Wheel sensor problem?

[Pahaska]

Coming up to Missouri from Austin last Sunday, I was on the interstate near Dallas when error messages started displaying. First was ABS out, then ESP out, then collision avoidance out, then cruise control quit. I pulled off at a convenient Buckees and checked tire pressures; all good. Since it was Sunday, there was no one to call, so I kept going. With the exception of having no cruise control, all seemed normal once I paged past the messages. I was still getting over 19 mpg.

With my photo-gray glasses, it is hard to see the speedo, so I found trucks going a suitable speed and flew formation on them for the next two days. At each start, I had to page past the error messages. At the end of the third day, I fueled up. When I restarted, there were no messages and the cruise control worked fine. Everything has been fine in the miles I drove since that stop.

I had a service B several days prior to stating the trip.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Kwils25]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

Coming up to Missouri from Austin last Sunday, I was on the interstate near Dallas when error messages started displaying. First was ABS out, then ESP out, then collision avoidance out, then cruise control quit. I pulled off at a convenient Buckees and checked tire pressures; all good. Since it was Sunday, there was no one to call, so I kept going. With the exception of having no cruise control, all seemed normal once I paged past the messages. I was still getting over 19 mpg.

With my photo-gray glasses, it is hard to see the speedo, so I found trucks going a suitable speed and flew formation on them for the next two days. At each start, I had to page past the error messages. At the end of the third day, I fueled up. When I restarted, there were no messages and the cruise control worked fine. Everything has been fine in the miles I drove since that stop.

I had a service B several days prior to stating the trip.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I have had this happen 2 or 3 Times, always on very windy days. It always cleared itself when I stopped and shut the engine off. It reset the system when I restarted. Once I started driving a little slower during windy conditions I’ve had no problems.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I was on the interstate near Dallas when error messages started displaying. First was ABS out, then ESP out, then collision avoidance out, then cruise control quit.

When I restarted, there were no messages and the cruise control worked fine. Everything has been fine in the miles I drove since that stop.

When ESP and other driver-assist programs activate, you get a brief flash of the dashboard indicator light for that program. If the light comes on and stays on, that means you are exceeding the driver-assist program's ability to assist you, and it's time to slow down. Basically, the van's computers say, "I can't help anymore, it's all up to you now."

My 2012 Interstate (2011 Sprinter) doesn't have collision avoidance so I can't speak to that, but both the ABS and ESP rely upon differential braking controlled by the van's computers; different amounts of braking force are applied to different wheels to help keep the van moving in the direction it's supposed to be moving, ABS when you apply the brakes, and ESP when you don't apply the brakes.

The only time I remember ESP going out in my van (there may be times I don't remember) was when I was driving in high crosswinds in the Texas panhandle, near all of those wind farms outside Amarillo. The winds were so strong that the wind farms' turbines were locking down to keep from spinning too fast— that means the wind gusts were well in excess of 45mph. Anyone who doesn't slow down in crosswinds that strong is asking for trouble, and my van's ESP told me so.

Since I normally keep my speed down to 60mph when towing my Honda Fit toad, so as not to damage the Honda's transmission, I seldom end up driving too fast for the prevailing conditions. But this one time even 60mph was too fast.

[scarletbison]

I’ve had this happen several times on my 2014.5 lounge ext. The reason final determined after 3 trips to the “workshop” was a a speed sensor that eventually went bad. First time they couldn’t find any problems so reset sensors (during routine check in NJ), second time occurred after we had the vehicle flatbed died across the country, and took it for a full service after 30 months and only 12k miles. Again they saw the alerts in the computer memory but all sensors checked out. Final time occurred after I was driving out of the airstream dealer so drove the one mile to mercedes dealer and they confirmed that the messages were there, and it was ok to drive just use extra precautions as if you had a 5 ton vehicle without those systems. Brought it back 2 days later and the found that a wheel speed sensor had in fact failed (tested 0) so they replaced it under warranty (for another month or so, phew!) and passed my smog check for California, yay!

[Titus]

I had same symptoms and it was a rear wheel speed sensor. The OBD reader said left rear, but mechanic got signals from all four. Replaced both rear sensors (common problem on 3500/dual chassis) and no problems in 2000 miles. I had no driving issues other than transmission briefly shifting into neutral during drive to repair shop. I tried multiple restarts and complete disconnect of battery but could not get it error messages to clear. Appx $500 at independent repair shop using MB parts.

[Pahaska]

I'm the OP. My occurrence was in windless conditions on a straight section of highway, with no traffic very close to me. The error messages persisted for 1 1/2 days of driving. The problem has not recurred in several days driving since.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I'm the OP. My occurrence was in windless conditions on a straight section of highway, with no traffic very close to me. The error messages persisted for 1 1/2 days of driving. The problem has not recurred in several days driving since.

In that case, an OBDII reader will tell the tale. Even if error codes disappear from the display, they're still stored in memory readable by an OBDII reader, until reset.

[PDXPaulie]

Take it to get checked out by the pros who know what they are doing. Dont leave it up to the amatuers on this forum. Jebus. Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by PDXPaulie

Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one.

No need to be rude, dude.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

....First was ABS out, then ESP out, then collision avoidance out, then cruise control quit....

We recently had a wheel speed sensor fail on our RAM 1500 truck.

Very similar symptoms in the cockpit. Traction control went out, trailer brake controller demanded that it be serviced, cruise control shut down, and ABS failed. Basically, anything you can imagine that depended on knowing the rotation speed of all the wheels on the truck.

