Mercedes ABC Rodeo, or "dem hydros!", Q&A

"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech) 12/08/2015 at 09:00 • Filed to: German cowboys!

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Every single time I work on an ABC car and have to test or bleed the system I get interrupted by no fewer than five people exclaiming it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever seen and asking how it’s doing that and “how much it cost to have thoze bagz put in, yo?”, thinking it’s an aftermarket system (it’s not). These questions come from salesmen, porters, customers, apprentice techs, service advisors, managers, and everyone else you can think of.

Now, I’m a car guy, and I like helping people and answering questions and chatting about cars, like most of us here on oppo. But my paycheck depends on me continuing to work, not answering questions that Mercedes employees really ought to know the answers to already. So, this is my attempt at limiting the number of people who will inevitably come to take money from my paycheck before it’s even written, as well as educate and entertain anyone else who doesn’t work for a crazy German car company.

Feel free to ask any questions you have and I will do my best to answer them.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers:

Q: How is it doing that!?

A: It’s the ABC, or Active Body Control, hydraulic suspension. This is a cyclical activation of all four hydraulic struts, or rodeo test as it’s commonly referred to. The system uses a pump, hydraulic lines, and hydraulic struts, etc. in place of “normal” coil and shock suspension systems. The pump sends pressurized hydraulic fluid to the struts via an electronically controlled valve block to control both ride height as well as damping force. The fluid typically operates somewhere in the range of 150-200 bar. If you don’t know what that is, the Google will be happy to assist you, and no it does not mean that you have to remain within the vicinity of a drinking establishment at all times.

Q: Does it just do that on its own?

A: Honestly I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that. Can You be more specific?

Q: Umm, I mean, can the driver make it do that?

A: No, it’s a special actuation that can only be initiated with a compatible scan tool or computer. But they can change the ride stiffness and overall height by pushing some buttons on the dash.

Q: That’s pretty cool. Is it complicated?

A: That’s subjective. To me? Not so much. To you and your mouth-breathing friends? I’ll put it this way, ABC suspension alone is more complicated than your riced-out civic and your buddy’s fart-canned STI combined.

Q: Sounds expensive.

A: That’s not a question. But yes, very. And also subjective, again. Most components require many hours of labor on top of their high parts prices. Repairs on average begin at around $1000 minimum and may require $400-500 just to diagnose. ABC repairs can easily reach an excess of $3000 for a single repair.

Q: Does it break a lot?

A: Apparently you have a difficult time figuring this whole subjective thing out. Be that as it may, yes, in my highly tempered opinion. Especially as the components age they develop leaks, fluid gets old and dirty which can gum up sensors, pumps can fail, and pulsation dampers/accumulators can rupture internally and thus stop damping pulsations. Many components in the system are quite reliable, however there are a few components that like to ruin the fun for everyone (as well as ruin your bank account).

Q: Why haven’t I ever heard of this system before?

A: No idea. Especially considering it’s been used in S and SL class Mercedes cars since the introduction of the W/V220 S and R230 SL chassis in the early 2000’s.

Q: Can anything be done to make the system more reliable?

A: Of course! Buy a car that doesn’t have it! Barring that, I personally recommend flushing the fluid and changing the filter periodically, which isn’t a standard maintenance item by the way. But that is also expensive and won’t necessarily always prevent failures. But there are some ABC problems that are resolved by simply flushing the system and that is often a first step in diagnosis. Plus, all fluids break down over time, ABC fluid is no different and it certainly can’t hurt to have new fluid in there.

Q: ABC is super cool and now I want a car that has it. Do you have any recommendations?

A: See a therapist and a financial adviser.

Q: No, I’m being serious.

A: So am I. But fine. Get the newest and nicest one you can afford. Get a warranty. Always have at least $3000 set aside to put into this car when it breaks down. If possible, find one that’s already had some ABC components replaced.

Q: I found this dope S55 AMG for $9900. It’s so cheap but I can’t afford all that extra stuff you were talking about. I think I’m going to get it, it can’t be that bad.

A: You’re dumb. Pick your knuckles up off the ground and think for a second. You can’t afford this car and it will bankrupt you. We haven’t even begun talking about brakes, tires, and other normal maintenance items, which each cost the equivalent of multiple months worth of payments on a brand new civic. If you can afford a brand new STI and have excellent money management skills and high limit credit cards then you can think about affording this car.

