The error message and white triangle appears on dash and car goes slowly.. ESP error - How to fix the most common cause? Everything seems to work OK - Easy fix??
Had same message, got a new switch from MB, ( R243.80 here in South Africa ). Also noticed that the protruding part of switch was longer than the old one. I pressed the switch in and heard a sort of a ratchet noise, and then switch was shorter, pulled it out and heard the sound again. This is obviously a self adjusting mechanism. Opened old switch and saw a metal clip that works as a ratchet mechanism. Also had the same plate that broke off as in your video.Reset message and drove a short distance, clear for now, will monitor.Thanks for the video.
Very interesting. The universal type switch has an adjustable length actuator so it can fit several models. I find it surprising that MB OEM parts have this feature. I have only seen it on aftermarket switches.
Wow you’ve saved me a lot of grief been trying to fault find this for hours , stumbled across you video removed the switch and limp mode was deactivated, just waiting for new switch now
Great job, Glad it was useful. The B class is still going at 188K miles. Pulls like a train...Incredibly reliable car. That switch is the only electrical fault that I have ever had on the car.
I bought my brake switch today, install it on tuesday and see if it's right because it's the same error esp inoperative. I had cleaned mine but it didn't help.
@@touristcastaway7550 Afterwards is did nothing. ESP error was gone. But there are several more systems and sensors that give input to the ESP system. This switch is just one of them.
Makes sure the plunger is correct. Some switches come with a collapsible plunger that changes length when the pedal is first pressed after installation. i.e plunger length auto adjusts itself. However I have had problems with these 'universal' switches as sometimes the plunger auto-adjust ratchet slips and the brake lights stop working. Best to pay a bit more get the OEM part with the correct plunger.
Hi, thanks for sharing your experiance. I had replaced the front hub with second hand hub and from then onwards if I drive above 50mph I get this warning. I thought its wheel sensor but need to check the brake switch with multimeter now before replacing sensor.
Thanks a lot for this information, my Mercedes Benz B150 has the same issue with the esp inoperative light on and LIM light on with warning triangle sign. My question is, can this break the car down from not moving at some point if I didn't attend to it?
Whether or not it will damage the car depends on the root cause of the fault. Best plug an analyser in and see what fault it reports. I guess there are two safety issues. If ESP is switched off it cant get you out of trouble if you lose control and if it is the brake light switch someone could rear-end you if you have no stop/brake lights....
Yes. Definitely. Your car is in limp mode. Basically the engine turbo is disabled. Once fixed the ooompff will come back again. Get someone to stand behind and see that the brake lights come on RELIABLY. Remember a failing switch might not show up by visual check of the brake lights unless you do a careful check. This fooled me initially because the lights seem to work. But under soft braking they didn't and the switch was iffy but not totally defunct. Good luck.
Have you checked the brake lights are working? The brake switch is the most common culprit but if it isn't that you will have to plug in the code reader and see what the car s reporting. It could be a number of factors that can affect the system.
On the motorway at as steady 70 MPH it is about 45MPG. Overall average since new (188K miles) is 41.5 MPG, mostly driving around the outskirts and to and from a city 20 miles away. 32 MPG sounds low. Do you see any smoke? If I had low MPG I would check the Mass-Airflow-Sensor, The injectors, Fuel rail pressure, 02 sensors. Scan for fault codes and have a look at the O2 sensor live data. If you have large corrections then you could have a leaky injector. Usually, if the engine parameters are out of bounds then the engine light should be on. Whilst you are at it check the thermostat. Although this has no direct bearing of fuel economy, it will have a slight effect.
Hi, the tyre sensor was reset but it then it says inoperative once reset. I also replaced the stop light switch which hasnt solved problem, rear lights were working ok so doubt it was that - also cleaned around the hub where the abs/speed sensor pokes through but still no joy. I dont have a code reader to narrow it down but its looking like on of the abs sensors or possibly need to recentre the steering?
@@janzbro1strangely with these cars when the fuel gauge doesn’t work and you have the faults you describe it is usually the ABS wheel sensor at the front. Could be the front left or right. If it’s not the wheels sensor it will be the bearing. It has an encoder ring (magnet) that the speed sensor reads via induction
I’ve been having same issue for a year on 2008 w204 c220 89k miles. I’m ready to throw the car off a cliff now… if this doesn’t suss my issue I give up with Mercedes, I’ve spent way too much being tossed around the Mercedes work shops now.
