Nice write up and thanks for posting this. My '11 has only 14,000 miles and I'm considering doing the change too. Mainly because of the time element as oppose to the miles. Do you know what model year changed to the 3 micron filter?

 

Nice write up and thanks for posting this. My '11 has only 14,000 miles and I'm considering doing the change too. Mainly because of the time element as oppose to the miles. Do you know what model year changed to the 3 micron filter?

See the attached DTB (Dealer Technical Bulletin) P-B-32.50/34e . It appears that the work procedure,Parts and Warranty information were updated in revision "d" dated 9/16/08. So it follows that production models produced after that date would most likely have the new finer 3 micron filter. However that said, there is no way to really know when MB's production stock of the old style 10 micron filter was actually phased out. Most manufacturers would use up their old stock first unless there is a safety issue which this is not. The exact phase in date is probably vague.

This DTB has a lot of very informative information especially what is acceptable as to the suspension sagging over time. All the work instructions are also listed for easy reference and access via "WIS".

 

Not a bad idea to be thinking about changing the fluid I will be doing every 30-40,000km for sure (18-25,000 miles) or 4 years (but i will hit the kms first).

From my readings think it was October 2005 they changed to the updated filter.

 

Great info....thank you!

 

Thanks for the info... as one who needs a new ABC Pump when my car comes out of winter storage, I'm reading anything and everything on ABC Issues.

The attached PDF from mercy-me is great however, I'm curious if there is one which describes diagnosis when the car is running at idle and the front right drops after approx 10 minutes or so.

I'd love to know if there is a DTB for this type of behaviour.
Thanks in advance

-Stephen

 

I came across the DTB I posted purely by accident. I was searching for information on a note I found in the parts catalog relating to the change in part number for the ABC filter. The note said "see DTB PB32.50/34*" and I went from there to discover that the change from 10 micron to 3 micron occurred sometime around Sept 08 as described above.

These MB DTB's are internal documents meant for dealership personnel. I could not find anyplace where they are published for public consumption. They are available with a paid subscription to the Startek info site here

If you read the note at the top of page 3 in the DTB I posted, " The dropping vehicle level is not etc.................... Unless you can spot some some fluid around the strut then most likely you have an internal leaking valve somewhere.

I'm posting another document to read which may be helpful.

Finally, why are you changing your pump?

Good Luck, Bob

 

Thanks Bob,

And for the rest of you who may be interested... here's why..

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230-sl-class/1726417-strutt-block-pump-yes-another-abc.html

 

ABC Fluid flush procedure - at home, no special tools/rodeo involved

ABC Flush/Fill procedure at home no rodeo/StarDiagnostic/Special tools required. I change my fluid and filter every 20,000 miles with this procedure:

Necessary Items:

1/2" to 1/2" hose connector (in the plumbing section) - Lowes
5 feet of 1/2" clear hose (in the plumbing section) - Lowes
1 Clean bucket
5 or 6 quarts of Pentosin CHF-11S. Cheapest place I found it was my local NAPA in stock at $17.99/quart
1 or 2 new ABC filters (1 is necessary - read procedure below then decide if you feel you want to change it out twice).

Remove the 1/2" return hose that is clamped to the ABC reservoir cap. Install the 1/2" to 1/2" adapter in the return hose, then installed the clear plastic hose to the other side of the 1/2" to 1/2" adapter and drop the end of the clear hose in a clean bucket on the ground next to the car.

Remove the reservoir fill cap/filter assembly from the ABC reservoir and place aside.

Have your cans of Pentosin at the ready, with their spouts pulled up out of the cans.

Have an assistant start the car. You will see the old ABC fluid pouring out the clear hose from the return line into your bucket as soon as the engine is started. As soon as the engine is started be ready to replenish the ABC reservoir with fresh pentosin. The reservoir drains down fairly slowly so, I did not have an issue keeping up with the fluid level. **DO NOT LET THE RESERVOIR RUN DRY!! IF YOU CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE FLUID LEVEL IN THE RESERVOIR FOR ANY REASON HAVE YOUR ASSISTANT SHUT THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY**.

It may help to poke a hole in the bottom of the can of Pentosin with an Awl or small screwdriver as this will drain the can faster.

You will quickly get the hang of the process and a feel for replenishing the reservoir with fluid as the engine pumps the old fluid into the bucket. Now have your assistant cycle the ride height adjustment button on the center console so the car travels up and down. Continue the up/down procedure until the fluid coming out of the return line is nice and clean (this is why the clear hose really helps). I think I used 4 or 5 cans of Pentosin. Once you are happy shut the car down, replace the ABC filter on the reservoir cap with a new filter, replace the ABC filler cap back on the reservoir and reinstall the return line back on the reservoir cap.

Remove the dipstick from the ABC reservoir and start the car up.

While watching the fluid level through the dipstick tube hole start the car up and cycle the ride height a few times. Add fluid as necessary through the dipstick hole to keep the fluid level within the normal operating range (the extended pentosin filler neck will just fit into the dipstick tube opening). Once the system maintains fluid level even while cycling the ride height up/down you are done.

