This morning was my 2nd time going into my dealership in 7 months to get these problems checked. A couple of months ago it was my ABS malfunction light that came on and then yesterday my ESP malfunction light came on. The ABS had to do with a faulty sensor, but the ESP I do not know as of yet. Any similar problems happening with your cars?

 

I had the same problem "ESP MALFUNCTION". I repaired this poblem about two weeks ago, my speedtronic was also affected by the ESP, which means that I could'nt us my cruise control. I think the computer disables the crusie control option for your saftey. To repair this ESP malufunction they had to replace a spring in the steering column, they managed to do the repair in less then a day. They had to remove the steering wheel in order to replace the spring, no panels were removed. When I first got the ESP malfunction message, I thought it was going to be a big job, I'm so happy it turned out to be a minor problem. I have less then 5,000 miles on the car. I think its possible for all cars to have these malfunctions, I think most other makes do have malfunctions as well but do not have the computers that Mercedes vehicles have to show the driver the malfunction, I think that to the owners of Mercedes vehicles it seems that we have frequent problems with our vehicles, just think of all the drivers that have these problems driving vehicles of other makes and don't even know it.

 

yea thats what i was thinking too

 

I disagree. All cars in this price range have the same level of computer monitoring. The real fact is that MB quality is not what it used to be and we will continue to see their quality and resale go down until they get their act together.

 

i just drove the car with the "esp malfunction" and i must say, it is a LOT more fun to drive with ESP completely not working! the tires actually chirp...power is a bit more raw. even with esp "off" it would still be tame, but i like it with esp dead haha.

 

Midget fidger, if you like the way the car feels with the ESP off it can be turned off completly according to car and driver. I read the reveiw on the SLK350 prior to get my car, I never tried turning the ESP off but I'm sure the guys at caranddriver.com know what their doing. Heres what they wrote in their article:

Turn It Off—All the Way Off!

For years we've complained about the butt-in behavior of the electronic stability programs in Mercedes-Benzes, which automatically intervene to shut down power and braking when they think your driving needs help. A dashboard switch suggests the program can be turned off, but it can't—it just kicks in at what it sees as a more intemperate level of driving on your part. We were convinced it simply could not be shut off.

Well, Benz lovers, we found a way.

Here's how. To start, turn the ignition key to the first accessory position, making sure the dash display shows the odometer. The SRS airbag light should be on. Press the trip odometer reset button three times rapidly before it goes off. If you do this right, a screen will appear showing a voltmeter. Then press the "up" arrow on the left side of the wheel twice to take you to the "ESP dynamometer test" screen. Using the plus (+) button on the right side of the wheel, select "on." And then start the car. Warnings will appear informing you that the ESP, ABS, and BAS (brake assist) aids are now turned off and you're on your own.

If you did it right, you've put the car in a mode intended for diagnostic testing on a rolling dynamometer—all electronic supervision is unplugged. Unhindered by techno-aids, the SLK's grip on the skidpad improved by 0.03 g compared with simply hitting the ESP switch on the dash. To return all the safety technology, scroll back to the dyno test screen and select "w/t. 15 off" with the minus (-) button. Shutting off all the electronic aids isn't easy, and that should tell you something. Owners are not generally privy to the dynamometer mode; therefore, we will continue to publish test numbers attained with the dashboard ESP switch turned off. We just thought you'd want to know.

 

Funny, I just logged on to research this exact problem. Started the car this morning and was greated by the "ESP malfunction" message. 1600 miles on 2006 SLK 55, and this is the first trouble I've had. Glad to hear it is an easy fix. Still-- it appears this problem may be far too common. I wonder if the replacement spring will fail in a few thousand miles?

To the dealer I go...

 

Hey guys i know this is an old thread but hopefully i can still get some help. I'm staying with a friend who owns a 2006 SLK55 and its been babied to the T. Always in the garage and under a cover with 4500 miles and already a few oil changes. The ESP malfunction message pops up and the cruise control does not work. Dealership won't fix under warranty because the time has passed but miles hasn't but thats another issue. We tried to fix it by turning the wheel all the way to left and then all the way to the right with no success. I have also read that a spring in the steering column needs to be replaced or a sensor in the steering column needs to be replaced. Or the entire ESP module. Anyone have any insight on a solution? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks guys

 

I don't think there's anything you can do about the warranty, they're pretty clear on the "4 years / 50,000 miles whichever comes first." Also, I believe there's a minimum oil change period of 6 months regardless of when the car is driven. But that shouldn't be related to an ESP issue. The same thing happened on my previous '06 SLK350 twice but I don't recall the warranty repair being anything major. You could ask them to diagnose and provide a quote, make sure to call before doing any work - should be free, no?