So, while the instrument cluster project is still going on (W216 build thread in my sig), I needed a bit of a break and decided to pick up a W215 as a side project before they dry up. Should provide enough issues to keep me busy eh . It's slim pickings and after seeing about 3-4 in person that were "sorted" according to the sellers (disasters waiting to happen), I decided to have a car shipped that had a verifiable service history, that was driven, albeit with some cosmetic problems. This should give people looking for one of these a good idea of what to expect.

This thread will document some of the mods that are being done to it. The longer detailed versions will be here as it's easier to post and maintain. However, I will keep summaries here for anyone interested in the process.

Pickup and quick fixes - tail light leaks, trunk stop light leak, rusted out trunk pump, window trim leaks etc.



https://absolutecarmods.com/?p=7206

Beginning of Interior Revamp - redo headliner, remove smelly and saggy materials from doors and other trim panels, redo them all with new stuff. New steering wheel, **** knob, 3D printed shift paddles. Vinyl wrapped wood trim. Fixed attachment points for various trim pieces with new 3D printed parts. Sneak peak at some of the ambient illumination pieces/LEDs. This will be a multi piece and pics will be up when it's all done. Lots of work here, getting everything re-wrapped, re-painted etc.



https://absolutecarmods.com/?p=7251

More interior Revamp:



https://absolutecarmods.com/?p=7259

Mercedes Atomizer Install - getting the Mercedes atomizer installed. This one covers the physical installation.



https://absolutecarmods.com/?p=7269

 

Next up on the list was fixing the headlights. I noticed output was bad and I suspected it wasn't the bulbs. I was correct. Ended up retrofitting new projectors and stepping away from the Bosch garbage. As a side note - the headlight wiring was obliterated. I suggest you take a close look at the headlight wiring before it possibly starts a fire.

Complete writeup and details here: https://absolutecarmods.com/?p=7322

 

Yeah, the interior headlight wiring on my CL55 was disintegrated as well... haven't really fixed it yet, so I went with wrappinng all the wires in electrical tape and planning on dealing with it later. I suggest getting a small square of XPEL or similar clear bra-like material and covering your 3rd brakelight with it... that entire assembly just seems spindly and liable to leak to me. If you do it well it's not very visible.

 

The third brake light was designed by an idiot for sure. I replaced the whole assembly at like 350$ which included the seal. They also make projector fogs for the 215 now which work great. eBay.

 

Very nice... I'm pretty neutral about upgrading the foglights, honestly.

I'm just now coming back to this thread, but I noticed you don't have much info on your mounting plate for the LED unit on your site. Do you have a 3d file or item available somewhere? The light output on both my cars is middling at best, and I might as well fix them while Morimoto still makes this unit, lol.

 

PM me for details. I am not producing them at scale. I have been running the prototypes in my headlights for some time without issues. Also keep in mind that the process is fairly involved. It's not plug and play. The chrome piece needs to be trimmed extensively for this to work.

 

Onto the next issues and mods and everyone's favorite topic ABC

I have now purchased a total of 8 "Chinese" ABC struts. They are all essentially rebuilt Mercedes units and quality is great. I have had 1 fail right off the bat, though that may or may not have been my fault. Regardless, it was replaced under the 3 year warranty without issues. So, if you are wondering if you should get some, I would say...absolutely.


I also decided to rebuild both valve blocks and replace all nitrogen spheres. Only the front sphere was broken, which is not bad, 20 years later. The small sphere on the pressure valve was a complete nightmare as it was impossible to remove without getting the entire assembly out of the car. Even then, it was almost impossible and no, this was a Cali car, so no rust. The valve block rebuild was pretty straight forward. I suggest not replacing the white spacers and if you do, be very careful to make sure they slot into the mounting hole properly. They can easily be crushed when putting the valves back in. Otherwise, the hoses that are not as exposed to the elements (especially sun) were in great shape.

Next, while replacing the struts, I noticed that the rubber hoses going to the struts were in poor shape so a replacement was in order. However, seeing how Mercedes decided to crimp them onto the hard line, things were not easy. Full writeup here with part numbers and instructions: https://absolutecarmods.com/?p=7412. The short version is that the stock quick disconnects were replaced with better ones and the hose is now fully removable and replaceable when needed. You will need specialty tools and parts. The same strategy can be used to replace a lot of the problematic hoses in the system without issues.



Then, while cleaning the car I noticed that the stock floor mats were on the way out, so I decided to get some new ones. I wanted the "leather" quilted mats like I had gotten for W216. Easier said than done because nobody had a 3D scan of the car to have them produced. X1 mats gladly accepted payment and 6 months later I still had no mats. Others like Luxusmats refused to make them. Thankfully Witamats was easy to work with and I could provide them with a 3D scan and have these made. Good thing I had a 3D scanner on hand . The results are great so feel free to order from them. I will probably end up blacking out the Mercedes logo.