LitiGATOR

I'm buying this car. Having it shipped from Michigan to Florida. Last vehicle was a mid-10-second CTS-V, so this is a little different --- but much more practical! Car is CPO

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...acktype=usedcc

First question, and I apologize if this has already been covered ad nauseum on this forum. The AdBlue, is that mandatory? How much does it cost and what are the suggestions? Just have the dealer do it?

Second, my car doesn't have HIDs. What are people doing to replace the standard lights with HID/Xenon?

tom.butt

Very nice find. I was actually looking for THAT, but had a hard time and didn't want to buy one to have it shipped (maybe on a new car, but I'm a skeptic on used.) Like the steel gray too (the one I got was Palladium Silver, in the same *ballpark*.)

Not sure on the best option on headlights. My first thought is, drive it and if you NEED the swap I've seen a few threads on the topic. Seems like it's had some problems, but people might have it sorted by now so that it's easier. And you do have to have the AdBlue (at least that's my impression from everything I've read on the ML BT.) Not sure the car will LET you run if you run it out of AdBlue. I'm sure a BT owner here can confirm/deny my thought.

Either way, congrats! I'm jealous of your BT, as I just bailed out of that in the 2013 and got the gas version. Enjoy!

Coreysimms

You will need to add the Adblue solution about every 10,000 miles, or around the time of an oil change. Buy it at your local parts store for about 6 bucks a gallon. Dealers will mark it up severely. You will need it to drive it.

LitiGATOR

Great, thanks so much for the responses guys. I've been on this forum for a while since my brother bought an E55 a few years back and love it here. Glad to be part of the family.

balticgreen

Yep, AdBlue is mandatory. If you run out, the car will not start. At all. That might sound scarier than it really is. As mentioned, it's designed to be refilled at the same time as the scheduled maintenance (oil changes). If for some reason you do get low on AdBlue before an oil change, you get plenty of notice via a warning in the instrument cluster. Should you ever see that warning, as long as you don't ignore it over and over and over, you'll be fine.

LitiGATOR

Do dealers frown upon you bringing your own AdBlue for them to do the change?

fabbrisd1

Top it off before you bring it in - buy a small MB bottle, use that, then cut off the bottom and use it as a funnel, pour slow to let air during fill "burp" out.

LitiGATOR

The dealership just filled it up for me before they ship the car.

fabbrisd1

Yes - if the ML is Mercedes CPO, yes AdBlue should be full. AdBlue is MB brand of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) like less than $13 for 2.5 gallons under retail auto parts store brands like Peak.. it's not a "top off" issue - "AdBlue Low" cluster warning gives you about 2500 miles driving capacity left, but at the end-end-low-low then ML will delay-start and give you urgent warning that you have 8 starts remaining.

LitiGATOR

Another question: I really wanted the HK option but just couldn't find it with the options I wanted within my budget. Anyways, is there any way the dealer could install the HK system? I'm sure it would be pricey, but just wondering if possible. Or would I be much better off going aftermarket?

fabbrisd1

No HK upgrade possible... what you do aftermarket with amps and speakers is up to the expertise of the custom shop.

LitiGATOR

Thanks. I'll see how the stock system sounds. Car should be here on Wednesday or Thursday.