E55/CLS55 questions....

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RSTurbo50

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W212 E250 CDi AMG Sport
Ok my E350 CDi Coupe is being collected on Friday morning, so Iv decided to take the plunge and go for one of the above cars. Potential big bills and costly maintenance do concern me but as long as I buy the right car, I think I will cope...

Their is both a CLS55 and E55 advertised on this forum which I am hoping to look at within the next two weeks. OK, so I have some questions. I know MPG will be terrible but I do no more than 70-80 miles in a week using the car every day so fuel is not an issue, insurance is also fine as is road tax so longer as its a 2005 car and below.

I am assuming the 5 speed gearbox on these are bulletproof as is the engine and supercharger? If the air suspension fails, what bill would I be looking at? If the air suspension is on its way out, what are the tell tale signs?

If suspension components fail, ball joints, bushes, control arms etc, what sort of prices are we looking at once more? If the SBC Pump needs replacing, again how would I know this and how much to have it rectified?

Anything else in terms of what to be looking at and what to budget would be greatly appreciated....
 
The 5 speed autoboxes on the 55k cars are very strong units. Occasionally we hear of an electroplate failure in common with other 5 speed models.
The M113K engine is one of Mercedes finest. It was good enough to put a dry sumped version in the SLR and the supercharger rarely gives problems.
Check when you view the cars that the engine raises and lowers on the button and is sitting evenly on all four corners.
A new air suspension pump is around £300 and rear airbags are about £260 (Air Dominance or Arnotts) Front air springs are dearer but offhand not sure exactly how much.
Any leaks should be noticeable on inspection which I would definitely suggest.
Ball joints are about £100 fitted, don't know prices on the other components.
SBC pump is a big one. Sometimes it can be reprogrammed dependant on the fault code. If its a new pump and you source it yourself, and have an indy do the work, you are looking at just under £1k. At a main dealer, its over £1500.
There is a code on the pump showing build date. Check the code and if its later than year of the car, its already been changed.

Finally, there is a really good thread about what to look for on an E55 which will apply to a CLS as well. Worth a read.
You've probably read this before as I see you were about to buy a 55 back in 2014 and got a lot of info then. Nothing has changed:D
Viewing and Test drive tips
 
2x front struts cost me £1,200 plus vat for Arnott units
1x SBC pump usually around the £1000 mark
2x Upper ball joints around £15-20
2x lower arms each side around £50 each
1x Airmatic pump £150
1x Intercooler pump around £120
1x Duo Valve £40 ish
1x Main Battery £200
1x Aux battery £40
Front discs and pads allow £200 there
Propshaft Couplings around the £100 mark
Along with engine mounts and gearbox mounts

Rough prices plus fitting also you can save by fitting Quality Oe parts over Main dealer items if your that may inclined, i did all the work myself on my car Aka Brutus which i sold a few months back, was lucky enough not to have any SBC issues.
 
Antifreeze? Coolent?? Lol just giving the op a rough guide ;)
 
Antifreeze? Coolent?? Lol just giving the op a rough guide ;)

Lol sorry Gav thought you meant just for the valve

On the topic of Duovalve can you swap it for me? :D I suppose don’t ask don’t get and all that :oops:
 
Did you see the 212 E 350 7 seater on the classified section Has? Any good for you?
 
Arnotts rear air bags are around 450 each and with any of the aftermarket ones you have to do both whether you want to or not so double that. OEM parts (bilstein) are more at around 600 but you can only do one
The air dominance and aerosus parts are 250 each but again you need to do both.

But touch wood mine has been pretty good for the last 2.5 years. Odd bits and obviously routine servicing. Its great family transport especially if you keep it for longer trips. Comfortable and goes like the clappers.
 
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Did you see the 212 E 350 7 seater on the classified section Has? Any good for you?

Im not an estate fan to be honest so would be no good for me......

Arnotts rear air bags are around 450 each and with any of the aftermarket ones you have to do both whether you want to or not so double that. OEM parts (bilstein) are more at around 600 but you can only do one
The air dominance and aerosus parts are 250 each but again you need to do both.

