E320CDI SBC Brake threshold count?

[jeff100]

Hello, just after a bit of advice about the SBC Brake threshold count!


I have just recently brought my brother 04' E Class 320CDI which had done about 97k and has been been fully maintained by MB. Last week the a message flashed up (not red) saying that I should visit my local MB dealer to have the brakes looked at, I was expecting this as the front pad were low. The local MB dealer who have maintained this car were recently closed and the service manager and chief mechanic have set-up an independent MB service agent with all the diagnostic equipment. They performed the brake service,replacing the pads and disks, unfortunately they informed me that the SBC unit had reached its number of applications threshold and that I need to take to to the main dealer for the work to be carried out under warranty. He said that they had seen this a number of times before and it had all been done under warranty. I have booked it in to be looked at next week, but my question is do you think I need to go armed with extra info like they set the threshold to low etc. or do you think will they just perform the repair under warranty?

 

[Mr E]

Should be a bog-standard replacement - I believe that the unit counts the number of times that the brakes have been applied (no idea what that value is).

Had no problem when it was done on mine - in fact was done during a routine service as they said it was getting close to the threshold.

 

[alexander patie]

as mr E, this is now a very common job for the dealers, and MB are currently honouring all the out of warranty claims. i do wonder how long for though...

 

[Smiley]

as mr E, this is now a very common job for the dealers, and MB are currently honouring all the out of warranty claims. i do wonder how long for though...

Quite - imho they would be better off saying this is a service replacement item required every 5 or 6 years or 100,000 miles and there is a special fixed price £250 or whatever (but not £1,000+) to replace - it would take the uncertainty away from these cars and instill confidence - the current system where the computer pops up one day - sorry chum big bill coming your way (once they remove the warranty) is not on really - esp as the cars get older.

 

[christopherwk]

This I am concerned about. Given the mileage I'm doing, it won't be long before replacing the SBC pump is going to cost more than what the car's market value, and it may have to be scrapped (I think I read this on another thread).

To me the car is worth much more, and it looks like I'll have to pay up when it needs replacing .

Looks like we'll be seeing more high mileage W124s and W210s, than W211s?

 

[James Rothwell]

What exactly is the SBC pump, and what does it do?

 

[christopherwk]

Found the similar thread:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/79362-sbc-pump.html

 

[Smiley]

What exactly is the SBC pump, and what does it do?

It is a MB marvel of technology and a(nother) solution to a problem that did not exist. If I have understood correctly, the SBC pump replaces the brake master cylinder and allows the brake pedal to be connected via electronics to the braking system. Presumably this is to faciliate all sorts of other marvels of braking technology such as brake hold and slam the brakes full on but the reality is that it adds all sorts of further complications such as the SBC pump needing to be replaced and other maintenance problems such as having to be very careful when replacing the pads; activate the pump whilst the caliper is off the hub and you had better watch out for pistons and pads coming at you at some speed.

Agghhh; not for me; hardly surprising it was ditched in 2006.

 

[jeff100]

Many thanks for the information, I will post the results after the car has been into the dealer.

Cheers.

 

[Dryce]

Quite - imho they would be better off saying this is a service replacement item required every 5 or 6 years or 100,000 miles and there is a special fixed price £250 or whatever (but not £1,000+) to replace - it would take the uncertainty away from these cars and instill confidence -

Good point.

I wonder what the actual value of one of these actually is? (At a guess less than £250 for the pump )

 

[Smiley]

Good point.

I wonder what the actual value of one of these actually is? (At a guess less than £250 for the pump )

I think the reason that MB is replacing under "warranty" (which it is not really it is FOC maintenance) is because of the very high cost of the pump + labour. I bet it is a four figure repair bill in normal circumstances.

 

[jeff100]

Just a quick update, the car is currently with the dealer and I am happy to report that Mercedes have agreed to repair the car under warranty. Dealer says that the cost would normally be close to £1400!


The visit is still going to cost me as they found a broken rear near side coil spring! I remember hitting quite a big pot hole last week (thanks to all the snow and ice) which sent a real shudder through the car so I presume it happened then. Is it me or or do all new car seem to suffer with this problem, I have had to replace both the front and rear coil spring on my wife's car after they had snapped and talking to people at work they all seem to have various experiences of this!

 

[trapperjohn]

BMW and Rover 75 springs breaking for fun at the moment. This is from guys at work who have said steeds.

 

[Gareth]

my Mum and Dads Citroen C3 needed a new set of front springs also after very modest mileage.

 

[st4]

my Mum and Dads Citroen C3 needed a new set of front springs also after very modest mileage.

Therein lies the answer to that statement.

TBH though most modern cars are now much heavier (in the interest of safety) but weight saving in the interest of CO2 components are made lighter and underspecified for the car.

211 springs being one.

 

[Smiley]

Just a quick update, Dealer says that the cost would normally be close to £1400!

£1400 for a service item. Do you have a breakdown labour / parts?

 

[The Pan Man]

The more knowledgable will know

Is it not a fact that the SBC only comes into effect if you apply it as that ?? Hand Brake?? Also have I seen in the dasn menus that you can switch it on and off?? You know how it is something at the back of the mind won't make it's way forward.

 

[Dryce]

I think the reason that MB is replacing under "warranty" (which it is not really it is FOC maintenance) is because of the very high cost of the pump + labour. I bet it is a four figure repair bill in normal circumstances.

I would suspect that the reason that they're replacing FOC is because it is embarrassing and the cost of doing it via goodwill is perceived by them to be a better path than the loss of faith by customers. That said your earlier comment about doing it at a reasonable cost would not be an unreasonable compromise.

However the pump as a component probably costs nothing like what they charge (or claim they charge) - especially if they know there will be a demand for it due to the stream of replacements. If it really cost >£1000 then SBC wouldn't be on the car in the first place.

 

[Dryce]

Is it not a fact that the SBC only comes into effect if you apply it as that ?? Hand Brake?? Also have I seen in the dasn menus that you can switch it on and off?? You know how it is something at the back of the mind won't make it's way forward.

No.

SBC sits there and does it own thing: it growls, farts, and groans according to its will as the system charges it self.

You can only disable it for maintenance purposes.

And it has nothing to do with the handbrake which is a separate system.

 

[carnut]

The trouble is that its not just a pump; it also incorporates the electronics that go with it and when they put it on their Star computer, if it crashes then the whole unit has to be repaced, not just reprogrammed