Hello Everyone,

Yes... its another one of those ABC threads. I've been reading through almost all the postings about ABC issues but for some reason I still feel like mine is a bit different. My 2003 SL500 drives and runs great but occassionally I get the ABC Visit Workshop light. I do not notice any difference when that error comes on my screen nor while Im driving, I also step out to take a look at the car to make sure that its not slammed to the ground and see no problems. When I turn off the car and start it back up, it just drives fine without that error. I would say I get that error once a week driving it daily. I had it checked by a MB mech in Glendora, CA and he showed me that the two rear struts need to be replaced due to leaks. I saw the leaks on the canister and rear arms but no where else. Estimated parts and labor is around $4000. I read up on some posts and saw that this problem may not require replacing the struts but changing out the seals or tightening some screws. Since this problem hasn't been persistent, I'm hoping that its just a screw that needs to be tightened or some seal needs to be replaced. The Height adjustment works perfectly by the way.

Can someone please enlighten me and help me out as I don't want to fork out $4000+ for something I just purchased and I'm hoping to get a second opinion by another local shop. Any suggestions on a reputable MB mech in SoCal? Thanks Everyone

 

Arnott remanufactures ABC units and sells them for quite a bit less money than new OEM units: http://www.arnottindustries.com/part...rts_yid18.html

A good indie shop using Arnott pieces should be able to make the fix for quite a bit less money than a dealer.

 

when the pressure sensor starts to go out this will happen also but leaking struts most likely not the problem

 

Thanks for the responses everyone. Can anyone direct me to a reputable shop in socal who can actually take a look at it to see if I need the replacement or not?

 

Just had the ABC valve block replaced at http://www.carlsbadexclusiveauto.com/ for $97. per hour for the 2.5 hour job , and got the part from parts.com .

Knowledgeable , friendly , above all else , honest . But, no free rental car .

Just next door to Hoehn Mercedes who are also great , should you prefer a dealer.

 

HYEVON MOTORS in Westminster

 

I was had some ABC work done on my 2006 CL55 at http://www.furgersons.com/carlsbad/ and was happy with the service. I can't remember exactly how much it cost as this was about a year ago, but I remember it being less than the other local Carlsbad auto repair shops I had price checked at the time.

 

I have a 2003 SL500 as well with around 70K miles, and just got an ABC message on the dash. Took it in to dealer, and being quoted around 3K for all repairs for a new ABC pump. bleeding, etc.

I almost never use my ABC feature, as the car is always on lowest mode (no lights) and I never use the ABC Sport feature either. This ABC problems seems to be the beginning of many ABC strut issues as well.

 

Does anyone have a great one-stop article on the ABC system? I have the same ABC message in my '03 SL500 (70K miles). Mostly it's been white and goes away when I turn the car off. Once I got the red message. What 's the difference?

Anyone know a good, honest shop in Puget Sound?

 

can any of the techies out there talk about the ABC sport mode and the other raise and lower feature of the r230's? I have an 07 sport and just always leave the ABC sport on with a neutral height. should i be adjusting more? turn off abc at certain times? i know it obviously helps with cornering but also rough pavement. Any input would be awesome.

 

I have an 04 and my indie always checksbthevcolor of the ABC fluid. He takes a felt like pipe cleaner and dips it in the reservoir. If it is dark almost black vs. a blue green, it's time to have the system drained and bled. I would check this before replacing parts.

 

Does anyone in Ventura County, CA know of a good indy in the area?

 

I had a similiar issue where the ABC light would come on once in awhile. Took it to the stealership to get it diagnosed. Stated the ABC/Steering wheel pump was not producing the necessary pressure; hence the light coming on and off. The pump retail is roughly $1.66k. I got it from ecsturning for $1.2k and is an OEM Mercedes part. Labor plus flushing and refilling the ABC system & installation added about $1k. All in all, it cost me around $2.2k. Probably got ripped off, but at least some some money on parts.