CL500 ABC - How Bad Really?
Discussion
Hello all,
I am considering buying a 2001 CL500. My budget is not huge and I accept that I am therefore looking at at the bottom end of the market. In essence, I'm a realist and know that I am not buying a brand new trouble free car and am prepared for the day to day runnings of an 11 year old vehicle.
The only real niggle in my mind currently is the horror stories surrounding the ABC. I have searched Google and it appears to be a massive problem, yet searching PH comes up with very little.
Most of the posts on the issue on the web seem to be from the US. My deduction from this is that whilst the problem is real, it doesn't affect as many of the cars as it initially appears and the sheer difference in volume of these cars between the UK and US means that they see more of the issues than us - but it's all proportional.
Whilst I accept the possibility that such a catastrophic failure exists, I am now beginning to feel that it is less likely to happen than a simple Google search might imply.
Would the MB fraternity on here agree?
Any advice gratefully received.
Joe.
I am considering buying a 2001 CL500. My budget is not huge and I accept that I am therefore looking at at the bottom end of the market. In essence, I'm a realist and know that I am not buying a brand new trouble free car and am prepared for the day to day runnings of an 11 year old vehicle.
The only real niggle in my mind currently is the horror stories surrounding the ABC. I have searched Google and it appears to be a massive problem, yet searching PH comes up with very little.
Most of the posts on the issue on the web seem to be from the US. My deduction from this is that whilst the problem is real, it doesn't affect as many of the cars as it initially appears and the sheer difference in volume of these cars between the UK and US means that they see more of the issues than us - but it's all proportional.
Whilst I accept the possibility that such a catastrophic failure exists, I am now beginning to feel that it is less likely to happen than a simple Google search might imply.
Would the MB fraternity on here agree?
Any advice gratefully received.
Joe.
Well someone on here did a write up
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?p...
About the ball joints which can give problems and they are integrated in the strut and the usual solution from Mercedes is replace the strut at great expense. This method avoids that expense. This is one issue with the ABC that is then dodged. The other are the valves and the pump. I think there are solutions to this as well, I guess it is how much DIY are you willing to do. Also get a car with history and get one where it has been done. The ABC system is worth it though.
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?p...
About the ball joints which can give problems and they are integrated in the strut and the usual solution from Mercedes is replace the strut at great expense. This method avoids that expense. This is one issue with the ABC that is then dodged. The other are the valves and the pump. I think there are solutions to this as well, I guess it is how much DIY are you willing to do. Also get a car with history and get one where it has been done. The ABC system is worth it though.
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