ABC Service Question
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 370
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S55 AMG
ABC Service Question
Hey all, I have a few questions regarding the ABC system and I hope someone would chime in and give me some advice based on my situation.
So I bought my 03 S600 a little over two years ago now, and I have never serviced or done anything related to the ABC system at all. I have not gotten any malfunctions or errors in those two years within the system, except for a ride height sensor code which shows the blue "ABC Visit Workshop" screen on the cluster which I simply just skip through. Not necessarily a concern at this point in time, since my ABC system seems to be working just fine at this point other than that little issue with the ride height sensor.
The car had gotten the ABC fluid replaced a week prior to me buying the car (May 2014) and an ABC pressure hose had been replaced at the same time. I've heard that common preventative maintenance in order to keep the ABC system running is to change the fluid regularly. Now here's my question: When should I replace my ABC fluid, and how often should I do it? It has been worry-free for the past two years, and I strive to keep it that way. I'm not looking forward to spend thousands on new components when they break, which seems to be common unfortunately. I also heard that doing the rodeo would do more harm than good, is this true? Any help or information would be very appreciated. Thank you.
So I bought my 03 S600 a little over two years ago now, and I have never serviced or done anything related to the ABC system at all. I have not gotten any malfunctions or errors in those two years within the system, except for a ride height sensor code which shows the blue "ABC Visit Workshop" screen on the cluster which I simply just skip through. Not necessarily a concern at this point in time, since my ABC system seems to be working just fine at this point other than that little issue with the ride height sensor.
The car had gotten the ABC fluid replaced a week prior to me buying the car (May 2014) and an ABC pressure hose had been replaced at the same time. I've heard that common preventative maintenance in order to keep the ABC system running is to change the fluid regularly. Now here's my question: When should I replace my ABC fluid, and how often should I do it? It has been worry-free for the past two years, and I strive to keep it that way. I'm not looking forward to spend thousands on new components when they break, which seems to be common unfortunately. I also heard that doing the rodeo would do more harm than good, is this true? Any help or information would be very appreciated. Thank you.
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Mercedes
Check your fluid color in both the abc and power steering reservoirs , they are separate reservoirs located next to each other
The fluid should be light green or a very light tan . If it's darker brown it's time to change . If it's still green or light tan it's fine
Two years is still pretty fresh for fluid
When it does come time to change fluid also change the filters in both reservoirs . That's about all the maintenance you need to do besides checking for weeping hoses. No need to do a rodeo now, do it when the fluid is changed
The fluid should be light green or a very light tan . If it's darker brown it's time to change . If it's still green or light tan it's fine
Two years is still pretty fresh for fluid
When it does come time to change fluid also change the filters in both reservoirs . That's about all the maintenance you need to do besides checking for weeping hoses. No need to do a rodeo now, do it when the fluid is changed
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
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From: NH/Boston
2004 S600 Biturbo
Change every 20-25k or two years (whichever comes first) is my recommendation along with a new filter at that time, regardless of color.
A rodeo is not necessary. There is some debate on this. The reason is that it can stress components and possibly cause failure of a weak component that would have lasted longer. My thoughts on this are that if the component failed during a rodeo, it would have failed on the street at some point in the future. I would much rather have it fail while it's already on a lift in the shop than 5k-10k miles later while stuck in city rush hour traffic at a stop light! Anytime you do work on the system, just raise and lower the car with the button on the dash about 5-10 times and it will be all set.
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From: Welwyn, Herts, UK
2006 S600
Treat ABC like brake fluid, tranny fluid or antifreeze, and replace every three years is my vote. The nasty, dirty fluid tends to accumulate in the static sections of the systems - in the struts in particular. You don't want that getting in the pump. I think its probably best to drain it from the drain ports in each strut feed.
One of the best things you can do for ABC is to wrap all the flexible hoses in the engine compartment with aluminium foil or fire sleeve. Some hoses are already protected (near the bell housing) but anything under the hood really needs it. There are some very compelling pictures in the thread below that will convince you of this.
Regards, Nick
One of the best things you can do for ABC is to wrap all the flexible hoses in the engine compartment with aluminium foil or fire sleeve. Some hoses are already protected (near the bell housing) but anything under the hood really needs it. There are some very compelling pictures in the thread below that will convince you of this.
Regards, Nick
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Joined: Jan 2016
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From: Europe
Mercedes-Benz S600
ABC service
To add to what has already been said, yearly visual inspection of all hoses for leaks is a must. For the fluid flush, 3 years or 30,000 kms is what I plan to follow.
+1 to Nick's comment on draining the dirty fluid. I recently had to replace 2 struts after dirty brown sludge had formed, and destroyed the struts beyond repair. Like Ryan said, even though the Pentosin flowing through the system was green, there was static brown sludge formed over years of neglect in the struts (and also valve blocks). Better to check and drain before its too late.
+1 to Nick's comment on draining the dirty fluid. I recently had to replace 2 struts after dirty brown sludge had formed, and destroyed the struts beyond repair. Like Ryan said, even though the Pentosin flowing through the system was green, there was static brown sludge formed over years of neglect in the struts (and also valve blocks). Better to check and drain before its too late.
Last edited by prs600; Aug 24, 2016 at 10:10 AM.
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S55 AMG
Thank you for your replies. I plan on flushing the ABC fluid soon and replacing the filter, as they are exactly 2 years and 3 months old now. I heard that when doing this procedure, you need to flush and replace filter once, drive the car 100 miles, then flush and replace the filter a second time. Is this true? Or do I need to only flush and replace filter once and just press the raise/lower button on the dash multiple times afterwards?
Also, regarding the current code for the ride height sensor, should I leave it alone or should I take care of that issue too? Thanks again for your help guys.
Also, regarding the current code for the ride height sensor, should I leave it alone or should I take care of that issue too? Thanks again for your help guys.
