Utopia Texas

Back when I was on the 230 forum word had it that once MB sold out of the old filters all new production would be the 3 micron type. This was years ago. Unless some vendor has some really old stock on the shelf I doubt You can buy anything except 3 micron at this time.

tx170754

It is a little bit darker than the new one but not much....

steve sl550

Sebastian....pls keep us advised as you work with the AGA tool and let us know for sure if filter A003 184 61 01 is in fact the 3 micron we should use.

THANKS to all for digging into this as I do believe we should do a fluid and filter change periodically (question is how often)....per AGA they suggest at a min @ 40K miles.........If Sebastian notes his oil pretty dirty @ 75K miles and 6 yrs sounds good to me maybe @ 30K miles ??
Anyone with thoughts on this or advice from a knowledgeable Dealers Hd Mechanic?

Also for Sebastion....where was your line leak and any signs of any oter issues with you R231 ABC we should be aware of? Do you or MB have any idea why the line let loose or was the leak from somewhere else?

We appreciate you input as you are likely one of the only owners of a R231 with ABC and high mileage so those of us with R231 ABC systems are thirsty for your feedback

THANKS in advance

Steve

Utopia Texas

Great team work by the group to answer all the questions. I feel a lot better going forward having the tools and parts on hand to do the job when the time comes about! Thanks to everyone......

SebastianM157

i found filter assembly 231-320-00-69-28.. this appears to be the assembled filter , including carrier , filter and o rings;. maybe someone can verify this. Although listed for the SL 550 I suspect it is the same as the SL63. this would be ideal if it comes complete. PN on the carrier I took out is 231-320-00-68.

I sized the o-rings today as they seemed to have "swelled" and would not fit the receiver grooves.
4 x 59 x 2 (top cap seal)
3 x 13 x 2 ( each end of filter)
2.0 x 29.5 x 1 ( lower receiver)
HNBR style 70 durometer should be correct.

I will fab my own AGA tool as it looks to be simple design.
wish me luck.....

andy-gts

watch closely this looks to be a great revelation if we can change this ourselves....!!!

Utopia Texas

Could you take the cap off the tank, reinstall the bail wire and leave the filter and filter housing installed, then insert a flexible plastic tube through the center of the filter to the base of the filter and the other end to a collection bucket? If the correct sized tube could be found to snuggly fit through the filter it could actually work.......maybe? . My recollection of draining the ABC fluid on my 230 is that the return pressure of the fluid is minimal.

SebastianM157

Yes you could but why would you not want to change the filter?
No luck on green hnbr o rings yet , black ones are available but not quite as durable. I will see if I can find alternate source.

Any one find out if the complete carrier has all the o rings?

Sebastian

Utopia Texas

I did not explain myself very well. Yes you would change the filter after the fluid replacement. You would use the old filter, carrier and tubing to drain the old fluid instead of making or buying the AGA tool.

SebastianM157

Yes you could maybe tap it and drill it. Put a tube through the cap and go to town.... This may work, simple threaded abs tubing and some 3/8 npt thread . I will see if there is enough.meat n the plastic.

Utopia Texas

Why drill a hole through the cap? Just take the cap off, replace the bail wire, and run the tubing down through the filter to the bottom of the tank.
What Am I missing here?

SebastianM157

I don't think you could get a hose to stay as there is some pressure plus you would have a hard time pushing it in with the oring in place. It may work.

steve sl550

Sebastian,

How are you making out with the "leak" you have in the ABC.

With your car @ 75K miles we with ABC are curious as to what we can expect.

Did you locate the leak?....... Has your inspection shown any other areas of concern?......

Following your finds and fixes here.

Pls advise what you have found.

THANKS

SebastianM157

I am awaiting o rings so I can get the system checked again. Went looking for the assembly filter number I found but according to dealer there is only one in the country and it is on hold....
I will use nitrile o rings and will contact my European friends for hnbr style rings.

I will let you know how I make out.

Sebastian

steve sl550

Hi Sebastian,

Look forward to your progress

BUT

Did you in fact have a hose or some other leak?
I believe you were originally looking for an ABC pump and said you had lost fluid , maybe a hose leak ? Is ther more you are working on other than the fluid and filter change?

Us 231 guys with ABC and relatively low mileage looking to learn from you as you probably have one of the only 231s with ABC with higher mileage.

So....did you in fact have a leak or other issues than the desire to change fluid and filter?

THANKS, Steve

SebastianM157

I had major leak, ie it puked all the fluid out . From what I can tell the pump is the culprit . I decided to replace the pump since it probably ran dry for a bit and I don't want to risk it.

I will get it fired up today and see if there are any additional areas that need attention.

Sebastian

steve sl550

Hi Sebastian,

I was at my dealer today and spoke with the Hd Mechanic regarding your total loss of fluid and possibility that the ABC pump failed.

He told me if no signs of leaks elsewhere and signs of fluid around the pump it is most likely the ABC pump seal that has failed.

Be interesting if in fact when you do a post mortem you find it was a seal failure and then raises the question "why" did it fail. The Hd Mechanic speculated: running dry but, would only have happened if you had a leak somewhere else and ran out of fluid, possibly overheating or just seal failure due to who knows what.

Interested to know what you think.

Also did you buy the flush tool or make your own?

Although MB does not recommend a flush as a PM the Hd Mech did say he tinks a flush and fluid change @ 40K miles is a good idea so that is what I will do.

SebastianM157

Well I got the system pressurized and the real culprit showed up as pin hole in the main pressure hose. The hole was spraying straight on to the fan which nicely dispersed it across my beautiful engine 😲😲😲
I tried pressurrizing the system before the pump change to se if I could locate any other issues but I could not and the pump feels "rough" so I was replacing that one any way. I will dissect the pump on my own and rebuild for later use....this car is going nowhere.

