ESP & ABS Warnings and No Brake Lights

[grumpynorthener]

Apologies in advance if i have posted in the wrong forum.

Vehicle: 2005 W203 C220 CDi Avantguard Estate

Background: Owner took car off road as clutch stopped working. He was advised it was hydraulic issue. Over a few months he replaced master cylinder and tried to bleed. In the end he gave up and car was trailered into my workshop for repair. No other faults apparent and no warning lights on dash.

We replaced the clutch/flywheel with new LUK assembly and bled the system. All reassembled, perfect.

Current Problems: This is where it gets weird.

Firstly i have dash message "brake wear - see dealer". However, the brake pads/discs are almost new. I've checked the only wear indicator on the N/S/F wheel and it's good. I've even stripped the insulation on the wires and twisted them together. Still got dash message.

No brake lights. I've checked switch for continuity - no problem. Checked fuse - no problem. Checked bulbs - both good.

ABS warning light and dash message. My Autel scanner can't find ABS ECU. I've checked with Autel for any issues with my scanner - none known. So i can't check for ABS ECU error codes.

ESP dash message. I'll double check tomorrow (at home right now), but i don't remember and error codes.

I've not test driven the car on the public roads as i've no brake lights, but it certainly starts and drives perfectly in our large compound.

Any ideas what's going on?

 

[grober]

Have you checked all the fuses?

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[Smart320]

Low battery voltage?

 

[ayvo]

Have you checked the brake light switch? If faulty, that can also cause abs light if I remember correctly and will result in your brake lights not lighting up. They're only about £10 and can be replaced yourself.

 

[grumpynorthener]

Thanks to all those who have read my post,

Graeme - TBH, no i have not checked all the fuses. I have checked the brake light fuse only. I will check all of them tomorrow.

Thanks for the video. Interesting! I'll check and look for any other malfunctions.

Smart320 - Battery voltage is good. Car always cranks at correct speed and fires up first time. Battery has been kept on a C-TEK and is in perfect condition.

Ayvo - I have checked the brake light switch by removing it and checking for continuity across the two pins with plunger released and depressed. No faults found.

Tomorrow i'll do as suggested here. I'll also do another full auto-scan as ISTR there may have been another code from another ECU.

 

[ayvo]

Good luck!

 

[grumpynorthener]

OK, update:

All fuses removed and physically checked - all OK. All relays pulled and reseated.

I decided to take the car out os it's not unknown for ABS faults to disappear once wheels are rotating. Did a couple of miles. Drove fine. EXCEPT no digital or analogue speedometer. Highly relevant i assume. Got car on ramp. Double checked speedometer sensor was plugged into back of gearbox. It was.

Did full auto scan. Results:
************************
1) EZS - Elec. Ign. Switch. - No Faults

2) CDI3 - Common Rail Diesel Injection 3 - 4 Faults
a) 2333-4 vehicle speed cruise control/wheel speed IMPLAUSIBLE
b) 2509-2 check component N33/2 (heater booster control module) positioner signals fault
c) 2209-1 no or incorrect CAN message from control unit N47-5 (ESP & BAS control module) timout (ID200 bzw. ID208 bzw. ID300)
d) 0599-4 test vehicle speed. signal IMPLAUSABLE wheel speed.

3) AB - Airbag - No Fault

4) UCP - Upper Control Panel - No Fault

5) ICM - Instrument Cluster - 1 Fault
a) 9101 fault in CAN communication with control unit N47-5 (ESP, SPS [PML] and BAS control unit)

6) SCM Steering Column Module - 1 Fault
a) 9000 control unit N80 (S C Module) is defective

7) AAC - No Fault

8) AGW - Audio Gateway - MOST reports open ring
************************
NOTE - No mention of ABS ECU

I don't remember if there were any dash lights on when the car arrived with us. Customer says no, so i am obliged to accept what he says. To reiterate what has been done to the car, customer removed under-dash panels, replaced cutch master cylinder and hose/pipe from master cylinder to floor joint and bled. We rebled, diagnosed clutch, removed gearbox, replaced clutch and refitted everything removed.

 

[ayvo]

Good luck!

OK, update:

All fuses removed and physically checked - all OK. All relays pulled and reseated.

I decided to take the car out os it's not unknown for ABS faults to disappear once wheels are rotating. Did a couple of miles. Drove fine. EXCEPT no digital or analogue speedometer. Highly relevant i assume. Got car on ramp. Double checked speedometer sensor was plugged into back of gearbox. It was.

