tusabes

The sl has factory abc delete parts available bc the sl black series didn't use abc

No such parts for the CL - strutmasters is the only conversion option

CLK500 TWINS

So more bad news, new block wouldn't calibrate and abc pump
went from putting out 140 and dropped to 90. Supposed to be optimal at 180-210. So my options are:
A) adding a new pump at a nominal fee of $2k and exploring the possibility that the front valve block may need to be replaced too if it was the pump that shot out the rear. Ie: adding another 4k to repair bill, for a total of 10k
B) Sell the car as is and take an immediate loss after not even having the ability to enjoy it.
C) Eliminate all future ABC HELL and Convert the suspension with the Struttmasters Conversion kit ( 2200.00, which comes with a lifetime warranty on coils and module) and 6 hours of labor.

Yea, I'm not selling the car, I just got it and with 7-8k in suspension work needed, who the hell would want to buy it or not be looking to shoot me if I didn't tell them before they bought it. I'm definitely not dumping 10k into repairs only to have the suspension continue to fall apart expensive piece by expensive piece. Struttmasters it is! My tech said its the best option, he's converted Range Rover (or maybe he said Land Rover) before and he's never had anyone come back complaining they miss the hydraulic system. I'll let you guys know how it works out.

tusabes

Hope your mechanic was able to return the abc parts you aren't goingto be using . If not you can sell them In eBay for a good price


Please keep us updated on your strutmasters conversion . It is possible to sell off your used abc struts on eBay to recoup most of the conversion costs. Don't let your mechanic keep them or say he threw them away - they are like cash

gwelliott

Twins,

Your logic is almost identical to my own. Actually the guy I bought it from was kinda in your position, except he had no money to repair. If I could get some kind of guarantee that if I rebuilt/replaced my ABC and it would last 100+K miles, I would probably do it. But nobody is giving such assurances.

The odd thing is some seem to have few or no problems while others are constantly plagued with expensive repairs. Also it seems that failures beget more failures, so if you are having trouble now, you will likely have more in the near future. Based on this lack of certainty the coilover was the only solution in my book.

Not trying to tell you your business, but I think you would do yourself service if you gave Jeff Limpert at Mercedes Master Tech a call (954-934-9000).

I spent a lot of time with both Strutmasters and Jeff on the phone. For the SL600 neither had a package solution. Jeff is doing some R&D on my car right now but in the end if all works it will be a much cleaner solution in my opinion.

Jeff starts by taking the PS pump and coilovers off a Euro Spec SL350, which doesn't have ABC. The problem with the V12 is alighment with the drive belt so Jeff fabricates a spacer/bracket to make sure the serpentine does what is it supposed to. He also adds sway-bars from the SL which I feel is a must. The then totally deletes the ABC system including hoses, valve blocks, accumulators, etc which end up saving you 110+ lbs on weight which is always good.

Lastly he goes into the ECU and removes the ABC so you do not get any ABC messages and don't need to worry about an aftermarket adapter to trick the ABC system.

Given your location, maybe this is non-starter, but Jeff has been really good at explaining his solutions and he knows his Mercs (he is German btw!!). If you do decide to call tell him Glenn Elliott with the SL600 from Houston referred you.

Good luck to you and I'll let you know how things work out on my end with Mercedes Master Tech

F1BHP

Gwelliott I am interested to see how yours works out also. I got a genuine set of SL65 black struts but I am not sure how to deal with the conversion as it seems the 600 has a lot of other suspension components also.

CLK500 TWINS

Yes he was able to send them back. I will definitely keep you guys updated. I'm excited for the simple possibility of being able to enjoy my car rather than watching the dash board message center with this sinking feeling of impending doom. Lol. I have to decide which way I want to go, my tech has a valid argument for why we may want to keep them for the sake of the potential resale value and desirability of the car.

