crownhouse
New Member
Level Signals not within range, Unable to complete Calibration, Poor Handling, Uneven ride height, Lowering Links, ABC Visit Workshop !
If your vehicle has any of the above mentioned symptoms or the calibration of your ABC system has been poorly adjusted or is unable to adjust, or other issues, Do Not Despair.
Using special purpose mechanical tools, electronic adjustment aids, MB Star DAS/XENTRY software, I have been able to develop a unique technique that guarantees your ABC suspension system is calibrated to give equal readings for all four level sensors & exact ride heights at each corner.
However, it is also important to remember that old parts cannot be made new but they can be adjusted to work at their optimal capabilities.
I advise you continue to read the rest of this article to give you an insight into the workings of the Mercedes ABC System and how all the different parts work together.
Guaranteed Changes To Your Vehicle After Corrective Calibration:
- Better Road Holding
- Equal Ride Height at all corners
- Optimal Load Settings
- Best Calibration Values
- Longer lasting Struts
Mercedes-Benz - Active Body Control - ABC, is a fully active hydraulic suspension system, that allows control of the vehicle body motions and therefore virtually eliminates body roll in many driving situations including cornering, accelerating, and braking.
The ABC ECU reads variables detected by body movement from sensors located throughout the vehicle and controls the action of the active suspension with the use of hydraulic mechanisms.
The heart of the system is a high pressure radial piston hydraulic pump supplying CH11s hydraulic oil to all struts and also to the power steering.
A total of 13 sensors continually monitor body movement, vehicle level, pitch and roll, supplying the ABC ECU with data every ten milliseconds.
The heart of the system is a high pressure radial piston hydraulic pump supplying CH11s hydraulic oil to all struts and also to the power steering.
A total of 13 sensors continually monitor body movement, vehicle level, pitch and roll, supplying the ABC ECU with data every ten milliseconds.
Four level sensors measure ride level at each corner of the vehicle.
Three accelerometers measure the vertical body acceleration.
One acceleration sensor measures the longitudinal movements.
One sensor the transverse movements.
A sensor at each hydraulic cylinder monitoring hydraulic pressure and plunger position.
There are two Valve Blocks, one located at the front and the other at the rear of the vehicle. Each valve block is fitted with four electronically operated valve solenoids that regulate the flow directions and hydraulic capacities to each strut. Two solenoids per suspension strut.
Pressure valves control the pressure from the pump to each strut and back again.
Accumulators control the compression and expansion flows of the oil within the system.
Each suspension strut locating each wheel to the body of the car, consists of a steel coil spring, a shock absorber and an electronically controlled hydraulic adjusting cylinder as one unit. These components all working in tandem to adjust the suspension length.
As the ABC ECU receives and processes data, it operates a series of valve blocks and pressure vales instantly regulating suspension forces to counter the effects of body lean, dive and squat during various driving manoeuvres.
Three accelerometers measure the vertical body acceleration.
One acceleration sensor measures the longitudinal movements.
One sensor the transverse movements.
A sensor at each hydraulic cylinder monitoring hydraulic pressure and plunger position.
There are two Valve Blocks, one located at the front and the other at the rear of the vehicle. Each valve block is fitted with four electronically operated valve solenoids that regulate the flow directions and hydraulic capacities to each strut. Two solenoids per suspension strut.
Pressure valves control the pressure from the pump to each strut and back again.
Accumulators control the compression and expansion flows of the oil within the system.
Each suspension strut locating each wheel to the body of the car, consists of a steel coil spring, a shock absorber and an electronically controlled hydraulic adjusting cylinder as one unit. These components all working in tandem to adjust the suspension length.
As the ABC ECU receives and processes data, it operates a series of valve blocks and pressure vales instantly regulating suspension forces to counter the effects of body lean, dive and squat during various driving manoeuvres.
The effects controlled by the ABC system include:
Acceleration - front lift and rear squat Braking – front dive and rear lift
Acceleration - front lift and rear squat Braking – front dive and rear lift
Cornering – body roll / lean left and right Road conditions – bumps & undulations
Height – adjustments High Speed – automatic lowering
Weight – automatic accommodation of passengers & luggage
It is important to know that the ABC system has a built in automatic height adjustment, which lowers the vehicle up to 11 mm (0.43 in) between the speeds of 37 - 99 mph or 60 - 160 km/h for better aerodynamics, fuel consumption, and handling.
This automatic lowering must be considered when using adjustable links to lower the vehicle height for the slammed look, because the car will lower even further at speed therefore exceeding the tolerance range of the suspension design.
The ABC system also automatically self-levels the suspension, which raises or lowers the vehicle in response to changing load (i.e. the loading or unloading of passengers or cargo).
The ABC Sport button allows the driver to adjust the suspension range for different driving style preferences. This feature allows the driver to adjust the suspension to maintain a stiffer more level ride in demanding driving conditions. When this button is off the standard mode is softer, allowing for comfort.
