CL600CK60

I am looking for a reliable supplier of ABC components or W215 CL 600 (ABC hoses in particular, as it seems that they are not widely available).

Specifically, I am looking for hydraulic hoses with these part numbers:

220-320-5172
220-320-5472
220-997-8782

If higher-grade hoses are available somewhere, please let me know. Who carries these parts except Benz dealers?

Since Benz does not provide guidance on service intervals, I want to have the hoses replaced before they fail or start to fail.

Thank you

grane

Owning a CL55 I feel your pain!

Contact Sponsor www.mymercedesparts.com. Make sure you have your VIN handy because Jay will let you know if there is an improved version or whatever. They will help you through the entire experience.

Tell him the "snarky" nut from Lime Rock and NH sent you. Thanks Mad141.

Others, who are NOT Sponsors, seem to have cheaper prices but hit you up with handling fees and so on.


Btw I would be careful about what I replace because ABC can turn into "whack a mole"unless you find an indie who really knows what they are doing. Search on the Forum.

CL600CK60

grane, thanks a million. I am also "surfing" German sources (and writing them in German) to figure this out. I am trying to enjoy it. Then I go for a drive in my flawless high-mileage Acura 3.2 CL Type-S and pain goes away.

I will tell Jay that "snarky" nut from Lime Rock and NH sent me there.

For any ABC work, I will take it to the local Benz shop. I am not taking any chances. I'd love to get some spaceship-grade hoses (the flexible kind, resistant to the elements) but I am yet to find a source

grane

I had two Legends and an NSX 2 so I know what you mean!

The 215 CLs are reliable if you maintain them, and exquisite, each in their own way. If you do some thorough searching on mbworld you will find some valuable information, and some unfortunate experiences withe ABC that perhaps could been averted, who knows?

CL600CK60

Yes, the CL is very special. However, if the new NSX ever comes out, I will trade in the CL in a heartbeat I will not give up the Type-S under no circumstances.

I checked the site you suggested and they had the hoses! It looks like they are closed on the weekend - I can talk to Jay on Monday per your recommendation. This is huge help as I am still learning my way around the Benz world.

saintz

Retardedmunk had posted some experiences on here about getting hoses custom made. I think if you bring them the fittings and lengths you need, a custom shop could fab them, but I don't know of any.

BlownV8

Yes, just take the hoses to a hydraulc hose shop and they will remake them at 1/4 the cost. The hoses will also be higher quality than the original. If you are having a hard time finding a shop, call a truck dealer or heavy equipment dealer/rental place and ask were they have ther hydraulc hoses made.

CL600CK60

Saintz,

I know someone who knows how to build transmissions from scratch and rebuild pumps. Never had a conversation about building custom hoses. What I would like to get are hoses that make the CL600 look like a terminator under the hood - hoses that do not break down and "sweat."

Must check out posts by retardedmunk.

BlownV8

Just get the stainless braided hydraulic hoses. The hose shop will use the stock connectors and attach the new hose in between. The stock hoses do not appear that great and deteriorate a bit too rapidly. Replace the hoses before they rupture.

CL600CK60

braided hydraulic hoses. noted. How do we go about "ratings" for these hoses / what should I ask for?

After reading Oxygen's thread about ABC hose install, I learned that engine has to be lifted to install the extension hydraulic hose (it passes under the engine. Is this hose benz-specific? Can it be replaced with a braided-stainless-steel one?

Since engine has to be lifted to install this extension hose, isn't this a good opportunity to check out the engine mounts also and replace them as needed? When I was talking to the Benz technician, he explained that engine has to be lifted to replace engine mounts (which also contain hydraulic fluid). On my car they are bolted down with three bolts each.

Thanks to post in this thread, I found all the parts I needed. This is awesome help and I truly appreciate it. It is great to find out that ABC maintenance does not have to be (too) expensive if approached proactively.

grane

If you get the VmI of car it will show was has been done and what has not.. When you take it to the dealer or run thru carjax.

Make sure you have this in hand, and let your techs know you know.

All the folks here are giving the best advice from their point of view but i like the discounted Oem parts until they are proven defective.


Get great Indy MB only tech!

G.

CL600CK60

Just had a chat with someone I know about hoses. Long story short: it is very possible and not too complicated to make a much better hose than the crap Benz puts on CL600. Better in the sense that they are resistant to humidity and heat and can last at least 10 years, based on component lifetime in big machinery (along the lines of kamatsu). If they can last 10 years in a dozer, they can last 10 years under the hood of a CL600.

Which brings me back to a very questionable "customer experience" with MB in general and "no maintenance" BS (until it blows up).

CL600CK60

Maybach Exelero: baddest of all benzes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_8a23pRXRY&feature=fvsr

(it has the same twin-turbo as the CL600, which warms the heart

BlownV8

Not sure what proof you need but I had plenty on my car and most owners have experienced the same defective hoses. One was so bad, it was recalled because CL's were catching fire and burning to the ground. Seriously, you need more proof?

CL600CK60

@BlownV8: what do you suggest as an alternative? If OEM is not good enough, what is (and where can we get it)?

BlownV8

The hose shop will be able to tell you if they have anything better than the OE.

ch33sehead

The 3 part numbers you listed are all the latest versions of those hoses Mercedes makes. There are no numbers that supercede them.

I don't think replacing the hoses as preventative maintenace is really necessary - when they fail they don't really *burst* -- they just gradually weep and it will be obvious. The failure is usually not instantaneous and catastrophic. You'll have plenty of grace period (months, even years) to replace as necessary.

BlownV8

Quite the contrary. I had two that burst. Each one sounded as if I had a blown tire.

ch33sehead

Interesting. Noted. Was this on your 600? What year was yours?

nola_penguin

Just buy alldatadiy.com (I just did for my CL65 and GL) and you can get all the info you want on R&R.

BlownV8

Yes, it was a 2003 CL600.

CL600CK60

Thank you. I prefer not to push the components beyond their "expiration date". Hoses in particular are exposed to humidity, heat and pressurized fluid. Depending on driving style, their lifetime can last but a relistic expectation is somewhere between 5-7 years (until "material fatigue" kicks in). The same applies to hydraulic components. One can get lucky and get more life out of these components. To me, it is realistic/reasonable to expect to replace components of ABC every 7 years.

One has to wonder why CL600 does not have a backup pump. For the price (100-150k range), you would think that such a critical subsystem would have a backup and be fitted with hoses that far surpass OEM (braided hoses made of metal).

CL600 is an amazing machine. Just today, I read that Speedriven offers a 800hp tune up: http://tuningbible.com/?p=831

This is nothing short of amazing - to know that this car with already grotesque power can be made even more powerful.

Hydrualic parts do blow up and in the case of CL600, you will be SOL when that happens. Let's not repeat the O-ring logic from the Columbia disaster here: cracks/"sweat" on the hose does not mean that it has "room to go." I want to replace them even before that happens.

BlownV8

I had hoses blowing that were less than 4 years old. I would recommend replacing every 3 years on the stock ones and maybe every 5 years on an upgraded hose. A high pressure filter coming off the ABC pump may also be a good idea. It would keep the metal particles from the pump out of the system. The metal particles from the pump are a real problem for the control blocks and struts.

ch33sehead

I think the hoses will last much longer as long as people change the accumulators. They are the first line of defense against shock, so when the nitrogen leaks out the next weakest link in the system takes the hit. Search for "fluid hammer" on wikipedia.

saintz

Bingo, the accumulators are maintenance parts more so than the hoses. If they are good, the hoses are much less likely to pop. They are the safeguard for pressure spikes in the system. They work like a water expansion tank to regulate pressure.