W211 E320 CDi IL6 Not starting with "ESP Error" message

[mct_cars]

Hi All,

Seeing if anyone has come across this problem before. Last couple of weeks, on starting the car, an "ESP Problem visit workshop" error has been coming up when inserting the key - the car also would not start / turn over. Take the key out, re-insert and sometime the same message comes up, sometime it will start. Once started, no error messages at all.

Had the car on STAR and no errors stored.

This morning (2degrees!) the car would not start at all with the same error message.

Any ideas?

 

[mafya]

Have you checked the condition of your battery? A low battery can cause it to throw error lights up.

 

[sinewave]

+ 1 ^^^^^^

What he said!

 

[mct_cars]

Took the battery out last night, charged up, and it started this morning. Only now it's saying "ESP not available" and actually coming up with a fault when you switch off. Either both are related or one has caused the other!

Problem is, the battery is realtively new, so I'm thinking it may be alternator / regulator / battery relay related. I guess time will tell............

 

[mct_cars]

Been on test at a well trusted Indy with STAR,and the diagnosis is..... ECU faulty. Indy also picked up that when the car wouldn't start the fans were running at full pelt.

So question is, anyone have any idea of where to get an ECU refurbished? The £1k plus for a new ECU from Merc is just plain stupid!

 

[mct_cars]

Just an update - ECU out on Monday (literally a two minute job) and sent off to ECU Technologies for repair.

Returned this morning and fault fixed - they bench tested the ECU and it came up with a fault straight away.

Can't argue with the service - removal to refit was 3 and 1/2 days. Cost was £300 inc. VAT and postage.

They did say that the issue with this ECU (Bosch EDC 16C2) was fairly common, although sometimes they need to bench test for 48 hours for the fault to show - hence the intermittant nature of the fault.