RCorney17

Pelican Parts is probably more well known for it's BMW and Porsche parts. I've bought from them for my bimmer and they are great. I agree, ebay is not credible for parts such as these. I was just shopping for prices to see what's out there. What other stores would sell this part that you would recommend?

I found the controller I need on one of this sites sponsors for $522 so I am contemplating doing this fix on my own knowing I'll need to take it either back to the dealer or another indy that can flash / program the controller, my question is, is this a fix that is a DIY apart from the re-programming?

BTW, the shop did not recommend replacing all 4 sensors, but traced the problem back to a bad controller talking to all the dif components.

DTaggert

I had this same problem. All three lights coming on. They did the recall and replaced the brake switch. It did not work. Then they said that I needed to replace the BAS/ABS control module. It cost $3400. They replaced it and it didn't fix the problem entirely. The lights kept coming on intermittently. One night the lights came on and after turning off the car, I heard a whirring noise. The pump was running continually. It ran for hours at 302 degrees even though the car wasn't on. I took it back to Mercedes. They say it was a bad relay. I am furious at the dealership and my own stupidity. If I were you, I would replace the relay. If this doesn't fix your problem and there is a fault code for the control module (which I stupidly replaced) then I would go to a good mechanic (non-dealership) who is willing to take it out and send it off to have it tested. Other threads and my good mechanic (who I unfortunately found after this fiasco) said often there are simply bad soldering joints in the control unit that can be easily repaired ($100). I'm still not sure that the relay is the issue. Picking it up tomorrow. Now I am concerned that the bad relay will have ruined the brand new control module b/c it ran so hot for so many hours. If anyone has any advice, I would appreciate.

RCorney17

You're not stupid, just doing what you think the "professionals" are recommending you fix to repair the issue.

I can't believe the $3,400 cost though. My quote was for about $1,000 which was further supported by a indy shop at a tad more $$ albeit for an ESP control module (I thought they were the same module). Maybe you had your ABS pump replaced as well which I've heard is $$$!

I haven't had the whirring yet, but I'm now in limp mode (won't shift outta 1st gear) with all lights on. Hence, it's parked in the garage and wifey's driving the back-up F150 (love that truck at 213,000k).

I'm gonna try disconnecting the batter and cleaning the terminals as I see corrosion on them and have heard this may fix the problem. I read elsewhere on this forum that a near dead battery can cause this malfunctioning. My batt is only 3 years old, but I guess it could be nearing the end of it's life. (The original lasted 8 years though).

Thanks so much for posting about the relay. I may try that if the batt thing doesn't fix it.

FYI; my dealer signed me up for the Vintage Club which gives me 10% off everything. At over 3x the price quotes, sounds like your dealer is a con artist though.

Good luck!

allenlahoud

Hello to all,

Today and for the first time I was able to drive around not believing my eyes to see NO yellow lights anymore on my dash!

I was reading somewhere and found an advise that I took, just located te ABS relay (K25) and simply replaced it with the next similar one for a try and so it worked, no more these three lights came on,...

You could also read what this colleague suggests for more thorough repair;
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...blem-long.html

Happy MLing
allen

NYCFIXMYPC.COM

I have a 2000 ML430 with the ETS/BAS/ABS lights on (a little over 100,000 miles on the truck). Dealer replaced the brake light switch under recall recently along with power steering issue (recall) and there was a third fix that was done i don't remember what is was.
- ETS/BAS/ABS lights still on. The truck drives fine but if it gets hairy i want all safety measures working. ESP off switch will not respond. My ML also has a slight jerk when accelerating from 0. It's fine if I pull of slow but annoying when making evasive maneuvers.
I'm going to look into the ABS Pump Relay first, and pray its not the esp control module or the abs pump.

b16

I have the same problem. 2000 ML 430 with the 3 lights on (no brake light) BAS/ESP, ETS and ABS. Replaced the brake light switch by recall, was hoping that would fix it since it helped many others.

Got it scanned and I was getting an ABS pump malfunction code. I did some testing on my own but not really sure where to go from here?

1.) I disassembled the ABS control module and pump. Tested the module for power and ground continuity from the plug to the 2 pins that run the pump, it was ok.
2.) Took the pump and hard wired it to the battery, pump runs fine.
3.) Took the pump and hard wired to the ABS fuse, runs fine.
4.) Took the pump and hard wired to the harness that plugs into the module and the pump would NOT run?
5.) Measured the voltage at the harness where it plugs into the module and it is around 9v instead of 12.

Could my harness be bad? I checked continuity from the fuse to the harness and it was ok. I don't see the harness grounding out anywhere.