We tried clearing codes. We also noted that if we started the truck and just sat there for a bit without moving everything seemed fine, but as soon as we began moving forward, we got the same errors again.

We had no idea of the cause until the RAM dealer in Grand Junction, CO, diagnosed the right front wheel speed sensor as having failed, and replaced it.

We also have friends with a Sprinter-based motor home who have had two different wheel sensors fail. Similar experience there as well.

[toskeysam]

Just joined this club. My 2013 AI Ext Lounge flashed the ABS, ESP and cruise control dropped out yesterday. Heading home, 800 miles to go. Everything else seems fine and nearest Sprinter Service couldn’t look at it until next week. It did reset after an extended stop for fuel, but kicked out again just after we restarted the drive.
Decided to continue run for Home. Drove for years without cruise control, and pulled heavy equipment in earlier life. Just going to be careful and pray nothing else “kicks out”!
Just last week I did have to drive several miles on a really rough gravel road....did the creepy-crawl to avoid shaking too badly. Don’t know if that did it, but that’s the only thing that was out of the ordinary.
Heading to Home sprinter dealer when we get back, for new tires....and now some diagnostic work as well.

[Pahaska]

Back home after about 2000 miles in 7 days driving.

The wheel sensor symptoms came and went throughout the trip. Rumble strips and bad bumps tended to cause the problem, but I had several occurrences on smooth roads. The van tended to jump forward for an instant just as the sensor went out. Fuel stops mostly reset the problem until the next bumpy place.

I had cruise control all the way from Waco through Austin, then it went out as I turned into our road off some new paving with a bump.

[toskeysam]

Pahaska...funny you should mention the forward lurch. Mine did the same thing. That got my attention before the ABS light did. I had a WTH reaction and then when the light came on I had a profane reaction. So far so good....

[JRC]

Happened to us last month on a trip from Michigan to Washington. Very nice experience with the Tacoma Mercedes dealer. Left front wheel sensor failed and was replaced under warranty. (2013 Interstate with 47,000 miles) Three days later on way home problem repeated itself. Went on and off a couple of times but mostly on. Back in Michigan our regular Mercedes dealer in Grand Blanc found the right front wheel sensor had failed. (Also replaced under warranty) Oh boy, only two more sensors to replace and we will have a new set. Both dealers said it is a problem they see regularly. Have heard of some dealers charging as much as $800. to fix this.

[Pahaska]

I have an appointment at Mercedes Monday (tomorrow, 30th) morning at 8:00. My warranty runs out at the end of the month, so this is the last chance to get it fixed for free.

I just drove roughly 100 miles each way to an Airstream rally. On the way there, the sensor failed about 3 miles from the park. On the way back, it made it all the way home without failing. Time to failure seems to be just about 100 miles based on the trip back from St Louis.

[Titus]

How many miles on yours when the front sensors failed? I had a rear sensor fail at appx 40,000 miles. Local MB dealer mentioned frequent problems with rear sensors on the 3500 dual chassis, but didn't mention problems with the front.

[sthrngary]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

When ESP and other driver-assist programs activate, you get a brief flash of the dashboard indicator light for that program. If the light comes on and stays on, that means you are exceeding the driver-assist program's ability to assist you, and it's time to slow down. Basically, the van's computers say, "I can't help anymore, it's all up to you now."

My 2012 Interstate (2011 Sprinter) doesn't have collision avoidance so I can't speak to that, but both the ABS and ESP rely upon differential braking controlled by the van's computers; different amounts of braking force are applied to different wheels to help keep the van moving in the direction it's supposed to be moving, ABS when you apply the brakes, and ESP when you don't apply the brakes.

The only time I remember ESP going out in my van (there may be times I don't remember) was when I was driving in high crosswinds in the Texas panhandle, near all of those wind farms outside Amarillo. The winds were so strong that the wind farms' turbines were locking down to keep from spinning too fast— that means the wind gusts were well in excess of 45mph. Anyone who doesn't slow down in crosswinds that strong is asking for trouble, and my van's ESP told me so.

Since I normally keep my speed down to 60mph when towing my Honda Fit toad, so as not to damage the Honda's transmission, I seldom end up driving too fast for the prevailing conditions. But this one time even 60mph was too fast.

You are so good. You just saved me more stress than you can imagine. Thank you.

Gary

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by Titus

How many miles on yours when the front sensors failed? I had a rear sensor fail at appx 40,000 miles. Local MB dealer mentioned frequent problems with rear sensors on the 3500 dual chassis, but didn't mention problems with the front.

No idea whether it is a front or a rear sensor. on mine The van has about 24,000 miles, all but the last 5000 miles with the original owner. No indication in the printouts I received from Mercedes of any previous sensor trouble.

[sthrngary]

Originally Posted by PDXPaulie

Take it to get checked out by the pros who know what they are doing. Dont leave it up to the amatuers on this forum. Jebus. Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one.

This and every other forum regardless of topic gives suggestions and experiences. Your advice is sound as it relates to Mercedes-Benz shops if one can get there. I have meet very few RV dealers I could consider experts. But your tone and attitude is not appreciated.

Gary T, The “RV Advocate”

[toskeysam]

My speed sensor problem was fixed last week. My home dealer replaced the left rear wheel speed sensor. My warranty runs out in 3 weeks.....rats!