Q: Oh, fine. You sound like you really hate these cars.

A: To the contrary! They’re friggin’ awesome! But most people can’t even afford to own used ones, and I hate to see people ruin themselves financially over a car. I am just being pragmatic and I am only capable of having empathy towards automotive things. I would also hate to waste what little empathy I do have on someone’s stupidity.

In summary, stop pestering me when I work.

Matt Nichelson > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 10:15

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Your answer to it being complicated is priceless. It amazes me how little salespeople know about the cars they are selling.

bob and john > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 10:19

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another question.

say I had a car with said system
said system breaks.

would be it more worth it to tear it out and replace it with an air ride system from accu-air or something similar?

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 10:30

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It’s worse when you’re a (mechanically inclined and knowledgeable) salesman in a Toyota shop where any tech who isn’t a master tech has only done tires and oil changes. When your USM, SM and GM know you’re the answer guy, it’s hard to get work done.

I had a jar on my desk, “Answers sold here. $1 if it’s quick, $5 if I have to open a book.”

Matt Nichelson > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 12/05/2015 at 10:33

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Hehe yeah I can imagine. I don’t blame ya for having that jar. I know not everyone is like us on here, but come on. If you sell cars for a living, at least know what you are selling. Is that too much to ask?

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 10:47

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Our top sales woman cleared nearly 6-figures a year entirely on returning customers. She couldn’t drive a stick.

Unfortunately sales people only have to sell, and very little of that has to do with technical know-how and all to do with smiling and getting people to see the benefits of a car, not the specifics. So in the case of this suspension, “Mercedes has roll control suspension that makes for a fully customizeable ride tuned just the way you want your car to feel. If a road is too rough, you can soften the ride. You have a sports car when you want it and a luxury car all other times. This suspension makes owning two cars obsolete with the push of a button.” sells more than “The suspension has a series of hydraulic pumps that raise and lower the car and stiffen the suspension based on your input. It’s called ABC and it’s exclusive to MB.”

Believe me, I hated it.

daender > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:01

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Q1: So ABC is found on the CL and S AMG models but is it also found on the SL55/65 AMG cars as well?

Q2: If yes to Q1, then is there a conventional way to eliminate ABC and simplify the suspension setup?

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > daender 12/05/2015 at 11:04

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Yes to both . If I'm correct the S55 only has airmatic but could be optioned with ABC. And yes, company's make bolt on conversions to just normal struts.

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > bob and john 12/05/2015 at 11:08

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It definitely depends on what broke. For instance mine was losing fluid, and I had to tighten a bolt. But if it's a bigger thing, generally yes.

whoarder is tellurium > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:08

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No 3 wheel motion.

7.3/10

Matt Nichelson > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 12/05/2015 at 11:10

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Wow. That’s incredible. It kills me how so many people can by a car and not have a damn clue about what they bought. I understand what you are saying, though. People as a whole are not concerned with the technical language. It borea them. What they don’t realize is that it can hurt them in the long run. Salespeople don’t care about this, though. They care about selling a vehicle and that only.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 11:11

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Thanks!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 12/05/2015 at 11:11

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I might use that idea.

Seat Safety Switch > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:13

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I wonder if the later models with this expose it through canbus. Stop at light, push button, test your suspension for safety, officer .

Does each “shock” have a dedicated reservoir or do they balance them from side to side to emulate a hydraulic swaybar setup like a banned WRC car/McLaren MP12C?

Good luck to you and thanks for posting this, I can’t imagine how little fun I would have trying to bleed air bubbles out of a suspension.

RallyWrench > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:14

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Yes, thank you! I’ve been meaning to post about ABC as well, I took a video of a CL running the rodeo a few weeks ago but never got around to transferring it. You did a much more concise and entertaining job than I would.

It never ceases to amaze me when clients are taken aback by the repair costs. You bought the most complex car Mercedes-Benz was capable of making! Why the hell don’t you understand that the maintenance costs do not follow the depreciation curve? We’ve been seeing numerous tandem pump failures in the last couple of years, many of which I suspect would be preventable if the hydraulic fluid was changed. Of course, if a client chooses to ignore leaking legs or lines and runs the pump dry, they’re SOL. Lately I've had a couple of R230s lose hydro lines behind the left front wheel, too. Funny how age works.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 11:14

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It’s worse than that even, they’re coached by manufacturers and regional trainers to not discuss the technical but to emphasize the feature-benefit. So it’s not that the sales people are just playing down to the customer, they’re taught to never elevate the customer’s knowledge.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:15

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It bought my lunch many days.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > daender 12/05/2015 at 11:16

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S, CL, SL can all have ABC.