But touch wood mine has been pretty good for the last 2.5 years. Odd bits and obviously routine servicing. Its great family transport especially if you keep it for longer trips. Comfortable and goes like the clappers.

So your looking at £1400 for the rears and thats without fitting?
 
You can easily talk yourself out of these cars by these threads.
Find one you like, have it inspected by a local Indie of notable repute & put by a small stash fund, other wise you will NEVER bother.
Seriously ,though it really does help if you can enjoy) fixing cars, I replaced the Lower ball joints, had to buy the press tool for this , same with the front strut, a doddle TBH, the compressor for the air suspension, no big deal, main problem for me wa getting bloody cramp in my leg lol. If I could not do these jobs or did not have the time & had to pay an Indie ,I probabaly would not have bought one...but that goes for my TVR, OLD tin can Maserati, old XJS & the list goes on...& on.
I bought one (C32 AMG) after I had a spine Op & could not drive a manual for a while, loved it & eneded up with the E55 AMG & the C32 AMG then did a toss up & the C32 AMG went 1st...Go on...Ahh.Go on,Go on ,Go on,Go on
Good Luck, hope you do scratch the AMG itch
 
You can easily talk yourself out of these cars by these threads.
Find one you like, have it inspected by a local Indie of notable repute & put by a small stash fund, other wise you will NEVER bother.
Seriously ,though it really does help if you can enjoy) fixing cars, I replaced the Lower ball joints, had to buy the press tool for this , same with the front strut, a doddle TBH, the compressor for the air suspension, no big deal, main problem for me wa getting bloody cramp in my leg lol. If I could not do these jobs or did not have the time & had to pay an Indie ,I probabaly would not have bought one...but that goes for my TVR, OLD tin can Maserati, old XJS & the list goes on...& on.
I bought one (C32 AMG) after I had a spine Op & could not drive a manual for a while, loved it & eneded up with the E55 AMG & the C32 AMG then did a toss up & the C32 AMG went 1st...Go on...Ahh.Go on,Go on ,Go on,Go on
Good Luck, hope you do scratch the AMG itch

I had a C55 and that was a great car and I regret selling it in the end. The E55/CLS55 is another level. The problem is I am not at all handy and would be paying a specialist to do any work. Iv got a few grand put aside but that doesnt mean I want to buy say an E55 then within a few months having to spend a fortune replacing bits,,,
 
Two things to learn from this thread:

- Don’t have high expectations about reliability. It’s a 15 y.o. car and 20 y.o. tech.

- Merc85‘s Brutus is the only brand new E55 in the world. He kept replacing bits on the car as a way to escape family duties and had to sell when there was nothing else left ‘to fix’ ;-).
 
- Merc85‘s Brutus is the only brand new E55 in the world. He kept replacing bits on the car as a way to escape family duties and had to sell when there was nothing else left ‘to fix’ ;-).

I know another one which is getting that way, though mainly with hand built parts... ;)
 
Merc85‘s Brutus is the only brand new E55 in the world. He kept replacing bits on the car as a way to escape family duties and had to sell when there was nothing else left ‘to fix’ ;-).

Hahaha he did say ‘it’s quiet in the garage’ :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
I had a C55 and that was a great car and I regret selling it in the end. The E55/CLS55 is another level. The problem is I am not at all handy and would be paying a specialist to do any work. Iv got a few grand put aside but that doesnt mean I want to buy say an E55 then within a few months having to spend a fortune replacing bits,,,
Hmm tbh a 12-15yr old car with all the possible foibles the E55,CL55 etc have, then I would not bother...thoughts of the Indie stood there waiting for the money would put a stop to it :eek: I'd find a better "Vehicle" to invest your money in...Me its a VFR1200/S1000R...you only live once & not getting any younger.
 
The E55/CLS55 is another level. The problem is I am not at all handy and would be paying a specialist to do any work. Iv got a few grand put aside but that doesnt mean I want to buy say an E55 then within a few months having to spend a fortune replacing bits,,,

Get an indy to inspect it, and go for it. You'll spend a long time regretting not owning one.
 

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