@@razenby they didn’t change the switch but I imagined that’s because they didn’t find a problem with it. And yes my steering wheel stays at 12. My error codes are P2263, 2638, 7201, 6264
In the video you have switched the switch button. I've just found out you can modify the length of the button. I believe that sometimes because of usage of brake pedal they ship a few notches. Your video helps a lot. I managed to keep my OEM part too.
Yes on some they have a collapsible plunger that adjusts when it is over-pressed. Some however are fixed length and I find that these work better. The universal ones have a habit of slipping to be too short to reliably actuate the switch.
The non starting and the warning are probably different issues. A low battery can cause random fault light to come up. Perhaps look into the non-starting issue first before looking into the issue covered in this video.
Dear Sir, You saved me thousands of Euros. Thanks a lot!!! Who knows what could have happened if I went to the service, driving in a limp mode... Mercedes corporation is really messing arround with their brand name and tradition. A lot of people today are making funny jokes about the company. To be honest, even the most expensive models have the same production failures, even worse ones. It's a shame for such remarkable company.
Good to hear. I have heard that the CEO of Mercedes decided that their cars were so reliable that it was affecting sales of new cars as the old ones took so long to run into the ground. i.e If we stop over-engineering the design then we will make the cars cheaper and sell more. of them. The car we have had since new featured in this videos is still going very well at 160K miles. It just had its very first road-side breakdown when a drive shaft spline failed. The only other failure we have ever had was this brake switch but the car still drove OK.
Thanks for the comment. I believe the B class is seriously underrated, We bought our B class in 2009. It is still going strong and drives perfectly at 180,000 miles. I look after the rest of my family's cars and the B class reliability really puts them in the shade. I also bought a Volvo and had nothing but trouble with it.
@@razenby I can agree with you, but partially. I have B200 since 2014 and fixed a number of issues (mostly with electronic) since then. The most annoying was a common issue with a CVT transmission rotation sensor-on- board fault. It took a mechanic to drain transmission oil, remove the board, gave it to an engineer to fix soldering, apply new epoxy layer, so the sensor will stay properly in vibrating environment, put it all back and replace the transmission oil. Nasty issue which takes few days to fix, but still less expensive than replacing whole transmission what MB service suggested. I had issues with window opening sensors, trunk lock (doesn't work in cold weather), and some small others. At the same time, my second car was a Mitsubishi Outlander, which I also had for 10 years with ZERO problems, only regular maintenance. So I guess MB reliability is sort of the lottery. It could be fantastic or not.
Could be the turbo not working see the turbo pipe detached video on the channel. Otherwise you are going to need a code reader to check what codes have been thrown up. Unlikely to be the Stability Module - More likely engine or transmission fault code. The code readers are cheap and could save you a trip to a mechanic. It could be one of many causes, misfires under heavy acceleration, a transmission sensor fault, low fuel rail pressure, blocked fuel filter etc etc.. If you want to know you will have to buy or borrow ad code reader.
Buen trabajo. Me sorprende que encajen tan mal interruptor de calidad Le apuesto a que la hoja de datos del interruptor se emite en el momento de la entrada al mercado, lo califica con un número mucho mayor de operaciones antes de fallar que los interruptores de producción reales. Falta de vigilancia durante la producción. De lo contrario, ¿cómo podría Mercedes seccionarlo para su uso en un sistema crítico para la seguridad?
Thank you for sharing this video. I viewed the video this morning, went to the A Class 170, and removed the switch. I opened it and found that the "secondary" switch plate was broken as with your case. I went to buy a replacement at R145 (South Africa) (at current ROE about 6 1/2 Pound or $8). Thanks Karel
Great video, thanks I've just replaced both rear wheel bearing hubs. Made sure to be nice to the wheel speed sensors going out and back in. But during the first test drive the car, w169, goes into limp mode and I get esp and abs not working. Scanned with obd2 and have a fault code, 4A42. It was all working fine untill I replaced the wheel bearings.
I have a W245 b class.I had same problem Esp doesn’t work and tire pressure sensor . I have changed brake light switch although Esp is not working. What is my car’s problem ?
The key systems that input to ESP are the ABS, Brake light switch, Steering Position Sensor and Lateral Accelerator Sensor module. A fault on any one of these systems or their wiring will cause an ESP fault. If the steering wheel is not centered whilst driving straight it could cause this. You need to read the fault codes with an ODBII code reader. It will put you on the right track to locate the root cause.
