Viet_Amg408

hi,

i have 2003 1s55 .. today after doing arrends around town..came home park...saw smoke come out under the hood.. pop up the hood and i saw green fluid splitting out of the abc resevior.. after few minutes it stop..

i got red message on dash "abc drive slow" ..

what could be the problem?..before today i also notice minor groan noise at times when turning i can feel it in the steering wheel..low rpm 1k to 3k.. i checked the fluid level it was full so i been driving with it..


im going to dealership on monday to buy some hydraulic fluid to top it off..

right now the resevior is low, so im not driving it just in case the pump might seize up..

any advice will be helpful to this infamous mercedes abc problem...

Viet_Amg408

bump

blahuh

your pump probably went out.

Viet_Amg408

yeah, im just puzzle what cause the fluid to back-pressure and spit out the resevior...


well im in the process of replacing the abc hydraulic filter and flush the system see what happen...if the pump still fail..then think imma replace the pump again..

the pump replaced once before..previous owner...

damn just check out price for the abc/ps pump 1,200 ....

blahuh

ya abc components aren't cheap. Make sure you flush the system really well if you end up replacing the pump. Mb recommends cleaning the reservoir, flushing the system, and also flushing fluid out of all the bleeder screws as well.

Viet_Amg408

you seem well knowledge have you flush the system before? this is going to be my first attempt DIY servicing abc system..

anything to watch out for?

blahuh

Ya, its gonna be a difficult DIY project. Im a tech so Ive only done it with an SDS. Just do not run the system dry. If the pump gets run dry or is making noise, its days are numbered. Run the hose that connects to the filter top into a drain bucket and just monitor the fluid. It would help if you had a helper, have them hit the vehicle lvl button to get the car to go up and down, while you monitor the fluid lvl. Per mb a full flush is supposed to use around 10-12 liters. You can filter the system easier. Filtering the fluid consists of replacing the filter, running "rodeo" with the sds, and then replacing the filter again.

i_am_amused

i bet that's why they call them "helpers"

personally, there is no way *I* would DIY this. Even one speck of dirt can jam a valve. I would want somebody's warranty behind the work.

blahuh

haha yes.
I agree with you, if you don't know what you are doing, I wouldnt mess with it.

Viet_Amg408

thanks for replying..

well i got some mechanic background...gonna try to tackle this flushing and maybe replacing the pump also..

imcc

Mine did the same thing MB diagnosed it as a sticking valve but they were never able to replicate the problem after flushing the system, I also have a 3 month old ps / abc pump they installed due to mine leaking out of the front seal of the pump. Good Luck.

Viet_Amg408

oh really.. my pump is not leaking at all..

Viet_Amg408

updates:

replaced fluid/flush/bleed...system.
replaced hydraulic filter..

car is back to normal now..there still slight groan noise..

oh about the pump..after closer inspection w/o taking off the pulley, i believe the pump is leaking front seal in the bottom..i think it cause by the ballancer/pulley/worn bearing its being a bit wabbly causing accessive wear on the seal..

Viet_Amg408

anyone tried resealing the pump instead?

Viet_Amg408

groan noise is coming from nitrogen accumulator..

going to replace this..hopefully groan noise gone

i_am_amused

congrats. you are a braver mechanic than me

(is "braver" even a word??? )

blahuh

good to hear that its working. Ya the accumulators makes noise all the time. Its amazing how many people don't even notice it. I don't know of any reseal kit available for the abc pump, but let me know if you happen to find one.

Viet_Amg408

lol why didn't you say that before...after repair i heard the groan/humming noise so bad that i can feel underneath the body...


and the pump, i found a reman one for around $200.. what you guys think?


http://www.car-stuff.com/carparts/me...a12153851.html

Viet_Amg408

its not so scary once you have the proper tools/resource..

this is my first abc system DIY..

blahuh

ya i dunno about the reman pump, but for the price you cant beat it

Zachmac

I also recently got the dreaded ABC Drive Carfully and Visit Workshop lights. It is the pump!!!! The amazing part was the stealership negotiation on price. I am naked on the car so it ain't a money is no object warranty item.

They originally quoted $3400 for a new pump, system flush and cycle, fluid, labor, etc.; $2100 for the pump. I did a quick check and found the pump on line for ~$1350, but of course a dealer won't install a part you bring them nor warranty the work. I then called the next closest dealer and got a quote of $2400 for the same repair (pump $1500).

Here is the important part, you can dicker with these guys. I called back the original dealer and said the deal is I can get it done at your competing MB store for $2400 and after some wrangling they agreed to do it for that and throw in a full exterior / interior detail.

The lessen learned (I have done this several times now) is to NOT accept what they say initally and push back.

Viet_Amg408

sorry to hear that..

to my understanding..the abc pump on mercedes is poorly design, yes it usually leaks at the seal.. once the pump run dry, its all over..

well my pump is running good now.. before somehow it spit out hydraulic fluid..maybe the accumulator is the bad one after all..


well im going to replace it today and bleed the system again..

keep you guys updated on the groan noise

Deviouz

WOW...

IngenereAMG

Well done!

These cars don't have to be a financial nightmare. One just has to be willing to put the time and effort into them.

Viet_Amg408

'yes, i agree with you sir..