I changed my ABC filter again after about a week just to be sure the remove any residual dirt.

Hope this helps,

Brian

 

Rite on!!!!!! I've done mine this way and doing it this way is simple and very effective. I also just bought a 20Ltr. jug of CHF-11s This should be a LIFETIME supply!!! LOL!!!!! At $215 I could not turn it down. I fully agree that a flush and filter each 20K will help keep the ABC system happy!!!!

 

WIS says to do this with the fluid hot. That's probably the purpose of the Rodeo routine. Also, WIS says to use 10 litres of replacement fluid.

I believe it's worth investing in a Chinese-cloned Star Diagnosis system for a few $$$ for this type of work.

 

If fluid temp is a concern drive the car for :20 minutes before performing the fluid change.

I have a Star Diagnostic unit. I still use the outlined procedure as it's both quick and thorough.

By all means folks can go out and buy a Star Diagnostic and rodeo away. This is simply an easy alternative for the average owner to avoid spending the money on a Star Diagnostic unit and the time to learn to use it. This is a simple way to flush the fluid themselves in their own garage in about the time it take to perform an oil change.

I change my fluid using this procedure every 20,000 miles. My 2005 SL55 has 105,000 miles and is on the original pump, all original shocks, and none of my ABC hoses or lines show any signs of weeping fluid. At 100,000 I rebuilt both Valve Blocks and replaced all 4 accumulators as preventive maintenance.

Having worked on cars my entire life from factory sponsored race teams to vintage car restoration I never bought the story that ABC is a "life fluid" with no recommended service interval as Mercedes says. If the average owner swaps their fluid and filter every 20k they will be way ahead of the game in preventing ABC failures whichever method they use.

 

Fantastic post! Instant-sticky! Thank you SO much for this. I just checked the fluid in my 2007 SL550 with 35k miles. It's brown and smells burnt. I'm picking up fluid, a filter, and tools to flush the system this weekend. Bravo!

 

Quick question: Which direction does the fluid flow? The way I understand your post is that it returns through the hose that's clamped to the reservoir cap. That means that the fluid in the reservoir first goes into the system as opposed to going through the filter first. So the fluid is filtered as it returns to the reservoir, right? That would allow any particles that should happen to fall into reservoir while the cap is off to get into the system. I just want to be sure I understand the flow of the system correctly.

 

You are correct. The fluid is filtered through the middle of the filter. This is why you have to clean the top of the reservoir before opening and seal it when it is open.

The debris that they are worried about is being generated by the pump and shocks metal parts. The hydraulic fluid absorbs water just like brake fluid. This water will rust parts in the system. The ABC system is as forgiving as any other part in the car. The issue we have is we do not drive the cars. I put on 10k miles in 3 years. In my opinion we just need to remove the fluid every year no matter the miles.

It is a lot cheaper then replacing the pump and shocks. Just my $.02

David

 

I agree with you 100%. My '11 just clicked 15,000 and I'm considering doing it too. I used to do all my own oil changes and saving money wasn't the reason either.....it was making sure it was done right. I think the ABC fluid change falls into that category as well. Thanks for all of your info..:thumbsup:

 

I purchased an '03 SL55 with 42K miles in Utah last August, drove it 2300 miles home, then about 1K miles before going into my hobby garage for storage/winter maintenance. I have all records for MB services on the car (Warranties by previous owners), and can not find any record of this service being done. I have all the materials for ABC flush, am going to obtain the magnetic filter from Exclusive Automotive in Germany, and do the flush as soon as the weather is cooperative here in southeast PA! I too will do it every 3 years at maximum, which will probably be less than 15K miles.

I've learned a LOT about this system in the last two months thanks to this and other forums! Great write-up on the flush vtvette. Thanks for doing it.

Gary Knox

 

Great write-up. At the risk of asking a foolish question, with the filler cap/filter assembly removed during the process, is there any concern of running the system without the filter? I suppose since you're backfilling with new fluid, the filter is not needed?

 

I was unable to view prior posts for some reason earlier. So, based on the above posts it would seem that since the direction of the fluid is back through the filter, there's no issue of running the system without the filter, only to be mindful of any particles around the opening of the fill cap that could fall into the reservoir and subsequently get cycled through the system.

 

Sky-Pilot wrote: "there must be a good reason why they did it this way."

That made me chuckle, as I can't figure out ANY REASON why they decided to designate this hydroscopic fluid as "LIFETIME"!!!! Perhaps there are even other things we could easily question about 'why they decided to do it this way' - HA.

Gary-

 

You're not even the slightest bit close to what my statement was about. If you read my post, I was referring to the "direction of the fluid flow" and I questioned why it was designed to filter the fluid after it flowed through the system as opposed to before it entered the system. I too think the ABC fluid should be changed on a routine basis. By the way, hydroscopic fluids such as the ABC fluid, brake fluid and many other petroleum based and synthetic fluids, don't absorb moisture unless the sealed system that it's in is continuously vented to the atmosphere as when opening the reservoir. It's best to keep that to a minimum.