Yes. However, there is a problem with this. The ABC pump is a tandem unit that is also a pump for the power steering. So that can’t be eliminated. And if you can’t eliminate the pump then you can’t eliminate the lines either. All you can really do is cap off the lines at the struts and call it a day. Though I’m not sure if anyone has ever replaced the tandem pump with a PS only pump or if that’s even possible.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > bob and john 12/05/2015 at 11:17

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Potentially. There is a problem with this, though. The ABC pump is a tandem unit that is also a pump for the power steering. So that can’t be eliminated. And if you can’t eliminate the pump then you can’t eliminate the lines either. All you can really do is cap off the lines at the struts and call it a day. Though I’m not sure if anyone has ever replaced the tandem pump with a PS only pump or if that’s even possible.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 12/05/2015 at 11:19

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But replacing the struts with non-ABC units still leaves you with the pump and lines to fail. Since the pump is a tandem unit that does PS as well.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Seat Safety Switch 12/05/2015 at 11:26

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I’m not entirely sure what you mean. The system does work over the CAN, and it can be adjusted at any time while driving or stopped. Sometimes I will repeatedly raise andlower cars while driving them just to see if anyone around me notices. #ABCtroll

There is one reservoir for the whole system. The pump sends the fluid to the valve block, which then controls where the fluid pressure is sent. Each corner works entirely independently of the others. ABC cars do not use sway bars at all. I would say it’s the other way around, hydraulic sway bars emulate ABC.

Thanks! Bleeding these is actually really easy. Start the rodeo, monitor fluid level, done.

Lab Rat > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:26

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How does one go about becoming a contributor to Oppositelock?

Matt Nichelson > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 12/05/2015 at 11:26

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That’s just sad. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me though. I have a friend who works at a Honda dealer here in town. I kinda got that impression from him but the dealer he works for isn’t quite that bad at least. I got him to tell me some things about the new Civic and I came away pretty impressed with what he had learned about it.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 11:28

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Yeah, the sale people are taught the technical in case something comes up, but often times that was just them learning who in the shop knew these details so they could refer to them if there was a difficult question. I mean we learned everything from A-TAC to VSC and how they worked, but to many regurgitators, that’s just alphabet soup, not something to retain.

Matt Nichelson > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 12/05/2015 at 11:30

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True. I honestly wouldn’t see him saying all that to a potential buyer. He tries not to be like other salesmen though, at least. I assume you have moved on from said job?

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 11:30

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Ah! A forgot about that. How does that wind up working then?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RallyWrench 12/05/2015 at 11:34

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Thanks! Just replaced the “pressure expansion” or deadhead line as I like to call it yesterday on a 220. The amount of people gawking at it and bombarding me with questions was staggering.

Right! Essentially it’s just rubber parts failing; lines and seals. Who’da thunk it? Rubber parts failing when they get old? No way! But people never think about any of this and just expect it to work forever. Try running some ten year old tires at 200 bar! (kidding, nobody do this)

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > whoarder is tellurium 12/05/2015 at 11:36

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Sorry to disappoint, but we like to keep all wheels on the ground. Lest this happen...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches 12/05/2015 at 11:43

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What exactly? Replacing the struts with coil versions only removes a whopping four parts from the system, leaving you with the remaining 90%. I would rather just keep the ABC at that point.

Or are you wondering how the pump works? It’s basically two pumps in one. But the two systems don’t otherwise connect. Different fluids, different operating pressures. The reservoirs are a shared unit, similar to the pump. It’s sort of like those giant popcorn tins you get around the holidays that have different flavors in them, same container but separate space.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 11:54

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Had a salesman tell me the new Ecoboost engine in the Mustang is so powerful, “It feels like it’s turbo-charged or something!”

Sigh.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Lab Rat 12/05/2015 at 12:06

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To be able to create your own post you need authorization from a mod. Otherwise you can just comment to your heart’s content. There are posts specifically addressing this. Unfortunately I’m having a brain fart at the moment and can’t remember the keywords to search or post title.

