I have a 40k mile 2000 E430 that is starting to act up now that I have been using it to commute. The trifecta of abs/bas/esp lights have started to come on intermittently when stuck in traffic. For example, my morning commute is very stop and go and it usually comes on every day. My evening commute is less so and the lights never come on. I'm not sure how to proceed. Could this be a problem with brake pads? I haven't ever flushed the brakes, could that be an issue? I've heard that the brake switch is sometimes the culprit but since the problem only occurs on stop and go commutes I don't think that's it.

And finally, when should I replace the battery in the vehicle. It still starts fine but I've heard that an old battery can make the car's electronics act up. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks

The stop-lamp switch is the most common cause of ESP/ABS/BAS warning lights. The only way to know for certain is to have the system checked for fault codes.

From my experience MB batteries fail to give any forewarning when they're about to die. At 5 years the battery is on the ragged edge. For peace of mind you ought to change it before you get stranded somewhere. If you should end up stranded call the Mercedes Road Service ... they will replace the battery and only charge for the battery, no labor.

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Fred Hoelzle