Steering Malfunction
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Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 107
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2016 Maybach S600, 2013 G63, and 2022 S580 Brabus
Steering Malfunction
Today, I valet parked my car in front of a 5 start restaurant. They did not drive the car and they just jumped in and stared the car when I came out. They were going to move it forward for me, but the car would not move and had a steering malfunction light come on and also a steering wheel light lit up on the left side of the cluster. Also, there was some sort of brake assist message come on and a parking assist light come on too.
The car would only move very slowly with the steering firmly locked so I could not really move it. I Googled the message and it said to let the car sit for about 5 mins and sometimes it will reset. I did just that and I was fortunate to have it reset.
Has anyone had a similar issue? It was embarrassing and I have never seen anything like this. This is my 10th S Class and have had great luck with my cars.
The car would only move very slowly with the steering firmly locked so I could not really move it. I Googled the message and it said to let the car sit for about 5 mins and sometimes it will reset. I did just that and I was fortunate to have it reset.
Has anyone had a similar issue? It was embarrassing and I have never seen anything like this. This is my 10th S Class and have had great luck with my cars.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 12,250
Likes: 6,911
From: Silicon Valley
W212 MY'14 M276-3.5NA @75kMi
Unresponsive Steering limp-mode...
The short answer is car wants another workshop visit.
> Top-notch module :
The electric steering module is micro-managed by extremely sofisticated German software. Many firmware updates have been issued to mitigate issues with nasty warnings.
Your current unit will likely end-up exchanged for a factory certified rack. Hopefully a tad less sensitive to glitches with fresh connections -
> Quick soft-reset procedure:
> Low voltage is disrupting unstable Coms.
The STEERING is designed to be ultra sensitive to unreliable data... and while on this topic, TRANNY shifts can suffer as well.
> What causes this low voltage on fresh car batteries?
Fresh from factory, the main battery can get drained by sleepless modules and delayed COMS.
When main power is switched off, part of the control network is activated regularly during wake cycles.
Failure to quickly re-enter deep sleep, taxes the main battery into discharged territory. Other ways are available to render a new battery weak.
Upon starting, the main battery delivers power glitches to sensitive modules.
This sofisticated drain-game has many incarnations more or less severe and of course NO fault code to easily pin-down solution.
However complicated this is not helpless situation, you just need a stable voltage source.
> Easy Sanity :
1-- Scan your car for wonky modules
2-- Float the main battery with a CTEK charger
I really don't believe a rack & battery swap can
provide lasting relief to low mileage vehicles.
> Top-notch module :
The electric steering module is micro-managed by extremely sofisticated German software. Many firmware updates have been issued to mitigate issues with nasty warnings.
Your current unit will likely end-up exchanged for a factory certified rack. Hopefully a tad less sensitive to glitches with fresh connections -
> Quick soft-reset procedure:
- - Start engine then Idle 10mn to provide electric charge.
- - Stop engine then lock the car to sleep 5mn.
- - All good... no tow-truck or wasted time!
> Low voltage is disrupting unstable Coms.
The STEERING is designed to be ultra sensitive to unreliable data... and while on this topic, TRANNY shifts can suffer as well.
> What causes this low voltage on fresh car batteries?
Fresh from factory, the main battery can get drained by sleepless modules and delayed COMS.
When main power is switched off, part of the control network is activated regularly during wake cycles.
Failure to quickly re-enter deep sleep, taxes the main battery into discharged territory. Other ways are available to render a new battery weak.
Upon starting, the main battery delivers power glitches to sensitive modules.
This sofisticated drain-game has many incarnations more or less severe and of course NO fault code to easily pin-down solution.
However complicated this is not helpless situation, you just need a stable voltage source.
> Easy Sanity :
1-- Scan your car for wonky modules
2-- Float the main battery with a CTEK charger
I really don't believe a rack & battery swap can
provide lasting relief to low mileage vehicles.
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Sep 28, 2023 at 04:49 PM. Reason: knowledge for sanity
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 107
Likes: 13
2016 Maybach S600, 2013 G63, and 2022 S580 Brabus
This is great information. Thank you for sharing.
I wonder if maybe the key being in close proximity to the car at the valet had an impact on the battery since the car was not able to go to sleep.
I wonder if maybe the key being in close proximity to the car at the valet had an impact on the battery since the car was not able to go to sleep.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 12,250
Likes: 6,911
From: Silicon Valley
W212 MY'14 M276-3.5NA @75kMi
Good thing is eSteering, ECU, Tranny and ESP all soft-reset during sleep.
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