SL/R231: Humming noise. Pulsation Damper?
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SL 63 AMG
Humming noise. Pulsation Damper?
HI,
My 2014 SL 63 AMG is making an intermittent humming noise at low RPMs. I can hear this noise only from the inside and I can also hear a distant moaning sound. It doesn't matter if the car is in park, drive or neutral. So I am thinking it could be the ABC pulsation damper. Any opinions?
My 2014 SL 63 AMG is making an intermittent humming noise at low RPMs. I can hear this noise only from the inside and I can also hear a distant moaning sound. It doesn't matter if the car is in park, drive or neutral. So I am thinking it could be the ABC pulsation damper. Any opinions?
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SL 63 AMG
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It's not always the mileage that counts it could be the condition of the fluid. Is the color of the fluid a light green or has it started turning darker? Go to the R230 forum for lots of information on ABC problems and repairs. If you are going to keep the SL with ABC and work on it yourself you may want to purchase a pirated copy of the STAR system and a older Commodore computer to rodeo the system on fluid changes and for other repairs. You can buy the system(s) on the Internet from mainland China and Taiwan for less than 1K.
We had three of us members of the local Houston MB group that had total failure of the ABC system and paid between 12k-14k to have the systems replaced. If the dual pump goes south microscopic particles of aluminum get into the system and every part of the system is stripped including all tubing and replaced. On the older SL's the same pump pressurized both the ABC and power steering loops though they are otherwise separated systems. Others that had individual parts break would have one quadrant of the car sit lower than the other three sides and one person locally where the ABC System leaked and lowered the body where the wheel wells sat on the tires. I believe Mercedes discontinued ABC as standard and made it a option because of the huge problems they were having. Those that lease cars with ABC are usually great fans because they turn the cars in before problems occur. This is just my opinion and others may be different. Your mileage may vary!
We had three of us members of the local Houston MB group that had total failure of the ABC system and paid between 12k-14k to have the systems replaced. If the dual pump goes south microscopic particles of aluminum get into the system and every part of the system is stripped including all tubing and replaced. On the older SL's the same pump pressurized both the ABC and power steering loops though they are otherwise separated systems. Others that had individual parts break would have one quadrant of the car sit lower than the other three sides and one person locally where the ABC System leaked and lowered the body where the wheel wells sat on the tires. I believe Mercedes discontinued ABC as standard and made it a option because of the huge problems they were having. Those that lease cars with ABC are usually great fans because they turn the cars in before problems occur. This is just my opinion and others may be different. Your mileage may vary!
Last edited by Utopia Texas; Dec 17, 2017 at 11:42 AM.
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It's not always the mileage that counts it could be the condition of the fluid. Is the color of the fluid a light green or has it started turning darker? Go to the R230 forum for lots of information on ABC problems and repairs. If you are going to keep the SL with ABC and work on it yourself you may want to purchase a pirated copy of the STAR system and a older Commodore computer to rodeo the system on fluid changes and for other repairs. You can buy the system(s) on the Internet from mainland China and Taiwan for less than 1K.
We had three of us members of the local Houston MB group that had total failure of the ABC system and paid between 12k-14k to have the systems replaced. If the dual pump goes south microscopic particles of aluminum get into the system and every part of the system is stripped including all tubing and replaced. On the older SL's the same pump pressurized both the ABC and power steering loops though they are otherwise separated systems. Others that had individual parts break would have one quadrant of the car sit lower than the other three sides and one person locally where the ABC System leaked and lowered the body where the wheel wells sat on the tires. I believe Mercedes discontinued ABC as standard and made it a option because of the huge problems they were having. Those that lease cars with ABC are usually great fans because they turn the cars in before problems occur. This is just my opinion and others may be different. Your mileage may vary!
We had three of us members of the local Houston MB group that had total failure of the ABC system and paid between 12k-14k to have the systems replaced. If the dual pump goes south microscopic particles of aluminum get into the system and every part of the system is stripped including all tubing and replaced. On the older SL's the same pump pressurized both the ABC and power steering loops though they are otherwise separated systems. Others that had individual parts break would have one quadrant of the car sit lower than the other three sides and one person locally where the ABC System leaked and lowered the body where the wheel wells sat on the tires. I believe Mercedes discontinued ABC as standard and made it a option because of the huge problems they were having. Those that lease cars with ABC are usually great fans because they turn the cars in before problems occur. This is just my opinion and others may be different. Your mileage may vary!
But it makes little sense to ignore 10+ plus years of updated tech. R230's are ancient at this point and their ABC systems have gone through iterations of evolution. That's how engineering works. MB didn't even have any maintenance program from ABC is the early years. IMO, it is helpful to stay model-specific. I am not comparing our 2015 S-Class Airmatic to our 2000 S500 Airmatic. Makes zero sense...
It's also incorrect that MB made it an option due to ABC failures. This was a simple cost exercise to somewhat keep the new car within reaching distance price-wise from the R230. I do happen to know that first hand
That said, any complex system like ABC and Airmatic will incur more maintenance and possibly repairs than simple springs and damper. But it is still a crappier suspension for the life of the car
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I think that you are a bit misguided on why people like ABC cars. I like ABC even though I had a pump failure in our 2005 SL600 (not leased).
