Doug427

My 2006 E55 is giving me this message. It's not red, and the brakes seem to work just fine. Car has approx. 80K miles on it. I have searched ( I know someone is going to scream DO A SEARCH!!!!). The results are very confusing and in most cases contradictory. If you guys don't mind a few simple questions,

1- SBC warranty seems to be 10 years (I'm past that) but some indicate that MB has quietly extended past that. Has anyone gotten MB to replace the SBC under warranty past the 10 years? If so, how?

2- I'm in Houston. Do any of you Houston guys have a recommendation for a "cooperative" MB dealer in the area? The on I have gone to is not real user friendly at all.

3- I I can find someone local with a STAR unit, or can manage to find one for purchase, will the STAR unit tell me exactly what the problem is without simply throwing parts at the problem?

4- What's the significance of the red vs. non-red version of the same message?

Thanks!

rapidoxidation

First thing I'd do is check the thickness of the brake pads.

oneslow55

The fix for that brake light issue is $15 it's a brake light switch located under the dash ...That will cure your problem.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brake-Light-...1Y66Pw&vxp=mtr

Doug427

I have one on the way. I hate to just throw parts at a problem, but given the complexity and cost of repairs on these cars we drive, I figured tossing a measly $15 at it to see of it works is worth it. However, my luck usually doesn't run as good as that, unfortunately. I'll pop the switch in, hoping for the best, but I'm beginning to plan for the worst.

Doug427

They look ok visually without removing them.

skylinrcr01

It's most likely your SBC pump has reached end of service life. Mine did that, while my SBC accumulator crapped out at the same time. If you have STAR, check the pressure readings, as well as the actuation count.

What caused the red warning was the accumulator, and the white warning was the pump count.

harjothundal

I agree 100%, it is likely your service life. However, it's recommended that you plug into STAR for an accurate diagnosis. These pumps have a set threshold of actuations aka 'reliable' service life. Once you have reached that number, you will need to replace the SBC pump.

I replaced mine about a year ago, at a cost of approx 1300-1400. Pricey, maybe, but it's a critical safety function of the vehicle so I feel the price should not be of concern. An advantage is that the correct procedure requires a fluid flush as well, so I knocked out two birds with one stone.

hachiroku

ya for my car...the first thing i did was check the rotors and pads...all had good life. ignored it as the error went away upon next drive.

after my buddy scanned for all faults across OBD2, he did notice an error message for brake light switch at the pedal.

when this goes out, ESP also disables itself on my car. Usually restarting the car removes the errors. I do have to change that sensor out at some point though.

JoeJErnst

You really need to get it hooked up to STAR. I've had the white warning twice; once it was the brake pedal switch, but the next time it was the end-of-life for the SBC unit. STAR will tell you which one it is.

Doug427

I agree, hooking up to a STAR machine is the next logical step. I avoid the MB dealer at all cost whenever possible.

Does anyone in Houston have a STAR machine that they'll allow me to hook up to to check this thing out properly? I'll happily pay a fair rate to do so.....

oneslow55

Install switch report back!

WannaBeeAMG

I just purchased my E55 earlier this month and had this message pop up 3 times and go away when the car is restarted. I purchased a star computer system from shardul as I don't want to be caught without it when I really need one. I feel this will be money well spent over the ownership of this car and provide peace of mind that I'll have the tool to diagnose future problems. For under $1000, maybe you want to look into it and give shardul a PM if you plan on being a DIYer and don't want to rely on the stealership.