E320CDI SBC Brake threshold count?

[Smiley]

If it really cost >£1000 then SBC wouldn't be on the car in the first place.

which I suspect is why they removed it.

 

[Smiley]

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.

You can not switch it on and off. It is integral to the design of the brake system. The pump provides the pressurisation of the hydraulic fluid - it does the job that your foot currently does pushing on the fluid in the master cylinder (if I have understood the system properly).
It is fiendishly over complicated and provides a solution to a problem that did not exist - and in the process adds a further maintenance problem - my guess is that failure of the SBC pump renders the car "brakeless" - therefore and in order to avoid this scenario MB has decided that the pump needs to be replaced after XX pushes of the pedal. Well thats OK if it was part of the service schedule - every 10 yrs replace SBC pump maybe - but it is not OK if it was never in the service schedule and it costs four figures.
There will come a time when MB say enough is enough and will stop replacing them FOC - maybe when the cars are 10 years old and there will be minimal customer impact.

 

[Dryce]

which I suspect is why they removed it.

It won't cost £1000 to put on the car at the factory. The cost of the spare part bears little relation to its actual cost fitted when the car is manufactured.

But if it costs £100 an accountant will still want it removed if it delivers no advantage on end sales margins or volume.

 

[Dryce]

my guess is that failure of the SBC pump renders the car "brakeless"

Bad guess.

The car will still have brakes if SBC fails but zero assistance. There is a rudimentary fall back. MB are not stupid.

 

[shorty]

The front brakes are not worked by the SBC pump only the rear .

 

[Diesel Benz]

The front brakes are not worked by the SBC pump only the rear .

You do not mean that, was your intention to say that the emergency mode works on rear brakes only? I believe the hydraulic, non-assisted emergency system only operates front wheels (too dangerous and not efficient to use rear only). But at normal operation all wheels brake with the hydraulic pressure from the SBC pump.

 

[The Pan Man]

DRYCE, I know its not the hand brake, I said hand brake ?? Function. i.e. when on gradients if you come to a stop and then apply a little secondry pressure to the FOOT BRAKE a little light comes on in the instrument cluster and has HSBC in it, and the brake lights stay illuminated, well mine has done for the last 4 years. If the letters are different i appologise in advance and will check today when I'm in the car.

 

[w124coupe]

DRYCE, I know its not the hand brake, I said hand brake ?? Function. i.e. when on gradients if you come to a stop and then apply a little secondry pressure to the FOOT BRAKE a little light comes on in the instrument cluster and has HSBC in it, and the brake lights stay illuminated, well mine has done for the last 4 years. If the letters are different i appologise in advance and will check today when I'm in the car.

SBC H - as in SBC Hold.

Lots of scaremongery around SBC:

It will bite your hand off
No brakes if it fails
Cars will be worthless
Pointless complication

A bit of reality:

Simple to disable for DIY or Indie pad/disc swap with no risk

Brakes still work if it fails, but with a big red cluster warning and more effort needed for an emergency stop. Just like if the servo on a "normal" car fails.

Pumps (which on the E stopped being fitted at the mid 06 facelift) are lasting about 4 years or so and are being swapped FOC BEFORE they fail based on a usage count - so presumably the car is OK for 8 years until a chargeable SBC replacement is needed (or longer if the second 4 years sees less use). By 8 years old AND a high mileage, these complicated cars are a lottery anyway with plenty of £1,000 plus potential issues - diesel pump, injection, gearbox, torque converter etc.

(If you are using an Indie that can't use STAR to check the SBC usage count - well perhaps you should change to a proper one!!)

Emergency braking on SBC is absolutely stunning and has saved me a few times over 90,000miles when people wandered into my lane. SBC Hold is useful in traffic jams to let you rest both legs. Otherwise SBC is undetectable (except for the faint "fart" as it periodically re-charges the tank pressure).

 

[aka$h]

Ive been driving w211's for a few years now and I think the SBC system is great. If you ever need to stop suddendly, the car stops in a much shorter distance than any other non-amg Merc Ive driven.

OK, the pump vibrates a little, and every few years the pump needs to be changed, but if I can avoid you going into the back of someone its got to be worth it!

Im a fan of SBC, given the choice Id have it in every car.

 

[Mr E]

Likewise - I miss SBC in the current vehicle (well, when it eventually returns...). You still get the hold function but I miss the stop function that I used all the time in traffic (take foot off the gas and brakes applied automatically, foot on gas and brakes released).

Emergency performance was astounding - I was told by a development engineer that the system measured the time you took getting off the throttle. It would prime the brake system accordingly so that, in conjunction with Brake Assist, you could get maximum performance each time. It also did nice things like ease off just before stopping.

However it was expensive and complex. Standard hydraulic systems can now provide much of the function and performance so the cost and complexity was removed.

 

[Dryce]

Emergency performance was astounding

My experience - which is why I value it.

 

[timskemp]

Another SBC fan here. Although I wish I'd hit the pedal hard today when the copper who saw me run a junction a little late was so close he'd have been done for driving without due care and attention, instead of pulling me and giving me a ticket

Is SBC still fitted to the Maybach and the SL?

 

[Gareth]

how do you use SBC Stop? never used it.

 

[Dryce]

how do you use SBC Stop? never used it.

It was controlled from the cruise control lever when the car was operated at slow speed.

I don't have it on my 2005 car. So it must have been dropped before that. I'm assuming if you have a 280CDi then you car must be 2005 or later so you won't have it either.