Yuille36

So someone please tell me why, there is such a big price difference between two local Mercedes Benz Parts Departments. My 2007 E63, has been displaying a ESP inoperable in the gauge cluster lately.
So I had the car scanned last Friday at Benz Elite Automotive in Fairfax VA. The scan revealed a failed or failing Stability Control Module Steering Angle Sensor. Those of you not familiar with the sensor, here you go.

The steering angle sensor is a component that makes up the electronic stability program (ESP). The steering angle sensor is one of the monitoring devices located within the steering column. In years past, this device was analog in nature, measuring the voltage changes that were created by the steering wheel and relaying that information to the vehicle's ECU. Today's steering angle sensors are digital and are comprised of an LED light that measures the angle of the steering input. This component is one that is designed to last the lifespan of the vehicle. However, like any other sensor, the steering angle sensor can wear out or fail completely due to multiple factors beyond the control of most vehicle owners. When it does break or is slowly beginning to fail, it will exhibit a few common warning signs or symptoms. In my case where an issue exists with the electronic stability program, an error code is triggered and stored inside the vehicle's ECM. This will also trigger the Traction Control Light to illuminate on the dashboard or instrument control panel. When the steering wheel angle sensor fails, there is a malfunction indicator on the instrument cluster that alerts the driver that the electronic stability system has been disabled and requires service. When the Traction Control Light is illuminated while the system is active, it's important that you contact a local ASE certified mechanic so they can download the OBD-II error codes and determine what problem exists that may impact the drivability and safety of your vehicle.Since the steering angle sensor is designed to monitor the actions and input provided by the steering wheel, it sometimes can relay false information to the ECM and create a potentially dangerous situation. When the sensor is faulty, misaligned, or damaged, the information it reads and sends to the vehicle's on board computer is inaccurate. This can cause the ESP to provide steering input or adjustments at the wrong time. In most cases, this will lead to a "loose" condition in the steering wheel, where the amount of steering input you provide is not reciprocated by the action of the vehicle.

Know that you are educated on what the Steering Angle Sensor is and does. Answer this question, why is there such a bold price difference. I called MB of Arlington, in Arlington VA, they quote me $300, I then called MB of Alexandria, they quote me $341. Benz Elite Automotive told me that they can get it from their parts supplier for $250. I then started looking around via the web, from major parts suppliers such as RockAuto, AutohausAZ, MBOEMPARTS, FCP Euro, etc. I managed to find this part from Mercedes Benz of Peoria for $171 and $179.77 with shipping to VA.

So why are two different Mercedes Benz Dealership that are within 15 miles from each other, have such a drastic price difference? And I managed to find a MB dealership in Illinois charging me only half of what my local stealerships are asking? Does the locality have something to do with it, being so close to DC?

Do you have similar stories that you would like to share, if so please post them. I would enjoy reading them.

hachiroku

didn't read the whole thing besides the first line...

each Mercedes dealership and parts department are privately owned. Since they're privately owned and generally the only dealer in the market, they reserve the right to price their parts with whatever markup they feel they should.


if you know the part...and part number you can search across multiple dealerships sales departments if they have an online store. i generally spend a bit of time searching and doing price comparisons. prices fluctuate at times, but parts do as well. one part might be well priced at one, where another has it marked up a lot...but also the first dealer may up price other items.

if its not a part that is coded directly to your car...purchase from any retailer that sells OEM parts would give you the best pricing.

Yuille36

Thank you for your insight, very useful information.

Strigoi

I've found that even though my mechanic can get me parts at his wholesale cost, it's often cheaper for me to buy them online. If I need something next day, I'll pay a bit more and get it from him. They're paying a bit more to have same or next day availability on parts from a local supplier.

W21163

Give this a shot

Yuille36

Thank you for the information video, I will try this out when I get home. But personally, I think it's more involved then this, or my AMG Certified Technician would have known this technique.
We used Star Diagnostic computer to read the codes in the car, and every code that was pulled lead to the Stability Control Module, Steering Angle Sensor that had failed or is failing.
The codes were reset, but the ESP Inoperative message is still being displayed in the cluster, every so often. But I will try this technique anyway. And my new sensor has been shipped, just in case.

cetialpha5

I've replaced the one on my 2008 E-350, it should be the same setup. There's a youtube video of it on how to do it. Toughest part was probably getting the nut holding the steering wheel on off. Mechanic used an air hammer and it came right off, would have been tricker with just hand tools. I think that reset procedure probably only applies to the pre-face lift models.

Also ran into the same problem with pricing from different dealerships. Some just charge list price, another one seemed to be charging 25-30% over list price. That's probably what you ran into. Mechanics have told me that they get a 20% discount on parts, but you can buy the parts online for up to 30% off list price plus some places don't charge tax so it's still cheaper to buy the parts yourself.

maxusa

My GL used to give me the ESP inoperable error. I found that shutting the engine off and restarting cleared the error after 1 minute until next time (could be weeks). I also had a right steering knuckle sensor error logged. Replaced that to no avail. Finally, I bought a used steering column (with the angle sensor and levers) from a fresh donor vehicle $130 and replaced it. Everything is working well since. One needs to disconnect the battery, remove the airbag, and steering wheel to get to it. Few hours following WIS articles.

Yuille36

I tried the reset video, and that didn’t work, five minutes later the ESP Inoperative return in the instrument cluster. It’s a good thing that my replacement part arrives today.

Yuille36

This is a great and informative video, even a mechanically incline person could tackle it, but I’m letting my MB Certified mechanic tackle it this Friday, on my day off.

Thank you for posting the video.