ABC - Active Body Control Drive Carefully
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
"2003" SL500 and E-320
ABC Pump replacement
Well, I have the SL500 "03". While driving I saw the red ABC indicator come on. "Stop, car too low" Went to the dealer who said that the ABC pump failed. Hydraulic fluid on the drive way and on the dealer floor when I took it for service. $4,700.00 repair (No warranty) car has 66K miles. I'm wondering if they replace the hoses when they do the pump?. My next question to the service Dept, on Monday. What else can I expect and does anyone know of a Good Warranty Company.
Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Texas
2003 S600 ; 1999 E55 (sold)
LVDSB- remember there are 4 struts plus the hoses as part of the system...bottom line the struts will continue to fail until all 4 are replaced in addition to the abc system. Total bill will be $6-8K then you should be fine for a while. Huge $ I know but everyone I know with 75K miles or more on the 03-05 cars with ABC seems to have the same issues.
Check with Chrysler Service Contracts, they may warranty the vehicle and seem to be good about paying for claims.
Check with Chrysler Service Contracts, they may warranty the vehicle and seem to be good about paying for claims.
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
"2003" SL500 and E-320
Thanks abenner5, I'm going to look into the warranties this week. I would think when they diagnosed the car they would have checked all that (Struts)but who knows. They told me that they don't replace the hoses unless they fail. I'm wondering now with the new pump what is going to happen
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 314
Likes: 1
German vehicles stink, will never buy again. Moved on to Toyota and BYD.
I just blew one more strut last week. Repair bill came to $4500, I had to pay $2500. The strut ran me $1300. Warranty company did not cover struts per their agreement. They did pay for some hoses and stuff which was around $600.
I think Mercedes is overcharging for the strut. It may be a complex part but since they fail often enough I think they should reduce the price.
I think Mercedes is overcharging for the strut. It may be a complex part but since they fail often enough I think they should reduce the price.
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
"2003" SL500 and E-320
stuck in park
I had the same problem with my SL 500 03. Had to take it to dealer who said it was a solenoid switch. Forgot the amount paid but the red lights were on and it said put vehicle in park. It Was in Park and could not shift. They also, say look on the shifter console see if there is a small hole. You are suppose to release the sifter by inserting a small screwdriver and pushing down. I did not have this on my SL
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
2001 cl 600
thanks for the reply much appreciated, i also do not have the small hole on the shifter consol. is the solenoid something you can buy and do it yourself? i live aways from my nearest dealer and cannot get car there.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 852
Likes: 3
From: Sleepy Hollow, IL
65 Chevelle Wagon w/ C5 frame, 08 ML63, 04 S600, 04 E55,(sold) 00 ML55,(sold) 98 C43-55K Swap
221 is far superior, only common problems is a abc dampener on the pump (humming noise around 2000rpm) or a occasional radial seal leak on the pump. In the shop I work at there are about 40 techs and I have only seen 2 cars with bad abc lines. Compared to a 220 or 215 the 221/216 abc is very reliable 
Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 164
Likes: 3
2007 S 65
221 is far superior, only common problems is a abc dampener on the pump (humming noise around 2000rpm) or a occasional radial seal leak on the pump. In the shop I work at there are about 40 techs and I have only seen 2 cars with bad abc lines. Compared to a 220 or 215 the 221/216 abc is very reliable
stock c43,
Sir,
You do not know how glad I am to see your reply, not to mention relieved. I'm scheduled to pick up a 2007 S 65 tomorrow. After spending all this I'm not prepared to have all the problems I read about on the W220s.
Thanks Tony
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
mtialjasdfljoe
ABC work is probably best left to an expert.
The problem with these cars as they depreciate, is the ownership experience opens up the opportunity to a new group of people. On the one hand that is great, but on the other hand, the cost of ownership doesn't depreciate. What happens is there are more and more cars out there with deferred and neglected maintenance. I see this with new Ferrari owners, and another car that sticks out is the Porsche 928 that has this happen.
Sometimes, you have to bite the bullet, and this is one of them!
The problem with these cars as they depreciate, is the ownership experience opens up the opportunity to a new group of people. On the one hand that is great, but on the other hand, the cost of ownership doesn't depreciate. What happens is there are more and more cars out there with deferred and neglected maintenance. I see this with new Ferrari owners, and another car that sticks out is the Porsche 928 that has this happen.