Something wrong with my battery? It checks out fine otherwise though..

I also tried swapping relays with another that was similar and same problem.

Does anyone know what is between the fuse and the harness to the control module? AT this point I'm thinking of just wiring a switch in the car to drive the pump directly.. lol.

NYCFIXMYPC.COM

my mechanic found the issue. bad abs control module and yaw rate sensor. no more ETS/BAS/ABS Lights and ESP is fully functioning.
also changed motor mounts. that got rid of the jerking thunk when accelerating.
this jeep is a champ now running fine. maybe the abs control unit goes bad every 100,000 as the part is in high demand.

Pancham

Hi,

Mind giving us a hint on how much this fix set you back?

I also have the intermittent BAS/ABS light problem. There will be times when it doesn't light. Some thread here thinks it could be triggered by outside temperature/humidity. There is a thread here that fixed the problem by just replacing the carbon on the abs pump motor?

Thanks.

b16

Is the abs control module the one near the fuses? Or the box under the washer fluid?

downunderbenz

Hi all, this eternal issue with the yellow warning lights coming on for no earthly reason has been bugging me for 6months but I found the fix! In summer they occasionally came on after starting and driving for around 1hour. As winter approached they came on more often and it got to a point now that they come up upon starting and stay on all the time, even after stopping and starting the engine again. Its winter now and temp around 15 deg C. Our summer temps were around 30 deg C here in Sydney Australia.
Well me being a avionics tech with 40 years experience I have seen all kinds of intermittent faults, temp related faults, vibration related faults but Im not saying that Iam a mercedes expert by any means.
I did replace the brake light switch a few weeks after the three lights first came on. I bought a switch on Ebay from the US, it was supposed to be OEM. When it arrived it had no mercedes part number stamped on it, only "made in Italy". What the.....! But which Italy? Anyway the fault went away for about 2 weeks then came back and steadily got worse as we moved into winter, as I said earlier.
Now I had a long hard think about all this. I decided to have a lot at my original brake light switch which I stashed away in my spare parts bin.
It was blue in colour and had the mercedes part number stamped on it.
Its seems to be a recent p/n as it ended in 95 02. I belive the early switches ended in 20 02, 31 02 or 64 02. So it looks like the previous owner had gone to a mercedes dealer in the past with a similar problem.
I operated the switch actuator shaft plunger by hand and it felt quiet mushy, not the definite switching action usually heard with push button switches, I couldnt even hear it click when the contacts changed over as verified by my multimeter on ohms range.
So I got out my can of contact cleaner, I use SS113 but Electrolube or any good brand will do and I gave the switch a good dose down the actuating shaft to flush it out. Now it makes a definite and pronounced click when the contact operate. I removed the switch I had previously fitted, the "Italy switch" and refitted my old original switch after flushing it with contact cleaner.
The good news is that no more BAS/ESP/ETS lights problem! Its been a month now and all working fine. Im convinced the replacement switch I bought was not up to specs and my old switch had collected carpet dust and whatever else was floating around and it found its way up the actuator shaft.
My take on this system is that there is a single pole, double throw contact set which is for the ESP and to drop off the cruise control and the other set which is just a single pole single throw contact set used for the brake lights. Both these contacts go to the ESP module and ABS module which also measure the time it takes for one set of contacts to open and the other brake light set to close and this tells the system how hard you are braking etc.
Im sure that some dust or other stuff got inside the switch and was interferring with the operating distance between the sets of contacts and the ESP module was interpreting this as invalid data and spat the dummy if you follow what I mean.
I could be way off base here, im not sure how temperature affected the switch but it was a temp related fault. All I know is that cleaning the original mercedes switch until I could actually hear the contacts clicking instead of hearing nothing prior, fixed my problem.

downunderbenz

Update to my BAS/ESP/ETS light on. After about 1 month of no warning lights coming on it happened today at the end of the freeway after driving for 2 hours!!
Apparently there is a recall from nov 2011 to replace the brake light switch under warranty for all MLs. 001 545 64 09 switch is replaced by an allegedly better 001 545 95 09.
Mine has been replaced by the previous owner as it is a 95 09 but it still is causing problems. So Im off to the merc dealer to buy one, better to get a OEM switch and I might be lucky to get a good one that works than buy one on Ebay from an unknown source. This I have learnt the hard way.

sosh

Ebay is not a credable source of Mercedes parts. The odds are that parts purchased from EBay will be defective, old part numbers, used or stolen. And Yes the newer part number brake switch does fail but usually not as frequently as the older ones.

downunderbenz

I pulled my previously replaced latest p/n brake light switch out again, gave it another injection of contact cleaner and this time I made sure that the switch plunger was pulled out a little bit more and the brake pedal was depressed so that when the switch is installed and the pedal released it will self adjust to the correct position.
I also closed up the contact pins a little on the two connectors and added stabulant 22, its a contact enhancer used a lot in the aviation industry.
I have not had any problems since! No lights.