But it makes little sense to ignore 10+ plus years of updated tech. R230's are ancient at this point and their ABC systems have gone through iterations of evolution. That's how engineering works. MB didn't even have any maintenance program from ABC is the early years. IMO, it is helpful to stay model-specific. I am not comparing our 2015 S-Class Airmatic to our 2000 S500 Airmatic. Makes zero sense...
It's also incorrect that MB made it an option due to ABC failures. This was a simple cost exercise to somewhat keep the new car within reaching distance price-wise from the R230. I do happen to know that first hand
That said, any complex system like ABC and Airmatic will incur more maintenance and possibly repairs than simple springs and damper. But it is still a crappier suspension for the life of the car
But it makes little sense to ignore 10+ plus years of updated tech. R230's are ancient at this point and their ABC systems have gone through iterations of evolution. That's how engineering works. MB didn't even have any maintenance program from ABC is the early years. IMO, it is helpful to stay model-specific. I am not comparing our 2015 S-Class Airmatic to our 2000 S500 Airmatic. Makes zero sense...
It's also incorrect that MB made it an option due to ABC failures. This was a simple cost exercise to somewhat keep the new car within reaching distance price-wise from the R230. I do happen to know that first hand
That said, any complex system like ABC and Airmatic will incur more maintenance and possibly repairs than simple springs and damper. But it is still a crappier suspension for the life of the car
Last edited by Utopia Texas; Dec 17, 2017 at 06:35 PM.
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Maybe misguided but out quite a chunk of cash I do not think should have been necessary. Due to my wife's poor health, she would no longer ride in the '2008 deeming it unreliable and did not want us stuck on the side of the road, so I opted to buy the 2017 brand new and with a warranty !
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WOLFMAN:
WHICH suspension are you calling crappier, the "simple springs and damper" or ABC?
That said, any complex system like ABC and Airmatic will incur more maintenance and possibly repairs than simple springs and damper. But it is still a crappier suspension for the life of the car
Last edited by BobBass; Dec 17, 2017 at 10:35 PM.
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SL 63 AMG
Hi again,
Today I went out for a test and the noise is there. It is like a vibration, and it is intermittent. Wolfman, do you remember if your noise was intermittent? I just want to be sure before buying the part.
Today I went out for a test and the noise is there. It is like a vibration, and it is intermittent. Wolfman, do you remember if your noise was intermittent? I just want to be sure before buying the part.
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It is almost impossible to detect where it is coming from. I can rear/feel it from the driver's seat. I think when you are referring to the left front wheel area, it is the place where the old R230 pulsation dampers were located, right? Mine is a R231, and the pulsation damper is connected directly to the pump. That's why I think I cannot pin point the noise. Maybe it is pulsating the entire system? The only thing that makes me worry is that the noise is not continuous, it is intermittent.
And regarding the fluid. It is almost transparent green. It is like new.
And regarding the fluid. It is almost transparent green. It is like new.
Last edited by nickba; Dec 17, 2017 at 11:01 PM.
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But it is subjective as most things in life. That said I will also agree if somebody buys a car and keeps it for 10 years, ABC can have more issues as anything complex carries a higher risk than simple tech.
Mercedes did revise their ABC and Airmatic components over the years and these systems have been solid compared to older generation MB’s. In those days it didn’t take 4-5 years to see first issues, it took only months. Our 2000 CL500 and 2003 SL55 had both issues 6 months in. That’s why I suggest not to generalize across 18 years of ABC.
ABC is it for me
Btw, I learned that MB seems to be using the terms ABC for two different suspensions - Active Body Control on the SL and Air Body Control on AMG’s
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If you cannot pinpoint a specific area where the vibration is comming from, and rather than spending time and money changing out parts that may not help, it might be time to take the SL to a Independent that has the MB software or to a MB Dealership.
My '2008 developed a situation about 6 months after I bought where it would stall at idle at odd times for no reason. After the third time it stalled I took it to a local mechanic who does not have MB software and he concluded that the problem was a sticking throttle body valve part and wanted $550 to change it out. I had been looking for a reputable MB/BMW mechanic also and found one a few miles away so I decided to take the SL to him for a second opinion. He put the SL on his system with MB software and concluded it was a bad purge valve in the gas tank and put in the new part for $125. The SL ran perfectly after the purge valve was replaced. My point is that some times it's easier and cheaper in the long run to take a car to someone experienced rather than diagnose and try to fix yourself.
Last edited by Utopia Texas; Dec 18, 2017 at 08:11 AM.
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SL 63 AMG
If you cannot pinpoint a specific area where the vibration is comming from, and rather than spending time and money changing out parts that may not help, it might be time to take the SL to a Independent that has the MB software or to a MB Dealership.
My '2008 developed a situation about 6 months after I bought where it would stall at idle at odd times for no reason. After the third time it stalled I took it to a local mechanic who does not have MB software and he concluded that the problem was a sticking throttle body valve part and wanted $550 to change it out. I had been looking for a reputable MB/BMW mechanic also and found one a few miles away so I decided to take the SL to him for a second opinion. He put the SL on his system with MB software and concluded it was a bad purge valve in the gas tank and put in the new part for $125. The SL ran perfectly after the purge valve was replaced. My point is that some times it's easier and cheaper in the long run to take a car to someone experienced rather than diagnose and try to fix yourself.
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