CLK500 TWINS

Thank you and same to you. It is shameful that potentially dumping 10 grand into the abc system doesn't seem to guarantee you any significant time where you can be worry free. I've seen people here say they've dumped 5-6k per year into repairs. Such a sophisticated system, but ahead of its time and poorly engineered( ie the filtration of the oil should not be upon its return to the reservoir given its such a sensitive system).

I read the abc to coil over thread here last night as well as Strutmasters reviews and it would appear most seem to be pleased with their decision for both the financial aspect and the security of knowing you can be worry free.

I'm in NY, so Florida isn't really an option but it does sound like you have made an excellent choice in who to send your car to. The tech I am working with now is a Mercedes master tech, well was for quite some time then went into business for himself with his father who also happened to be a Master tech. So I'm confident in his abilities. I also found a very knowledgable member here who works for or owns, not sure, but a high tech pro shop not to far from where I am.
As I mentioned to Tusabes, I wanted to gut the entire abc system similar to what you are doing, just make it like it never existed and sell off the usable parts. My tech wants me to reconsider doing this, only doing the standard conversion and keeping the abc struts. As he expressed, the suspension conversion is controversial. Some find it appealing while others find the idea of butchering Mercedes technology appalling. He has a point as I got mixed opinions in what people thought about it prior to deciding I was doing it.
Granted, I'll have this car for some time given the low mileage, but eventually I'll be looking to sell it for whatever my next love may be. When that time comes, there may be some who are familiar with abc costs and headaches and appreciate the conversion, it could even add value. If not however, he said I may appreciate having the option to convert it back to factory or sell it as "convertible" if the conversion is being looked at as a negative by potential buyers.
His points are valid, so I believe I may leave the components in tact, hold onto the struts and simply do the standard conversion. My pump is functional now for the p/s but I can almost guarantee that I will convert that shortly after. From what I've read the w220 bolts up perfectly but the belts are an issue with the v12 having 7 "grooves" or what have you. I may definitely give your guy a call if he could fabricate something for my car and ship it to me, then I'll just have my guy install it. I was concerned about the sway bars as well, but after reading the abc to cook over thread last night, it seems Strutmasters is telling the truth in that, they really aren't necessary given the strength of the coils. The plan I have with my tech is to see how comfortable I am with the ride/ handling and if it's something I just can't get used to or absolutely hate, he's going to install swaybars off of an s class.
Keep us posted and I'll do the same

2014CL600

......

CLK500 TWINS

I value everyone's opinions on this forum, so thank you. I must say however that I am unwavering in my decision to convert the suspension. Your points honestly solidify the reason for anyone to want to do the conversion. My tech has went through the car with a fine tooth comb, it's not as simple as filtering the system (which he tried by the way). I wish it was that simple. Yes, the water pump is responsible for the coolant leak, but I had a service advisor at Mercedes tell me over the phone that was most likely the case before I had the car looked at, according to him, they were known to fail around 60-70k. Bottom line is I didn't buy this car just to look at it or start it daily to keep it functioning, I want to enjoy it. That part of your comment is slightly contradictory as I don't see how I could enjoy it after putting 10k worth of work into it and not even having the reassurance that the abc system won't require another 5k 2 months from now. That sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the next show to drop, fearing that red abc message is not what I consider fun. Someone else here described the system as a cancer and I couldn't have put it better myself. It is rediculously expensive and shamefully unreliable. I will convert, but I will keep all abc components in tact because there are many people who feel the way you do.

2014CL600

........

Welwynnick

People who have learned from bitter experience about ABC's questionable reliability are fond of saying what a complex system it is, and there are lots of things to go wrong. ABC is not like an engine, where regular fluid and filter changes WILL give you a good assurance of reliability.

Changing the ABC oil is certainly necessary, but its not enough in isolation, I'm afraid. And the manufacturer's recommended maintenance isn't enough either. With ABC, you have to do lots of other things as well.

Change the oil every two to three years of course, but don't forget to use the fine oil filter ( 3 microns rather than 10 microns, if I recall correctly). And you need to get ALL the oil out, not just what gets returned to the reservoir.

