In my WIS for 'Remove/replace a suspension strut' for this car, the final instruction is to 'Fill and bleed the ABC', with a link to another drawing.

There is no reference to 'calibration' - just to fill/bleed correctly. What did the owner do here? The WIS stresses maximum care here to prevent minute particles entering the ABC hydraulic system.

I can post the ABC Fill & Bleed drawing, if required...

 

This is spot on, except plunger calibration must be performed when a strut has been changed. Calibration will not be achieved if the system has not been bled as per WIS.

 

I could be wrong here, but my understanding of 'calibration' of ABC systems is when STAR diagnosis equipment is used to confirm that the vehicle is sitting evenly after the replacement of front or rear level sensors.

I am surprised to read that the car's diagnostics can know of this deficiency...

Ref bleeding the hydraulics system. At some stage the vehicle must be raised so that no weight is on ALL the struts. This suggests the availability of a car lift.

 

I think your copy of wis is out of date, or you maybe read the wrong section? Anyway this does not answer the mans question, he needs the calibration values and I cannot remember what they are.

I would suggest calibration at 1.6 on all four and then measure the distance between wheel centre and wheel arch, then recalibrate moving the number up or down accordingly, sorry a bit hit and miss I know.

 

I think your copy of wis is out of date, or you maybe read the wrong section?

Yes - I have found that WIS comment that you have highlighted above regarding re-calibration of the plunger travel sensors with STAR after replacing a strut. I had not noticed it before.

It must make diy changing a strut almost pointless if the car has to go to MB anyway.

Thanks for clarifyiing.

 

ABC Bleeding

The OP has not responded, he may have fixed the problem, but others will read this thread and ask what is the bleeding procedure, so I will post it.

 

This is the error I'm seeing:

These are my level calibration values:

These are the inclination values:

And this is the result:

 

When you get the values are not within range, click on WIS and it will give you the acceptable value range.

 

Can you post the page from WIS?


I do not have access...

 

Thanks as always for your invaluable assistance Eric!

 

I'm having the same problem, "Level signals are not within the valid range" and I have the correct values that the WIS says for my car (w215 CL500 europe) 2.8 front and -3.3 rear, where is the problem? anyone knows?

 

As the system ages it is not uncommon for the values to drift slightly, we simply correct this during normal servicing.

 

How I correct the values to run the calibrarion? My sensors are all between 2-3V like says and I insert the factory angles, so where is the problem? i still having the left front corner down and any ABC faults only "the calibrarion have not completed"

Best regards

 

Trial and error is where to go now. Increase the angle for the left front corner and take physical measurements on all four corners as you progress.

But it may be that you have a weak strut on the front left, to check this swap the front struts over and see if the problem moves to the right front.

 

I can get que vehicle perfect level and with in range all sensors 2-3V, que strut works ok in all test and it possible to level with the calibration but at the end of the proccess after i give the angle says "level signal are not withinn the range" , I dont understand why or how is detecting that are not in range, I mesure the car before the angle is setted and is perfeft 70cm height...I have be several times giving different angles but the system speaks about signal level and not angles...what im doing wrong?

Best regards

 

Hi, I'm having same problem with my W220 S600 year 2000, after doing a full front end rebuild excluding struts the front right keeps dropping, engine on or off except when I do a calibration set up then it holds height perfectly but I can't get it to accept values either.
Now correct me if I'm wrong I've concluded that height must be set at factory setting +/- ? Voltages must be correct again +/- ? And inclination settings must be correct again +/- ?. Anyway if anyone has the answer I'd love to know........PLEASE.

 

An update, today I thought well let's try putting in values without getting all four corners where I think they should be and put in inclination values within the ranges given (in my case 4.9 4.9 -1.6 -1.6) low and behold it accepted them....EUREKA...... So then I went back to level calibration and lifted the front right to a height to match left front and then put same values in barring right front which I upped to heighest in range so now I have .....5.5 for right front and Eureka again it accepted it and it appears to be holding up..... Now I don't know if I hit lucky but I spent all yesterday and an hour this morning putting in all combinations without success until doing it as above

 

A perfect example of "trial and error" well done.

 

Hello, thanks for all response. But the problem for me is:
- The correct values for the voltage of the sensor levels in my case says is 2-3V and there are in that range...when you say lets put all in range what -V- did you give? The inclination in my case I have try with all in the range permitied....

J19 HWS when the system says "Level signals are not within the valid range" anyone knows exactly that the system is detecting? Because the system says that the level signals must be in 2-3V and my case there are in range...so whats detecting?

eric242340 the problem is that I dont know what more I can "trial and error" I need some direction....Thanks.

Best regards

 

Forget the voltages and play with angle values.

