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We have 3 early build 98's in the family and in 8 plus years we've only had the brake switch problem and the crazy rat thing on my car. None of the other problems. You really had a host of problems but I'm not conviced it's a plague.
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That's why I declared a disclaimer about the 98's. Based on your posts, you are probably one of the lucky ones. Others have had great experiences with their MLs, but I still believe these vehicles are plagued with electronic gremlins. In three MB's I have owned, my 01 E has had the ABS/BAS/XYZ thing - brake sensor, my 02 ML, had all varieties of these - brake switch as far as I can recall, my 05 ML has had all of them including the variety that locks the tranny - brake switch, brake switch, some control computer, steering angle sensor!!!!! They are plagued and you just happen to be one of the lucky many!!!
I think that Wolfgang's post earlier basically captures my conclusion on this: it's not the sensors!!!! It's whatever is sending signals to these sensors. Reading Wolfgang's post, it's clear that even MB, a company that rarely thinks its customers have any brains, thinks the rate of occurrence of these ABS/BAS/CBS/ABC/NBC/FOX/.../XYZ is extremely high. That's why they looked into it - just because it's costing them a lot of $$$$$$ on warranty repairs. Based on just a couple of issues with my 500 within the past 4 months, MB and their techs should get together and do their homework - either the techs do the component tests correctly to isolate the source of the issue(s), or MB design idiot proof fault isolation algorithms for their techs. Too many times, it seems like the problem is blamed on a sensor (after all, it usually is the easiest thing to replace when in warranty!!!!!) rather than test the sensor for functionality and following down the diagnosis tree!!!! I see a lot of MB's problems in Wolfgang's post than is apparent.
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1989 300ZXT - mine
A pair of running shoes
A 18Hp lawn mower
2 Mountain Bikes
350Z - will be mine when @ 300+HP and 3-Car Garage
My 02's bas esp light came on today while driving. I parked the car, turned it off and back on. As soon as I pressed the brake pedal the light came back on and the car would not shift out of park. I did the manual override and drove home. When I got home I realized that the brake lights do not work at all.
What do you guys think is going on here? I replaced the brake light switch about 6 months ago so I doubt it's that.
My ABS, BAS, ESP, ETS on my 2000 ML 320 suddenly came up yesterday, I parked it and re-started and it is gone !!! again today morning it came up I parked it and re-started it .. it is gone !!! everything seems fine ( engine, tranny ) .. don't know what could have gone, is it time to change my brakes or is it to do with the change in wheather I live in Dallas and for the last couple of days it is been bit cold here.
Here are some of the things I did before I started to get this problem
1. I had used Low Range couple of days back
2. I have "Tried" to clime a small mound that day.
3. This happend just after I put in gas
4. I also need to change my brakes in the next 8-10 thousand miles.
When mine did this very same thing it was the battery about to die. I checked the voltage across the terminals with a multimeter and it was >14v DC, but that didn't tell the whole story. One Saturday morning it just went kaput. Get the dealer or MB service to check the battery first.
Last edited by tenmikemike : 11-03-2007 at 12:33 AM.
tenmikemike,
Thank you very much for your reply, I will have my battery checked.
In the meantime bumping up the post if someone else has had the same issue but a different solution.
Thank in Advance for your help.
Honestly, with a ML battery more than several years old, the "gremlins" can be one of the few early signs of failure (and it will be soon and sudden if that is the case).
Overall, with the ML electronics you don't get "slow start" - you get a few/maybe even one good Gremlin, then a total failure..
The tip on your post was the other misc electrics not working at that time..
If you have a 4yr old + battery - shop for a replacement.. the ML MB battery is a "custom" size, like most other luxury imports...either a MB delaer, or call roadside and see if in your area roadside assist has extrra charge...if dealer or roadside replace the battery they pull up the radio codes and anthing else they need to know to do it easy..
Interstate/Spain makes the ML replacement battery at this moment, for a little over a year or so (I think) ....one of the best makers/replacement batteries MB has had as a replacement to date...early years had a Interstate/US-Mexico OE, about late 2000/2001 thru early 2005 (I think) had a shit Delco made OE battery (look identical on the outside)..I think 2005+ have had Interstate/Spain and a good thing..
My last ML battery, with roadside assist my area, was under $130 - again my area..
The lights came up again yesterday when the wife was driving, this time it was pretty different it came up when she was driving, did u have the same issue did it come when you were driving ? or was the lights already lit when you started the SUV ? everything else on the SUV looks good.
Also one more thing I forgot to mention, recently I put on new sets of used tires on the front wheel.
I brought this used SUV a year back and "then" started reading reviews on this, the only great and economical mechanics I was able to get was from this great fourm.
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