ABC - Active Body Control Drive Carefully
05-06-2009, 11:50 AM
#29
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W220 S65 AMG
Used parts is the last thing that you want in your ABC system... the stuff is flaky when its brand new... I can only imagine trying to put in used stuff.
05-06-2009, 02:17 PM
#30
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2004 S600
I'm looking at making the step up to an '05 or '06 S600 quite soon but the ABC problems do concern me a little. I'd certainly be looking at getting one with some factory warranty left so I can get a MB warranty (Starmark, right?) and would be interested to know if anyone here has had MB refuse to honor covering pricey ABC problems.
I understand these cars can be pricey to maintain but with a decent MB warranty (am aware 3rd party companies don't always cover specialised issues like ABC) it should be pretty affordable when non wear and tear issues like ABC problems occur. Or I am in another world here?
I understand these cars can be pricey to maintain but with a decent MB warranty (am aware 3rd party companies don't always cover specialised issues like ABC) it should be pretty affordable when non wear and tear issues like ABC problems occur. Or I am in another world here?
05-06-2009, 02:36 PM
#31
Super Member
I'm looking at making the step up to an '05 or '06 S600 quite soon but the ABC problems do concern me a little. I'd certainly be looking at getting one with some factory warranty left so I can get a MB warranty (Starmark, right?) and would be interested to know if anyone here has had MB refuse to honor covering pricey ABC problems.
I understand these cars can be pricey to maintain but with a decent MB warranty (am aware 3rd party companies don't always cover specialised issues like ABC) it should be pretty affordable when non wear and tear issues like ABC problems occur. Or I am in another world here?
I understand these cars can be pricey to maintain but with a decent MB warranty (am aware 3rd party companies don't always cover specialised issues like ABC) it should be pretty affordable when non wear and tear issues like ABC problems occur. Or I am in another world here?
-
I currently have a pretty good extended warranty on my SL, which covers everything.. I just had my ABC repaired to fix an internal leak and a flush. Total bill was 2900.00. I only paid my deductible, and the car was fixed properly. Albeit, it took 10 days due to dealership contacting the warranty people, and back/forth communicating, but at the end of the day, the work was done. The warranty cost me 4K when i bought the car, but it has already paid itself and likely save me loads in the future.
When i had a CPO CL 500, it seemed the dealership really didn't care to fix the problems correctly and the issues always re-occurred. maybe i just had some bad luck or something, but i rather go with a third party warranty company which backs up their claims and stands by their customers.
05-06-2009, 03:43 PM
#32
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sl600
-
I currently have a pretty good extended warranty on my SL, which covers everything.. I just had my ABC repaired to fix an internal leak and a flush. Total bill was 2900.00. I only paid my deductible, and the car was fixed properly. Albeit, it took 10 days due to dealership contacting the warranty people, and back/forth communicating, but at the end of the day, the work was done. The warranty cost me 4K when i bought the car, but it has already paid itself and likely save me loads in the future.
When i had a CPO CL 500, it seemed the dealership really didn't care to fix the problems correctly and the issues always re-occurred. maybe i just had some bad luck or something, but i rather go with a third party warranty company which backs up their claims and stands by their customers.
I currently have a pretty good extended warranty on my SL, which covers everything.. I just had my ABC repaired to fix an internal leak and a flush. Total bill was 2900.00. I only paid my deductible, and the car was fixed properly. Albeit, it took 10 days due to dealership contacting the warranty people, and back/forth communicating, but at the end of the day, the work was done. The warranty cost me 4K when i bought the car, but it has already paid itself and likely save me loads in the future.
When i had a CPO CL 500, it seemed the dealership really didn't care to fix the problems correctly and the issues always re-occurred. maybe i just had some bad luck or something, but i rather go with a third party warranty company which backs up their claims and stands by their customers.
05-06-2009, 07:35 PM
#33
Super Member
I recommend calling them. I got the Platinum plan. covers virtually everything.
05-06-2009, 08:29 PM
#34
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Something on 4 wheels..