No it comes on permanently and sometimes was off after start and then came on shortly after starting to drive. You need to read any error codes...with an ODB reader
My supposedly correct replacement switch from Amazon also had the incorrect moulding profile for the connecting plug socket. You can easily trim off the incompatible part of the plastic moulding on the replacement switch, allowing the plug to connect.
Are the brake lights working OK?. They should come on on reliably every time when the pedal is lightly touched. If so, the root cause must be something else. You really need a code reader to check what the car thinks is the problem. They are very cheap and will save you a lot of head scratching. Is your steering wheel centred when driving on a straight road. If it is a bot off then the ESP error can happen as the steering says 'I am going around a bend' but the accelerator says 'I am going straight' as it isn't experiencing any sideways G-force. The signals are inconsistent so the error is flagged. Of course a faulty accelerator or steering position sensor will cause this problem.
Everybody say thank u magic smoke...i m just waitin for an answer cames to german...do u think will say ty or.......something else...? Ps is just a joke...
Well done Stu. Thanks for watching. You lknow in 176,000 UK miles that bloody switch is the ONLY thing that has failed on our B Class. They are well underrated cars. Pls remember to like and subscribe...
Thank you very much it worked I changed the sensor I bought it on the free market. And I installed it perfect 👏 Not the but the sensor inoperative error so far.
Thankyou x 10… had same problem on daughters car and just changes and voila !!! All esp and other alerts gone as well no stuck in gear ie park. Greatly appreciate your effort in helping us out . Lou from Canada :😅
I just got a new switch, it came like yours, with the plunger I little bit bigger( eve though I bought it at Mercedes). Is it necessary for me to change the plunger with the old one? I did put the new switch and the errors still remains
Some switches have a 'universal' plunger that is telescopic. You just fit and then press the brake pedal and it collapses to the correct length. It is a kind of telescopic ratchet. Just check your is not this type before rejecting it. Is your steering in mid position when driving down a straight road? Bad tracking can also be a common cause of this error.
@@razenby the steering is in the middle while going downhill, I’ve had it aligned. I also got a car scanner, with abs, but it did not show any codes. I’ve read on a forum that might be the battery aswell, but battery seems fine, it has voltage of 12.3 while car is off and 14.2 while car is on( it does drop to 11v when I turn the key before going up to 14.2) I’m really in a kind of a dead end. If you have any other guesses, I’m all ears
The run flat indicator is reliant on the ABS wheel speed sensors. It detects changes in relative rotational speed of all four wheels and flags up a problem when it sees that one wheel is slowing down. (i.e. tyre flat). You need to check for fault clues. You can check is a wheel speed sensor is is faulty and it will tell you which one. Have you tried resetting the run flat system. (see owners manual)
@ magic smoke ive got a A180 cdi Mercedes Benz that is in lim mode i can only drive 120km per hour, on the dash it shows runflat indicator inoperative and eps inoperative, my engine light is on and a exclamation triangle is on, when we tried to clear the codes the error message said "U0416 invalid data received from vehicle dynamics control module, i did check the brake light switch and it is fine. Can you please advise on what can be the problem please.
First the brake light switch appeared to work OK on mine but not 100% of the time so it took me a while to find it. The OBD II fault code U0416 is a generic trouble code that is defined as “Invalid Data Received From Vehicle Dynamics Control Module”, and is set when the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) detects invalid data from one or more wheel speed sensors via the ABS control module. In the Mercedes you have the accelerometer, wheel speed sensors (ABS), the steering wheel position sensor etc.. One of these sources is providing inconsistent data. Is your tracking good?. If the wheel is not centered when driving on a straight road you should get that sorted first. Is the ABS light fail on? If so does you OBD sensor include the ABS function? If not then use a reader that supports the ABS. It may have something to say about on of your your wheel sensors. Good luck.
@@domspider1 Oh, I didn't' know that they could get dirty as they work on magnetic induction. If a wheel speed sensor was faulty the ABS fault would be reported.
Same fault on mine. Removed the brake light sensor and it was a little sticky when depressed. I pumped it several times and it seemed to free itself.. I put the same sensor back and the fault has not happened again.. Happy days. 😁
I have a c class and it causes me this problem When I turn off the car and turn it on again, the problem is removed. And after a while, when I'm using it, it pulls me out again. You can know how to solve this problem????
Sounds the same problem that can be caused by the an intermittent brake light switch. It is the by far the most common cause . The switches don't cost much and are simple to change so you may as well just change it and report back so others can benefit. Our B class was behaving in exactly the same way.. Let us know how you get on.
