thongvilay

So I had the regular "Check brakes visit workshop" warning on for a day then Saturday...The big red one that says "Braking effect reduced/Increase braking distance"

So after some research and help from Konigstiger I got my whole SBC unit replaced in 6 hours, got my oil changed and a wash, reset the "Restraint defective" code cleared, replaced brake switch all for 58 dollars!

If you guys are in the Upstate NY area you should bring your car to John Holtz Mercedes. I highly recommend them.

dql

year and mileage of your w211?

thongvilay

90k 2003

vettdvr

Well done. Glad it worked out for you. Took my dealer 4 days to do the same job.

Konigstiger is definitely a hero of this site and very helpful.

Clinton Horn

I would like to know if that pump actually has a counter that trips into default when it has been actuated a pre-set number of times? I read this somewhere and since I intend to keep the car for a lot longer, it is likely that I will exceed the warranty period before it fails. Since this was not M-B finest hour, I do not know what to believe. I guess I should start looking for one on flea bay just in case. I wonder if it can be rebuilt?

I can foresee the a brisk business in rebuilt units, if they are not sued out of existance.

vettdvr

Correct. Why would anyone want to be liable for the rebuild on this part?

Conversion to conventional vacuum with install kit would be better choice. But then who speaks enough of German to reprogram the computer to accept the conversion.

thongvilay

supposedly the tech told me there is a counter...and instead of being set to 300k, it was at 30k, not sure how true this is. I just wish they just had "regular *** brakes" too much assisted braking anyways. Oh well.

Clinton Horn

I did some checking on Dogpile. There does appear to be a consensus that 300,000 "activations" is the service life for the pump. Reportedly, it will throw an error code and require replacement. I find it interesting that:
1. The part creates a fault because it has a pre-programmed service life.
2. That intended consequence is diminished braking capacity. So if I am coming out of Estes Park CO and my time is up, I need to look for a runaway truck ramp?
3. There are people in the world "overhauling" this part by resetting the counter.
I would very much like to perform an autopsy on one of these things but I bet that M-B / Bosch keep them under lock and key until the defective ones are destroyed.

I guess in this circumstance breaking capabilities are 2 a penny

vettdvr

NTSB Manditory recall might be nice on this system.

SAguirre

That could very well be me! I drive in the Colorado Mountains constantly. However, seeing that I just hit 60,000 miles and I am not yet at 50% of my original brake pads, I imagine that I am not pressing the pedal that often. I thought that the first recall on the SBC was to change the automatic deactivation and warning? It was a software update that put a “Q11” sticker or something on the SBC unit. I am not too worried, but I hate having to spend money to do something that is a software issue. I got the letter from MB stating that my SBC has a full warranty for 10 years, that is nice to know but I will raise hell if I have to pay a bunch of money to upgrade software right after the 10 year mark is over. I have been quite happy with my E320 4-matic and I fully intend to keep it pat the 10 year mark.

Steve

tashakes

How? With STAR?

Clinton Horn

I do not know how they reset it. They require it to be removed and shipped. I think it was a UK operation. Since even the first MY are still under time warranty, I guess this "service" is not in big demanand in the US. I saw a brand new pump for $500 on e bay the other day. It was tempting to stockpile for the future. I cannot guess which way the price might go as parts for older cars usually drop for a while and then climb as the stockpile diminishes, sort of a negative of the bell curve. As the cars drop out of warranty, I am guessing the demand for pumps will rise and so will the price. I really wish someone would publish the real facts about these things. They are the achilles heel of the older 211's