I finally took my car to the Mercedes dealer last week and they diagnosed that the reason for the ABC Drive Carefully warning is the EIS control unit and that the ABC fluid must be flushed as part of regular maintenance. They also recommended that I should take care of the leak from transmission and the valve cover gasket totaling 3400 dollars. They said my car should be ready in 2 days. It took them 5 days and finally on Saturday I was called to be informed that while they were flushing the ABC fluid, since the fluid was dirty, it caused the Hydraulic bump to fail and now they will need to replace the pump. Add 2500 dollars to the cost. OMG... I am stunned. To flush the oil, I have to replace the pump? Anyone has seen this before? Did they do something wrong for this to happen? How can I trust them now. What if while replacing the pump, somethings else goes bad? Why did I have to pay for the EIS change to fix the ABC warning? Please advise if anyone can...
05-07-2009, 05:30 PM
#35
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2006 Ferrari 612 2007 S65 RENNtech Stage 2
I had the same problem in mine ('03 s600) and thankfully I had an extended warranty as it was ~5k to fix. Car wasn't safe to drive until I had it done.
05-14-2009, 06:53 PM
#36
Senior Member
I noticed a new ABC problem in my car....
After idling in a parking spot, with front/rear in the raised position, for about 10 minutes, the ABC has sudden loss of pressure and drops quickly. It feels like somebody has slowly backed into my bumper, or has bumped their hip into my car.
I think it raises back up within a few seconds.
Same issue? Or is there a little angel telling me to turn off the engine to save wear and tear (and gas)?
After idling in a parking spot, with front/rear in the raised position, for about 10 minutes, the ABC has sudden loss of pressure and drops quickly. It feels like somebody has slowly backed into my bumper, or has bumped their hip into my car.
I think it raises back up within a few seconds.
Same issue? Or is there a little angel telling me to turn off the engine to save wear and tear (and gas)?
05-14-2009, 07:34 PM
#37
MBWorld Fanatic!
I noticed a new ABC problem in my car....
After idling in a parking spot, with front/rear in the raised position, for about 10 minutes, the ABC has sudden loss of pressure and drops quickly. It feels like somebody has slowly backed into my bumper, or has bumped their hip into my car.
I think it raises back up within a few seconds.
Same issue? Or is there a little angel telling me to turn off the engine to save wear and tear (and gas)?
After idling in a parking spot, with front/rear in the raised position, for about 10 minutes, the ABC has sudden loss of pressure and drops quickly. It feels like somebody has slowly backed into my bumper, or has bumped their hip into my car.
I think it raises back up within a few seconds.
Same issue? Or is there a little angel telling me to turn off the engine to save wear and tear (and gas)?
05-31-2009, 05:26 AM
#38
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CL55, CL500, Continental GT
So here’s the deal, after owning several W215 (CL500 and CL55):
First off, to settle any person wondering about upgrading to a car with ABC system here is the one and only fact you must know; YOU NEED LOTS MONEY TO SERVICE THE ABC (2k per incident) or YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT YOURSELF. End of story, if you have ABC you WILL have issues often, and your car will usually be inoperable during that time. If you can’t swallow that, then stick to whatever you're driving.
Now, for people who don’t want to spend the money and have the guts to do this themselves, I’m in the process of creating a full pictured instructional PowerPoint for changing the ABC pump in a driveway. No disrespect to Oxygen, but the majority of us are not endowed with access to a nice clean shop, auto lift, motor jack, as well as brand new parts to install (though one must NOT undermine Oxygen as he is correct and his work is fulfilled in a professional manner -unlike my tutorial)
Things you should know about ABC pump replacement:
-Complete install takes about 7 hours.
-You will need roughly 3-6 liters of the Mercedes special hydraulic fluid (DO NOT TRY TO PUT IN ANYTHING ELSE. EVER!)
-You will need a Torex socket set (forgot the correct name).
-Remanufactured pump cost about $450 from Carbone, usually they work well. I think Autozone has one too; I’m not sure about it so any input here would be great.