This video saved my life. I have a trip schedule for the weekend and had this error message. After watching the video I bought the part on Amazon(Germany) and sorted this quickly. Thank you very much!!!
WOW, I've been struggling for years, took me like 10 minutes, and I'm sorted. Thank you so, so much, you have no idea how you have saved me, I was on the verge of selling my car 1:56 1:58
Great job to you too. If you can, please like and subscribe.... Our B class is still going strong at 198K Miles... I would get a new one but now I am curious how many miles before something major happens...
@@razenby but today I received the old annoying error again 🤦♂️. Seems that my problem is different. But interesting thing is that there was no error message for 3 days after I made the change 🤷♂️
It was slowing down the car and rhe max speed that I can reach was 110 km/h. Thanks god I fixed it. The issue was in the Contact spiral - steering wheel cable. I found a guy that repair them and the error message disappeared.
Thanks for this, you solved a problem that I could not understand for several weeks past. (You even got the prediction of a "Too Long" Switch Plunger Spot On"... 100 % Fixed... All Warnings and the Dreaded Evential Limp Mode... Pooof... Gone... Thanks again....
Can Anyone help? I’ve had the run flat inop on my c250 over a couple of years. Merc changed the wheel sensor for it to happen again a few days later. They have then changed the accelerator module. More recently it’s happening again and they’ve changed a pressure sensor for it to come on again after 4 hours!! Rebooked in foe the 5th time 😡😡
Yes, the system is the same. First check your bake lights work reliably on ever press without any flickering. . Then get a code reader and see what the vehicle is telling you.
My b180 has the same exact fault you describe, the part is here and I'm about to swap them out, do I need to discern and rebuild the parts like you did beforehand?
No you should be able to just fit it. On some universal models switched the plunger is too long the first time that the brake pedal is pressed.but it automatically adjust to the correct length. If you get the correct model than that looks the same length than you just can fit the part.
Could be the brake switch. Limp home limited power and ESP error as consistent with brake light switch failure. If not check the steering wheel position sensor.
Yes, could be. the ESP cant reconcile the steering wheel position with the lateral acceleration numbers. An ODB code reader should indicate what is wrong.
Im having same problem.. The error message goes away.. Which is an issue when i took it to the garage because the break switch came up on the error message ( however i have had this error message for last 6 months).. I think i will get the switch changed.... Hopefully this will work... Is your car ok now?. No more errors
i replace the brake light switch but dont hekp me in my mercedes B180 diesel 2007 when i put the key and possition 2and try turn on the engine coming sight check brake fluid level whats wrong with my car i cant understand
@@Mezhnun19914 years later and no update? I love how people are in such a hurry to get someone else’s help but won’t give help back to anyone else 🤦♂️
Hi.. is the actuator too long ? If so many have a ratchet type mechanism in the stork that allows it to adjust in length. You just have to fit it and then press the brake pedal. If it looks the same but longer then it could be the universal adjustable type.
Thank you very much. it worked perfectly with me. the sensor replacement helped to clear the error and the car regained power. I just had to remove the engine check error from the service menu. Thank you very much and greetings from Poland.
Got my Merc B class at 92K this February. Guess what? I’ve reached 98th and just got this error 🤦🏻♂️ Glad you found this. I will observe and report back if I’ll have to buy this part to replace it, most likely will confirm my result in a week a so :) Again - Thanks for sharing.
I have this issue for yearssss. I've changed every possible part (including steering angle sensor) and still I get the warning triangle, ESP inoperative and run flat indicator messages. But now that I've seen this I can try this way soon. Really excited about it
I have the same problem and I believe it's the same thing. I will take the dash apart tomorrow and post my findings. Thank you for your hard work mate.
@3:27 I suspect that MB just replace the steering rack instead messing around with the clock spring because it is easier for them. Showing how to use the multimeter to test the brake switch is exactly what I have been looking for and the reason I consider it the best video I’ve come across so far for the A-Class brake switch - well done. Good that you showed the different switches, their connectors, plungers and physical size 😂 @6:15, multimeters are an inexpensive and a valuable troubleshooting tool to confirm faults and yes they are fun to play with! Subscribed 👍
Thanks very much. . Our B class is on 187K miles now and the brake switch is the only electrical part that has failed apart from the battery. (We are three years into the second battery since new. I love this car.).
A170 W169 2007. Same error and the same broken contact inside the sensor. New sensor solved this issue. Thanks a lot to letting us know the solution. By the way, as was already mentioned here, the lenght of the sensor's tip adjustes by itself during installation.
