2014 CLS 550 Front License Plate.. How did you mount yours? Cali btw!

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Old Jul 26, 2018 | 01:42 PM
  #1  
TheFranchizeSLB's Avatar
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2014 Mercedes Benz CLS 550
2014 CLS 550 Front License Plate.. How did you mount yours? Cali btw!

Hello All,

Curious as to how all of you mounted, of course assuming you did, your front license plate without drilling holes. I haven't gotten a ticket and I'm in southern Cali, but I just got custom plates and wouldn't mind having them up front but not on the tow hook or drilled...... sound off!
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Old Jul 26, 2018 | 08:03 PM
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I removed mine

on my 2014 CL600 I never put it on and on my CLS I removed mine. You will have screw holes. I'm going to have the holes filled and paint just the small area. If you need the plate on for a fix-a-ticket use double sided tape. If you want it permanent, make sure you have the factory LP bracket and drill two small holes in the middle of the bumper and use a larger course screw to hold it on. Be aware that you will have to really fudge with the plate as it will need to be bent down the middle to fit the bracket shape. FYI, I live in SoCal as well. I just don't do street parking.
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Old Jul 28, 2018 | 02:12 AM
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bob2011's Avatar
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SoCal here too, I don't run front license plates, and only got a ticket once for it. Zip tied the plate on the lower mesh part of the grill and got the ticket removed lmao.
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Old Jul 28, 2018 | 09:23 AM
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Excellent

Smart man
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Old Jul 30, 2018 | 11:38 PM
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GLC 43 AMG
I'm using Cravenspeed's Platypus license plate mount. No drilled holes, does not interfere with any sensors and keeps the police off my back. Great product!
CravenSpeed Platypus license plate mount.
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Old Aug 1, 2018 | 01:16 PM
  #6  
TheFranchizeSLB's Avatar
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2014 Mercedes Benz CLS 550
Originally Posted by CLS SportMode
I'm using Cravenspeed's Platypus license plate mount. No drilled holes, does not interfere with any sensors and keeps the police off my back. Great product!
CravenSpeed Platypus license plate mount.
it looks great, as well as your car, but $100 for it i just cant do haha... ill stick to zip ties for now as ghetto as it sounds >.<
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Old Aug 3, 2018 | 09:24 AM
  #7  
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Originally Posted by CLS SportMode
I'm using Cravenspeed's Platypus license plate mount. No drilled holes, does not interfere with any sensors and keeps the police off my back. Great product!
CravenSpeed Platypus license plate mount.


For each his own but that looks atrocious, I would only use that for fix it ticket.
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Old Aug 4, 2018 | 01:09 AM
  #8  
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Originally Posted by Gee_115
For each his own but that looks atrocious, I would only use that for fix it ticket.
Yes, thankfully to each his own...
No fix a ticket needed.
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Old Aug 5, 2018 | 04:28 PM
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Originally Posted by TheFranchizeSLB
it looks great, as well as your car, but $100 for it i just cant do haha... ill stick to zip ties for now as ghetto as it sounds >.<
There's a problem to the tow hook license plate solution as well.

In parallel street parking, if someone were to bumper tap your car, they're not tapping your bumper, but tapping against the metal license plate which transfers the full force to the metal bar that your license plate screws into. Thus, there is usually significant damage where the metal bar within the car is damaged or bent. Sometimes the screw threads are locked or twisted and it's not possible to get the license plate frame off.
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Old Aug 6, 2018 | 08:03 PM
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Originally Posted by patrick_y
There's a problem to the tow hook license plate solution as well.

In parallel street parking, if someone were to bumper tap your car, they're not tapping your bumper, but tapping against the metal license plate which transfers the full force to the metal bar that your license plate screws into. Thus, there is usually significant damage where the metal bar within the car is damaged or bent. Sometimes the screw threads are locked or twisted and it's not possible to get the license plate frame off.
Good point. I had considered that possibility so I had the bolt machined down to not protrude past the opening, then used a custom offset bracket that affixes to the bolt and license plate frame. The license plate frame has "tabs" that are angled where it attaches. In my set up if someone were to back in and hit the license plate frame first the angled tab would bend flat with the rest of the frame then the bracket would fold towards the front of the car. Not affecting the bolt. I don't see how the actual bolt would get pushed or have any real pressure put on it to deform or damage the threads unless it was a major hit in which there would be much more to worry about.
I do see your point and agree with you if the connection is direct and rigid.
Todd
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Old Jun 3, 2019 | 02:08 AM
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Sensor problem