The flexible hoses don't last very long, especially when exposed to heat. They need to be inspected regularly, and ideally treated as lifed items, like timing belts. I think this is where the biggest problems and the best solutions are. If you really want to be confident, wrap them up with loose heat shields.

Unlike other hydraulic systems, the nitrogen accumulator spheres store hydraulic energy, and wear out eventually. They're difficult to diagnose, so they all need changing when the reservoir level changes too much. When they fail, they take other components in the system with them.

The struts are reasonably robust, but they suffer from dirty fluid more than other parts of the system. That's because the oil at the extremities of the systems moves in an oscillating, rather than circulating manner. It goes backwards and forwards all the time, getting dirty and dirtier. This black muck should be cleaned out though through the individual service ports at each corner, rather than relying on repeated level changes to do the job. That's no substitute for the rodeo, as each strut isn't exercised to the full extent of its travel, so some dirty oil always stays in place.

Whens struts sag, its often down to dirty valve blocks, or poor seals. Mercedes usually fit new blocks, but they're reasonably easy to service. Its not rocket science, its just nuts and bolts, fluids, filters and seals. Mineral oil and nitrile )-rings are all that are needed. You don't need special materials or magic potions. Of course, it's more complicated than springs and dampers!

There are lots of complicated electronics, but you'd have to be unlucky to suffer a failure there. The minor mechanical items like strut mountings and level sensor mechanisms can suffer from wear, tear and corrosion. The consequences vary from barely perceptable to really spoil your day, so all the prosaic mechanicals need to be maintained as well.

The pump musn't overheat, so the oil is cooled. Unfortunately the oil cooler is prone to clogging, and so is the A/C condensor behind it, both of which conspire to block cooling air flow. Not aq major problem, but another thing that conventional suspension doesn't suffer from.

Although they don't cause many failures in themselves, the so-called "quick release" pipe connectors at each strut are an absolute nightmare. Given time, they always seize, and just make life much more difficult than it should be.

Finally, the pump is difficult and expensive to replace, and doesn't lasts forever. But if you look after all the other parts of the system, it should last a long time.

Although Mercedes spent decades developing active suspension, they were still learning when they introduced it on the W215 & W220. Everyone with experience of both says that the W216/221 system is much better and more reliable. Sorry, but we're all guinea pigs here.

Nick

CLK500 TWINS

Well said Nick. Problem arises when you've inherited someone else's lack of maintaining the ABC. Then you are forced to decide between replacing almost every major component at around half of what the car is worth. Or just eliminating the problem all together. For me, it was the lack of guarantee that I wouldn't be throwing good money down the drain, only to turn around and have my car sitting too low to drive after the purchase price and abc repair cost. That's a thought I couldn't wrap my head around. Following the recommended maintenance wouldn't do the ABC system any good, as Mercedes claims that because this is a closed system, the oil doesn't ever need to be changed/flushed. I've even read of them advising people against servicing the system because once it's opened, you open up the system to failures. I agree that they had in no way perfected this system on the earlier models. In my opinion there were some obvious dohh mistakes in the engineering. They are beautiful cars but at the end of the day they are not 130k cars anymore, so to drop 60k/ yr into maintaing this one system is ludacris. 5k/month, you could be leasing a Lamborghini and a 2015 CL65 AMG with money left over. I'm excited because when my car comes back to my driveway, I'll know that I'll be able to feel secure driving it. It's a shame the original owner didn't keep up with the system but he barely drove it, probably an older gentleman. Maybe he thought it wasn't necessary as it's not a recommended service, maybe he stopped driving it 5 years ago and it just sat in his garage deteriorating. Who knows, but I know I am very comfortable in my decision. When I have 5k/mo to drop in a car, I'll go get the aforementioned.

2014CL600

.........

gwelliott

FI,

This ones for you.

Mock-up the the SL600 coilover. The one is a proto-type with adjustable spring height. Mercedes Master Tech used this one to test spring rates and think they have the settled on a solution for the SL600. Set-up includes front and rear sway bars. Hope to pick it up next week.

