W216 CL600 - painful repair bill!
Discussion
Hi All
Thought I'd give you a bit of an update on my CL600
Awesome car, purchased 11 months ago but my goodness, it is expensive to keep in good shape!
In March I had to have a coil pack replaced at £1400 fitted but that is nothing compared to my experience in the last month.
Early July, fault code triggered and car into limp mode. Got it home and with my OBD read the codes - Cam position sensor
No problem, Im pretty handy I thought - I will change it myself.
Bought a pattern part for £70 quid and fitted it - absolutely b
h of a job as you have to remove intercooler, piping, airbox etc etc
Anyway, changed it, started it up and took it for a run - no change - fault code triggered and running poorly
Took it to my friendly Merc specialist who suggested the pattern parts, particularly electronics, are crap and to get a genuine Bosch one.
Off to Merc main dealer, £150 later I have a genuine sensor, refitted, and.......................................
Still triggering fault code
By this time the car is actually refusing to start on occasion and when it does start, completely cuts out after 5 mins of running
My OBD reader reads live data and I can see that he signal from the cam sensor is out of spec - signal implausible
Finally beaten, I take the car (limp it) to my Merc specialist and leave it
They have been great in the past but this really tested them. The problem is that electrical issues are a nightmare to diagnose.
First they checked the wiring to the cam sensor
Then the cam pick up on cam itself
Cam tensioner to ensure timing wasnt out
Put a scope of the cam sensor to check signals
Everything checked out OK
Next they changed the Crank position sensor as the cam and crank signals are closely linked - no change
We then had a big decision to make -there were two possibilities left:
- Voltage transformer - this feeds the whole ignition system and is none to go fault on these
- ECU
The VT costs £500 whilst the ECU £1900
I opted for the VT and crossed my fingers - bugger no change!
The ECU showed no signs of damage and had previously been inspected. The car was still not starting from warm but when they distrurbed the ECU (ie tapped it) the car burst back into life
BUGGER!!
Tried all the usual ECU repair places but none of them had the drawings for the V12' ECU - Double bugger
The result is that I had to shell out for a brand new MERC ECU at £1900 inc VAT
So, I am pleased to say that the car is now fixed and running like a dream again. Has been off the road for 3 weeks and has cost me the grand total of £3450 to get sorted, what started as a engine management light and misfire!!
Delighted to have to car back but more than a little pissed off!
Still, once I got back behind the wheel this week and cleaned it, I forgave it its sins but ouch - £3.5K was a difficult pill to swallow, even for a well built company director!!
Coil packs, voltage transformer, ecu and wishbones now replaced!! What could go wrong next?? I guess the ABC at some point, although I am lead to believe that the W216 is better behaved than the W215!
Still love it though - just look at it!!
20161006_172812 by sshenton1975, on Flickr
20161006_172754 by sshenton1975, on Flickr
Thought I'd give you a bit of an update on my CL600
Awesome car, purchased 11 months ago but my goodness, it is expensive to keep in good shape!
In March I had to have a coil pack replaced at £1400 fitted but that is nothing compared to my experience in the last month.
Early July, fault code triggered and car into limp mode. Got it home and with my OBD read the codes - Cam position sensor
No problem, Im pretty handy I thought - I will change it myself.
Bought a pattern part for £70 quid and fitted it - absolutely b
h of a job as you have to remove intercooler, piping, airbox etc etcAnyway, changed it, started it up and took it for a run - no change - fault code triggered and running poorly
Took it to my friendly Merc specialist who suggested the pattern parts, particularly electronics, are crap and to get a genuine Bosch one.
Off to Merc main dealer, £150 later I have a genuine sensor, refitted, and.......................................
Still triggering fault code
By this time the car is actually refusing to start on occasion and when it does start, completely cuts out after 5 mins of running
My OBD reader reads live data and I can see that he signal from the cam sensor is out of spec - signal implausible
Finally beaten, I take the car (limp it) to my Merc specialist and leave it
They have been great in the past but this really tested them. The problem is that electrical issues are a nightmare to diagnose.
First they checked the wiring to the cam sensor
Then the cam pick up on cam itself
Cam tensioner to ensure timing wasnt out
Put a scope of the cam sensor to check signals
Everything checked out OK
Next they changed the Crank position sensor as the cam and crank signals are closely linked - no change
We then had a big decision to make -there were two possibilities left:
- Voltage transformer - this feeds the whole ignition system and is none to go fault on these
- ECU
The VT costs £500 whilst the ECU £1900
I opted for the VT and crossed my fingers - bugger no change!
The ECU showed no signs of damage and had previously been inspected. The car was still not starting from warm but when they distrurbed the ECU (ie tapped it) the car burst back into life
BUGGER!!
