R231 ABC reliability ?

[Happy Wanderer]

Hi,
I am hoping to gain some insight into the reliability of ABC suspension on the post 2016 facelift R231 models.
I am looking to update my current car and this will be my third SL .
My first venture into SL ownership was a 2002 SL500 which I purchased back in 2012 . During my ownership I had to replace two ABC struts at a cost of around £3500 in 2014 at around 60k miles.
My current SL is a 2009 SL350 which is standard ( non ABC ) suspension and I have had this car for over 7 years with only regular wear and tear costs .
I have recently seen a facelift R231 which has everything I am looking for but unfortunatley has ABC and so I have doubts about whether to take the chance on this.
I understand ABC no longer comes as standard on non AMG SLs but can't seem to find a lot of reviews / feedback on how reliable the ABC is on the R231 models.
Can anyone please advise on their experience with ABC from 2016 or point me in the direction of suitable reading on this subject.

Thanks in advance.

 

[pioneercollector]

Hi There, alas i have only recent experience of my own 2003 SL 500, and the struts were replaced last year for the first time, and they did last 20 years! So i would hope that the newer version may last even longer, especially if no one is moaning about their post 2016 ABC struts! Fingers crossed.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Hi,
I am hoping to gain some insight into the reliability of ABC suspension on the post 2016 facelift R231 models.
I am looking to update my current car and this will be my third SL .
My first venture into SL ownership was a 2002 SL500 which I purchased back in 2012 . During my ownership I had to replace two ABC struts at a cost of around £3500 in 2014 at around 60k miles.
My current SL is a 2009 SL350 which is standard ( non ABC ) suspension and I have had this car for over 7 years with only regular wear and tear costs .
I have recently seen a facelift R231 which has everything I am looking for but unfortunatley has ABC and so I have doubts about whether to take the chance on this.
I understand ABC no longer comes as standard on non AMG SLs but can't seem to find a lot of reviews / feedback on how reliable the ABC is on the R231 models.
Can anyone please advise on their experience with ABC from 2016 or point me in the direction of suitable reading on this subject.

Thanks in advance.

I think you've given the answer yourself....."can't seem to find a lot of reviews / feedback on how reliable the ABC is on the R231"
No news is good news. I certainly can't remember stories about ABC issues on the R231

As far as I remember, the crux of the ABC issue was all about cars produced in the first three or four years of the R230.

That said, hopefully someone will come along in a while and prove me wrong. (Bear in mind you're asking for people owning cars that are less than seven years old to comment on ABC reliability, while your own SL500 didn't have an ABC problem until it was 12 years old)

All that said, if you don't notice the (enormous) benefit of Active Body Control, why buy it ?

 

[Jobsworth]

2016 SL63 AMG. Rear strut. This car had 14,000 miles on it. Offside rear strut leaking fluid. The flexible pipe had rubbed holes in the gaiter. Grit had got in and compromised the seal. They’re good, but they’re not right.

 

[Jobsworth]

 

[Happy Wanderer]

I think you've given the answer yourself....."can't seem to find a lot of reviews / feedback on how reliable the ABC is on the R231"
No news is good news. I certainly can't remember stories about ABC issues on the R231

As far as I remember, the crux of the ABC issue was all about cars produced in the first three or four years of the R230.

That said, hopefully someone will come along in a while and prove me wrong. (Bear in mind you're asking for people owning cars that are less than seven years old to comment on ABC reliability, while your own SL500 didn't have an ABC problem until it was 12 years old)

All that said, if you don't notice the (enormous) benefit of Active Body Control, why buy it ?

Thanks,
The reason I'm asking is that as there haven't been many reports of issues with ABC on the R231 I'm unsure if that is because the problems have been resolved or is it because ABC was not standard on R231 and so far fewer vehicles have that option to go wrong.
After having to replace two struts on my SL500 I am reluctant to go down that route again. The only reason I am considering it is that the car I'm looking at has everything else that I wanted spec wise but unfortunately also has ABC .
I just have to weight up the benefits of the other options against having ABC.

 

[Happy Wanderer]

View attachment 147787
2016 SL63 AMG. Rear strut. This car had 14,000 miles on it. Offside rear strut leaking fluid. The flexible pipe had rubbed holes in the gaiter. Grit had got in and compromised the seal. They’re good, but they’re not right.

Thanks Jobsworth,
I understand there will always be issues that occur with elements due to wear and tear and I guess what I'm attempting to gauge is whether or not the problems that seemed to be so prevalent on the R230 have been addressed in the R231 or does ABC continue to be a concern.

 

[Dickster]

My understanding is that even with the R230 the ABC is reliable if well maintained. My own SL55 has been great since I went through the ABC. Misting is not an issue. The gaiters are shite though, and I wrapped my struts in 3mm neoprene sheets, over the existing gaiters.

 

[RussJ]

I think you'll find that the general concensus is that the ABC fitted to R231 cars is far more reliable than the R230. Obviously there will be individual cases of failure for all sorts of reasons but nothing like the widespread issues experienced by the earlier cars. I think that the ABC system on my SL63 is fantastic, flat cornering, smooth ride and the ability to lift the car over obstacles.

 

[Uky]

A friendly advice:

Anyone owning a Mercedes with the ABC-oil/hydraulic system must have the oil and the filter in the ABC oil container changed at regular intervals. The oil rots with time and looses its properties. A broken coaxial pump will cause metal flakes into the system which will be extremely expenceive to fix. For the CL500 (C215) that I once owned, ABC oil change was not included or specified in any A- or B- service.