2009 S63 - Rear ABC struts not made anymore?
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2009 S AMG63
2009 S63 - Rear ABC struts not made anymore?
I have 2009 S63 AMG, ABC seeping, I was told by auto shop that no one makes rear ABC struts for this car anymore... does anyone have other info or source that can supply any/all of these ABC parts?
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Try Zadow Automotive in Germany. I just bought their ABC magnetic filter and they service and refurbish ABC parts. Here is a website link. You may need to let google look up the German firm, then click website, and then click language.
https://abcteile24.de/en/produkt-kategorie/abc-system/
https://abcteile24.de/en/produkt-kategorie/abc-system/
Maybe I am asking the obvious here, but have you called the dealership and asked the parts department? Highly doubt they would stop producing it.
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2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
My understanding is that the parts at the dealer are all remanufactured - nothing wrong with that - but it isn't new. Same issue for coil packs, voltage transformers and ABC struts. Still a Mercedes product and dealer warranty but not new.
If I am doing a remanufactured product, I plan on using Zadow Automotive in Germany. I loved the engineering on my new filter, typically German in quality and tolerances. They took care of the paperwork through customs and the product arrived at my doorstep.
I agree, call the dealer and ask the parts guy for a new ABC strut and see what he says.
If I am doing a remanufactured product, I plan on using Zadow Automotive in Germany. I loved the engineering on my new filter, typically German in quality and tolerances. They took care of the paperwork through customs and the product arrived at my doorstep.
I agree, call the dealer and ask the parts guy for a new ABC strut and see what he says.
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Yeah I highly doubt it that the dealership does not have them. And yes @vettebk I have bought shocks from the dealer that were REMAN for my 2005 S500 
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Try Zadow Automotive in Germany. I just bought their ABC magnetic filter and they service and refurbish ABC parts. Here is a website link. You may need to let google look up the German firm, then click website, and then click language.
https://abcteile24.de/en/produkt-kategorie/abc-system/
https://abcteile24.de/en/produkt-kategorie/abc-system/
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2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
From time to time, I daydream about shipping my S600 back to Europe, touring France, Germany, and Spain, and having the car refurbished mechanically in Germany. All I need to do is hit the Powerball lottery, and I will depart.
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I'm about 500 miles on my reman Arnott front air struts. Couldn't be happier. Nothing wrong with remans, just know your source.
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PS. I just looked up shipping cost to Europe....about $1000 each way. This idea is not as crazy as it sounds, as a MB rental car in Europe would cost about that for two weeks. I don't know about shop time in Europe vs. here. Obviously logistics would be challenging.
Last edited by nath_h; May 26, 2023 at 07:22 AM.
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Guys FWIW.... Five years ago I purchased an Arnott reman ABC strut for the L/F for my 221 S-65. Am ready to install, take the rubber cap off of the hydraulic line on the reman strut and find metal shavings in it. WTH! Order up a second one... same thing. Both get sent back to wholesaler I work with... I gave the car fresh ABC oil and just dealt with that corner of the car dripping a few drops of ABC oil when the car was on the hoist. Didn’t leak at normal ride height and worked well.
Point being.... don’t just trust that anyone’s new or reman part will be fine. Inspect it before installing. Imagine the disaster had I blindly just installed it.
Shipping the car to Germany for an extended vacation sounds compelling. Two grand for the round trip would get eaten up in four days of rental for an S-65. One wonders what manner of inspections/licensing would be required by the Germans before allowing a yankee to try out unlimited stretches of Autobahn. Not that one can go fast for long with all the caravans & lorries sharing the road.
Point being.... don’t just trust that anyone’s new or reman part will be fine. Inspect it before installing. Imagine the disaster had I blindly just installed it.
Shipping the car to Germany for an extended vacation sounds compelling. Two grand for the round trip would get eaten up in four days of rental for an S-65. One wonders what manner of inspections/licensing would be required by the Germans before allowing a yankee to try out unlimited stretches of Autobahn. Not that one can go fast for long with all the caravans & lorries sharing the road.
Last edited by JohnLane; May 28, 2023 at 02:18 PM.
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I checked the MB parts website...indeed they no longer make one of the four struts I need. But, they have always been new or remanufactured at their option, so perhaps some more will be done eventually.
On a side note, my car is going in tomorrow to the dealer for some unrelated issues. I've noticed my front end sometimes sitting a half inch low on one side, sometimes the other. Anyone have thoughts on possible causes? I'm debating if I should pay for diagnostics tomorrow, or just ignore for now. Xentry does not flag any codes.
On a side note, my car is going in tomorrow to the dealer for some unrelated issues. I've noticed my front end sometimes sitting a half inch low on one side, sometimes the other. Anyone have thoughts on possible causes? I'm debating if I should pay for diagnostics tomorrow, or just ignore for now. Xentry does not flag any codes.