 

I tried playing around with voltages and angles much like you nothing worked..
So think about it...... Mercedes do these things just because they can and hopefully stopping people like us doing it ourselves......
In my case I had stripped all the front suspension off except the struts then put all new stuff ( as in arms ball joints) on and that's when mine was dropped on the front right ( nearly to the ground).
After all the attempts I thought I haven't altered anything to affect the strut heights, when on star my voltages were between 2.37 - 2.78 this is when I went to calibrate with 5.0 5.0 fronts -1.7 -1.7 rears and it accepted these settings but of course my right front is still on floor, so, I raised right front in stages of 15MM. and upped right front setting (5.0) up by .1 and tried it each time, which it accepted until I found the max height it would accept at top angle of 5.5
Sorry if this is all long winded but you need to think logical and outside the box.
Now my right front is still 25mm lower than left at max I could get accepted, this is when I realised the bracket that holds the sensor to the top wishbone must be (and is) slightly twisted which is why I can't get the front high enough.
If you need step by step help then stick a message on here and I'll see if we can do a run through.
Don't lose heart patience and coolness will win the day.....Mercedes will never beat me ��

 

Sorry should add if a voltage was any higher than 2.87 it wouldn't do a thing on mine
And when you ask what's it detecting inclination is measured by the sensors that tell if the body is dipping on front or loaded on rear ie when braking hard or loaded etc
And again think YOUR CAR HASNT GOT A BLOODY CLUE WHAT HEIGHT IT IS. All it knows is voltage and inclination.... Forget height get voltages lower than top end and then try inclination once you've got it to accept values then lift or lower ONE corner at a time to find its upper or lower range DO NOT MEASURE HEIGHT until you know what you can get if one side ain't high/ low enough it's because the sensor is either damaged or twisted on the bracket

 

Thanks a lot eric242340 and J19 HWS for the help.

- When you say "voltage was any higher than 2.87 it wouldn't do a thing on mine" you reffer that cannot get succesfully calibration or that is not doing nothing in the heigth of the strut? you front rigth corner is at 2.87V and 5.5 angle?
- When you do the calibration is always with the car started? I do it with the car started but maybe I'm doing wrong....
- When you say "forget the voltages and play with the angles" you reffer that I can get values more than 3V or lower 2V and get succesfullly calibration or that I have not to move the values of the voltage and only try with differente angles? I have try all the angles in front.

In my case in the WIS says one thing and in the DAS other. In the WIS says for my car (W215-europe) front level is 2.8(+/- 1.5) front and rear level -3.3 (+/- 1.0). with this different agle admitted form romess and Star Diagnosis:

In the DAS it says for my car: 2.4 to 3.1 angle in the front and -3.3 to -2.9 in the rear. Why is this difference? One speaks about level and the other about angles but I think is the same for this, I also dont understand about the "permisible vehicle level difference between rigth and left sides" and It says for the Star Diagnosis is "0.5 in the front" and "0.3 in the rear" so I can only give angles in with this difference? or the car measures this difference in other way?... What angle I have to give to start the "try and error" method? Because I'm so confused...

After making all test avaible (rodeo, plungers, automatic level, etc.) Now I'm having another problem that I dont know if is the problem of the calibration...With the car motor running ON i'm getting values of the voltage sensors, the rear rigth is gettting 3.12V (more than 3V that says is the top...). I have change the sensor to a new one, I have be sure about the instalation, links, connections...But still in 3.12. I have to correct the voltage in the calibration or I have to get correct value before I do the calibration?

Sorry for all this to long post...but I dont get the clue to do a correct calibration....maybe with this information you can say me the next step to do.

Best regards.

 

Ok.... Let's take it one step at a time.... Mine is a W220 S class 600.... Same principles different settings.... If I set my right front voltage ( the only side that was too low to drive on) any higher than 2.87 I couldn't get it too accept calibration although the right front height was approx same as left front on this voltage ( a clue here to something wrong was the left front voltage was only 2.34).... I've ignored everything the wis has told me as its what the star/ calibration on Xentry that's gonna get you moving forward....Right. Now briefly what is the fault on yours that's led you to this pain in the arse your having....sorry but Brief facts only ����
By this I mean when you start car is it high/ low lop sided or what and what have you done like replaced what etc.... Just the basics.... I'm not being rude but it's the simple things that cause the biggest issues on Mercedes

 

I have the rigth corner low, like 4cm low in the rigth front comparing with the left and 2cm low in the rear rigth corner comparing with the left.

This started one day when I do a flush to the system 2 years ago. In this 2 years I have rebuild the front valve block, change all accumulators, and do 2 more flushes and change filters to be sure the system is clean. Now I have change the rear rigth sensor level because was the only that is giving more than 3V but I still having more than 3V (3.12V normally with engine running). I also change all the silentblocks in the front.

