Jvglueck

Need advice as to whether this is a good purchase at 5k from my boss.. MB says it needs 18k in work- rotten shock towers, disk part on rear axle, etc... I loved this car since she bought it in 04 for over 130k--- but am I crazy for getting into this car with these issues and mileage.. It would b a grate warmer most of the time just coming out for serious cruising on great sunny days.. Any advice would b much appreciated.. I'm a 50 year old single motor head with a few toys already! Thanks!

tusabes

My mb dealer recommended 20k of work but my car drives fine . If the stuff is just recommended and not required to change now you can defer most things

Are there actual problems when driving ? If not for $5k id be all over it. You can even resell it for $10k tomorrow

Welwynnick

Make sure your brain is involved in making the decision, not just your heart.

I did something similiar, and its been a bit of a roller-coaster. In hindsight I still think I'd have been better of spending more and getting a better car. My car runs great now, but it took a lot of time, effort and money. If you're enthusiastic, it might be OK, but make sure you have a spare car.

Dealers and warranties won't help you. We're all right behind you, but there will always be something going wrong, and it will be difficult or expensive to fix.

PS. These cars seem to like being used regularly.

Nick

principledchiro

IMO, go for it if engine, trans, rear axle, etc. are in good shape. As others chimed...it's likely in good working order but in need of some TLC. You're probably ok with doing most of the work yourself.

shardul

iTrader: (1)

start off buy doing a compression check and leak down on the engine.
ABC components will fail

Jvglueck

Thanks soooo much for all your comments and thoughts. The actual MB estimate that came to $18,000 states: front abc shock mount tops cracked (couldnt my boyfriend weld??), Replace ABC Pump, Rear Flex Disc Cracked- Replace, Axle leaking grease...ok-ok-ok-i know--theres a lot of stuff--it does have 170K miles on it though! As someone said--could a Competent mechanic work on these items-over time-so i could cash flow these repairs? It in very good shape otherwise--its that black coffee Designo edition with saddle interior too! :-) ya--been in love a long time...I Am trying to use my Head and not my Heart...Im a Risk manager by profession but wild girl by heart! LOL..Please give me your thoughts on total cost to repair..This car was driven on many florida to NJ runs which drover up the mileage..Couple that owns are really retired-have several other cars but this was the distance runner...

AMGTestDriverNJ

As far as I'm concerned, its an expensive car to own regardless of how low the purchase price is. I've had mine for about 8 years so I've fixed everything at least once.

AndreNY

whether the car is 10 years old or new its still a $130k car which means it will always be expensive to maintain. The ABC Suspension especially at that mileage is just asking to break the bank. I highly doubt you need $18k in repairs but if you need 2 front struts and ABC pump at a Local Indy that will still run you $3500 if not more. At the end of the day if you get the car for $5k its a smoking deal but be ready to shell out some $$$ for future repairs

OCKlasse

I have ABC struts that I'll let go cheap in perfect working order

CL600CK60V12

No. 1 is to find a great indy shop.

You will most likely need new front hydraulic struts, new coil packs, new motor mounts, new tranny mount, new tranny pan, new hoses. You may also need new throttle body, accelerator pedal and the brake light switch. All of this stuff is not cheap but it is not expensive either. ABC can be rebuilt on a budget with a rebuilt pump and original hoses - and a great indy mechanic.

You can completely overhaul the ABC for about $4500-5000. You can get a rebuilt pump from buyautoparts.com for about $900. Hoses are available from mymercedesparts.com for about a $100 a piece. You will need fresh pentosin also. And a mechanic also. If you need ABC struts, they can be had for about $700 a piece from "Napa" (I think). You will most likely need only two (front ones). Rear struts don't get worn out so easily.

I have put in a lot of effort (and a bit of money) in restoring the 2003 CL600 Carlsson. I love the results. Car feels like new and it is "scary fast" on the highway. You have to take fixes in stride and plan for them. It is very important to have access to a great mechanic who can walk you through the steps and repairs. I love the process and I don't mind spending a bit of money to drive an absolute beast of a car.

Message me if you have any questions. I have learned quite a bit about this car. It had a lot of issues but I worked through them one by one and enjoyed the car all along.

biker349

get all service records from your boss so you can see what repairs have been done and when.

CL600CK60V12

Have you bought the car yet?

Visuallt inspect the suspension (front struts) for damage and if you can, take it to a mechanic to check other suspension components (ball joints, to be specific). This info will tell you how well the car has been taken care of - if it has not, you will need to replace those components first. Next on the list will likely be coil packs and and possibly ABC main pump (ABC hoses may be in a good condition - take a look with a flashlight and look for 'sweating'.

Recently, I got exposed to ESP Malfunction issues. Brake light switch replacement was first. Then accelerator pedal. Then Throttle body. These things just wear out after a while and need to be replaced.

///AchMeinGott

I'm new to MB, but here's my input any how.

I originally was looking at 03+ CL55/CL600's, with a budget in the high teens. That could land me one with decent mileage(~50k) if I waited and didn't have to buy tomorrow. When it was all said and done, a nearly 600hp intake/tune CL600's sounded great... at first. Truth is, I didn't want something that heavy, that complex, or that expensive of upkeep so I turned my attention to C/CLK55. That high teen budget turned to mid teens with $2-3k back up money. No fear of that with the C/CLK as I do most of my own maintanence, so my biggest expense turned into oil changes or a valve cover gasket.

