oldmbz

My 97 e420 has close to 200k miles and I have always maintained it well and hope to keep for a few more years. 5k miles ago the ASR light came on with initial start up and the throttle was restrained to the limp home mode. My indy mechanic put in a rebuilt Beckmann ETA which seemed to fix the problem but the ASR issue returned after only 3k miles. Beckmann replaced the ETA which again seemed to solve the problem for a while until this past month when the ASR/limp home mode started to occur intermittently. This week it is happening more frequently and now only returns to normal running after multiple restarts. The code came up as C1022 (CAN BUS malfunction) however my mechanic is stumped. We discussed replacing the brake light switch and the neutral safety switch but are not confident that either will fix the problem. My only other recourse is the take it to the dealer tomorrow but my conversation with the SM today did not instill much confidence. Hoping someone here on the forum can offer some helpful advice.

RichardM98

I'd replace the brake light switch. It's a pretty cheap fix so if it doesn't help you're not out much.

oldmbz

I decided against going to the dealer which I am sure would have ended up to be very costly.
My Indy is away for a couple of weeks but I will wait it out and replace the brake light switch and the neutral safety switch as well. The "Yet another ASR problem '94 S500" web page suggests the latter as his description seems similar to mine. The major difference is that his problem occurred when the car was hot and mine does it only after sitting idle overnight. Once I getting going, the car starts normally the rest of the day for the most part.

RichardM98

Well, while looking for something else I ran across a WIS procedure titled something like "ASR light comes on when first starting up but goes out after driving for a while."

Possible causes are:

1) Weak battery. If electrical consumers are switched on (at start up), the voltage will fall below 10.5v and the ASR light will come on. I guess it goes out because the alternator recharges the battery.

2) Defective ASR overvoltage relay.

Hope this helps some.

oldmbz

I just spoke with Steve from MB Elite of Newport Beach, CA. He is a smart and honest mechanic who I would trust completely. He is certain that it is the control module for the CC/EA and ASR or wiring harness that is failing. He has a few spare modules and is willing to work with my guy in Coeur d' Alene to get this fixed once and for all. He feels that the BLS and NSS are not the cause of the problem. As an a side, Steve was one of the country's youngest German trained master mechanics who started out with Fletcher Jones (largest MB dealership in the universe) and has his own shop now for the past 3 yrs. Highly recommended.

bad hare

deleted by moderator

HA, good luck w/ that lawsuit. Don't waste your time & money on this.

Mercedes also had a lawsuit against the spring perches that rust off up front and make the car go very very low almost hitting the ground as driving on high way speeds. But, due to the sheer length of time that went by, they got away without having a recall. You may want to consider looking into how long a car manufacture is considered liable for mechanical malfunction. But, I believe you're well past your time, even w/ the late w210 model line.