P.S. Also having an LSD installed at the same time

F1BHP

Looks good, I am going to wait for my ABC to fail until I tackle the conversion. My car only has 10k miles on it so I hope it will last a while.

CLK500 TWINS

Update: suspension conversion is done with Strutmasters conversion kit. Ride is still smooth, solid, feels great really. Body roll is minimal, I really can't say anything bad about it. A little tougher over road imperfections, but with low pro tires, I try to avoid the holes anyway. Still corners like its on rails at a normal cornering speed. It feels secure and the assurance of knowing the abc won't drop out on me is priceless. I'm very happy with my decision and I highly recommend converting rather then continuously dumping thousands into the same failing system. That's money that could go in college funds, retirement accounts or invested. Spare yourself the headache and save yourself from the money pit that is ABC. Conversion kit cost me 2219.73 with shipping. Labor for installation cost me 700. Total suspension 2919.73 and my suspension will probably hold up longer than I'll keep the car. Thanks to all for your help and advice

CLK500 TWINS

Btw Tusabes, I got a look at the struts, they were really in bad shape. Cracking, etc. I told him to dump them. I wouldn't have felt right selling them to someone

biker349

arnott would of given you $200 each for them so they could rebuild them. get them back.

2014CL600

.......

CLK500 TWINS

Really? I thought that was only if you purchased their conversion kit. I will get them back then.

CLK500 TWINS

Okay I tried to be nice to you with your ignorant babble before, but now it's ostentatious ignorant babble and I don't recall sending you a personal request for your opinion to start with so you really could have excused yourself from this thread at any time. Let's start with the fact that I don't remember ever making any mention as to what I paid for the car, as a matter of fact, I didn't. I don't recall ever implying I didn't have the money to repair the ABC, I do recall however saying that I simply refused to put 10k into a system that will continue to fail. I'm not an idiot, but to whomever that may think this would have been a "smart" option; more power to you, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you, it's just to the right of unicorn highway, past the leprechaun forest. It's very kind of you to attempt to keep track of my personal finances for free, let me call my financial advisor and tell him he's fired. If you consider a Mercedes CL600 a big league, ultra high end blah blah blah, I'm concerned your standards in life may have reached a plateau. That's sad, as a go-getter myself, I believe you should always strive for better. As an advertising executive by profession though, perhaps you're just one of the brain-washable few who gets emotionally invested in Mercedes' latest slogan, "the best or nothing at all." Since you wanted to venture down this dark and scary road with me, failing to realize that you had personally put a target on your back for which I will spew my venom... Since your just an advice column away from being considered a complete joke, I ask you this; if YOU can afford all the various repairs you mentioned as well as your gas, why is it you mentioned that you have a 2006 with 2,500 miles on it, that you simply "look" at. See I know what I can afford and I'm quite comfortable with the vehicle I chose and the decision I made. Since we're being presumptuous, perhaps you bought your 2006, in 2008, financed of course and until your recent payoff and lein release, your car payment was all you could afford. So you just looked at it. Damn that's a pretty car, isn't it? Again, go right passed unicorn highway, past the leprechaun forest. I'll be waiting with that bridge I'd like to sell you and then you can park your 2006 on it and just "look" at it there.

CLK500 TWINS

FYI the CLK was originally 90-100k, that's a 30k difference, the cost of a Kia. The K in CLK stands for Kompressor, so really it was just a scaled down version in size and power. You can rest well, I didn't put any money into the original suspension, but thanks again, I'm emailing my financial advisor now to let him know that he's been replaced.

biker349

hi, just get your struts, contact arnott and they'll send you a shipping label, etc. i'm not quite sure. it could be $200, or $300 per strut.
any finders fee. just kidding.

tusabes

I think they pay $300 per abc strut

CLK500 TWINS

Lol, I called my tech, he's going to hold them for me. I'll call Arnott tomorrow. Sure, why not! Lol