Sometimes, you have to bite the bullet, and this is one of them!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 363
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
I'm starting to see the same problem on my '06 S55. It's got about 85k on her, the last 45k I put on after I bought her in '09. Mostly highway miles (3hr trips and longer), no commute. I first noticed it when I stored her last winter. She would be low when I started her up periodically, but she'd spring right up. It used to take a couple of weeks to sag, and only at the rear passenger corner. Now it takes a few days, still at that same corner. I flushed the fluid per Mercedes spec. Valves are next, in the next few weeks or after I store her for the winter. I'll talk to my guys about when. I'll also report back to this group. Like someone here mentioned, it seems like we should service this fluid at the same time we service the trans fluid. That is, WAY more often than Mercedes recommends.
Best,
maw
Best,
maw
Last edited by maw1124; Nov 20, 2011 at 01:40 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Nebraska
2005 CLK500 cab, 2004 S600 designo mocha
No, it's dumb because all s55/s65 cars came with ABC, downgrading isn't an option for many. I guess you could somehow find a way to retrofit airmatic by swapping components from a lesser car? Probably not.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
2006 S55
I'm starting to see the same problem on my '06 S55. It's got about 85k on her, the last 45k I put on after I bought her in '09. Mostly highway miles (3hr trips and longer), no commute. I first noticed it when I stored her last winter. She would be low when I started her up periodically, but she'd spring right up. It used to take a couple of weeks to sag, and only at the rear passenger corner. Now it takes a few days, still at that same corner. I flushed the fluid per Mercedes spec. Valves are next, in the next few weeks or after I store her for the winter. I'll talk to my guys about when. I'll also report back to this group. Like someone here mentioned, it seems like we should service this fluid at the same time we service the trans fluid. That is, WAY more often than Mercedes recommends.
Best,
maw
Best,
maw
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 766
Likes: 0
From: The Jersey Shore
Garage Temporarily Empty
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...
nm,
When my dealer diagnosed the problem, they did so with a hydraulic pressure gauge checking pressures compared to factory specs. In other words before they replaced the faulty pump they checked the system and determined the pump was not putting out enough pressure and must be failing / worn. I do remember the tech being concerned with trash in the system and spent a lot of time flushing everything out after installing the new pump.
If I had to guess I would say that they mis-diagnosed the problem and now realize the error of their ways so they are asking you to pony up extra bucks to cover their ignorance or laziness.
Ask them to reinstall the original EIS control unit after replacing the pump and see if it doesn't work with the "faulty" EIS control unit. Keep in mind you are going to step on some toes asking for this, nobody likes to be second guessed.
I ran into a similar problem with an Impala SS at Randy Marion Chevrolet. My car died doing a burnout one day and after towing it to the dealer they diagnosed it as a fuel pump. I didn't believe them but said go ahead and fix it. They called up a few hours later to report that the fuel pump was not only bad but the distributer was suspect too. I stopped in, questioned the tech and hypothesized he didn't properly check the no start out correctly. He told me he put his ear to the gas tank filler neck and couldn't hear the pump run. I went to the manager and said let's bench test the "faulty" pump. You know it, once we put 12 volts to the pump it started working. I asked for a different tech to work on my car but they refused. I ended up having the car towed to my house where I pulled the front of the engine apart (LT1) and when I got to the distributer I discovered the two screws holding the rotor on had backed out and were laying in the distributer. Two drops of locktite later she purred like a kitten. The dealer did put my "faulty" fuel pump back in allowed me to tow the vehicle to my house and only charge for two tow truck trips. The way I looked at the situation was I saved about $1,000 on repairs that were un-needed.
Best of luck,
Warren
When my dealer diagnosed the problem, they did so with a hydraulic pressure gauge checking pressures compared to factory specs. In other words before they replaced the faulty pump they checked the system and determined the pump was not putting out enough pressure and must be failing / worn. I do remember the tech being concerned with trash in the system and spent a lot of time flushing everything out after installing the new pump.
If I had to guess I would say that they mis-diagnosed the problem and now realize the error of their ways so they are asking you to pony up extra bucks to cover their ignorance or laziness.
Ask them to reinstall the original EIS control unit after replacing the pump and see if it doesn't work with the "faulty" EIS control unit. Keep in mind you are going to step on some toes asking for this, nobody likes to be second guessed.
