Entering the world of CL500 ownership ............. Little advice needed

[scousezx10]

Hi,

I am about to part with some hard earned on a 2007 CL500 - I'm aware this has the potential to get expensive quite quickly and I'm as prepared as I can be mentally to face some chucky bills over the coming months / years but I thought I'd share the results of an inspection I had on the vehicle which included a Star code scan. Its had money spent on it and the condition is generally very good, clear on all vehicle reports via Vcheck.uk

Is there anything in the attached list of fault codes that would ring major alarm bells, it should be noted that the battery would have been a bit low as its stood for a while at the selling dealer, other things may be more significant than I currently understand!

I'm not expecting perfection in a 13 year old car and its likely that most cars of this vintage will show a few items that may require "improvement" but I'm trying to avoid a very expensive mistake from the off.

Look forward to sharing my ownership journey.

J

 

[regbuser]

Welcome, plenty of CL advice on the forums.

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome.

 

[GordonTarling]

I think most of those codes relate to low voltage, which is not uncommon on cars that have sat around for a while. Of more importance to me would be how it looks, drives and sounds, plus service history. When buying a 'new' car, I always factor a new battery and set of tyres into the equation, as IMHO they're often required.

 

[LTD]

Factor into your budget around 18-20mpg normally (could eek out 28-30 on a long run) and new treat tyres every 5k miles or so.

 

[oldguy57]

Hi,

I am about to part with some hard earned on a 2007 CL500 - I'm aware this has the potential to get expensive quite quickly and I'm as prepared as I can be mentally to face some chucky bills over the coming months / years but I thought I'd share the results of an inspection I had on the vehicle which included a Star code scan. Its had money spent on it and the condition is generally very good, clear on all vehicle reports via Vcheck.uk

Is there anything in the attached list of fault codes that would ring major alarm bells, it should be noted that the battery would have been a bit low as its stood for a while at the selling dealer, other things may be more significant than I currently understand!

I'm not expecting perfection in a 13 year old car and its likely that most cars of this vintage will show a few items that may require "improvement" but I'm trying to avoid a very expensive mistake from the off.

Look forward to sharing my ownership journey.

J

One thing I would check if you go ahead is the 7 drains on the bulkhead area. Clear these on a regular basis, otherwise you may get rainwater into the cabin. The one adjacent to the passenger side hood hinge is the most important. It has a 45 degree bend, blocks easily and this causes water ingress into the ps footwell (and can knacker the blower motor and regulator - £500 from MB!). 216 CL's are great cars, but I'm biased

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Nothing in that report to worry about. It tells you that the car battery has been allowed to go flat - routine in these days of dealer with access to cheap finance.

The real question is what's the mileage, servicing history, general condition and how does it drive?

Before jumping to replace the battery, please beg, borrow or buy a CTEK battery conditioner and give it a proper overnight recondition. These things can recondition a 13 year old battery without the need for an ecologically wasteful replacement.

Check the condition of the tyres, and check the date codes on the tyre sidewalls (Google is your friend).

Use the experience of past users on this website but also find yourself an MB Independent specialist in the area. He'll cost you a third of a main dealer's rates, when eventually you need to use him.

Fuel consumption depends on how you drive your 5.5 litre 2007 car. I've had three cars with the 5.5 and saw an average of 28 mpg. If you floor it a lot, or use it purely for town commuting, it'll be lower.

Great cars: six figure vehicles at four figure prices, with sophistication that comes from the S class product development - "probably the best car in the World."

If you're into industrial engineering look at the youtube videos of the production line for these things at Sindelfingen. It's amazing.

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[MD5]

The thought of a production line like that is mind boggling. Your CL is the same colour as my SL!

@scousezx10 Good luck with the purchase

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The thought of a production line like that is mind boggling.

The logistics of getting all those things together at the right time is beyond belief.

When "one thing and another" is over, Stuttgart is a great visit.

The factory tour is spectacular, as is the Mercedes Museum, and there's a stack of other interesting things to see, such as Motorworld, let alone the Porsche factory and museum.

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[scousezx10]

Thank you for the warm welcome and the advice thus far.

I had the car RAC inspected using their most detailed option (£435) the highlights are:

- A little corrosion on the underbody in a very specific area - I'm not overly concerned by this but may relate back to some comments about the drains needing attention, I'm trying to get confirmation from the inspector exactly where on the car this was.


- The car has a clear history with regards to accident, theft, etc etc (I used vcheck which is very good and includes searches on taxi databases etc) - despite this the car has had paint (front and back) - again I'm not massively concerned by this as its a 13 year old car and it presents very well, the inspector noted that one of two area had not been finished very well but its something I can address in the coming months / years.
- There are some rubber seals that could do with replacement, boot and passenger door.
- Some brake judder and damage to alloys, which the vendor has promised to resolve together with a fresh MOT.

The car has a full history which is a combination of main dealer and independent, there are invoices for the last couple of years showing the previous owner had spent circa £5k on the car including some gearbox work, command system and other bits. This is not going to be a daily driver and I probably going to keep it long (ish) term so I'm trying to take a broad view.

The main thing is there are no reports of any leaks, rattles and engine problems, the RAC drove the car for 14 miles and reported it drove very well and says that mechanically it seems sound.