Last edited by nath_h; Jun 3, 2023 at 06:49 AM.
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I understand how you feel about paying a diagnostic fee when no codes are present. IMO, all they will do is check for codes and tell you what you already know. Unless you know the technician is a sharp professional, I would wait until the code eventually shows. It is probably a sensor.
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Oh boy. Hopefully they stock it again, though judging from experience, once it's set to "discontinued" then that's it. There's a chance European dealers might still have it though. I've seen parts be discontinued in the US but still be available in Europe.
I recently replaced the right rear on my CL (24k miles)...which blew just sitting in the garage. Developed some sort of internal leak. Make sure you drive your cars or cycle the height a few times once a week or so.
Thanks for posting about the German spot. We at least have that if Mercedes decides to screw us.
I recently replaced the right rear on my CL (24k miles)...which blew just sitting in the garage. Developed some sort of internal leak. Make sure you drive your cars or cycle the height a few times once a week or so.
Thanks for posting about the German spot. We at least have that if Mercedes decides to screw us.
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Right and left are two different parts, they're both reman I don't remember if it's Monroe or Sachs who makes these but uh these are the ones I typically use. The reason Arnott doesn't have them is because of the lack of cores available, they can only be rebuilt, not manufactured from scratch due to the demand and available parts supply for them. They've been dealing with this issue for a lot of cars, hence the core buyback prices.
Genuinely I charge a diagnostic fee if you walk me, if you're doing the service it's actually prorated into the service bill typically unless youre problem was purely diagnostic related.. for example the E9x BMW's like to have blown out intake manifold runners internally lately and thats not anything you can scan for until you remove the intake manifold to check. It prevents people from shopping me and wasting my time, I barely even discuss prices over the phone. As for labor, it's really not that hard/expensive. If you can replace a shock and refill a PS reservoir thats pretty much the job, just make sure you wear gloves and eye protection, CHF is bad for you.
https://www.mbpartsstore.com/oem-par...r-221320861380
Right and left are two different parts, they're both reman I don't remember if it's Monroe or Sachs who makes these but uh these are the ones I typically use. The reason Arnott doesn't have them is because of the lack of cores available, they can only be rebuilt, not manufactured from scratch due to the demand and available parts supply for them. They've been dealing with this issue for a lot of cars, hence the core buyback prices.
Genuinely I charge a diagnostic fee if you walk me, if you're doing the service it's actually prorated into the service bill typically unless youre problem was purely diagnostic related.. for example the E9x BMW's like to have blown out intake manifold runners internally lately and thats not anything you can scan for until you remove the intake manifold to check. It prevents people from shopping me and wasting my time, I barely even discuss prices over the phone. As for labor, it's really not that hard/expensive. If you can replace a shock and refill a PS reservoir thats pretty much the job, just make sure you wear gloves and eye protection, CHF is bad for you.
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Our cars are getting older. The regs requiring parts availability are expiring. I suppose this is a reason to buy another car (for me it will be an S65) so that at least one of my Mercedes can be on the road while the other is awaiting parts from Europe.
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W222 AMG S63
What's the word on coilover conversions for W221 with ABC or Airmatic? It's my understanding that these cars don't have sway bars, so handling may be compromised.
Do these cars have sway bars? If not, are they available on the aftermarket?
Do these cars have sway bars? If not, are they available on the aftermarket?
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W221 with ABC does not have a sway bar. Not needed with a hydraulic suspension. But if you remove the ABC and install a coil over suspension, you must add a sway bar from a non-ABC car (usually an older model S500). In my opinion, the ABC is a far superior suspension. It must be maintained and if you are acquiring a model that has been abused; it can be quite expensive.
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W222 AMG S63
W221 with ABC does not have a sway bar. Not needed with a hydraulic suspension. But if you remove the ABC and install a coil over suspension, you must add a sway bar from a non-ABC car (usually an older model S500). In my opinion, the ABC is a far superior suspension. It must be maintained and if you are acquiring a model that has been abused; it can be quite expensive.
But, if parts may become scarce or prohibitively expensive, then coilovers are a nice option. You can get a range of coilovers from terrible to sublime for less than what it would cost to repair/replace ABC.
If ditching ABC and installing quality coilovers and sway bars is what it takes to keep one of these cars on the road, then that's a great thing. Imagine how great a bargain one of these cars would be for a DIY car owner?
When I write "quality coilovers", I'm not talking BC or Strutmasters. I'm talking about D2, KW, or H&R.
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We could use a sticky/definitive thread about ABC conversion. I'm not the guy to do it, because I don't know enough about it, but it would be great to have some solid answers about the pros and cons of the various systems, and where to source sway bars.
