You're thinking logically. In my opinion, I agree with you. The volume of the system doesn't change no matter what height you have it at. My car for example is parked for the winter. It has settled to its lowest point. I am not going out there to start it just to raise it. Now you have caused other issues such as moisture in your oil due to not getting the car hot enough by idling it.

R.K.

 

Your suspension after you turn it off will settle at MOST 1/4 " if it ever settles any lower than that you have a leak somewhere in the system. Usually in one or both of the blocks. Your system will have two filters and two dip sticks. One short one on the pump reservoir, known as the power steering pump/ABC pump which the filter is right on top of it and has one short dip stick and a filter on that reservoir right above that the ABC reservoir and has one filter and one LONG dipstick beside it. I have left my car's sitting for months at a time and NEVER, EVER have they dropped but the normal 1/4". Listen guys, if your car drops, you have a problem, plain and simple and any one that thinks that they don't have a reservoir is living on another planet. How do you think fluid gets into the system, through osmosis? No, the system is closed but it has to have dipstick's and reservoir's and filters. Your system should NEVER ,EVER, EVER,EVER, EVER settle more than 1/4", PERIOD!!! You should read your manual or ask your service adviser how often the system should be flushed or the filters changed. I just changed my power steering filter and the book never says anything about it but I'm telling you, that filter is just as key as the filter for the ABC unit itself. Flush all those fluids. They get debris in them and it will shut you down. Oh and yes the volume of the system will change as the nitrogen in each of the cells depletes. The more the Cells/Accumulators loose their charge the lower the fluid will become. If you take out your filter and look at it it should be WHITE without ANY trash or discoloration. They are both FLEECE just like the filter for the OIL. Look for the rubber caps that say OEL on them. Check the levels on both. Look at the level of the long stick. One side will say AN and the other side will say AUS. With the engine running check the fluid on the AN side, it should be at the leve of indent on the stick. Turn off the car and allow the car to settle and recheck the stick it should be in the indent at the top which is the AUS side of the stick. Meaning AN with engine charge and AUS meaning without charge.
Also, you can hit your button on the dash either while sitting or while moving and the car will raise about 2 inches in total and inch per raise or light. lite on the dash. If your car doesn't move up when you hit those buttons and it doesn't say system is raising then you definatly have a problem.

 

And my manual says ignore it until it breaks on page 266. Same with the transmission.

 

No offence but you're spreading lies. The car will settle more than a quarter inch in 5 months of not being used. I guarantee it.

R.K.

 

How can I can I say this in a nice way without being rude. Oh I'm sorry I can't, I do not want to get kicked off the sight. Your so, what is the word I'm looking for. Oh, I can't say it without invoking trouble with the powers that be.

You think whatever you want to think. I have spend more than 600k on these models and know more than you will ever forget. I do not lie, I do not mis represent nor do I make statements unless I know what I am talking about. I only speak if I know what I am talking about. Your observation and comments show that you must actually be driving a C Class and are trying to impress others with lack of knowledge. That is very apparent by looking at some of your earlier posts. I find it almost RICK PERRY like.

Please wait just a little longer when your transmission fails and your suspension does the same. No matter what the book says or you say. I can promise you, you are so in the path of destruction. Your car WILL have serious breakdowns and I will have the last laugh. I just wanted to help others out. It is up to you to do what you think is best for you or should I say what you can afford to do. I realize that almost all of the people on this sight buy these cars second, third and fourth hand and I do not have a problem with that. I personally BUY all mine new. Eight in total since they came out in 2000. I personally still own two since I special ordered them in 2006 before they stopped the production of the W215 model. I had seen the new W216 and didn't like what I had seen.

Too the matter at hand NONE of my cars settled except for my 2004 (by far the worst car I have ever owned). You keep driving your car without servicing it like you have and please do not come on the sight asking WHY is my suspension doing this or WHY is my transmission doing that. Just do not come on the sight crying you have transmission Woe's or suspension Woe's because you made it clear to all that you do not believe in servicing.

Your comments are uncalled for and you should learn to curb your mouth or I should say fingers. I never spread lies that is beneath my standing and will not dignify any more comments from you. Next rude comment I will report you to the forum moderator.

Best of luck to you and if when you have an educated comment that is relevant with knowledge based facts,please feel free to chime in, otherwise move on.

For those who want to know how to keep their CL in perfect condition and do not want to have EXPENSIVE problems, please listen. Service your fluids on a two year basis. The transmission should be serviced at about 75k miles or sooner depending on your geographical location. These fluids are made to last but they will breakdown. A small replacement of the filters in the pump and reservoir will save you a lot of headaches but if you read on the sight these cars should NEVER drop. Closed system means CLOSED.

 

I have to quote this for awesomeness. Tell me in all of my posts, what is incorrect info that I have given. Humour me.

