Merc. Sprinter ESP & ABS fault

[FJmike]

Just got back from a few weeks away in France, not without a few problems. On the way down to Canterbury Aire we stopped in a layby for while to stretch legs etc. only to get the ESP/ ABS fault light come on and no ignition. We had this problem last year ( winter) and put the cause down to a blown brake light or loose connection on one of the relays under the dash. After 3/4 of an hour trying to clear the fault rang recovery, when he arrived the fault had disappeared , but switching the ignition off and trying again the fault returned, the RAC guy plugged his machine in and found some errors but nothing useful so he cleared all the faults and recommended that we visit a Merc. dealer ASAP. I'm not sure if its related or not but prior to the ESP fault making its presents felt the central locking had stopped working on the Hab. door, so maybe the ECU has thrown a wobbly due to a fault on the cambus ????.
Not wanting to turn round and go home or go to a Merc. dealer and be told it needed ££££££££££££s spent( last year Merc. dealer said it required a new ignition switch) we decided to try and persevere with the fault, so after a night at Canterbury headed for the ferry. We did have a few times when we thought we might be stuck but after three weeks away, not turning off when refilling with fuel we survived our holiday in France. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to when the ESP fault happens, we tried all sorts, the only action that seemed to help was when starting to leave the ignition on the first stage for a few seconds before second stage then engaging the starter (always knew if it was going to on the second stage as the glow plug light would come on, no glow plug light = ESP/ABS fault.

 

[Greg Edwards]

Hi there, did you find the cause of this? I have it on my 2010 sprinter and it has already left me stranded in France. After being at the garage overnight with no solution it fired up in the morning no problem... cheers, Greg

 

[Hagstrom]

I sometimes get this intermittent fault with our 518 Sprinter. Taking out the ignition key and re-inserting it can be enough to clear the problem. If that doesn't work, I try waggling the gear stick. It usually clears within twenty minutes of continually repeating these actions.
I've replaced the relays in the fuse box, in the passenger side footwell (RHD, auto gear box) and that didn't seem to help.
Next time it happens, I'm going to try starting it in neutral to see if that is another option.
My fault could be associated with cold, wet weather.

 

[CazPaul]

What year, engine and model is the van?

 

[ctc]

My ABS & ESP both on and been on for a while. Mercedes truck diagnosed a faulty front wheel speed sensor (cost £120 to tell me the fault)

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[Hagstrom]

I replaced the starter, engine management and fuel pump relays in our 2009 3litre Mercedes 518 about three years ago to "cure" an intermittent starting problem but the "key-turn click" issue is creeping back. A couple of weeks ago we were parked next to a similar Sprinter based camper in Dalen, Norway and got talking.

His van had exactly the same starting issues but his engine was a 2.3litre. He got advice from a Norwegian garage and replaced the starter and engine management relays which had solved the problem for the meantime. However, he also said that he found he could clear the fault when it wouldntw start, by switched the lights on and off using the dashboard rotary switch.

I been trying this ever since and it has worked on what must nine or ten occasions. Fingers crossed......

PS Sorry, @CazPaul - just seen your question and embedded the answer in the above.

 

[27 TUG]

Hi have known the stop light switch play up lots of times renew it not expensive glow plug light on I think there’s a control unit or relay behind the NSF headlight worth a try

 

[Hagstrom]

Further to the above, in reference to faulty relays affecting starting, I've just seen this on another Sprinter forum, which suggests that the starter relay might have been under-specified at design stage:-

Originally Posted by BobLLL

I can say with confidence that mine was not a case of the glow plug light going on and off quickly. I stared at the dash while turning the key and it did not come on. And it was a chilly morning. And there was no cranking or solenoid click. Removing & cleaning the ecu relay fixed it. Others have swapped or replaced the relay with the same result. What seems to be happening is the whole start sequence is not initiated, maybe because the ecu is not happy with the voltage (if any) being supplied by the relay at the moment the key is turned on. And like other corrosion or funky connection problems, the problem can be very intermittent and will drive you crazy.

If you park outside like I do, and don't drive a lot during cold weather, it may be that condensation in the fuse/relay box is the cause. The relay box is mounted on the firewall, which may be colder than the rest of the interior, and maybe prone to a bit of condensation in cold weather. Here is the thread that originally set me onto the possible condensation issue.
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/forum-...wresult-1.html

Also, here is a list I compiled of all the relays with the MB and Hella part numbers. (Hella appears to be the OEM for most or all of the relays). Several of the relays are interchangeable. This list is what I found in my 2011. It appears to match the list for 2007 that was posted elsewhere on this forum, although some relays have been superseded with new numbers. But be sure to check the numbers on your actual relays; don't rely on me, just some guy on the internet, to get this right. If you order online, you may need to try either the MB or the Hella numbers to find the right relays. The "terminal" numbers refer to the European standard designations for the accessory, ignition, and start circuits.

Relays by position #.
1 horn
2 Wiper speed 1 or 2
3 Fuel pump (appears to change location in 2015)
4 Wiper on/off
5 Terminal 50 starter solenoid
6 Terminal 15R "radio" (accessory)
7 Engine control
8 Terminal 15 ignition

Replacements
1,3 MB 0045452905 (0035420219 orig, superseded), Hella 4RD965 453-04

2,4,5 MB 0025427419 (0025421419 orig, superseded) Hella 4RD 007 794-21
Originals were 20A, new are 30A

6,7,8 MB 0025422619 Hella 4RA 007 793-031

I found it particularly interesting that the starter solenoid relay was one that was upgraded to 30A. This is probably related to the blown starter fuse issue that showed up in 2010-2012 models. If you have a 20 amp relay in this position in a 2010 or later van, might be prudent to upgrade it.

 

[Hagstrom]

Update:
After all that deliberation, I had the starter motor replaced this week because the starting failures were becoming embarrassing, especially on ferries.
It was to be the first step in an a process of gradual elimination of starter/earthing strap/ecu/relays etc. However, the autoelectrician who investigated the starting fault found the solenoid was malfunctioning. Since the starter motor was replaced the starting problem has gone away.