1Willy1

Hey guys




WOW!!!, the power!!!! Un-****ing-believable!!


Ive came across an 03 cl600 , decent mileage , great price, and im actually able to get it with a full warrantee despite what ive heard.


Looking to hear first hand from some cl600 owners, are they really as bad on maintenance and repairs as ive heard?


I know the pre 03's, non TT's were notoriously horrible, but ive heard this was rectified on the 03's? Is that true?


Aside from the ABC suspension which we know is problematic ,,,what other weak areas do these cars have?


The warrantee they offered covers up to $7500 per repair , does this seem good enough ? Can it get much worse?


Just looking to hear from other cl600 owners to share info with , thanks guys

tusabes

The coil packs are the other expensive issue besides abc

As long as the warranty covers coil packs and abc go for it

1Willy1

Thanks buddy


I decided to do some due diligence and found out the warrantee only covers $2500 per breakdown - and will only pay out as many claims as the amount paid for the vehicle.


I guess this will still take the egde off some of the issues but seems like I can still be up for a lot of expenses.


Thanks ive heard about the coil packs in a few other threads as well

1Willy1

Would I be wrong to assume a lot of the parts from the cl600 would be interchangeable with the parts from the cl500 ?


Lights, bushings, control arms, rotors, interior parts like door locks etc...?

vmystikilv

Get a 55 compressor and get rid of the ABC and go coils. You will have all the same power and you will have reliability. Plus, you get the cool AMG kit

tusabes

Yes all the non engine stuff in a cl600 is the same as a cl500

Welwynnick

Getting hold of parts isn't nearly so difficult any more. Coil packs are the significant cost and risk. Check the part numbers though. New ones are better than old ones, and the car in question may even have had them replaced already. Mine had one new and one old, and lo & behold I had to replace the old one. Not untypical I guess.

The old P/N`s were:
A 275 150 04 80 For the R/H side
A 275 150 05 80 for the L/H.

New Part Numbers:
A 275 150 06 80 (Right Side)
A 275 150 07 80 (Left Side)

The TT's are more reliable than the earlier NA V12's because they dropped the water/oil heat exchanger in the middle of the V. It often leaks, and the heads have to come off to replace it.

Whatever you do, PLEASE don't be tempted to ditch the ABC. If you want some assurance that these cars are maintainable, read this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...2003-s600.html

I think A V12TT with ABC is a high point in modern motoring, and its very tunable!! Its like having a 4 seat Lambo as daily driver. Lots of support round here.

Nick

1Willy1

thanks man that's great news



Thanks Nick for the encouraging response.


Im fairly good at sourcing parts and I have a great independent mechanic, throw in the fact that many parts can be gotten from the much cheaper cl500's and with a half decent warrantee it might not be so bad.


I just got word from the dealer they CAN get me a fairly decent warrantee, they've included the electrical , which on the flyer shows parts of the ignition system and sensors, im trying to find out of coil packs are included.


Also they will not cover the suspension, ill have to go back and see if they can include it.


Warantee is costing me almost $4000 with tax , for 3 years, it aint cheap ,,,,but its peace of mind if I can get it to cover all the main components.

1Willy1

Ok the warrantee does not cover coils or ABC so in my opinion its not worth getting.


Im considering working out a good cash price for this car and taking my chances, aside from the abc and coils I seem to be able to find most parts and components for quite cheap.


I really wish more people would chime in to give a more accurate idea of what ownership for these cars is really like

mf219

I've owned a 2004 CL500 for 5+ years. It is without a doubt the finest, most dependable vehicle I have ever owned. I drive it daily, have no warranty, and my only out of pocket costs have been routine maintenance- brakes, tires, a couple light bulbs, and A&B service as required at the dealer. I added some ABC fluid when I bought it and still have the left over fluid in the garage. I guess I'm the exception to the rule- people are gonna say I'm nuts. It's just my experience, I would buy another one in a heartbeat (but I like mine too much).

1Willy1

Thanks buddy


im looking online I can find a lot of parts for these cars at very reasonable prices, I wonder if the main headache of most of these benz owners is that they just drop the car off to the dealer everytime theres an issue?


I mean if you course your own parts, have a trusted reasonably priced mechanic who is capable, how bad can it really be?