ML320Green

Is it my imagination or is that since I had the recall for the safety switch which the local MB dealer replaced "for free" I have had the BAS and ESP light come on at random, the brakes engage at equally random times and car is now just damnably dangerous and unpredictable. Naturally the MB Dealer denies any connection but do those who own these cars have to have a serious accident before Mercedes will admit to what is an obvious flaw. The car is magnificent in all other respects, but trust in Mercedes fades fast when your family is at risk!

downunderbenz

Hi, I got ur message,so Im assuming that ur car drove and braked perfectly before MB replaced the brake switch? if so then either: the switch they installed is faulty or; they disturbed something, maybe the two plugs not connected properly, pins bent, hard to say.
The switch replacement is dead easy, I have seen other forums about how to replace it, last price I received from a MB dealer in Sydney for a switch was approx $55 which is the -95.
Basically to replace it you remove that plastic cover just above the pedals by removing 2 screws attaching it to the dash lower part and unscrew the two plastic plugs which attach it to the area between the pedals and carefully drag it out enough to be able to get to the switch. The OBD diagnostic connector can be unsrewed to allow the whole cover to come away but I left mine in as was easier.
The switch is attached to the upper part of the brake pedal bracket, mine is a blue colour, it has two horizontal plugs on the back, squeeze the sides of each plug to release the latches and remove, I think they are keyed but take note which one goes where and how it connects, one is a two pin and the other a three pin.
Have a look at your new switch first and you will get an idea of how it attaches.
To remove the switch feel on the top of it with ur finger and u should find a little plastic latch, press on it and at the same time turn the switch body clockwise 90 degrees and it will come out.

Extend the plunger of the new switch a bit longer than the original one, hold down the brake pedal as you fit the new switch, the reverse of the removal procedure. After the switch is locked in position release the brake pedal and it should position the switch plunger to the correct operating stroke. Refit the plugs and away you go!
I never had a braking issue with mine, only the BAS/ETS and ESP warning lights came on, with the ESP light on the cruse control would not work.
Im hoping its ur switch and nothing else if the car was fine before they replaced ur switch on the recall. Did they do any other work on the car? Im surprised they will not give you any warranty on their work.
I have heard that even a new switch can give problems but I dont actually think its the switch behind all this; I think that the system is so damn complex and sensitve it needs a switch made to higher tolerances to work correctly. So unfortunately it might be a case of trial and error until you get a switch which works consistently.
My switch just started playing up again but only the BAS/ETS light comes on occasionally with no other side effects so it looks like flushing it with contact cleaner is only short lived which confirms my theory about the switch quality! If the ESP light starts to come on as well then that will totally confirm a dud switch. Good luck.

ML320Green

Hello Downunder Benz
Thank you for your support and comments.
The brakes on our ML were working perfectly, it was a feature of the car that was so impressive when we bought her. The car has never missed a service and all done to the log book even though I question the skill set of the local MB dealership. When we received the recall notice we rang the dealership to have it fixed. But this I have to admit they noted that the switch replacement was due to a possible link with the cruise control being at risk. In my case I would never have known that because I don't use cruise control even though the car has it - so if it was faulty I would never have found out. My other car is a Porsche 911 Cabriolet and again no cruise control. So perhaps because I don't like cruise controls and of my none use of a feature I never experienced any defects in the braking system.
What I suspect is right is along the lines that you appear to suggest. Mercedes know there is a problem but are hoping that it disappears and there is truth in that.
My wife drove Volvos and safety for the children was her prime consideration - I bought the ML320 on the basis of its quality and safety as a Benz product. After my wife's incident with the Mercedes yesterday the chances of me being able to go into a Mercedes Dealership and buy a Benz for the Family has been reduced to zero. So its back to Volvo I guess because she just doesn't trust the car or the dealership any more.
That is why the problem will go away for Mercedes, losing customers.
I know that I may seem a little dejected now but perhaps I am just lucky with the Porsche. Owned it for many years like the Mercedes always serviced on time and has needed only 2 batteries and replaced brake pads - but she drives like a dream and everytime I get her back from the service she feels like new, Yes she is getting a bit old but I trust her completely. That's the feeling I hoped that my wife would have with the Mercedes.
Thank you again, I will get the switch and do it myself and see where it goes, I appreciate your help.

