No W210 E-class shock absorbers in the UK??

[MGE]

I have been informed that there are no shock absorbers in the UK for my 1997 E-Class estate. Further, they are back-ordered and unavailable from MB in Germany!
I find this incredible! How can there be no shocks available? This is not a rare replacement part.
If I were into conspiracy theories I would say that a fault has been found in the component, and all stocks of shocks have been withdrawn until a technical solution has been found.
And why should both shocks be leaking anyway? My estate is just a gentle E230 motorway cruiser with very little stress on the shock absorbers.
Any input would be welcome. Thanks,
Michael

 

[jaymanek]

Try getting them from www.eurocarparts.com. I tried checking, but you havent stated your exact model. I dont think thye have any either so may be a legit problem?

Jay

 

[MGE]

Try getting them from www.eurocarparts.com. I tried checking, but you havent stated your exact model. I dont think thye have any either so may be a legit problem?

Jay

Thanks Jay.
I checked that site and they DO have stock of the necessary Sachs-Boge rear shock. And funnily enough I'm now getting a quite different story from my MB Main Dealer. Maybe S-B shocks are an aftermarket product that the main dealer doesn't want to, or is not allowed to fit?
(What an excellent resource that eurocarparts site is - I'd not seen them before.)
Michael

 

[andy_k]

does your car have the self levelling suspension system?

If so the "shock absorbers" are not so much shock absorbers but telescopic struts which support the weight of the car, the "shock absorbers" are a couple of nitrogen filled spheres located under the rear passenger compartment floor.

As to why shocks leak, well quite simply they wear out and estate cars tend to wear them out quicker than saloons due to the increased loads placed on the rear suspension.

If they are standard shocks it's a "quick and cheap fix", if they are the hydraulic ones it's slightly more involved (I've done the job on a couple of estates including my own, so if you want a quick "how to" that will save you at least an hours labour on the official method let me know) and a whole lot more expensive. According to the experts it's not worth replacing them with aftermarket parts which cost half the price but just don't last. The rear hydralic suspension parts are "unnoficially" designed to last 100k miles.

HTH

Andy

 

[jaymanek]

Well sachs may not be the original, but they are just as good, if not better.
Are they self levelling?

jay

 

[willy]

not sure about the self-levelling ones but the genuine merc shocks are normally made by either bilstein or sach, genuine ones will always have the
mercedes part number stamped on them + the name of the manufacturer

 

[V12]

I'm pretty sure all 210 estates have self levelling, but the 202's do not usually.