As soon as the ABC acts up I will gut it and cut it like a cancer and put in the arnott kit.


Ill keep a spare set of coils around , aside from that ....... is it really that bad to own one of these?

vmystikilv

I like this guy already, he gets it. No, its not bad at all. As long as your prepared before hand its a great car. You already know what the issues are and are prepared to actively deal with it with knowledge in hand. I say you are better off already than 90% of the owners out there.

Welwynnick

Please don't do that. ABC can be managed, but it takes more than crossing your fingers and hoping for luck.

ABC uses conventional hydraulics, but its complicated by the standards of car suspension. And complicated things need maintenance.

The first thing to do is check all the flexible hoses for deterioration and seepage, especially those in the engine compartment, which degrade fastest due to the heat.

Replace any hoses that are not completely dry, and keep inspecting them every year.

Next, change the suspension oil and filter every two or three years.

W215 suspension is complicated anyway, so all the bushes and ball joints have to be good. That's just like any other car, except you have to check things like level sensors, pipe couplings etc.

Perhaps the best advice I can offer over and above anyone is to wrap the flexible hoses in the engine compartment with fire sleeve, which helps to protect the hose enormously. Some are already protected, and seem to last much better, but I think all of them need protecting.

Other than that, its the usual things like frequent engine oil and filter changes, plus antifreeze and transmission oil. You can't short-cut maintenance, but it doesn't have to cost the earth.

Getting a Chinese STAR Diagnostics System would be a good bet as well, they're worth far more than they cost, and reduce your dependancy on anyone else.

I've owned four W220's over several years, three of them with ABC, and only the current car (157k miles) has given me any problems at all.

Nick

Stathios

I own an 03 CL500 and just bought it last week with 38k miles, 1 owner and I paid $14,000. I practically stole the car but if you want reliability get either a 500 or 55, the 600 will put you in a bottomless pit of money while the 500 and 55 are the most reliable and pretty damn fast on their own. btw the 55 is faster than the 600.

kamilclk430

My 03 is for sale and if you think power is good on the one you are buying you should drive mine. New coils as well with all service records and all build receipts

kamilclk430

55 is faster than the 600? what and again what? I owned both

gaazmon

at least that's what MB marketing would have you believe

vmystikilv

CL600CK60V12

best thing to do is assume that you will need a new ABC pump and hoses, new spark plugs and coil packs.

While you can get a rebuilt ABC pump fairly inexpensively, you will have to get coil packs brand new. I tried to use rebuilt coil packs but they were horrible - you need new ones.

I also had to replace the pump which drives the trunk and locking mechanism.

None of this is cheap but it is well worth it. Make sure you source the parts yourself (mymercedesparts.com is a good source for coil packs and abc hoses. For ABC pump you can try buyautoparts.com).

The CL is a beast and it needs lots of love and care. In return, you will drive a beast of a car.

S.

tusabes

OReilly auto parts is the best place to buy coil packs bc there's a lifetime warranty

CL600CK60V12

Hello,

Can you elaborate on the fire sleeve suggestion? Are you suggesting to wrap all ABC hoses with a fire sleeve? Will any fire sleeve do or do you have a particular one in mind? This sounds like a great suggestion btw to protect the ABC hoses against the elements in general.

Welwynnick

Some explanation in this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/m275-v12-...ml#post6242174

It illustrates the difference between protected and unprotected pipes on my high mileage car.

Protected



Unprotected:





Nick

CL600CK60V12

Hello Nick,

Thanks for the pics - it clearly makes a difference.

My ABC hoses are brand new and now is the time to wrap them with firesleeves Is it possible to add the firesleeve without dismounting the hoses by wrapping the hoses and using either ties or metal clamps to keep the firesleeve tight over the hose?

tusabes

Yes you can use metal zip ties

Even plastic ones might work since the unwrapped lines are not in high heat areas

Welwynnick

Yes, you can use this sort of product:



http://www.thermalvelocity.co.uk/Lin...eld/p-114-420/

Alternatively you could cut and wrap a sheet and tie it onto the pipe. I'd use metal tie-wraps.

Just search Amazon or Ebay for thermal shields in automotive categories.

Nick