 

nice post , i was wondering , if you change the engine oil at 10000 miles interval , could you just remove 2 lit of suspension fluid from reservoir and add 2 l of new stuff at every 10000 m and get away with it , the fluid would never get that bad ???????

 

I'm convinced!

Picked up my 2005 SL 500 last year with 28,000 miles..

now, 32k...

No issues other than replacing consumer battery...


After reading here about all the ABC issues, trans connector, etc

its a no brainer to kick up the $ and get peace of mind...


My local MB dealer gave me quotes lower than most:

ABC flush/replace, filter, rodeo etc including steering fluid/filter $ $881

Trans fluid/filters, AND connector - $657


yeah, its expensive...no doubt $1000 over DIY but just don't have the time and know how...

figure the $1500 will save a lot of grief down the line...

also getting the 2.0 check out -

ANYTHING I'M MISSING?

 

After reading here about all the ABC issues, trans connector, etc its a no brainer to kick up the $ and get peace of mind...

Hopefully you realize that it's likely everything you have read in regard to these matters is someone expressing their opinion and not facts, and you should be careful not to over react.

Here are facts. The world's oldest car company built your car. They spend millions of dollars each day on research and development and employ hundreds if not thousands of individuals with doctorates in engineering. According to M-B, your transmission is not due for service until it reaches around 40K miles. In regard to the ABC fluid, my Mercedes DAS software states to do nothing so long as the system is functioning properly. Is the fluid black and does it smell burnt? Still -- do nothing -- leave it alone.

Here are my opinions. I would not change the transmission fluid and filter for another 8K miles or so. Change the ABC fluid at that time or sooner, if that is what it takes to provide you piece of mind. Perhaps the fact that your fluid appears remarkably clean will suffice for now.

Erring on the side of caution, I recently flushed my ABC fluid at a mileage of 44K. If I did not have my own SDS to perform this properly and cheaply, I probably would have elected to do nothing.

Finally, why pay a dealer's hourly rate when a competent independent can do this work for considerably less? Just make sure the indy is equipped with a Star Diagnosis System (SDS) to perform the rodeo and pitch routines for the flush.

 

ABC FLUID...

HAS CLEAN GREENISH HUE...

DIP STICK ON THE MONEY...

ANY COMMENTS ON APPEARANCE?

 

That's great looking fluid. I wouldn't mess with this, no need. Level is good, too. I'd say you've got a great example and should enjoy your car!

Check it again in 10k miles or a year, whatever is sooner.

 

hat tip to Bhatt:


"ABC fluid - flush it and replace filter NOW if more than a few years old
Transmission - same as above
Flex discs on driveshaft - do a quick check
Transmission connector - do a quick check for leaks
Oil - if you store the car in winters, you don't accumulate enough mileage to follow the FSS display in the dash..
just change it every year to be safe (actually this is exactly what MB recommends for cars not driven very much...)

Do this and your future headaches with car repairs will be reduced by 50% easily.. if not more!"

_____________________________________________

Too many reports of ABC repairs costing $1000s...
My car rides and drives like a dream...

32,000 miles and in pristine condition..

But its 8 years old...I have owned it for 1 year..
no idea what previous owner did


Fluids break down..as does seals, gaskets and rubber..

I would LOVE to keep my money out of the MB stealers but
Bhatts recipe for maintenance will give me piece of mind..

 

i would remove/ replace 1 quart of abc fluid at each oil change [ 10.000 ] . use a suction gun . that way , the fluid is always descent . that is if you want to do it yourself , no risk there , no rodeo , no re priming the pump .

 

docgary,

It only takes about 30 minutes or so for a DIY flush of the ABC system (using the up/down of the ABC switch about a dozen times, with two people doing the job).

Your fluid looks good, the fluid in my '03 with 48K miles was very slightly darker, and the reservoir had the 'new' filter. But, since I plan to drive the car for several years and would rather spend about $260 for the fluid and filter (20 liters of fluid from Amazon, reservoir filter from FPC Euro plus another $15 for a MagnaFine magnetic filter), than run the risk of incurring SIGNIFICANT costs, I chose to make the change in both ABC and transmission over the winter.

I'm about 30 miles west of Philly. IF you are near there in NJ, I'll be glad to assist in the ABC flush (and transmission flush, takes another 60-90 minutes) if you want to get the parts and filter. I have a fairly fully equipped 'hobby' garage we could use.

Keep that great looking car in good condition and enjoy it for a long time.

 

Appreciate the offer and will definitely take you up on it in 10,000 miles!

It kills me to give $$$ to the dealer - I spent years rebuilding motorcycles and
used to do all work myself..

but getting the fluids and filters swapped out is a priority ...

will be getting in touch in a year

 

2007 SL550

My ABC fluid is reading a little low:

Are Pentosin and MB Q 1 32 0001 compatible? How do I tell which was used in my ABC system? Does it matter when topping off?

Also, is the fluid the same for both the ABC and Power Steering? Is the same fluid used elsewhere on this car?

 

Pentosin CHF 11S is used in both the PS and ABC of the SL. Available at NAPA in liter cans, at Amazon.com in 20 liter jugs (as well as other places). About $22 or so at NAPA.