CL-Class (W215) Door soft close mechanism repair
Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 221
Likes: 48
Mercedes S550 Coupe (now) CL55 (until last March 3), Ferrari 612, Porsche Macan GTS
Geraldius, an incredibly detailed thread! Awesome work.
A very good example of why I have a great mechanic and I leave this stuff to him. Nothing like the 60's cars that I used to wrench myself. So now I devote my time to driving them, not fixing them. ��
A very good example of why I have a great mechanic and I leave this stuff to him. Nothing like the 60's cars that I used to wrench myself. So now I devote my time to driving them, not fixing them. ��
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 130
Likes: 53
From: NC
'15 GLK350, '05 CL65 AMG, '04 C320 4matic
Indeed. There's a 1965 Mustang and a 1949 Buick in the shop that differ very little from one another in terms of technology. Today's cars have gotten so vastly more complex than 'back in the day'.
Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 221
Likes: 48
Mercedes S550 Coupe (now) CL55 (until last March 3), Ferrari 612, Porsche Macan GTS
Good eye Nick! I didn't notice when taking the photos. Yes, it is a four post lift. Besides getting cars in the air for doing work, it lets me keep an extra car parked on it to free up room in the shop.
Indeed. There's a 1965 Mustang and a 1949 Buick in the shop that differ very little from one another in terms of technology. Today's cars have gotten so vastly more complex than 'back in the day'.
Indeed. There's a 1965 Mustang and a 1949 Buick in the shop that differ very little from one another in terms of technology. Today's cars have gotten so vastly more complex than 'back in the day'.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 130
Likes: 53
From: NC
'15 GLK350, '05 CL65 AMG, '04 C320 4matic
Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 235
Likes: 23
From: Southern California
97 Lexus LS400, 04 Mustang, 08 Corvette Z51, 92 Honda Civic Si, 02 CL500, 03 E500
Geraldius- I've repaired mine last year without removing it completely from the car. All I did was rolled the window all the way up, removed the inner door panel & removed the assy's screws then tilted it about 45 deg so I can get access to the plastic cup at the bottom. Your instruction is spot on for those that want to remove it completely & do the repair on the bench. Kudos for your effort & very nice write up.
Forum Moderator- This should be made as a sticky as it's very well written & contains such a valuable DIY instruction. Thank you.
Forum Moderator- This should be made as a sticky as it's very well written & contains such a valuable DIY instruction. Thank you.
MBworld Guru
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,782
Likes: 1,011
NO LONGER ACTIVE
It's going to be hard to answer your questions because some of what you are asking is really subjective. The W209's suspension is not quite as soft or as "luxurious" as the W211, but it is very nice. It's definitely not sport like a BMW, but it's much more composed than say a Mustang.
As for running Michelin Primacies, I did and they were just fine. Much better than the P-Zeros I had before.
As for running Michelin Primacies, I did and they were just fine. Much better than the P-Zeros I had before.
Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 235
Likes: 23
From: Southern California
97 Lexus LS400, 04 Mustang, 08 Corvette Z51, 92 Honda Civic Si, 02 CL500, 03 E500
Awiner- Thanks for turning this post into a sticky. Anyway, Mercedes-Benz produces great & beautiful vehicles, however the plastic they use is so terrible. It out-gassed & became very brittle so very susceptible to crack/break. In regards to the soft close's assy, I concur w/ you it's very time consuming to dis-assemble & re-assemble it so what I did w/ the other soft close's assy in the other door was I potted the surrounding of the plastic cup w/ Scotch-Weld's epoxy as it takes a lot of vacuuming pressure to close the heavy door. This way, it'll re-enforce the plastic cup & those flimpsy plastic tabs. Mine has been working great ever since.
Last edited by superfast; Aug 24, 2017 at 12:05 PM.
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Super Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 742
Likes: 228
From: Santa Barbara, CA
S550C4, Porsche Cayenne
Soft Close
Great write up. But this just confirms to me that I don't have the skills and tools to do this repair myself.