Originally Posted by CLS SportMode

I'm using Cravenspeed's Platypus license plate mount. No drilled holes, does not interfere with any sensors and keeps the police off my back. Great product!
CravenSpeed Platypus license plate mount.
Hi. I’m just wanna make sure if it touch any sensors? I put same place as you but it still touch my sensor, so I have to keep it off all the time. Waiting for you reply ! Thank you!
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Old Jun 3, 2019 | 04:06 PM
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From: Saddlebrooke, AZ 85739
2013 CLS550 4Matic OE Tuned
I'm in CO and traveled throughout the West Coast and Midwest without any problems not running a front plate. The Fine here in CO is $75, no points. I drove my Cadillac CTS for 5 years without problems either. Drive respectfully and you won't stand out. Keep your car clean and most likely the LEO will think it's a new car. There are electronic disappearing plate holders, but I haven't searched for a CLS. Marv
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Old Jun 3, 2019 | 07:46 PM
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I am planning on putting my front plates in lower grill opening. I have done this with 3 of my previous cars. The opening is slightly smaller than the height of the plates. I just carefully fold over top and bottom of plates so they fit into the opening and secure them to the grill with small black zip ties. If you could get black plates, that would work the best, but unfortunately those are not available in VA.
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Old Jun 5, 2019 | 12:04 PM
  #14  
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No sensor issue

Originally Posted by Elvis Xu
Hi. I’m just wanna make sure if it touch any sensors? I put same place as you but it still touch my sensor, so I have to keep it off all the time. Waiting for you reply ! Thank you!
Elvis Xu, when I first received mine it did trigger the sensors to alarm. So some modifications began, luckily Craven Speed had a offset bracket arm I got and with a little twisting and forming it solved all sensor issues.

Try calling them and explaining what is happening, if you can't get a resolve PM me and I'll see if I can pull up what I got and possible pictures that may help.

Todd
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Old Jun 7, 2019 | 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by xradman
I am planning on putting my front plates in lower grill opening. I have done this with 3 of my previous cars. The opening is slightly smaller than the height of the plates. I just carefully fold over top and bottom of plates so they fit into the opening and secure them to the grill with small black zip ties. If you could get black plates, that would work the best, but unfortunately those are not available in VA.
Here is my plate attached to the lower grill. The plate was folded to fit the opening and secured with zip ties.




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Old Jun 7, 2019 | 04:15 PM
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That looks great! I might even do this to my CLS550. Keep us informed of any heating issues you have with this mod. Thanks, Xradman!
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Old Jun 7, 2019 | 06:28 PM
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Smile

Originally Posted by Tbbt CLS
That looks great! I might even do this to my CLS550. Keep us informed of any heating issues you have with this mod. Thanks, Xradman!
There is plenty of room behind the grill for air to flow around. Besides, stock front license plate mount blocks the same area as well. If I am ever in a race in Death Valley in the middle of summer, I can always cut the zip ties and be back to no plate with no body blemishes in 20 seconds.
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Old Jun 7, 2019 | 08:27 PM
  #18  
Tbbt CLS's Avatar
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From: Saddlebrooke, AZ 85739
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Cool, so to speak! Thanks!
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Old Jun 10, 2019 | 09:46 PM
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I was pulled over for a verbal warning for not having a front plate on my W211 after plenty of cops ignored to stop me for that. But that one cop did and I just put it up against the windshield lol a bit hideous way to put the plate up, but I just wasn't ready to dig holes on the E63 front end lol
For the CLS, I've owned it for almost a year now without the front plate and haven't been pulled over, yet. Hopefully that day never comes. Have the bracket in trunk, But I think zip ties is the easiest temporary fix for this issue. No holes and can be installed within 1 min.

I guess it just depends on the cop if he really really wants to pull you over for that. Most will just ignore it.
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Old Jun 23, 2019 | 02:18 PM
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From: St Louis
Merc CLS550
https://skenebrackets.com/pages/gallery

here it is
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Old Jul 9, 2019 | 04:37 PM
  #21  
Tbbt CLS's Avatar
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From: Saddlebrooke, AZ 85739
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Originally Posted by xradman
There is plenty of room behind the grill for air to flow around. Besides, stock front license plate mount blocks the same area as well. If I am ever in a race in Death Valley in the middle of summer, I can always cut the zip ties and be back to no plate with no body blemishes in 20 seconds.
I trimmed my CO front plate, bent it to match the contour and zip tied it as you did. I drove 2400 miles to CA and back through Las Vegas with an indicated 114F temperature in stop/crawl traffic and never had a heating issue. My car maintained the 90C water temp the whole trip. Thank you for the idea! Marv
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Old Aug 6, 2019 | 03:28 PM
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I read on a BMW blog where someone used double sided tape. I did the same and it worked! Even survived a few rain storms so I think it's legit
Below is the link to tape I used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BT0A6MG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BT0A6MG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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