all the "additional costs"). This is simply way beyond my means. I want to know what is going on, and perhaps how to go about repairing this myself. A big ask in my opinion, but not being able to afford a professional repair, I need to find another solution as I cannot afford to buy another car. Besides, I really like this car. It has a low mileage for a vehicle that is almost 15 years old, the interior is immaculate, and the body work is in excellent condition. I firmly believe I can get another good 200 000 km out of this car.

I would love to be able to recondition the motor but am faced with the same problem mentioned before, and here in Switzerland, most garages will tell me to sell and get another car, so finding a repair shop that will recondition the vehicle will not only be difficult, but it will cost me a kidney or two.

I would appreciate any assistance in this matter.

Best regards

iDigit