-If you're going to use a "used" pump from a pull, you should know that most pumps start to fail at roughly 70k miles, so if the car you’re pulling from has 60k miles on it, you're just going to have to replace it again sooner than you think.
-You do NOT need to raise the motor from its mounts.
-Though an expert is NOT required to do this job, if you have little car/mechanical experience please forget you ever read all this and visit your dealer.
-If you have never done this before please to not start until you have some sort of tutorial, there are many steps which must be performed in sequence AND there are many "hidden" bolts which must be pointed out via pictures.
If people would like my tutorial please say so and I will make it, otherwise I won’t waste a perfectly good afternoon.
First off, to settle any person wondering about upgrading to a car with ABC system here is the one and only fact you must know; YOU NEED LOTS MONEY TO SERVICE THE ABC (2k per incident) or YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT YOURSELF. End of story, if you have ABC you WILL have issues often, and your car will usually be inoperable during that time. If you can’t swallow that, then stick to whatever you're driving.
Now, for people who don’t want to spend the money and have the guts to do this themselves, I’m in the process of creating a full pictured instructional PowerPoint for changing the ABC pump in a driveway. No disrespect to Oxygen, but the majority of us are not endowed with access to a nice clean shop, auto lift, motor jack, as well as brand new parts to install (though one must NOT undermine Oxygen as he is correct and his work is fulfilled in a professional manner -unlike my tutorial)
Things you should know about ABC pump replacement:
-Complete install takes about 7 hours.
-You will need roughly 3-6 liters of the Mercedes special hydraulic fluid (DO NOT TRY TO PUT IN ANYTHING ELSE. EVER!)
-You will need a Torex socket set (forgot the correct name).
-Remanufactured pump cost about $450 from Carbone, usually they work well. I think Autozone has one too; I’m not sure about it so any input here would be great.
-If you're going to use a "used" pump from a pull, you should know that most pumps start to fail at roughly 70k miles, so if the car you’re pulling from has 60k miles on it, you're just going to have to replace it again sooner than you think.
-You do NOT need to raise the motor from its mounts.
-Though an expert is NOT required to do this job, if you have little car/mechanical experience please forget you ever read all this and visit your dealer.
-If you have never done this before please to not start until you have some sort of tutorial, there are many steps which must be performed in sequence AND there are many "hidden" bolts which must be pointed out via pictures.
If people would like my tutorial please say so and I will make it, otherwise I won’t waste a perfectly good afternoon.
06-10-2009, 04:02 PM
#40
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W220 S65 AMG
You might not need to lift up the motor on a V8... but on a V12 there is absolutely no way to access the banjo bolt without raising the motor a slight bit.
06-10-2009, 05:32 PM
#41
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W220 S65 AMG
l33tsign - this is the torx kit that we have at the shop...
Buy it here: http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?P...googlebase_18u
Buy it here: http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?P...googlebase_18u
07-12-2009, 02:44 AM
#42
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cl 500
ABC ACTIVE BODY CONTROL DRIVE CAREFULLY msg came on . i took it to the shop they told me the sensor is bad . they also said i can drive it till they get the sensor . few daays later i found hydraulic oil leaked out under the car i think all of the oil leaked
DID SOMETHING GOT MISSED UP
DID SOMETHING GOT MISSED UP
07-15-2009, 11:28 AM
#43
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CL55, CL500, Continental GT
Yeah you need a new or an excellent rebuilt pump.
Once I had a leak but was underneath the car by the transmission (not the motor area), there is a sensor and rubber O-ring in that location. Surprisingly it dumped a lot of fluid overnight but once I changed the O-ring the leak stoped and I had no issue until 15k miles later when the pump leaked from its front seal and needed to be replaced.
Please specify where its leaking from.
Thanks!
Once I had a leak but was underneath the car by the transmission (not the motor area), there is a sensor and rubber O-ring in that location. Surprisingly it dumped a lot of fluid overnight but once I changed the O-ring the leak stoped and I had no issue until 15k miles later when the pump leaked from its front seal and needed to be replaced.
Please specify where its leaking from.
Thanks!