You need to put the tank under pressure as you start the car or the system will shut down and not pump. I bought a rubber plug which I drilled a hole through so I could use compressed air to bump it through the dipstick hole. Yes very crude but effective..
Now I got to find the pressure hose part number..😃

steve sl550

Hd Mechanic @ my dealer told me very few issues reported to MB with the R231 but, as we know many with the R230.

His thought Re why the new style cap on the fluid tank is likely to preclude owner mistakes that were easy with the screw cap.
BTW did you buy the flush tool or have you fabricated your own?

When you thought prob was the pump he told me of R230 issues with the older style pump shaft seal, also some strut leaks and valve block issues supposed to be cured with new "O" ring material.

He did say the R230s did have hose leak issues (not at the connections)....leaks were at the hose to connector crimp and he felt caused by too tight routing so they now inspect cars with ABC for lines that might stress the hose to crimp but...you had a pin hole leak....was it in the run of the line or at the hose to connector crimp??

Bottom line for me is to get a warranty before the factory warranty expires and change the fluid & filter every 30-40K miles along with a thorough inspection every 10K miles or so.
My guy said he thinks the R231 system is much improved so should be far fewer issues with it than with a R231.

I love the car, love the ABC ride so plan to keep it for some time so want to do the best to insure least troubles.

Appreciate your letting us know what's up and keeping us informed.

SebastianM157

Right in the rubber about an inch from the crimp. 😭😭

SebastianM157

hi
So I replaced hose and fired it all up. I could hear whistling in the valve blocks which indicates air in the system . Raised and lowered the car and bunch of times and the problem seems to diminish. I don't own an SDS so no rodeo option which would have been ideal to expedite the expelling of the air. Now you can hear a tiny chirp from the rear if driven over tough road bumps. I will do some aggressive driving to get the heat up and force the car to use the system which should cure it.

If someone needs a complete parts list an the specs of parts I used and for the fitment of the aga tool I would be happy to help.😀😀

We need a source for the hnbr rings to make this a as factory supplied system .

I would suggest to do the fluid change at 50 to 60 k so that all fluid stays clear. Hose failure is a random event in my opinion so don't buy a hose if you don't need one.
I will keep an eye on the fluid level but I suspect all will be ok moving forward. I did puke my oil out so I don't see the need for a full fluid replacement.

Sl63s will not be made like this again so I will keep this old Betty running and empty my wallet in her honour at the gas station. F%@k Ms Thunberg.

Sorry for the politics but I make pistons for a living!!

Sebastian

steve sl550

Hi Sebastian,

THANKS for keeping us appraised and great you are up and running.

Did you end up using the AGA tool and if so did it fit correctly in the tank when the filter assembly was removed?

Also when you refer to the hnbr rings are they to replace the 2 rings in the tank cap?

One more question.....after removing the bail wire how exactly did you get the cap out?

And YES to your offer to provide: "If someone needs a complete parts list an the specs of parts I used and for the fitment of the aga tool I would be happy to help.����"....please do.

THANKS in advance for reply

steve sl550

Hi Sebastian,

Hi Sebastian,

THANKS for keeping us appraised and great you are up and running.

Did you end up using the AGA tool and if so did it fit correctly in the tank when the filter assembly was removed?

Also when you refer to the hnbr rings are they to replace the 2 rings in the tank cap?

One more question.....after removing the bail wire how exactly did you get the cap out?

And YES to your offer to provide: "If someone needs a complete parts list an the specs of parts I used and for the fitment of the aga tool I would be happy to help.����"....please do.

THANKS in advance for reply

steve sl550

Wondering how Sebastian's high mileage 231 with ABC doing after his repair last fall.....be great to hear from him.

Also....did he ever get PNs for MB "O" rings??

As I plan to keep the 2018 I have for a long time I'm trying to best perform PMs to preclude issues and have come to the following decisions:

1) Will change ABC fluid and filter every 30-40K mikes
2) As I suspect pressure surges have a big affect on hose leakage and pump seal issues I think replacing all the accumulators every 30-40K miles (@ time of fluid flushes) is a really good idea.

So...that's my plan going forward.

348SStb

Reviving an old thread here. I have a 2017 SL63 (R231.2 without the optional stiffer "AMG performance Suspension") with 20.8k miles and I am electing to do an ABC fluid exchange soon at a Mercedes dealer. I placed my fluid in a test tube and in comparison with virgin fluid, it appears adequate to good or about 4 or 5/10 on the darkness scale, which is enough for me to warrant the exchange. I plan on inspecting the fluid quality every 5k miles.

There is very little information out there in R231 ABC in general. I have a few questions:
1) Are there any differences in the ABC system setup/components between base R231 variants equipped with optional ABC (SL450 and SL 550) and SL63 and SL65 variants with standard ABC?
2) Are there any differences in system setup/components between R231.1 ABC (2013-2016) and R231.2 (model years 2017+) models? I know Curve function was added to base R231.2 models (not AMG models) equipped with optional ABC, but that is probably just software and firmware tuning.
3) Does the AGA tool for ABC suit the R231.2 (2017+) SL63 which has the reservoir-filter assembly? Compatibility seems questionable, as again information connected to the R231 model is murky.
(We did not hear back from Sebastian on this, but hopefully he will be able to help further.)
4) Is there anything unique about the R231/SL63 ABC system that would be good to know in advance of the fluid exchange?

I would like to mention that some very generous help from fellow forum member Herman K has been essential to my project. I will create a new thread with information, fluid sample photos, etc once the project is complete so we have some more R231 info out there.