And you got me. I lie about every car I own. I just make stuff up all the time. I will let you spread your propaganda around. Do you even know what closed system really means? ROFL

BTW I would love for you to tell a moderator about me. That would be great.

R.K.

 

FOOD FIGHT!!!!!!

 

The MBZ STAR SERVICE Service Manual Library DVD states...

If the car lowers after being stationary for LESS than a week, this is likely due to a leak in the check valve of the front or rear valve block.

The internal leakage is the result of deposits or contamination. In order to remove the deposits...
Flush the ABC system and change the filter, then have a rodeo done.
If that does not work then the respective valve block must be replaced. This advice comes from the MB Star Service Library in the DTB section.


The MB STAR SERVICE Manual Service Library ALSO states that it is not unusual for the car to sink if sitting for MORE than a week...

If a vehicle lowers after sitting stationary for more than approximately a week, this is a characteristic of the hydraulic design and is not a complaint that requires repair. The Check Valves in the front and rear axle blocks have a metal valve seat. The inherent design of this sealing method, required for system durability, permits a limited level of leakage which can result in the vehicle slowly lowering. If the vehicle does not lower significantly until after approximately one week has passed, do not perform any repair attempts.

 

Good info, and GREAT signature.

 

 

Ifari, you are the man. "radride" is just what we can all see without even meeting him. Thank you for posting the factual information that you did,straight from the MBZ service manual. I have nothing to prove with this guy, I didn't become what I am as a person trying to prove anything to anyone. I was just trying to give information to those who need to know, the others can do what they want. Best to you and your quote is so appropriate in this particular situation. Again, thank you!

Again, none of my CL's ever lowered and sometimes they have sat for 6 months at a time. The only car I had issue with was the 04, like I mentioned. It was soon departed!!!

My other CL's have never lowered but I will admit I never kept them more than 12 months at a time. The 2006 CL's that I have now don't have any miles on them and arent driven much at all so, Im not sure if it's, time or miles that deterates the suspension parts. I just have them maintanced in full every two years with complete services even if they may only get driven a few hundred miles a year.

 

The issue was where to set the bar on what constitutes "needs attention because it is abnormal". According to MB it appears that it should sit up for at least a week without dropping noticeably. And after that, dropping some, and probably progressively over time, is to be expected. You got challenged for essentially saying that any drop over any time is a defect/maintenance issue, and MB wouldn't agree with that. You have apparently had really good luck with a couple of your ABC cars, which is heartening, but it probably isn't reasonable to assume that any car that isn't quite so perfect is actually flawed.

What I really don't get is how you guys go without driving these things for weeks or months at a time. I sure couldn't do it.

 

While I can appreciate your kind sentiments and desire to be of help to others, my post was actually made in support of Radride's assertion.....
"The car will settle more than a quarter inch in 5 months of not being used. I guarantee it."

It's nothing personal, but you emphatically stated this "....Your system should NEVER ,EVER, EVER,EVER, EVER settle more than 1/4", PERIOD!!! You should read your manual or ask your service adviser how often the system should be flushed or the filters changed.

Radride stated an opposing view, which was imo correct, because the MBZ STAR SERVICE Service Manual Library substantiates it.

In any regard let's just enjoy our cars.

 

 

Its hard not to drive the car but we have winter up here. I couldn't possibly bare the idea that my car would get wrecked or rock chipped to hell.

Thank you and check mate Mr. 2006CL600.

R.K.

 

Global Warming is over. Check it out. We are starting a long cooling phase (Sun cycles plus ocean current cycles - new data). Stick it in your nose Warmers! It hasn't warmed in 15 years (new data).

Better think about moving south.

Sometimes in the winter here it gets overcast. And sometimes it even rains. I've seen snow flakes twice in 36 years. Come on down!

 

I know the Global climate change (that's the new name because they couldn't prove Global warming) thing is a farce and in place to scare the uneducated masses.

As far as moving south; I wish. I proposed that to my wife 6-7 years ago and she didn't want to leave her family. Now ironically, her sisters are moving away for work. Now I'm stuck in this frozen waste land. But thanks for pointing out how awesome it is where you live. You're lucky you're down there, otherwise I would have to drive down there and meet up with you and go for a cruise.

R.K.

 

The door's open. And ain't that the way with family! I moved south from Kansas City when I was 22 and never left. We have great FM roads here, no traffic, great condition. Good for bikes too (the kind with motors of course).

