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abc light on and stays on. sometimes right front strut go low but after it sits and i press the raise button it comes up. i haveto start the car a cople of times with the raise button on and the the car will raise but the abc light stays on
Country: United StatesMake: Mercedes-BenzModel: S500Year: 2001 Already Tried: prayer
There is a fault code stored for low vehicle level. That is why there is an ABC light on.
Even though the level is ok after you push the switch, there is still a fault code stored in the ABC module
I loo at the tires everyday and they are not wearing on the inside...usually when they wear of the inside it means a bas shock or strut. I will have my mechanic check for fault code but do i have a real problem since the vehicle rises after i press the raise button and it raises...although sometimes i have to start the ccar 1-3 times and have the raise button already on. it seems as though its not pressurized as it should be and i also hear a growl
sometimes
The reason why your right front suspension lowers is either because of a faulty valve block that is leaking internally or that suspension strut is leaking externally.
If the strut is not leaking externally, then it can't be a faulty strut.
The valve blocks leak internally causing the pressure to be released from the strut.
an NTB mechanic stated it was leaking but i honestly could not see the leak he was trying to show me...would thier be any leaks that are obvious on the strut or typically on the ground when its parked
What happens is after the car is shut off and the pump pressure is decreased the valve block locks the pressure inside the strut. So if the strut leaks down, it is either an external leak or the valveblock is bleeding the pressure off internally
You would notice a couple drips on the ground where the strut is.
It doesn't take much.
there are no obvious leaks...i think the NTBguy was just trying to make $$$ from me. I had the left and right front bushings replaced adn about a year ago i replace the pump. It worked fine with no problems until about a couple a months ago. When I bought the car the ABC came on but I was stuck out so I had it replaced. Do you think flushing the sytem may help and also i have read about replacing the filter-sensors and checking the valve body. I have no problems steering,,,also sometimes the whole car will lower itself overnight and raise in the morning once started. It used be low at night and in the am as I put it in gear (reverse) and back up it would raise.
There is a filtering procedure that may help. It also installs better filters but honestly, it usually doesn't help much once the valve blocks are already leaking internally
If you have no external leaks then you have a faulty front valve block for sure
It just bleeds the pressure off instead of holding it.
how much to fix
The new style valve blocks have bigger valves that aren't prone to bleeding pressure down/leaking internally. They list for $1200 from the dealer.
Plus 3.0 hours labor
There is one for the front and one for the rear.
in your opinion is it worth fixing the valve or replace strut....r is it worth really fixing the problem on a 01 s500 with 110000 miles
No, it is not worth fixing
It won't do any further damage as long as it pumps back up.
thanks
Your welcome
I would love to buy an 03' SL 55 since they are affordable now but I won't because of the problems with ABC
ABC systems are too expensive to repair, even for me and I get parts at dealer cost
one more questionis it okay to continue to drive and still get my $$$ from the car or trade
willnever buy a car w a special suspension again
I would continue to drive it since for the most part, everything else is pretty reliable.
The engine, transmission, axles are all very reliable
The car does have a problem with the doors and fenders rusting pretty bad, depending on what area you live in..
i will never buy another vehicle that has a special suspension again
ABC was a good idea in theory, but poorly executed
It gives sports car handeling to very heavy cars
Steel and Air sprung cars on cars over 4000 lbs gave too much flex while trying to maintain a comfortable ride. That was the original plan behind it. Even the new cars with ABC are still springing leaks
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Experience: Mercedes-Benz Master Certified technician