Tried all the usual ECU repair places but none of them had the drawings for the V12' ECU - Double bugger
The result is that I had to shell out for a brand new MERC ECU at £1900 inc VAT
So, I am pleased to say that the car is now fixed and running like a dream again. Has been off the road for 3 weeks and has cost me the grand total of £3450 to get sorted, what started as a engine management light and misfire!!
Delighted to have to car back but more than a little pissed off!
Still, once I got back behind the wheel this week and cleaned it, I forgave it its sins but ouch - £3.5K was a difficult pill to swallow, even for a well built company director!!
Coil packs, voltage transformer, ecu and wishbones now replaced!! What could go wrong next?? I guess the ABC at some point, although I am lead to believe that the W216 is better behaved than the W215!
Still love it though - just look at it!!
20161006_172812 by sshenton1975, on Flickr20161006_172754 by sshenton1975, on FlickrTry running an ageing Bentley! A bill like that would have been a relief! 
The first service my current one had in my care was....
wait for it....
ready?
£10690.13.
A few weeks later, £1200 for a couple of seat ecus.
Then £3000 for repairing the alarm system.
In total I spent over £18000 in a year on the heap so I do sympathise. Big heavy cars throw up BIG, HEAVY bills. But they are sooooo nice to swan around in you forgive them (but always remember their names ) .
The first service my current one had in my care was.... wait for it....
ready?
£10690.13.
A few weeks later, £1200 for a couple of seat ecus.
Then £3000 for repairing the alarm system.
In total I spent over £18000 in a year on the heap so I do sympathise. Big heavy cars throw up BIG, HEAVY bills. But they are sooooo nice to swan around in you forgive them (but always remember their names
) .Xtriple129 said:
Try running an ageing Bentley! A bill like that would have been a relief! The first service my current one had in my care was....
wait for it....
ready?
£10690.13.
A few weeks later, £1200 for a couple of seat ecus.
Then £3000 for repairing the alarm system.
In total I spent over £18000 in a year on the heap so I do sympathise. Big heavy cars throw up BIG, HEAVY bills. But they are sooooo nice to swan around in you forgive them (but always remember their names ) .
Wow that is heavy duty, I run a VW Pheaton V10 (similar running gear to Bentley except for engines) and have only spent £500 in four years on some PAS pipes although I use a good independent guy. The first service my current one had in my care was.... wait for it....
ready?
£10690.13.
A few weeks later, £1200 for a couple of seat ecus.
Then £3000 for repairing the alarm system.
In total I spent over £18000 in a year on the heap so I do sympathise. Big heavy cars throw up BIG, HEAVY bills. But they are sooooo nice to swan around in you forgive them (but always remember their names
) .I also run a CL65 and have so far in three months of ownership been spared major expenditure apart from a £900 B service at MB Brooklands, but this is part of the MB service plan which works out a good deal for V12 owners.
OP I think you have just about had all the issues associated with these cars now, lets hope you have a trouble free future from now on in. They are great cars though. I see an ex Mika Hakennen CL65 is on Autotrader for sale.
Edited by BIRMA on Friday 11th August 08:33
sshenton1975 said:
Hi All
Thought I'd give you a bit of an update on my CL600
Awesome car, purchased 11 months ago but my goodness, it is expensive to keep in good shape!
In March I had to have a coil pack replaced at £1400 fitted but that is nothing compared to my experience in the last month.
Early July, fault code triggered and car into limp mode. Got it home and with my OBD read the codes - Cam position sensor
No problem, Im pretty handy I thought - I will change it myself.
Bought a pattern part for £70 quid and fitted it - absolutely bh of a job as you have to remove intercooler, piping, airbox etc etc
Anyway, changed it, started it up and took it for a run - no change - fault code triggered and running poorly
Took it to my friendly Merc specialist who suggested the pattern parts, particularly electronics, are crap and to get a genuine Bosch one.
Off to Merc main dealer, £150 later I have a genuine sensor, refitted, and.......................................
Still triggering fault code
By this time the car is actually refusing to start on occasion and when it does start, completely cuts out after 5 mins of running
My OBD reader reads live data and I can see that he signal from the cam sensor is out of spec - signal implausible
Finally beaten, I take the car (limp it) to my Merc specialist and leave it
They have been great in the past but this really tested them. The problem is that electrical issues are a nightmare to diagnose.
First they checked the wiring to the cam sensor
Then the cam pick up on cam itself
Cam tensioner to ensure timing wasnt out
Put a scope of the cam sensor to check signals
Everything checked out OK
Next they changed the Crank position sensor as the cam and crank signals are closely linked - no change
We then had a big decision to make -there were two possibilities left:
- Voltage transformer - this feeds the whole ignition system and is none to go fault on these
- ECU
The VT costs £500 whilst the ECU £1900
I opted for the VT and crossed my fingers - bugger no change!