Last edited by l33tsign; 07-15-2009 at 11:31 AM.
07-26-2009, 12:11 PM
#44
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03 s55 ABC valve block, motor mount, strut mount
I wish that MB would design a better car that does'nt as much problems and cheaper to repair. My Kia ran 110k miles without any proplem. My Lexus SC400 ran 120k miles and all I have to do is replaced the timming belt and and now its got 160k miles on it. It probably time to take it in. My 03 S55 that I've paid $120,000.00, only has 60k miles and I got ABC valve block issues that needs to be replaced, and if I don't then one side of my car keeps going up and down by it self when I am sitting. I haven't notice while driving yet. The motor mounts needs to be replaced and the trut mount also needs to be replaced. MB dealer diagnosed the problem and my bill came up to be $6,000.00. I paid $12,000.00 for a KIA and it has lasted me twice as long as the S55 and only paid twice as much as the repairs on the S55. What I've paid for was just the name and some luxury features. I am disappointed in MB after reading this forum and problems of my own that I've decided not to buy another MB especially ones with ABC. I don't have alot of money like some of my friends in this forum, but I can afford a brand new MB comfortably. But that is stupid to just throw money in MB garbage. I would rather buy something more reliable has a proven record and cost alot less and give some money away to a worthy cost like a local charity(s) to buy winter coats for our homeless vets or others that are in needs. After all, you can't take any of your earthly possessions with you when you're dead. Good luck to you all.
07-26-2009, 03:25 PM
#45
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2003 S600 ; 1999 E55 (sold)
Sorry Oxygen, have not been on the boards for a while, just saw your reply.
First time I went in...they replaced 1 strut...bill = $1700.
Then, got the warning message a month later, then they had to replace the pump, other strut, plus a couple of $300 hoses, oil. Total bill was around $6K. Now I have a completely new abc system, except for the rear struts (apparently they dont fail like the front ones do...please cross your fingers just in case tho!
The guy above who was indicating they fail at 70K was right on the money...I have 69K and the car must have gotten the memo!
If the cars werent so addicting to drive it would be a no brainer...I am just hoping they have gotten rid of the abc system in the new models.
First time I went in...they replaced 1 strut...bill = $1700.
Then, got the warning message a month later, then they had to replace the pump, other strut, plus a couple of $300 hoses, oil. Total bill was around $6K. Now I have a completely new abc system, except for the rear struts (apparently they dont fail like the front ones do...please cross your fingers just in case tho!
The guy above who was indicating they fail at 70K was right on the money...I have 69K and the car must have gotten the memo!
If the cars werent so addicting to drive it would be a no brainer...I am just hoping they have gotten rid of the abc system in the new models.
10-09-2009, 07:26 AM
#46
Did you ever make this tutorial? I am thinking of tackeling this pump head on myself.
Johan
Johan
So here’s the deal, after owning several W215 (CL500 and CL55):
First off, to settle any person wondering about upgrading to a car with ABC system here is the one and only fact you must know; YOU NEED LOTS MONEY TO SERVICE THE ABC (2k per incident) or YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT YOURSELF. End of story, if you have ABC you WILL have issues often, and your car will usually be inoperable during that time. If you can’t swallow that, then stick to whatever you're driving.
Now, for people who don’t want to spend the money and have the guts to do this themselves, I’m in the process of creating a full pictured instructional PowerPoint for changing the ABC pump in a driveway. No disrespect to Oxygen, but the majority of us are not endowed with access to a nice clean shop, auto lift, motor jack, as well as brand new parts to install (though one must NOT undermine Oxygen as he is correct and his work is fulfilled in a professional manner -unlike my tutorial)
Things you should know about ABC pump replacement:
-Complete install takes about 7 hours.
-You will need roughly 3-6 liters of the Mercedes special hydraulic fluid (DO NOT TRY TO PUT IN ANYTHING ELSE. EVER!)
-You will need a Torex socket set (forgot the correct name).
-Remanufactured pump cost about $450 from Carbone, usually they work well. I think Autozone has one too; I’m not sure about it so any input here would be great.