Now 1 week ago I got a full MB C4 system to finally solved this problem I thougth was just calibration, but I cannot do it...I have run all the test without problems but I cannot do the calibration and I dont know where can I start to "try and error"

Where I start? With what voltages more less? What angles? i have infinite possibilities...thanks a lot for trying to help me. Best regards

 

Fighter

Sorry to drone on but only trying to explain what your car needs and what it wants...two different things.
Imagine the inclination as pendulums these detect and monitor the car for left to right roll... And front to back roll, these are fixed items non adjustable...
The voltages tell the computer how high or low each corner of your car is these are adjustable.
In the factory when your car was new they set it up, now all of these pendulums and there are several, need to hang vertical on for arguments sake zero, which means each corner of your car has to be a certain height now they do build a certain amount of variation in so when things wear it will still work.
Now if like me you renew the front wishbones and fit non genuine ones the sensor will be in a slightly different position and in my case it's so much different that I can't get the car to the correct height so as to keep the pendulums at zero.
So the computer is saying ' you've given me voltages that are within limits so everything's fine pendulums must be zero I'm happy' but I know it's not because front right is too low which is how mr Mercedes mechanic or me knows something else is wrong on that corner.
Which is why if you measure the height of your car and try to calibrate it's not necessarily going to accept it.

 

Sorry only just seen your reply will look at it and get back to you

 

Fighter
Don't lose heart I'm confident we will beat it..
Good thing is if your car won't calibrate then it won't alter anything from standard settings.
Tomorrow, connect your star with engine running (it won't calibrate otherwise)
Do a plunger calibration...the one that does full top to bottom travel of struts.
Then go to level calibration and write down AND take photo ( always take photos of anything you might change so you can put it back in case) of voltage settings.
Now.. Look at voltages and raise or lower corresponding corners to get voltage lower than its maximum by say if max is 3.0 set it at 2.83 ( this is not exact science).
Then measure height of each corner.. This is just for reference make a note of it.
Press F2 which takes you to inclination angles.... Now... My fronts are listed as
4.8 to 5.5 front and -1.8 to -1.4 rear so I entered in 5.0 both fronts and -1.7 both rears you put in your values with similar variation, press F2 confirm F3. ( don't forget photo of your entry before pressing F2) if it says not accepted try up or down a bit at a time on inclination values.
Let me know how you get on if no success give me what height each corner is to get voltages down to acceptable levels.
I would say by what you've said its sensor positions on each corner that need fine tuning or are not mounted correctly
No amount of flushing or filter changing or renewing of accumulators etc etc will make any difference, if your car stays at the height your putting it while your on calibration then it's purely down to sensors and settings, if you car starts dropping on its own accord while on calibration then the problem lies elsewhere
Have faith... Let me know

 

Hello!

This days I have tried a lot with no results.

- I go to a flat surface
- I start the car with N position and brake off
- Do a plunger calibration successfully
- Then I start the level calibration and I set up the voltage near to 2.7-2.83 the 4 corners
- Then I tried all the angles permited like this: I start with 2.4 front and -3.3 rear and then 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1....Then 2.4 front and -3.2 rear, later 2.5, 2.6....Like this until I tried all the values combinations (2.4/3.1 front and -3.3/-2.9 rear)
- All the time I get the same problem "Level signals are not withing the valid range"

So now whats the problem? When the system says level signals are not withing the valid range it is a angle problem? a voltage problem? a combination? I dont know what to start trying now...The level of the vehicle is in the rigth lower than in the left.

 

Hi
You're certainly having a problem with it.... If it appears that the left side is somewhere near to the correct height and the right is low?, then when you put star on it what are the initial voltages ( I hope you took photos of them as I suggested) and what are the actual heights at each corner and what should the approximate heights it should be.
Send me this info and send me your VIN number please and I'll go through it on my star.
As an example on mine the right front was 25mm low and this was because the sensor was ONLY 4mm out of its correct position.
Jim

 

The initial voltages are (more less, sometimes when I did the automatic calibration or plunger calibration changes a little bit +-0.5V):
- Front left: 2.90V
- Front right: 2.4V
- Rear left: 2.80V
- Rear right: 3.12

Yes the heigth in the left side is more less correct (~70cm), in the right side is:
- Front right: ~67cm
- Rear rigth: ~68.7cm

How can I know if the sensor is out of it correct position? I hace check it all 2 times, unistall and them install again, and I have change the rigth sensors with new ones and no changes.

Thanks a lot! Best regards

 

Hello
Let me check these tomorrow and I'll get back to you by late afternoon.

The rear sensors are quite easy to check as they only fit in one place but make sure they are seated properly as well as the bolt there is a locating pin that sits in a second hole just behind bolt hole.
Front sensors use same bolt as the wishbone bushing, make sure the bracket doesn't twist as bolt is tightened (this is what mine did )

Regards
Jim