I had the same problem earlier this year and had it repaired (actually parts replaced) at the dealer. Total cost was $664.78 for parts and $800.00 for labor.
Not cheap these CLs of ours but great cars when running at 100%!
I had the same problem earlier this year and had it repaired (actually parts replaced) at the dealer. Total cost was $664.78 for parts and $800.00 for labor.
Not cheap these CLs of ours but great cars when running at 100%!
Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 171
Likes: 26
From: Maryland
2007 S550 & 2009 CL63 AMG & 2009 BMW 328i Convertible
Just done it
This thread will document the process for removal and repair of the door soft close mechanism. The car used in this example is a 2005 CL65 AMG with keyless go. The procedure should be the same for all W215 models with perhaps minor differences. This photos in this example are of the driver's (left side) door. The process will be the same but mirror image for the opposite door.
There may be other reasons for needing to disassemble the inner door. But let's assume that your soft close feature is not working. You hear a hissing air sound when the door is partially closed and the closer feature should have pulled it the rest of the way closed, but it doesn't move. There is a good chance that the closer mechanism has a broken diaphragm housing. It is plastic and held together with weak small tabs that break off.
Disclaimer:
This is a very difficult and time consuming project in the sense that there is a great deal of disassembly of the inner door required to gain access to the soft closer mechanism. This job is not for the faint of heart or those not confident in their skills. You can damage or break expensive parts! If in doubt after reviewing this thread, best take it to a professional who will be responsible for anything that goes wrong.
There may be other reasons for needing to disassemble the inner door. But let's assume that your soft close feature is not working. You hear a hissing air sound when the door is partially closed and the closer feature should have pulled it the rest of the way closed, but it doesn't move. There is a good chance that the closer mechanism has a broken diaphragm housing. It is plastic and held together with weak small tabs that break off.
Disclaimer:
This is a very difficult and time consuming project in the sense that there is a great deal of disassembly of the inner door required to gain access to the soft closer mechanism. This job is not for the faint of heart or those not confident in their skills. You can damage or break expensive parts! If in doubt after reviewing this thread, best take it to a professional who will be responsible for anything that goes wrong.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 171
2002 CL500 to CL55 conversion
superb write up. really puts everything in perspective for me whether this repair is worth the effort. I guess if I'm already in there repairing upholstery and the door speakers perhaps it makes sense. otherwise, holy crap thats a lot of work to have a soft close door feature lol. its a fancy feature but really how useful is it? most people slam the car door anyways, whether thats passengers, tire shops, etc
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 16
Likes: 5
Cl500
Geraldius- I've repaired mine last year without removing it completely from the car. All I did was rolled the window all the way up, removed the inner door panel & removed the assy's screws then tilted it about 45 deg so I can get access to the plastic cup at the bottom. Your instruction is spot on for those that want to remove it completely & do the repair on the bench. Kudos for your effort & very nice write up.
Forum Moderator- This should be made as a sticky as it's very well written & contains such a valuable DIY instruction. Thank you.
Forum Moderator- This should be made as a sticky as it's very well written & contains such a valuable DIY instruction. Thank you.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 692
Likes: 73
From: Houston, TX
2003 E55 AMG; 2013 GL550 4Matic; 2003 CL600
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 8
Likes: 3
CL500
Many thanks! Do you happen to also know the part # for the thin rubber seal that goes on the outside of the door? I highlighted it in red.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 692
Likes: 73
From: Houston, TX
2003 E55 AMG; 2013 GL550 4Matic; 2003 CL600
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 692
Likes: 73
From: Houston, TX
2003 E55 AMG; 2013 GL550 4Matic; 2003 CL600
I'll be repairing the passenger-side softclose soon and will provide an update once I get in there.
Super Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 692
Likes: 73
From: Houston, TX
2003 E55 AMG; 2013 GL550 4Matic; 2003 CL600
The cluster failed so I've been occupied with that, will probably get back this next week. I did grab a spare mechanism with minor issues from a CL500 at the junk yard, so I have that on the workbench. Depending on the state of mine, I may repair one or the other, or merge them.