 

First Rad, calling someone a liar is ALWAYS offensive..whether there is a "just sayin" after it or not. Most here are just giving "their" experience here. Don't fault them for trying to help, and an " I'm sorry but I disagree" keeps others from having to wade through the Flame-spasms..
Having said..
2006cl600.. I'm sorry but I disagree ;]
There is one accumulator in the system and it has nothing to do with ride height. The accumulator is there to absorb pressure shocks in the system, such as when you hit a deep pot-hole or the like. It keeps the massive intermittent system pressure from nailing the pump and distributor blocks.
If the accumulator diaphragm cracks or ruptures you will get a high frequency whine and vibration felt primarily on the drivers side. I have never heard of a fluid leak/low level tank volume being caused by an accumulator failure..but I guess it's possible.
If there are no detectable leaks and the car lowers, and yes it can lower "all the way down", then your distributor block needs Back-flushing or replacement..However, you can go years without repair. The risk is that when they go, you are sitting on frame and going nowhere. It seems, from years of reading post, that as long as your car "stays up" for more than 4-5 days you're still OK, less than 3 you're looking to be stranded or worst.

 

JHOUSE, you're a Houstonite?
Where do you get your car worked on? I found a great German Car Only shop but always looking for more. Totally agree on Houston area, I traveled for months/year long projects around the world, east-west-south, came here for a project 11 years ago; love the people, sailing the Bay, living the "small town" life 40 min from "down-town" Broadway level Theatre, ballet, opera, night-life... and most of all.. NO SNOW (mostly')

 

Since I'm From Beverly Hills the climate here is perfect for cars. We rarely have weather changes. As for MBZ putting that statement in about the car settling is, so that they do no have to warranty anything or pay for anything, if you notice that the car will lower after a certain length of time. I know if you ask your service adviser ,they will tell you the car will settle after sitting but shouldn't resettle until the car is on the ground when you come back a few months later. It's so they do not have every single person who owns a car with a Electro-Hydraulic suspension coming in with a complaint about a lowering issue and also they expect everyone to drive the car usually on a daily basis. Since I own over 60 cars I just don't have time to drive all of them all the time. I have some late 60's Cadillacs that the headlamps stay up for as long as I don't drive them, I have cars from the late 70's with single digits on the odometer, which stay down for as long as I don't start them. In my Lincoln manuals they give a really LAME excuse that the headlamps doors will only hold for 24-48 hours and will start to open. Do not be alarmed as this is normal after such time. That is BULL. I have friends who have the same cars and they open within hours and I personally have 8 Mark's with hidden headlamps and all the headlamp doors stay down for as long as I do not drive them, six to twelve months at a time. So, they put these things into the manuals and books, so they don't have to pay for replacing parts. Trust me I know. My father was an Executive for FORD Motor Company for 35 years. It was something he explained to me, so not to claim responsibility and have to pay out for problems that could be fixed with restarting the car within a few days. It is all about the money. Trust me. So, the old adage is don't believe everything you read, sometime you need to have some common sense to realize what is true and what is just propaganda. You can check mate me you want and you can be the winner, it makes no difference to me. I can afford to fix what ever breaks, I just do like to throw money out the window, if I can help it. Since, I keep my cars, I maintain each of them to standards, so that I don't have repair bills that pile up. If a light comes on it goes in for repair. Luckily I haven't had a repair issue on my suspensions because I keep up on them. I flush all my system every two years, that way I dont have to replace parts all the time. I still have all my original tires on all my cars along with their original hoses, belts, spark plug wires, exhaust etc. and I have cars dating back to the late 50's. It is all in how you take care of what you own. Anyway, I'm signing off this post because I have nothing to prove to anyone. I hope everyone has many years of trouble free suspension woes. Good luck to all of you. I hopefully have given you some good advise and helped those who wanted some answers. It is up to you how your want to proceed.

 

Yes. Houston since 1976. Now 40 minutes from Downtown, like you. Westpark Tollway to work near Greeway Plaza. 30 miles in 30 minutes, door to door, with fun twisties on one end and two blocks from the freeway exit on the other.

 

Wow, I don't think I can afford to post in this crowd.

 

I had my 04 (the problem child) the light came one and off for no reason. Then one day It wouldn't go off. I went straight to MBZ, they filled up the system (which had no visible leaks) and told me that the rear accumulator was almost depleted. This was due to the nitrogen escaping into the system and being replaced with fluid. The replacement of fluid would solve the issue for a very brief time but eventually would become a hard spongy ride until the cell/accumulator was replaced. No noise would be heard only a light and a VISIT WORKSHOP DRIVE CAREFULLY. So, I put it up for sale for such a low price it sold in less than 24 hours. I told the guy why I was selling it cheap and he was happy with that.

 

HI! ABC pump in my S500 was leaking and was replaced with flushing. Now the message "Drive carefully, visit workshop" comes when driving. Car does not lower itself, and no problems when driving. Rodeo test does not go through, but stops when pressure drops below 100bar. DYnamic test in DAS passes perfectly. In DAS I get error message C1526 - problem with pressure supply. Where is the problem? Is the new pump faulty? Or accumulator is not keeping the pressure in the system? Any idea would be appreciated. THanks in advance
Regards, MAtti