The ECU showed no signs of damage and had previously been inspected. The car was still not starting from warm but when they distrurbed the ECU (ie tapped it) the car burst back into life
BUGGER!!
Tried all the usual ECU repair places but none of them had the drawings for the V12' ECU - Double bugger
The result is that I had to shell out for a brand new MERC ECU at £1900 inc VAT
So, I am pleased to say that the car is now fixed and running like a dream again. Has been off the road for 3 weeks and has cost me the grand total of £3450 to get sorted, what started as a engine management light and misfire!!
Delighted to have to car back but more than a little pissed off!
Still, once I got back behind the wheel this week and cleaned it, I forgave it its sins but ouch - £3.5K was a difficult pill to swallow, even for a well built company director!!
Coil packs, voltage transformer, ecu and wishbones now replaced!! What could go wrong next?? I guess the ABC at some point, although I am lead to believe that the W216 is better behaved than the W215!
Still love it though - just look at it!!
20161006_172812 by sshenton1975, on Flickr
20161006_172754 by sshenton1975, on Flickr
Nice car. I hope you kept the old ECU, it might be repairable at some point.Thought I'd give you a bit of an update on my CL600
Awesome car, purchased 11 months ago but my goodness, it is expensive to keep in good shape!
In March I had to have a coil pack replaced at £1400 fitted but that is nothing compared to my experience in the last month.
Early July, fault code triggered and car into limp mode. Got it home and with my OBD read the codes - Cam position sensor
No problem, Im pretty handy I thought - I will change it myself.
Bought a pattern part for £70 quid and fitted it - absolutely b
h of a job as you have to remove intercooler, piping, airbox etc etcAnyway, changed it, started it up and took it for a run - no change - fault code triggered and running poorly
Took it to my friendly Merc specialist who suggested the pattern parts, particularly electronics, are crap and to get a genuine Bosch one.
Off to Merc main dealer, £150 later I have a genuine sensor, refitted, and.......................................
Still triggering fault code
By this time the car is actually refusing to start on occasion and when it does start, completely cuts out after 5 mins of running
My OBD reader reads live data and I can see that he signal from the cam sensor is out of spec - signal implausible
Finally beaten, I take the car (limp it) to my Merc specialist and leave it
They have been great in the past but this really tested them. The problem is that electrical issues are a nightmare to diagnose.
First they checked the wiring to the cam sensor
Then the cam pick up on cam itself
Cam tensioner to ensure timing wasnt out
Put a scope of the cam sensor to check signals
Everything checked out OK
Next they changed the Crank position sensor as the cam and crank signals are closely linked - no change
We then had a big decision to make -there were two possibilities left:
- Voltage transformer - this feeds the whole ignition system and is none to go fault on these
- ECU
The VT costs £500 whilst the ECU £1900
I opted for the VT and crossed my fingers - bugger no change!
The ECU showed no signs of damage and had previously been inspected. The car was still not starting from warm but when they distrurbed the ECU (ie tapped it) the car burst back into life
BUGGER!!
Tried all the usual ECU repair places but none of them had the drawings for the V12' ECU - Double bugger
The result is that I had to shell out for a brand new MERC ECU at £1900 inc VAT
So, I am pleased to say that the car is now fixed and running like a dream again. Has been off the road for 3 weeks and has cost me the grand total of £3450 to get sorted, what started as a engine management light and misfire!!
Delighted to have to car back but more than a little pissed off!
Still, once I got back behind the wheel this week and cleaned it, I forgave it its sins but ouch - £3.5K was a difficult pill to swallow, even for a well built company director!!
Coil packs, voltage transformer, ecu and wishbones now replaced!! What could go wrong next?? I guess the ABC at some point, although I am lead to believe that the W216 is better behaved than the W215!
Still love it though - just look at it!!
20161006_172812 by sshenton1975, on Flickr20161006_172754 by sshenton1975, on FlickrEnjoy your write ups but ouch that's a big bill.
After looking at older CL600s for quite a while I've finally found one I like and pick it up at the weekend, can't wait. It's a 2003 bi-turbo and has had coil packs and front suspension done. Also a decent price so a few quid spare if anything goes wrong, the bill above would smart though. A mate has a garage and is ex-Mercedes so said he will look after it for me.
Touch wood it's a great experience not a total moneypit. We'll see.
sshenton1975 said:
Still love it though - just look at it!!
You're not wrong there. Looks fantastic.After looking at older CL600s for quite a while I've finally found one I like and pick it up at the weekend, can't wait. It's a 2003 bi-turbo and has had coil packs and front suspension done. Also a decent price so a few quid spare if anything goes wrong, the bill above would smart though. A mate has a garage and is ex-Mercedes so said he will look after it for me.
Touch wood it's a great experience not a total moneypit. We'll see.
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