SBC cycle count and ELM 327

[e220estate]

Having recently become a Mercedes owner I am now fully aware of the SBC 'Service Brake' message ie after 300,000 cycles the system says that the SBC unit must be replaced and starts the process by warning you with the message and significantly reducing possible braking.
Question 1 - can I access the stored count with an ELM 327? If so, how?
Question 2 - If you are within the 300k cycles count and, for whatever reason, the system detects an SBC 'failure' (most likely the pump?), does anybody know what is likely to happen (what will the OBD system actually do with this info?).
TIA

 

[whitenemesis]

SBC data only accessible via STAR. May require Developer mode.

 

[guydewdney]

xentry (star lite so to speak) will give you the number of operations, and its a lot more than 300k.

it will tell you to 'visit workshop' when over count. it will still function. it may go into limp mode.

if it fails completely, you only have a backup hydraulic circuit thats frankly frightening. unlikely, unless you ignore the messages and / or reset the counter too many times.

 

[whitenemesis]

IIRC if one ignores the messages after a certain number of IGN cycles the car will not start?

 

[e220estate]

Thanks for the info, guys. My reason for asking about the SBC 'failure' mode is that I have seen some counter reset services. I start from feeling that any manufacturer cycles-limit is well within the capabilities of the kit - usually manufacturers leave a very big margin to be totally safe. So I was wondering if the SBC did fail after counter reset what I would be left with. I just know that, given it's current age (2006 original), I will get the dreaded message when I am touring in Europe, say. Anybody any feeling/opinion/experience on how many cycles the SBC technology might be able to handle ok?

 

[whitenemesis]

MB have extended the service cycles, which is why STAR allows it to be done. It will not permit extension beyond that.
What 3rd party kit does I don't know and personally I wouldn't go that route.

 

[e220estate]

Does that mean that when I get the message and the car gets put on STAR then it is standard MB procedure to reset the counter a certain max number of times - once, say?

 

[whitenemesis]

Yes, first action would be to extend the count if it hasn't been done before.