So today I made an agreement with someone to trade my 2007 Yamaha R1 with 10k miles for a 2001 CL500 165k miles. I have done quite a bit of reading and I know for the most part what I'm getting myself into with that being said it does have a fair share of problems. The mechanic I bought it from had me meet him at his shop and this is what he told me was wrong

- ABC pump leaks from the bottom (Part cost - $700-$1,000)
- Front bumper got messed up since it was too low and they basicly cut the lip off (Part $1200)
- O2 sensor ( about $30-$100?)

I also stated in the agreement that if there was anything else wrong after having the dealership look at it over the next few days then it will void the contract unless I sign and complete it with an additional signature because im worried about smog from all the past vehicles I've had that dont show up with an easy O2 sensor and that's it all the time.

I have worked on a lot of cars from alternators to head gaskets and timing belts on some pretty difficult cars and I have never not been able to do something...yet lol

So I figured my bike blue books at $8000 and this car does at $1200 with $4000 of repair needed that I can trim to work on my self about half so it seems like a good deal to me and I also worked it out that if I buy the ABC he will install it for free if i don't want to and if I get a bumper and find something else wrong he might paint the bumper for free.

My questions to all of you is he claims he hasn't tried smog which is only a month overdue and it just shows the O2 sensor being bad, with this many miles have there been many cats that need to be swapped out or anything else that would be more common for smog issues?

Another thing is it took me 10 mins to figure out that the fuel cap release is done by holding down the unlock button lol The reason I'm saying that is the volume button doesn't seem to work on the stereo is that common to go out or am i doing something wrong? Other things like glove box latch doesnt fully function on the dash and same with second glove box opening on armrest, all windows and sunroof work fine, one thing it also did was after leaving a stop twice it stalled on me but started back fine and said "Service B 1100Miles past due", it is hot out around 100F and i did have the AC blasting but its not as cold as i expected but still worked fine. Any other things i can try to attack with 165k on the car before they happen? here are some pics below, besides the front bumper its visually a 8-9/10 and interior is about the same. The oil spots are from the last people that parked in the stall







http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...ps199d158b.jpg

 

Well after my post a few days ago I'm a bit surprised no one has posted any help, with that being said I have been searching and searching and working on this car and figured I would give some feedback for someone else that looks at this and needs some help like I did.


O2 sensors (Codes "P0155 - O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction - Bank 2 Sensor 1 & P0150 - O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction - Bank 2 Sensor 1)

There are four in total, dual exhaust so two catalytic converters one on each side, one sensor before each cat and another after each cat. There are two that can be reached from inside the hood, one on the left of the engine and one on the right of the engine, you will need the "O2 Sensor Socket" to make this super easy, they had two different kinds of sockets you can buy and I bought both, one is straight and perfect for the sensors before the cat that you can get to in the engine bay and another that you can use reverse for the ones tucked away after the cats under the car. You will need a jack and a level surface to get to the other two that are under the car or a car lift to make those ones a breeze. Always have jack stands or else you risk the car falling on your body and crushing you, no joke its serious. Anyways, instead of replacing just the bad one and trying to figure that out which one it was, would take just as much time as replacing them all, I did replace them all because what I have read is they are done in the higher mileage tune ups and mine has enough miles. All the O2 sensors are the same for my year (2001 CL500) and I could buy the ones that were $115 ea or the Bosch Universal ones for $75 ea which I have used on other vehicles in the past and like Bosch. It was $300 vs $460 before tax. With the Bosch you will need to adapt them meaning make a splice, if you are going to use the Bosch like I did have some electrical experience (I'm an Electrician) make sure to cut the wire low on your "old" O2 sensor to make the splice and use the factory harness to easily plug and unplug future sensors. its only 4 wires and they are color coded, two are white, doesn't matter which white goes to which white. After you are done you will need to reset the codes being thrown and causing the "Check Engine" light to be lit with a Code Reader, I went to Oil Changers and my friend reset it for me. Once you do this you must drive the car a lot till the computer is reset and out of default mode. The reason I'm saying this is because I bought my car with bad registration and it hasn't reset yet. The check engine light is off but the smog shop diagnostics shows the "Catalyst and Evaporation System" are "Not Ready". I have driven it over 200+ miles and it still isn't ready yet. I did find someone that claims to be a "Master Mercedes Mechanic" online that has 16 steps to driving the car a certain way that should make it out of default mode and will share if it works. Hope those steps help you with your O2 Sensor code being thrown that illuminates your check engine light.


