broken spring ...

[blackcab]

2008 cls 320 - sat on my drive not moved it for a few days ... loud bang and then alarm going off, car was sat on the front tires ... turns out coil spring had broke, anyone else had this proble and what did merc do ? do they replace both sides?

[tonys]

I don't know if this is a specific problem on this model (it was, for example on the rear of the first A-class before they modified the mounting point), but I would always replace both springs to ensure safe handling (in the same way as replacing discs/dampers etc).

[P.Nott]

I had the same thing happen on an E Class a few years ago. I believe it isn't uncommon on several makes of car these days, not just MB. And definitely replace both sides, they aren't too expensive.

[anonymous-user]

Unfortunately this isn't unheard of on the CLS, but yes you should replace both sides regardless of which one has broke as the other one won't be far behind.

[KevF]

I remember taking my old E46 M3 into the dealer for a service and being told over the phone that one of the rear springs had cracked.

I queried how long they would need the car for (obviously a new spring would need to be ordered and fitted) only to be told that it was fine and that they have had cars with the same issue still driving around for ages. He then told me that the weight of the car would hold the spring in position and it wouldn't come out.

Surprisingly, Lind BMW are no longer in Norwich and have long since sold to Cooper's. Not surpirsed if that is how they view safety and servicing especially for the M3.

[Stegel]

This happened to the OSF of my CLS - as already said, not uncommon. It was a few months out of warranty but Merc met 75% of the cost. They only replaced the broken spring, and nearly 2 years on there have been no further issues. I don't see a need to replace them in pairs - the failure is down to a "characteristic" of their manufacture, and as they are not made as matched pairs I cannot see a problem in replacing only 1.

[anonymous-user]

We always replace them in pairs due to them both having being subjected to the same conditions. They break because they corrode in a certain spot, and given that one side has experienced the exact same lifespan as the the other, in my experience the other side never takes long to break either. The alternative is we let a car go back to the customer with one new spring, a few weeks or months later the other side breaks and then we get complaints for not swapping both at the same time.

[Aidayboy]

Has happened twice in my 2005 E Class a couple of years apart, I under advice didn't replace both at the same time and dont think one could be related to the other it's supposedly a very regular occurance. Isn't an expensive repair just a pain in the butt!