Even more C Class Woes

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 22 Feb 2007 10:00
Even more C Class Woes - Simon Collier
Why oh why did I ever buy this car??? My limp-home mode cut in again a few miles from work this morning - it had been fine on a 200 mile drive at the weekend, but the roads were dry. Today the roads were damp, but only enough for intermmitent wipers on the M40. Still, must be something damp somewhere. Can't see anything obviously damp...

But the real worry and thank god I'd got off the M42, as I came onto the business park, approaching a roundabout I went for the brakes. The pedal didn't move at all and no braking what so-ever. Thankfully there was no-one coming onto the roundabout and I went round on 3 wheels (Didn't fancy trying the foot operated parking brake option...). As I limped the last couple of hundred yards to the office the ABS/ASR light came on. Any suggestions? Is this going to cost me a 2nd mortgage?

This car costs me so much more than a similar age and mileage Xantia did )o;
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 Feb 2007 11:35
Even more C Class Woes - Aprilia
The pedal didn't move at
all and no braking what so-ever.


This sounds very serious - perhaps a major failure of the pedal/master cylinder mechanism. Never heard of this before. I think you need to get it away on a low-loader and a thorough strip-down of the pedal/M-C assembly.

Don't jump to the conclusion that it is the damp that is causing the limp-home problem. It could be caused by many other things.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 Feb 2007 12:41
Even more C Class Woes - Simon Collier
It'll be going home courtesy of the RAC...
The limp-home mode has cut-in 3 times now in about as many weeks - each time the road has been wet. When it's dry, no problem. Clutching at straws really, the wet electrics was suggested in another of my threads on HJ - any other suggestions of things to check gratefully received.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 Feb 2007 13:18
C-Class solid pedal - no brakes! - Simon Collier
Just found this on www.mercedesproblems.com/mbproblems_1.asp . Sounds like this Merc owner from Sydney has experienced something rather similar to my sudden loss of brakes this morning.

"on the way to the garage the ABS system released the brakes and held them like that. You pushed the pedal but there were no brakes (!!!). The only way to overcome it was to turn the engine off while the car was running and then use the brake. To move off start it in N and put it into D to move off"

Sure enough, I've just confirmed that my brakes are working fine now - ABS working a treat in forward and reverse, feels perfectly normal. Of course, they may stop working again at any time so it's off to the garage and get it plugged into some diagnostics. I'll let you know what they come up with!
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 Feb 2007 14:09
C-Class solid pedal - no brakes! - Aprilia
I guess it could be the ABS - locked in 'pressure hold' mode. When you said you pressed the pedal and it didn't move I assumed you meant the pedal was jammed in some way.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Mar 2007 16:32
C-Class solid pedal - no brakes! - Simon Collier
Well, my local garage couldn't find anything wrong and they passed the car onto another garage. A week on and the best anyone's come up with is some wear on and a kink in the vacuum hose for the Servo. I guess it could be, but I'm far from convinced.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 1 Mar 2007 18:41
C-Class solid pedal - no brakes! - Aprilia
Since the ABS/ASR light came on then I would suggest it is not a problem with the servo hose - this would not put the light on. More likely a fault with the ABS system....
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.

Honest Used Car Prices

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....