Just to the left and right of your big plastic air box that needs to be removed before you try and take them out, make sure to disconnect them and unclip them from the metal clip so they can spin and not mess the cable up as you unscrew it




Hard to see in this pic but there is a metal clip that holds the wire




Here is my finished cable, I prefear to make them long and zip tie the wire, see how i kept the original connector (round one) and also used the splice (Square one)

 

Alright now for my MAF Sensor

MAF Sensor (Code P0100 - MAF or VAF Circuit Malfunction)

Ok so on top of the O2 Sensors being bad I got a code that my MAF was bad. On my 3000GT these things where like $1,000 and I went through 2 of them in a month by racing around all the time, seemed they would blow if you pushed them too close or in the redline of your tach, maybe the cold air intake didnt help much either, I dunno. Anyways, the day i bought this car i got straight on the freeway and when i got off the free way the car would die at the stop signs home when i would go to give it gas, most of the time i would let the car go by letting off the brake real slow and give it such little gas to where people would honk but some of the time it would still just die on me, when I was at the part store the attendant told me to try cleaning it first before spending $250 for a new MAF, i figured why not, so I cleaned it as described but figured it would be bad with all these miles on this carbut I changed my O2 Sensors and cleaned the MAF at the same time, when i turned the car on after i was done it wouldnt idle just die, checked the net, found out i could unplug the MAF and see if the car ran and it fired up! turned it off and plugged it back in and it was idleing but still would die when trying to accelerate from a stop. Got a new MAF at the store, installed it and cleared the codes and it drives great, i will use the cleaner routinely before its too late so it doesnt happen again, no more codes no more dieing = ) now my hardest part is that the ECU wont reset enough to let me get it smogged, been over 200+ miles! Went to the dealership and talked to a mechanic and he said it needs a few cold starts, after it sits each night no just long freeway trips like i did twice.went home, took it out the next morning drove 20 miles and it passed by going out of catalyst and evap not ready.

 

FIRST of all I commend you on the fact that you took a tool out of the box and did something. I have worked on all my ummm cars( I can't count) and trucks ( 7 Suburban's a few Fords) myself. Then.... I purchased a Jaguar VDP and decided to ....change the radio. I blew up the computer for the lights.....awesome job. So then I am looking for a real auto and bought my Benz. The person I got it from had it on a flat bed. Because the cats where clogged. And it needed a Throttle body $700-$1300. So I got a awesome deal on it. The Mercedes did drive in limp mode. Then I found out that no emissions had been done on the Mercedes and it was overdue. I took the Mercedes out of limp mode. I do not recommend this ,but its what I did. I kept restarting the car for like 15 minutes and it came out. I went to get tested and the Benz failed because there where no back brakes...Safety. I get the brakes ordered and I got a guy that hates EVERY vehicle ever made but is a master mechanic. Now I was going gas like kids drinking kool aide. After the Benz is in the air? broken fuel line and bad gas. So I get the brakes done...correctly meaning pads rooters and calibers on the rear $270. Also ordered an new fuel pump. After Military discount? $90.00. I start it up and it would NOT go into limp mode. Passed Emissions all they way. Everything was fine. That is when Zero Gravity was achieved.

Moral of all this? Get some to shadow you that is certified. A coffee and a few doughnuts goes a long way at a dealership when dealing with a Service Advisor. But, they can turn you on to a top notch Mechanic that can and will do side work. Dealerships take a lot of what they make on jobs in the shop.
So there was nothing wrong with the cats it was the fuel line, pressure and air throwing the Benz off. I am still on ODBI so I need old school scanners, you have me beat on that. Best of luck.