-If you're going to use a "used" pump from a pull, you should know that most pumps start to fail at roughly 70k miles, so if the car you’re pulling from has 60k miles on it, you're just going to have to replace it again sooner than you think.
-You do NOT need to raise the motor from its mounts.
-Though an expert is NOT required to do this job, if you have little car/mechanical experience please forget you ever read all this and visit your dealer.
-If you have never done this before please to not start until you have some sort of tutorial, there are many steps which must be performed in sequence AND there are many "hidden" bolts which must be pointed out via pictures.
If people would like my tutorial please say so and I will make it, otherwise I won’t waste a perfectly good afternoon.
First off, to settle any person wondering about upgrading to a car with ABC system here is the one and only fact you must know; YOU NEED LOTS MONEY TO SERVICE THE ABC (2k per incident) or YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT YOURSELF. End of story, if you have ABC you WILL have issues often, and your car will usually be inoperable during that time. If you can’t swallow that, then stick to whatever you're driving.
Now, for people who don’t want to spend the money and have the guts to do this themselves, I’m in the process of creating a full pictured instructional PowerPoint for changing the ABC pump in a driveway. No disrespect to Oxygen, but the majority of us are not endowed with access to a nice clean shop, auto lift, motor jack, as well as brand new parts to install (though one must NOT undermine Oxygen as he is correct and his work is fulfilled in a professional manner -unlike my tutorial)
Things you should know about ABC pump replacement:
-Complete install takes about 7 hours.
-You will need roughly 3-6 liters of the Mercedes special hydraulic fluid (DO NOT TRY TO PUT IN ANYTHING ELSE. EVER!)
-You will need a Torex socket set (forgot the correct name).
-Remanufactured pump cost about $450 from Carbone, usually they work well. I think Autozone has one too; I’m not sure about it so any input here would be great.
-If you're going to use a "used" pump from a pull, you should know that most pumps start to fail at roughly 70k miles, so if the car you’re pulling from has 60k miles on it, you're just going to have to replace it again sooner than you think.
-You do NOT need to raise the motor from its mounts.
-Though an expert is NOT required to do this job, if you have little car/mechanical experience please forget you ever read all this and visit your dealer.
-If you have never done this before please to not start until you have some sort of tutorial, there are many steps which must be performed in sequence AND there are many "hidden" bolts which must be pointed out via pictures.
If people would like my tutorial please say so and I will make it, otherwise I won’t waste a perfectly good afternoon.
10-09-2009, 12:32 PM
#47
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2004 S55 ///AMG, 2007 E350
Sadly, he is in for a $3K repair with the dreaded ABC pump. My S55 had the same thing, fortunately the extended warranty covered it.
The airmatic and ABC failures take a good portion of this and other MB Forum discussions. This is not a good thing for MB quality and engineering reputation.
The airmatic and ABC failures take a good portion of this and other MB Forum discussions. This is not a good thing for MB quality and engineering reputation.
10-09-2009, 01:55 PM
#48
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2003 SL500, 2005 CLK55
That's not that bad, I took mine to the dealership to get my ABC replaced and they charged me 11,000. They had to replaced my front struts also. Just my luck... Right after I got my car back, that same day I went to the gas station and a damn semi scraped across the rear of my car when my car was parked. Costed me another 1600 to repaint my rear and the bodyshop did a horrible job at it.
10-09-2009, 08:01 PM
#49
Super Member
That's not that bad, I took mine to the dealership to get my ABC replaced and they charged me 11,000. They had to replaced my front struts also. Just my luck... Right after I got my car back, that same day I went to the gas station and a damn semi scraped across the rear of my car when my car was parked. Costed me another 1600 to repaint my rear and the bodyshop did a horrible job at it.
10-09-2009, 11:23 PM
#50
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2003 SL500, 2005 CLK55
Yes you did read that correctly, it costs 11,000. For the ABC and the front left and right struts. That's why they call it the stealership. On top of that they weren't too friendly either. They are the only Mercedes dealership here in Oklahoma City.
