You will not need 4x of part # 0289976548 for a 2005 SL65 (v12). Instead, you will need 3x of part # 0289976648. The SL65 has two lines on a single banjo bolt. One line has 2 o-rings and the other has 1.

FWIW I also found I had to remove the left engine mount bolt and jack the engine up a bit to access the banjo bolt. Alternatively one could remove the AC line that’s in the way, but I didn’t want to compromise my perfectly functional AC.

This job is a major PITA on the V12 biturbo!

 

Thank you for this information. Have you had any difficulty with the rebuilt pump?
I am weighing a rebuilt for $300 vs original for $900.
AlexBenz05

 

With as long as the job takes, I would go with new. I've heard of too many used ones that don't work. I've even had a new one that failed within a few thousand miles.

 

The rebuilt pump is working fine. It outputs 188 BAR.

I also kept my original pump versus returning it for the $100 core. I’ve rebuilt that one myself to keep as a spare if/when the time comes.

 

Hello, I purchased all the tools that you suggested that were not already in my kit. Found I needed tamper proof Torx to move the belt idler.

I am beginning the job this weekend.

I expect the car must be fully suspended (no weight on wheels) to prevent hydraulic fluid from leaking at the banjo and lowering the car.

Is this correct?

AlexBenz05

 

Not necessary. The only lines you can’t replace or remove while the car has weight on it are the ones that go from the struts to the valve blocks.

 

You don’t need to raise all wheels. The solenoid valves in the control blocks are shut. I left both rear wheels on the ground. I intentionally drained the struts later to rid the system of as much old fluid as I could prior to flushing. In order to drain the struts, I had to open the bleeder valve near each strut.

Some fluid will leak from the pump connections anyway, it’s a messy job. I just kept a lot of blue shop towels on-hand. I used a lot of brake cleaner too as the leak had been there awhile and the leaked oil had collected dirt.

 

In my experience with the ABC related maintenance I always;
1. Lift the car to the highest position by means of the console button.
2. Place the car on stands so there is no weight on the wheels.
3. Relief the pressure by means of the relief valve by the shock tower.
My fluid loss is negligible, almost none. The main reason I like doing it this way though is no associated mess.

 

Everything done but having trouble getting at the nut on the back of the pump. Any suggestions for a guy with a large pair of hands?

 

I am thinking about doing this long term and I think a write-up would be great if you have the time to do so.

Perhaps you could include a parts list as well as the process. I understand you need to drop both the sub frames to accomplish this? Did you install sway bars?

 

Thank you for your advice, it made the job simple.
John King

 

After completing the pump install, I now have the Red ABC / Do Not Drive warning, and get no response from the lift/lower button.
Prior to the replacement, I had no warning lights and the system worked well.
Pump was replaced because it had started to leak.
Any guidance would be appreciated.

Update: Issue was that the pump had not primed.
Got it primed and everything works now, but now I have the ABC visit shop warning in white.
Going to complete many lift/lower cycles over however many days needed to hopefully purge the air from the system and hope that does it.

 

Assuming all the work was performed correctly, you probably need to pressurize the system to prime the pump as described at the end, then carry out the 'rodeo' bleeding procedure.

 

You need to bleed the pump by slightly pressurising the reservoir. The pump does not self prime.

Nick

 

Just saw your response and another ..after I had that same thought and finished pressurizing the system to prime the pump.
Thank you both for the input!

 

In the middle of this task and the pulley will wobble a little on its "shaft" but is not showing any signs of coming off.

Has anyone any advice for getting it off without damaging pulley or core pump?

 

This is an awesome write-up! Thaks for posting!

 

Its just a very tight fit.
Maybe use a small wire brush to get corrosion off.
Then add a bit of oil and wiggle it very patiently.
It will come off.
Nick

 

Thank you for that.

Actually what worked for me was to get the top cooland pipe out of the way so I could get two hands on it.

I removed the quick release coolant fitting on the radiator, much easier than rubber pipes that have been there for 18 years, just don't lose the clip :-)

 

Can someone clarify this please? Manual says R230 SL55 has a 5 liters capacity for ABC and an additional 1 liter capacity for power steering. Not sure what to make of this. They have the same reservoir. Then STAR documentation AR32.50-P-0021N titled Fill up and vent the ABC systems [attached] says 3.5 liters of initial oil capacity. I guess you would top off another 1.5 liters for a total of 5 liters or you have 1.5 liters left in the system. In any event, why would you need 10 liters of oil for this job? Many thanks. I'm about to tackle this in a few days. Wish me luck and a lot of patience!

 

The power steering and ABC reservoirs are separate. The pump is two units on one drive shaft.

 

To properly flush the ABC system, you typically syphon out the reservoir which is several liters, but is only a fraction of the total fluid. Put in fresh fluid, run engine for a few minutes and then raise& lower the suspension with the console buttons a dozen times, and maybe even drive around a bit. (Or perform a "rodeo" with a scan tool). Repeat this 2 or 3 more time so that you have mostly fresh fluid in the system. This might take a total of 10 liters. Remember to replace the ABC fluid filter too.
As mentioned, there are two reservoirs; the larger is for the ABC. If you have fluid left, syphon out the PS reservoir too and fill with the same fluid.

 

Thanks, this makes sense. I have 3 liters of CHF 11S so I thought it would be enough to replace the pump without a flush. Plan is to replace the pump, assess the situation, and if the problem is fixed, move on to the oil and filter change which would be siphoning and topping off 2 quarts or so at a time.

 

To replace the pump, you are going to need quite a bit more than 3 liters. I would suggest ordering at least one more 5 liter bottle of CHF 11S.
And yes the PS reservoir will be involved too.
If your fluids are old, then siphon and drain the reservoirs. If the fluids are very new, procure assorted 1" or so rubber stoppers, and as you remove each feed line to the pump, plug it with a stopper. I suggest doing this anyway so that the lines don't drip constantly during your work.

When I recently swapped engines, I of course filled both reservoirs. But when starting the engine, it just didn't seem right and I feared no fluid actually got to the ABC pump, which is known to easily damage. Seems there is some kind of valve on the fluid inlet hose. I therefore set my air compressor for 10 psi, pressed my blow gun into the ABC and I could tell it blew fluid past that valve. The pump then sounded better and made pressure.

Good luck with your project. I assume you have a good scanner to deal with the likely ABC fault codes.

 

The 3 quarts I have are three bottles of CHF 11S Titan from FCP Euro. It's probably safe to mix it with regular CHF 11S but in the absence of knowledge, I decided to order more Titan and not mix the two types. It seems I'd be better off waiting for the oil to arrive. Thanks for the advice! And yes, I have one of those clone STAR laptops from eBay. It actually turned out to be a great investment.

I have a question about priming the pump.. do you blow air in through the ABC reservoir to pressurize the system?