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Car hestitates to go forward

Stevester 500E

E500E **Meister**
Member
I was driving and the ABS and ASR lights can on and drove the car in what felt like limp home mode, but no triangle amber light came on.

Engine runs great, but when put it in drive it doesn't want to go forward and it acts as it the car doesn't know what gear it is in.

So I drove down the street and I noticed some smoke coming from the rear passenger wheel area.

I suspect that the brakes might be slightly locked up or something.
Has anyone ever experience anything like this?

In a day or two I am going to jack up the car and see if the wheels spin freely and look at the brakes.

Until then, and ideas?
 
Doesn't the ASR port brake fluid to those rear wheels? I wonder if it's a malfunctioning system and it thinks the wheel is slipping?
 
I put my money on a bad trans or torque converter. If something wrong with the trans, the ATF pressure can build and purge onto the exhaust which may explain the smoke you're seeing.
 
If both rear brakes are locking up it just about has to be a master cylinder. Find the line between the rear section of the master cylinder and the ASR hydraulic unit and loosen the line nut at either the master cylinder itself or the ASR hydraulic unit fitting marked "V". If the rear wheels free up, focus your attention on the master cylinder and/or the seals between the fluid reservoir and the master cylinder.

There is a synthetic material relief valve in most MB master cylinder pistons of this vintage and it is extremely sensitive to even trace amounts of almost any kind of solvent. Additionally, the piston seal rubbers themselves can disintegrate and plug passages. Anybody get a nice thorough cleaning of the brake fluid reservoir using anything other than fresh brake fluid and compressed air (which incidentally, will never make it look actually clean inside)? If so there's your likely culprit. Also look for any swelling of the seals between the master cylinder and the reservoir against any possibility of them swelling and closing off the small bores that reside just beneath them. Have two new ones handy, because after you remove the reservoir, you have to replace them anyway. Additionally note that if you see or feel what appears to be swelling or softening rubber, you absolutely must replace your master cylinder regardless of any other consideration. If the fluid cannot return to the reservoir upon release of the brake pedal, then locking of the brakes could be the result. That is an extremely rare occurrence, but I have seen it.

Do not use anything other then clean fresh brake fluid to lubricate anything for reassembly.

If one rear brake is locking up that could be its connected flex hose, seizure of that particular caliper, or the ASR unit. If you find one rear brake is locked up: Open the bleed screw. if it frees up, it's either the hose or the ASR unit. If it doesn't free up, it's a seized caliper. If you have to remove the caliper, replace the hose anyway.

If it did free up upon opening of the bleed nipple, close the bleed nipple and pump the brake pedal until that particular wheel is locked up again. Find the brake line attachment points at the ASR hydraulic unit. The letter V is "Vorn" for rear, The letters L and R will apply to left and right just as in English. So, the attachment point marked VR is rear right, and the attachment point marked VL is rear left. So, get the particular rear brake locked up again, and then loosen the line for the appropriate rear wheel. If it immediately frees up, then it is either a blockage in your ASR hydraulic unit, or some other ASR related malfunction.
 
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Would a seized caliper trigger and abs and asr warning light/s?
I am hoping it is just a seized caliper, I recall only smoke coming from the rear right wheel area.
Thanks Klink, I will try your diagnostic procedure next time I work on the car and report my findings.
 
As Klink said, diagnose first.
I highly doubt that it is truly an ASR system, ie. . . pump or accumulator.

However, if it were to get to that point, I have an ASR pump and accumulator that I pulled from a 1993 400E with around 75k miles that I might be willing to part with.
 
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