I ran into a similar problem with an Impala SS at Randy Marion Chevrolet. My car died doing a burnout one day and after towing it to the dealer they diagnosed it as a fuel pump. I didn't believe them but said go ahead and fix it. They called up a few hours later to report that the fuel pump was not only bad but the distributer was suspect too. I stopped in, questioned the tech and hypothesized he didn't properly check the no start out correctly. He told me he put his ear to the gas tank filler neck and couldn't hear the pump run. I went to the manager and said let's bench test the "faulty" pump. You know it, once we put 12 volts to the pump it started working. I asked for a different tech to work on my car but they refused. I ended up having the car towed to my house where I pulled the front of the engine apart (LT1) and when I got to the distributer I discovered the two screws holding the rotor on had backed out and were laying in the distributer. Two drops of locktite later she purred like a kitten. The dealer did put my "faulty" fuel pump back in allowed me to tow the vehicle to my house and only charge for two tow truck trips. The way I looked at the situation was I saved about $1,000 on repairs that were un-needed.
Best of luck,
Warren
They may give you some lip service, but ultimately you are the customer. Don't waiver, be stern about what you want from them.
In addition, there could have been problems with both the ABC pump and EIS unit since the beginning. I have seen the diagnosis process uncover other items as the process goes along. It could be nothing shady on the dealer's part, but it always helps for you, as the customer, to be thorough.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 363
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
maw
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
2008 S63
2008 S63 Leaks
Hello to all. say i recently brought. my first 08 S63 it runs GREAT ,... BUT now few issures. 1)the ride in C some what ruff (2) pump in trunk keeps pumping after turning car off for maybe 3-5 mins, (3) NOW STARTING TO SEE FLUID RESIDUE ON ALL 4 RIMS. (5) Also had that ORANGE WARNING. SYMBOL come on briefly. but went back off. Could anyone. time. in i would appreciate all info.THANKS. !!! 
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 363
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Nope. Fluid is clean and pump is fine. Still sags after two or three days (this car sits a lot), but no problem overnight like many cars. I just checked in here to recall what else will go bad if I push until next spring, since I'm about to put her back in storage. I got the answer -- Tandem Pump, $2500 -- which pretty much convinces me to get the valve block done now. Sorry the news isn't better. But if you listen closely to your car with no stereo on, you can tell it has to "re-up" the pressure more often than it should (which is never, theoretically). Listen for it, and if you hear it more than twice a day, I would say get something fixed (lines, valve blocks, both) before the pump goes.
maw
maw
Cheers,
maw
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 363
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Hello to all. say i recently brought. my first 08 S63 it runs GREAT ,... BUT now few issures. 1)the ride in C some what ruff (2) pump in trunk keeps pumping after turning car off for maybe 3-5 mins, (3) NOW STARTING TO SEE FLUID RESIDUE ON ALL 4 RIMS. (5) Also had that ORANGE WARNING. SYMBOL come on briefly. but went back off. Could anyone. time. in i would appreciate all info.THANKS. !!!
Either way, you don't want that ABC pump "struggling" because it's low on fluid -- it costs a LOT. A WHOLE LOT. Like, bring the Brinks truck full of cash.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
maw
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 347
Likes: 3
From: Tennessee
2005 S55, 2002 E430, 2007 CLK350, 2006 SL55, 2003 SL55
What type of noise was made prior to the pump failing?...During a drive, I heard some new noises and the next time I started the car I got the red "ABC warning, drive carefully warning"...If my pump is going south, I would rather change it early and miss out on a total contamination of my ABC system.
What is the telltale noise?
What is the telltale noise?
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 31
Likes: 1
From: Bible Belt
124.052 230.374
missing the ABC Basics
As a Master Certified factory trained tech who was assigned 'troubleshooting' at the dealer where i worked from 2000-08 i saw my share of 'unfixable' ABC problems..at first when i went thru the 'guided tests ' in the DAS program we used..if it said 'radial piston pump is defective' i replaced it..But after doing probably over 100 if them with mostly negative results overall.. i began to start thinking..hey ..maybe the pump WASNT REALLY BAD?..after all its simply a power steering pump just piggybacked off of.. a powersteering pump !!..and when i thought about it .. over the 40 yrs ive been working on cars..and airplanes (FAA powerplant cert) i can count one ONE HAND how many power steering pumps ive replaced that were actually NOT PUMPING (and still have 4 fingers left over).the bottom line here is the techs at the dealers are nothing but parts changers .. espcially when told BY A COMPUTER to change the part..The mb DAS program used to diagnose mb vehicles.. like ANY diagnostic program .. should NOT be assumed 100% correct 100% of the time..especially with the 'low system pressure' DTC !! I drive a 95 124 coupe AND a 03 SL55..so when i found that same fault code in my own car im NOT going to replace a pump that isnt broken in half melted into one glob.. plain and simple.. so i took the time to find out the REAL source of the low preesure DTC.. (to be continued)