So say it doesn't really need $18k in repairs. Let's halve that. Do you have $9k right now? When's its inspection is up(assuming you have that in your state) and they say you have half of that in repairs, $4500, do you have that? If not, what's your back up plan? How much for just an oil change?

It seems you love the CL. Great! Do you love the car, or do you love the power? If B, there are other cars that can match it nowadays, while needing minimal upkeep or at least less expensive. If you love the car, then why get that high mileage, AMG one? I don't know if your in NJ or Florida, but if you're in NJ, a quick search near me(SE Pa) shows quite a few good deals on naturally aspirated CL55/CL600. Such as
http://www.parkavenueautos.net/2001_..._229403698.veh
Or for a bit more
http://showroom.auction123.com/adams...2/6692010.html
That one has been there quite awhile, so I'm sure they'd happily cut the price to make the sale.

Heck, I'd even suggest a CL500, but they seem to be the same price, if not more, then pre-2003 55/600. That car, at 170k miles, needs SOME sort of work, so you gotta realize its price tag isn't just $5k.

CL600CK60V12

I drive three cars on regular basis and for long enough to derive "cost of ownership/maintenance per mile driven".

Here are my stats:

- Acura (V6) costs about 15 cents per mile driven
- Mustang / Shelby GT500 (V8) costs ~20 cents per mile driven
- Mercedes CL600 (V12) costs $3 per mile driven

That should put things in perspective. That's 20x or 15x times more cost compared to "normal" cars.

Another important factor is that many Mercedes cars are not maintained properly. My experience with Mercedes shops is that they vary greatly in attention to detail and quality of service. I did not make that experience with Acura and Ford. It does not help of course that official technical guidance from Mercedes is either missing or incomplete. A "classic" example of such missing guidance is that ABC system is "maintenance free". It is maybe maintenance free until warranty expires. Then it blows up and you buy another maintenance-free ABC system.

Another reality is that Mercedes maintenance can found in several different price ranges. If you find your own source of fairly priced original or rebuilt parts and if you know a trustworthy indy shop to complete the work, Mercedes ownership will be much more enjoyable.

It goes without saying: forums like mbworld.org are essential to better understand these cars, determine the best maintenance schedule and keep cars on the road at reasonable cost. If there is a role for the social media, keeping sanity with W215 cars is one of them.

It is extremely disappointing that Mercedes as a brand considers only customers who are (their cars actually) "under warranty." Beyond that, you are on your own.

On a technical side, many components of the CL600 could have been designed much better:

- Ignition system is too fragile. Let's leave the cost out of the consideration. Do you want your ignition system to fail completely before you reach 100,000 miles driven? There is no good technical reason for coil packs to fail so miserably and to effectively disable the vehicle.

- ABC system, as any hydraulic system, needs maintenance. It is an insult to intelligence to claim otherwise. Maintenance of hydraulic systems does not have to be expensive and it should be part of service Mercedes offers to its customers - at reasonable cost. $15k for "ABC repair" is not reasonable when it can be done for a third of that amount.

- ESP system is absolute crap. In any other car, ESP will keep you on the road and get you to your destination under challenging road conditions. Only with Mercedes you will get stuck and "limp" to destination. This is like some built-in practical joke. ESP must be on/off feature and it must never lead to a driver being stuck or "limping" to anywhere. That's just ridiculous. ESP is in fact such garbage that it can get you killed on the highway. I am surprised there is no class action suit and lawyers all over this. Not until you feel a car stall in a high speed lane will you not know what I am talking about - all because of some BS ESP software misinterpreting input from an actuator. It is not ABC that needs to be replaced in MB - I wish ESP could be ripped out and thrown far away from the vehicle.

- Audio system is two generations behind. MB could learn a thing or two from Lexus, Acura and Ford. Fortunately, Aston's electronics is not so modern either so it is all "up to par" in this area

- Quality of materials used in the interior is questionable. I have heard this from many MB owners (even in Germany). Case in point in plastic used in CL600 with that sticky crap all over it. Not to mention other plastic. Leather is ok, but it no better quality than that used in Acuras or Fords. If you look and feel an Aston Martin, its interior is in another class compared to MB

- Insults to intelligence do not stop there. "Service A" and "Service B" are scheduled insults to intelligence.

However, in spite of all these little "inconsistencies", CL600 is a V12 machine. If driven and cared for, it will be a breathtaking car. If abused and then dumped (warranty policy makes sure that happens regularly), used MB cars will always need a lot of maintenance and have high cost of ownership.

Problems we experience are not unique to W215. Even newer models have the same problems (ESP is a good example).

VMAX7

^^Agreed wholeheartedly!

VMAX7

Stay away from the '00-'02 600 cars. All else have solid motors.

fireman685

I would say go for it. There are conversion options to get away from ABC altogether. Flex disks is not a big deal to repair. I just bought an 05 CL55 and am catching up on some maintenance issues but I love the car and knew whole heartedly what I was getting into when I bought it. Many people have said and I agree, there is no such thing as a cheap Mercedes. If you're handy with tools or know someone who is a lot of things you can fix yourself. Just research it first. Good luck.