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Does my car have ESP?

8K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  stefcep 
#1 ·
Hi. I recently bought my 1999 C200 Sport. Wiki says ESP was standard on all 1999 and up C-Class. I live in Australia. How do I know if my car came with ESP?

Oh and my brother has a 1998 C200, and his has an ASR switch, mine doesn't. Does that mean I have no ASR either?
 
#3 ·
Literally: if there's no ESP off or ASR off switch on the center dash area = no

But the chassis is so balanced you'd be surprised how well you can get along with out it (from someone who put 250k miles on a 1994 C280)
 
#4 ·
Interesting. Wikipedia must be wrong (LOL yeah I know).

The dash does have a ASR/BAS light but that must be for the ABS.

The other thing I noticed is that on a couple of times I've driven quickly over a speed hump and I could feel the car's wheels losing contact with the ground. At that point the yellow warning triangle flashed on the dashboard. I assumed that was traction control. I didn't feel or hear any brake activity so I discounted the ABS.

If not for traction control, why would the yellow warning light flash.?
 
#8 ·
This is definately different from the USA models, they all have switched for ESP or ASR, my 202, my bother's 210 and 211 all have them. The switch lets you turn it partially off, but never fully.

However, ESP supersedes ASR, as ASR controls the rear wheels brakes only, and ESP controls all four. So you can't really have both, as the sensors and computer, brake master cylinder, and ESP control module would all be set up for ESP optimization.
 
#10 ·
You need to bleed the brakes every three years, and put in fresh Pentosin Dot 4 Low Viscosity. (Or OEM). It is what the car needs to keep all the parts clean on the inside. If you don't have any records, do it now.

Have a shop do it, but you must use the correct fluid.
 
#11 ·
Well as soon as I got it, I bled and refilled the brake fluid using genuine mercedes fluid, full transmission service (drained all oil and filter replaced), flushed coolant, oil and filter change, plugs, air filter, leads (Beru), coils, MAF. I will change the front oxygen sensor and the crank position sensor (which I've read can fail without warning).

After talking to the MB service tech again, it seems he uses the words "ASR" and "ESP" interchangeably. ASR is listed on the cars record, but not ESP, although he thinks they're more or less the same thing. So the car probably is fitted with ASR, and this matches the ASR/BAS warning light on the dash that lights up momentarily when I turn the ignition.
 
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