My car is a 1993 R129 SL500 Built Feb 1993 with Australian compliance
WDB129067 2F 079774
Eng No. 119972 22 003091
Not long after I bought it the ADS light came on intermittently sometimes going off when restarted, and as I found out later, after resetting the steering angle sensor with the full right left lock manoeuvre.
After a few weeks the light stayed on permanently.
I took the vehicle to a service agent and was diagnosed with a faulty steering angle sensor.
One was purchased through MB spares in Canberra - genuine part manufactured 22/1/04 according to the box and fitted to the vehicle. Since the new sensor has been fitted the light has never gone out.
Car was put through diagnostic checker again and it then said that the electronic control unit was kaput. Reluctant to shell out another nearly $4000 (MB Aus price) for new control unit I was called in when an identical car was in for service and we put my control unit in the other car and it worked perfectly.
However the steering angle sensors were different – mine has a 4 wire one the other car had a 6 wire so we could not swap them.
I am still waiting patiently (months) for a car with a 4 wire sensor to come in to do a swap.
The service agent claims he has checked all the wiring and that there is power to the sensor. The upper bracket tube dimension has also been checked and was spot on.
When dealing with MB Spares I gave them the old sensor part number (they asked as a matter of interest) and they claimed it was one from a left hand drive! Seems someone has been in there before us for some reason. Since found out that it was manufactured in 92 from the casting so it may have had the LHD steering angle sensor in since new.
I don’t want to buy another new steering angle sensor unless I positively know that the new one I purchased is faulty.
Would you like to have a go at solving the mystery???
As you would know the suspension defaults to the hard setting and I am a bit over it!
WDB129067 2F 079774
Eng No. 119972 22 003091
Not long after I bought it the ADS light came on intermittently sometimes going off when restarted, and as I found out later, after resetting the steering angle sensor with the full right left lock manoeuvre.
After a few weeks the light stayed on permanently.
I took the vehicle to a service agent and was diagnosed with a faulty steering angle sensor.
One was purchased through MB spares in Canberra - genuine part manufactured 22/1/04 according to the box and fitted to the vehicle. Since the new sensor has been fitted the light has never gone out.
Car was put through diagnostic checker again and it then said that the electronic control unit was kaput. Reluctant to shell out another nearly $4000 (MB Aus price) for new control unit I was called in when an identical car was in for service and we put my control unit in the other car and it worked perfectly.
However the steering angle sensors were different – mine has a 4 wire one the other car had a 6 wire so we could not swap them.
I am still waiting patiently (months) for a car with a 4 wire sensor to come in to do a swap.
The service agent claims he has checked all the wiring and that there is power to the sensor. The upper bracket tube dimension has also been checked and was spot on.
When dealing with MB Spares I gave them the old sensor part number (they asked as a matter of interest) and they claimed it was one from a left hand drive! Seems someone has been in there before us for some reason. Since found out that it was manufactured in 92 from the casting so it may have had the LHD steering angle sensor in since new.
I don’t want to buy another new steering angle sensor unless I positively know that the new one I purchased is faulty.
Would you like to have a go at solving the mystery???
As you would know the suspension defaults to the hard setting and I am a bit over it!
In Jim Forgione's case the fault seemed to lie with the ETA electronic throttle actuator