$kaycog > Lab Rat 12/05/2015 at 12:10

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Here you go............

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/so-you-want-to…

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Lab Rat 12/05/2015 at 12:14

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You don’t.

Sam > Lab Rat 12/05/2015 at 12:15

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You must endure the 7 trials. If you survive, you can become a poster.

Or just follow $kay's link.

Matt Nichelson > they-will-know-my-velocity 12/05/2015 at 12:23

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Yeah that’s pretty special lol. If you don’t know what you are talking about or can’t say it with coincidence, just don’t say it.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 12:24

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He meant well. He wanted to sell me a car at $4k over sticker, after all.

Tohru > Lab Rat 12/05/2015 at 12:25

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You’re going to need 7 quarts of 75w140, and a Renualt Dauphine costume. Then you have to meet Hardibro and Brolove in the back of Torchinsky’s RV in the back parking lot of the McDonald’s off exit 6 of the New Jersey Turnpike.

Afterwards, Hardibro will give you $40 and a business card. Go to the address, and meet with Arch Duke Maxyenko. Give him the $40, and he will give you a painting of a 787B. He will also ungrey you on Oppo.

Land_Yacht_225 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 12:25

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Nah...I bought one anyway. It’s too awesome.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 12:27

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The things you can do with a dealership-quality scantool are astounding.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Land_Yacht_225 12/05/2015 at 12:30

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Excellent! As long as you know what you’re getting into they’re amazing.

Land_Yacht_225 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 12:33

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I already know I need a system flush and two new filters. Supposedly that will fix the stuck valve in the rear block. I’m just glad it isn’t leaking.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Land_Yacht_225 12/05/2015 at 12:35

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Flushes quite often do fix stuck valves. At the very least you have to start there.

Birddog > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/05/2015 at 12:38

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“and no it does not mean that you have to remain within the vicinity of a drinking establishment at all times”

Damn!

Matt Nichelson > they-will-know-my-velocity 12/05/2015 at 12:56

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Hah! Yeah I bet he did! 4k over for an ecoboost? Was it when they first came out?

they-will-know-my-velocity > Matt Nichelson 12/05/2015 at 13:01

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Yeah, I wanted to drive one. Looked up the car on Ford.com and it was priced MSRP at that dealer. Their price was $4k over that on the paperwork they gave me. Kinda curious what they would have done if I bought it online and went to pick it up, what would’ve happened.

Matt Nichelson > they-will-know-my-velocity 12/05/2015 at 13:32

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They probably would have came up with an excuse or tried to upsell you on something. Just depends on the dealer I suppose.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Matt Nichelson 12/06/2015 at 20:08

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Yep. I work in marketing now, for nonprofits. It’s the opposite end of the evil-spectrum.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 12/07/2015 at 23:22

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Wait. So where can I get dem bags?

Don’t worry. I did read it.

scoobaru > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/08/2015 at 01:21

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Actually you can do all the same stuff with a $120 chinese scan tool. That is really amazing.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > scoobaru 12/08/2015 at 01:34

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Or, y’know, you could get a well-built one that wasn’t made with near-slave labor.

scoobaru > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/08/2015 at 10:42

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IIRC, Mercedes STAR diagnostics will set you back a minimum of $5000, if you can even find someone to sell it to you. Say what you want about Chinese labor/questionable ethics, but they have brought the pro’s tools to the DIYer.

OPPOsaurus WRX > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/31/2016 at 18:07

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Despite not being a knuckle dragger I didn’t know this was a thing. It’s pretty cool. I just replaced two of the air ride components on my Allroad. I’d love to be able to do this with mine

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/31/2016 at 20:16

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It always surprises me how few people actually know about this, and how many forget since the last time they saw it. Unfortunately [OE] air ride suspension is much too slow to do this :(

agrant > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 06/28/2017 at 16:46

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Do you know what systems can perform the actuation test/rodeo?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > agrant 06/28/2017 at 18:44

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It can only be done via the ABC control unit. To communicate with said module, you well need either the factory SDS, or a high end aftermarket scanner with the appropriate software such as an Autologic (though I’m sure there are others). A dongle and phone app are unlikely to do it, and the same goes for any scan tool that cost less than a few thousand dollars new.