ABS/ETS/ESP Lights coming on

[scottieML320]

OK, this 2000 ML320 was purchased 1 month ago from a used car dealer with 60k miles. Here is the problem:
At certain times, the ABS/ETS/ESP lights come on simultaneously. It happens in cold weather (less than 25F) or when I was in the snow and ice recently having a little fun making the car slip and slide a little. When it is really cold, I could sometimes drive very, very easy after starting the car and the lights would stay off. Once I drove a couple miles, I could resume normal driving and the lights will stay off.
If I drive with normal acceleration after a cold start, they would come on within the first minute and stay on until restarting the engine.

The car dealer replaced the brake light switch for me, saying it was a very common problem....did not fix it.

I dropped the car off at a garage specializing in German cars to see if they can diagnose. They have a good reputation and told me if they don't feel 100% they would recommend taking to MB Dealer.

Can anyone help me out here?

Thanks,
Scottie

[rrodz]

Not necesarily your case, but it happened to me 40K miles ago. It was low battery.

In my '99 there is a note about this on the manual.

Hope this helps :p

Rene

[scottieML320]

With your low battery problem, were all three lights coming on at the same time? Was it intermittent or all the time?

Thanks,
Scottie

[Q]

It's your brake light switch. Happened to me. Seach the forum to find how many other have had same issue.

[rrodz]

It was intermitent. It was so long ago that I can't really remember which lights were on, but I do remember they were all related to ESP, BAS, ABS etc.

I have a friend that had a similar problem, and the dealer dignosed the windshield washer reservoir leaking damaged the ESP/ABS unit. With the goodwill story that you pay for the part and the dealer will pay for labor, they replaced the ESP/ABS unit for $1,000. The problem continued. Three visits later, a new battery took care of the problem.

I would check the battery first before doing anything else, it's cheap. You don't know how long the car is being sitting at the dealer anyway. At least you will be able to discard the possibility of the battery issue.

Keep us posted, hopefully is something simple.

Rene

[scottieML320]

Q- the brake light switch has already been replaced. It didn't fix the problem. Thanks,
Scottie

[Gilly]

Scottie:
I've had brake lights fail and THEN be in a failed state immediately after because even the REPLACEMENT switch was NFG. Make sure that the brake lights work, sometimes the switch will fail and they work fine, other times the brakelights aren't even working. SCARY.

If the shop you brought it to can read out the fault code(s) in the ESP control module, they should be able to shed light on what's going on.

The advice on the battery does hold water too, seen this a number of times also.

Other possiblities that come to mind is a wheel speed sensor (basic ABS stuff), a steering wheel angle $ensor, or a BAS problem (problem with the travel sensor in the brake booster).

Gilly

[Gilly]

Why did they replace the brake light switch? Did they have a fault code for it, or just pumpin expensive ammo into the ML hopin for a silver bullet?

Gilly

[scottieML320]

Gilly-
The garage pulled the codes from the computer and found the following codes and were listed on the shop invoice as follows:
-Traction C1140 Steering Angle Sensor N49
-C1401 High Pressure Return Pump A73N1
-Short Circuit
-ETC CAN Communication W/Transfer Module Faulty

It appears you are correct with the Steering Angle Sensor being at fault causing the lights to come on. Do you agree?

I haven't made any replacements as I wanted to post here to see what people thought.

As for the other codes, do you think they are related to the same problem or do I have other potential problems that may be lurking????

Thanks,
Scottie

[Gilly]

The garage pulled the codes from the computer and found the following codes and were listed on the shop invoice as follows:
-Traction C1140 Steering Angle Sensor N49
-C1401 High Pressure Return Pump A73N1
-Short Circuit
-ETC CAN Communication W/Transfer Module Faulty

OhhhKaaaaaaayyyyyyy, and they uh, decided to do WHAT? Replace the brake light switch? Umm, are you still taking this ML to the same shop? Just curious.

Any one of these could be causing the failure lamp. You may have some sporadic code there that was set just once and isn't clearing out over time (stored code). You especially see this with the CAN related codes. I've had all these types of codes set before and sure sometimes a part needs to be replaced such as the angle sensor, hydraulic unit, or a transfer case control module (pretty rare to have the ETC control module crash the CAN).
The way I'd chose to proceed (unless you had a high fault count on one of these codes) is to read and erase the codes, then they should have you bring the truck back as soon as practical to then have the fault codes read. If ALL 3 of these codes come back at once, something is real screwy, maybe a bad ESP control module or something......

Gilly

[scottieML320]

Thanks for the info Gilly-
This garage didn't replace the brake switch. The used dealer that I purchased from knows the MB dealer shop well. He called them and his contact said the brake switch is often bad. Instead of spending money on the computer hook-up, the used dealer just paid for the brake switch and installed it for free. When that didn't fix it, he wasn't going to go any further to help fix it. That's when I took it this garage.

The garage only pulled the codes and gave them to me. I wanted to use this forum to post and get suggestions before I let anyone start replacing parts.
They reset the codes for me, so the next time the lights come on I will take it back for another hook-up and get the new codes.

Thanks,
Scottie

[cjhsa]

Obviously I'm having the same problem. See my current thread on my e320 with ETS fault.

What was the resolution to this one?

[phml]

This just happened to me on my 2002 ML320. BAS ESP lights are on after disconnecting (on vacation) and re-connecting the battery when I got back.

I re-charged the battery to full...started up engine....BAS ESP light still on.

I will try the steering wheel trick tonight.

Any other ideas to clear this before I replace brake switch?

Thanks in advance guys.

[Smith007]

A simalar thing occurred and is still current at least when it rains
Check my post on What MB Doc and other knowledgeable persons had to say

Vehicle speed sensor 'A' code P0500 (BAS,ESP,ETS,ABS - lights)

But an additional factor comes to mind, (I do not possess a ML320 workshop manual neither have I actually seen the ABS switch) but I was once told that one of the common reasons for the ABS light to come on in some "domestic" cars is becuase the switch corrodes out and moisture gets in and it shorts out,

[hienvu2821]

My 2000 ML320 has the same problem after I replaced the original battery, then the BAS/EST comes on for a while then comes off, then comes on again. After reading this forum, I would like to replace the brake switch first to see what happen. Would you guys please tell me where the brake switch is located? Thank you very much in advance.