downunderbenz

Hi ML320 green,
Once you get a new switch installed I think it will be ok as long as the switch is a good genuine one and the latest version. I think there has been about 5 different versions to date!
Unfortunately the ML series has received a bad rapp because they are made in Alabama USA by Chrysler under the consortium between MB and Chrysler. There was a lot of quality issues prior to 2000 and I think some still linger on to this day mainly with the body and components.
There are some silly design flaws such as the windscreen bottle mounted over the ABS module! The washer motors and seals will develop a leak at some point, I suggest you have a look under your washer bottle and see if its wet. I just fixed mine in the nick of time, both motor seals were leaking and dribbling onto the ABS module. I fitted a little plastic roof under the washer bottle so if any future leak the water will just run off and past the ABS module. I cut a square section from an old 4 litre ice cream container the right size and tyraped it under the washer bottle.
I have a A160 babybenz Im rebuilding to make roadworthy some day, just a project. If I was to get rid of the ML320 and get another MB I wouldnt get anything made after 1995 as it appears that the quality level took a big slide about then. Mechanically they are superb, cant find a better engine but the body and ancilliary parts let them down big time!
It seems that most of the problems with the ML320 are related to the: BAS,ETS,ESP. Frankly I dont need all this crap on a car I just drive around on good roads. Unfortunately I think they designed this car to handle snow and ice conditions which we dont have in Aust so we are stuck with systems which cause issues which we dont need here anyway!

Shar43ber

install and see if it fixes

cxfndfn

This isnt about the lights being on, its about the 7:45min passing and the lights comming on and the speedo dropping out and no more shifting.
Is there still no fix for this issue?

GOXFT

HI I have a 2000 ML 320 ..

I purchased the car used 14 months ago and the day i drove it off the lot the lights came on and the BEEPING began. the dealership said oh bring it back we will fix it... when i did they found out the problem was the " Module" and they found out it was going to cost them alot of money soo they said they would give me a Warranty .. and would have to wait 3 weeks for it to activate
well i brought the car back and they quote fixed it and again the lights came on and the beeping!!!! .... the short story is .. the last time i took it in and said the original problem the module must be the problem .. they came back with saying .. why dont we just put you in another car..!!! 14 months later
IS this Problem NOT COVERED UNDER a After Market Warranty???
Im thinking it isnt and they just dont want to pay to fix it??
any ideas what to do about this?? i may ask a lawyer

cobracop

ditto here, swapped it with the power window relay and all the lights went off, i don't need to roll down my windows in winter anyway, it already runs better

cobracop

so now a new problem arises (go figure) this is what it does now:
while driving the yellow triangle in the speedo starts to flash, this is followed by the car acting like it is about to stall out (whole thing feels like a front tire has blown) with noises coming from the front. without doing anything but praying the car doesn't die, the engine powers back up and drives normal again only now the ets/bas light stays on, the other 2 never come on. when i get back in the car to drive again no ets/bas light until at any given moment the above happens. i don't think it is the brake light switch or the abs light would be on, right? not cutting the steering wheel hard, so shouldn't be sensor there? do i need to disconnect the battery and reset the computers? previous onwers took exceptional care of the vehicle other that driving it with the "3 yellow lights" on for 3 years! really!?

cobracop

yesterday, just for kicks, i tried the steering wheel reset trick. so far i have been able to drive from work to home and back to work without it happening "yet". could this mean it may have been the sensor in the steering column i have read about in other threads being a problem? i will keep this updated

haynesmich

Hi Cobracop

I experienced the same symptoms today. Orange warning light in centre of dash came on, car braked for no reason and felt as if it was about to stall - noises from the front and the sensation that one of the front tyres had blown. I pulled over in a hurry and the orange BAS ESP light came on and stayed on. A quick check revealed that the tyres were okay and I managed to drive off.

I change the damn, brake sensor switch on an annual basis because of electrical problems with this lump. In 2009, my wife and son nearly drove off a mountain road when the cruise control stuck on and the car accelerated every time she braked - she managed to bring the car to a halt using the cruise control lever. I worked out that the brake light switch was at fault and replaced it. And again a year later. And again with the safety recall in late 2011 (have no idea why it took Mercedes so long to figure out what was an obvious safety risk).

With all the electrical problems on this car, it is the last ML that I will consider buying and probably the last Mercedes. I have no faith in the vehicle.

Have your problems been sorted out - any sign of a return of the symptoms that you describe?

Mike

Maj. Dundee

Problems such as yours is usually attributed to a faulty Yaw Rate Sensor or Lateral Acceleration Sensor, in that order.

You must have the codes read. For the Yaw Rate Sensor it is C1120 and for the Lateral it is C1142.