I've also engaged with a local MB Independent sharing all the reports I've had so they can flag anything that would be a concern before I take delivery - I have told them that I want them to go over the history with me and make a plan of preventative work over the next 6 months so that I can try to avoid things going bad all at once. For example there's little evidence of the ABC system having a fluid/filter change so this may be one of the early items on the list. Fingers crossed I can avoid becoming god father to the garage owners kids .........................

Despite all this I know I'm in for a potentially rocky ride over the next year or two, going to be interesting. If you haven't already found this guy on Youtube I would highly recommend giving him a bit of your time, he has a really good outlook on the ownership experience and is very good at reconciling the whole journey of ups and downs.

https://www.youtube.com/c/MercedesCL500W215VLOG/videos

J

 

[pillow]

Well that’s interesting.
That corrosion looks like the exact same spot I found corrosion on my CL a couple of weeks ago.
Do tell, is it by the charcoal canister in the rear right wheel arch?
For me it was only very light surface corrosion that I sanded back and treated with some zinc rich spray. It’s not really in a place that is either structural or likely to suffer at all and just wants dressing really.

Here’s the before:

 

[scousezx10]

Nothing in that report to worry about. It tells you that the car battery has been allowed to go flat - routine in these days of dealer with access to cheap finance.

The real question is what's the mileage, servicing history, general condition and how does it drive?

Before jumping to replace the battery, please beg, borrow or buy a CTEK battery conditioner and give it a proper overnight recondition. These things can recondition a 13 year old battery without the need for an ecologically wasteful replacement.

Thanks Mike, good advice.

IS there a particular model of CTEK charger you would recommend as there would appear to be quite a range in prices. Also, do you attach an accessory lead to he battery so you can plug the charger straight onto the connector or do you simply use the crocodile clips across the battery terminals?

J

 

[scousezx10]

Well that’s interesting.
That corrosion looks like the exact same spot I found corrosion on my CL a couple of weeks ago.
Do tell, is it by the charcoal canister in the rear right wheel arch?
For me it was only very light surface corrosion that I sanded back and treated with some zinc rich spray. It’s not really in a place that is either structural or likely to suffer at all and just wants dressing really.

Not sure it is Pillow difficult to say, spoke with the engineer and he says that the picture he took (the one I shared) is the worst area and is on/near the rear sub frame. There were a couple of other areas around the back end but nothing as bad as the picture.

He said its not a worry but just a difficult area to get at in order to rectify should someone wish to do so.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Thanks Mike, good advice.

IS there a particular model of CTEK charger you would recommend as there would appear to be quite a range in prices. Also, do you attach an accessory lead to he battery so you can plug the charger straight onto the connector or do you simply use the crocodile clips across the battery terminals?

J

One that you can borrow. I doubt there's a massive difference between models.

I doubt that you'll need it more than once. If you're a bit sad, like me, you'll use it twice a year, purely as a Preventive Maintenance thing. (I'm a Dinosaur)

I just use crocodile clips. Friends who have collections of relatively unused "classic" cars use the accessory leads.

 

[scousezx10]

I doubt that you'll need it more than once. If you're a bit sad, like me, you'll use it twice a year, purely as a Preventive Maintenance thing. (I'm a Dinosaur)

I just use crocodile clips. Friends who have collections of relatively unused "classic" cars use the accessory leads.

Thanks Mike, being a bike guy I'm assuming you kept it on charge to keep it conditioned. I guess provided its in reasonably regular use there's no need.

 

[pillow]

Not sure it is Pillow difficult to say, spoke with the engineer and he says that the picture he took (the one I shared) is the worst area and is on/near the rear sub frame. There were a couple of other areas around the back end but nothing as bad as the picture.

He said its not a worry but just a difficult area to get at in order to rectify should someone wish to do so.

Having looked at your picture a bit closer I do think it is the same spot.
As your man says it’s not bad at all and largely cosmetic.
I have a thread over on the gallery section of the forum following my exploits with my CL600. There are bits in there that are applicable to CL ownership in general so you’re welcome to peruse if you’re interested in DIY type stuff. I’ve been doing some bits with the rear brakes and subframe the last few weeks that I’ll be posting about soon.
I’m pretty OCD with the car and even cosmetic corrosion underneath so it all gets wire brushed with the dremel and then coated in Bilt Hamber Electrox. Keeps me reassured that it won’t develop but truth be told Mercedes seem to use a much more resilient steel in these models and they don’t seem to rust anywhere near as badly as the previous generation.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Thanks Mike, being a bike guy I'm assuming you kept it on charge to keep it conditioned. I guess provided its in reasonably regular use there's no need.

Yep, as long as your driving it once a month, continuous trickle charging shouldn't be necessary.

Owners of SL's (R230's) sometimes do it because they tend to drain a bit, but that's not something you should expect on a W216.

 

[scousezx10]

Thanks Mike, by the way your car is a fantastic colour, quite stunning.

Jon

 

[scousezx10]

I have a thread over on the gallery section of the forum following my exploits with my CL600. There are bits in there that are applicable to CL ownership in general so you’re welcome to peruse if you’re interested in DIY type stuff. I’ve been doing some bits with the rear brakes and subframe the last few weeks that I’ll be posting about soon

Thanks, look forward to reading about it.