Did full auto scan. Results:
************************
1) EZS - Elec. Ign. Switch. - No Faults

2) CDI3 - Common Rail Diesel Injection 3 - 4 Faults
a) 2333-4 vehicle speed cruise control/wheel speed IMPLAUSIBLE
b) 2509-2 check component N33/2 (heater booster control module) positioner signals fault
c) 2209-1 no or incorrect CAN message from control unit N47-5 (ESP & BAS control module) timout (ID200 bzw. ID208 bzw. ID300)
d) 0599-4 test vehicle speed. signal IMPLAUSABLE wheel speed.

3) AB - Airbag - No Fault

4) UCP - Upper Control Panel - No Fault

5) ICM - Instrument Cluster - 1 Fault
a) 9101 fault in CAN communication with control unit N47-5 (ESP, SPS [PML] and BAS control unit)

6) SCM Steering Column Module - 1 Fault
a) 9000 control unit N80 (S C Module) is defective

7) AAC - No Fault

8) AGW - Audio Gateway - MOST reports open ring
************************
NOTE - No mention of ABS ECU

I don't remember if there were any dash lights on when the car arrived with us. Customer says no, so i am obliged to accept what he says. To reiterate what has been done to the car, customer removed under-dash panels, replaced cutch master cylinder and hose/pipe from master cylinder to floor joint and bled. We rebled, diagnosed clutch, removed gearbox, replaced clutch and refitted everything removed.

based on the "fault in CAN communication with N47-5", id say get your esp control module checked out. that could probably be causing it all

 

[grumpynorthener]

Thanks for your reply ayvo.

Interestingly enough, my scanner could not communicate with the ESP ECU either. And i presume the ESP ECU is responsible for the ABS functions.

So can someone tell me where the ESP ECU is located? And are there specilaists i can send it to for testing, or is it a case of testing by substitution?

 

[grober]

6) SCM Steering Column Module - 1 Fault
a) 9000 control unit N80 (S C Module) is defective

Assuming this is the steering angle sensor---- this would communicate with the abs/esp control unit via canbus as the control unit needs to know the angle the front wheels are pointed at to make the necessary brake corrections. Without this input the unit may flag a fault. Did the owner remove the steering wheel at any point or otherwise disturb its electrical connections during his attempted clutch repairs I wonder? Sometimes people "forget" exactly what they got up to during a previous attempted repair

 

[grumpynorthener]

Graeme

Same thought crossed my mind today. Only because i know that simply replacing the clutch would not cause all these problems. And all the work the owner did was in the area of the steering column down where the pedals are.

I know the owner has not removed the steering wheel. He is coming to see me tomorrow so will see if he can reveal anything more, and i will take a detailed look at the column area, looking for any disturbed plugs/wiring.

 

[grober]

This might help a bit to let know what you are looking for?
http://www.carlogic.org/bg/data/MB CAN(ICC).pdf

 

[steveskeggy]

Do a live test on the wheel speed sensors (ABS) sensors.
Make sure they all read the same speed when going down the road (All four wheels have to be turning).
With the ABS light being on, and the ESP light, they both use the wheel speed sensors, and if one or more sensors go faulty, then you get multiple alerts (Thats your 2333-4 and 0599 codes, AND probably you lack of speedo).

The next thing to check is the ABS etc module (Thats your ABS ECU, and relates to the CAN bus fault), this is the black plastic box that fixes on the front of the ABS valve unit, and are a piece of pi55 to replace, just unplug the electrics, and 3x4mm bolts (Or the correct star drive socket if you have one), use a second hand item to test. The part number is on the front, probably A2095451432, but check first. Get one off Ebay for less than twenty quid.
After that, if the fault persists, then its probably a good idea to take it to a main dealer and have them put it on STAR, find out what the problem is, then you can fix it.

Buy a new brake light switch, dont remove the old switch, just plug the electrics in, it doesnt mean crap if the multimeter says its ok if the car doesnt like it, if its still the same, then the owner has a spare switch for when it does pack up (And it will).

Do a live data read on the steering angle sensor, its not a big job to replace it, but testing first will save taking the steering wheel off.

These electrical problems are a pain, they can occur at any time, but the big problem is if the car is taken off the road, they really dont like that.
My S55 was off the road for two years, and has been a nightmare since I put it back on, it just about scraped through the MOT, but it still has ABS sensor and air pump relay faults.
The other problem is that a lot of the time, a car will have a problem, the problem is fixed, but the codes dont get wiped, and will stay on until they are.