W140 CL500

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Drce3425

New Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
Messages
23
Location
Merseyside
Car
1999 W140 CL 500
Hi All
Just joined.
I have a 1999 W140 CL500
I think it may be one of the last built.
It’s done 89k miles.
I’ve owned it for 4 years and use it for high days and holidays.
Are there any experts on this model here as I have a few issues which I need to resolve:

The front tyres foul the wheel arch when turning.It had new front springs fitted (SACHS) at service 2 years ago and it seems to stem from then.It’s serviced by a specialist who assured me the springs were the correct spec and has suggested that it might be the rubber cups ? I’m not a mechanic but does anyone have any recommendations?
The interior rear view mirror has gone floppy and the rain sensing wipers don’t work - is the sensor likely to be at fault?
The parking sensors have stopped working due to a couple of faulty sensors- do you have to take bumper off to fit new sensors?
Should I change the transmission and diff fluids or are they sealed for life?

any answers/advice much appreciated

Thanks
David
 
In addition to the valuable (and possibly conflicting) advice that you'll receive on this helpful forum, I'd also suggest that you use this opportunity to canvas a few reputed independents and gauge professional opinion. Where are you based?
 
For the tyres to hit the arch when turning the front end would have to be seriously collapsed. The spring cups only tweak the ride height. What size tyres are fitted? Can you get a picture of the front end?
 
In addition to the valuable (and possibly conflicting) advice that you'll receive on this helpful forum, I'd also suggest that you use this opportunity to canvas a few reputed independents and gauge professional opinion. Where are you based?
Hi
Wirral - Merseyside
The Mercedes independents tend to deal only with the modern stuff...
 
For the tyres to hit the arch when turning the front end would have to be seriously collapsed. The spring cups only tweak the ride height. What size tyres are fitted? Can you get a picture of the front end?
Hi
I’ll take a photo in daylight.
It’s not a modified car - it has the factory spec wheels.
It’s just been serviced and passed it’s MOT and the mechanic knew about the issue so nothing has collapsed....
He fitted the springs 2 years ago and suggested the rubber cups might be the issue (I suggested to him that it may have wrong springs but he didn’t think so)
Problem is that OEM springs are v expensive and have to be ordered from Germany.
Neither the dealer nor the independents seem to be ****d..
Maybe I should take my luck with another set of springs
Any recommendations?
 
You can't assume that they're correct, just because they're the original wheelset - people can still fit the wrong size tyres to them. I've seen enough instances with staggered wheelsets where someone has not paid attention and put the wider wheel back on the front. One of our admin ladies at work was running around with C-class sized tyres on her R230 SL because someone read the wrong section of the fitment chart, and nobody thought to question it.

The rubber cups won't be an issue - the difference between min and max thickness is around 10mm, which equates to 15-20mm by the time you get to the end of the arm. Even with the spring buffers omitted the tyre still should not hit the arch - more likely it is the springs that are incorrect.
 
The tyres are 255/45 R18 front and back
I’ve tried to attach some photos of car and front wheel but I think the images have failed to pull through
 
The tyres are 255/45 R18 front and back
I’ve tried to attach some photos of car and front wheel but I think the images have failed to pull through
Your images may be too large - sometimes if you email them to yourself you can reduce the size and they they should upload using the attach files button...
 
The tyres are 255/45 R18 front and back
I’ve tried to attach some photos of car and front wheel but I think the images have failed to pull through
Your images may be too large - sometimes if you email them to yourself you can reduce the size and they they should upload using the attach files button...
 

Attachments

  • 47A2B5F2-6958-49F5-B233-E7EB7D574AD9.jpeg
    47A2B5F2-6958-49F5-B233-E7EB7D574AD9.jpeg
    149.6 KB · Views: 25
  • 365D30E1-8348-46D9-9944-2C26BC33D60F.jpeg
    365D30E1-8348-46D9-9944-2C26BC33D60F.jpeg
    109 KB · Views: 24
So your posting photos issue is solved! But that was the easy part...

What a lovely looking car, great colour scheme. The suspension looks a bit low to me. Hopefully another forum member will come along shortly and suggest a suitable mechanic somewhere near you who can take a look at it on a ramp.
 
So your posting photos issue is solved! But that was the easy part...

What a lovely looking car, great colour scheme. The suspension looks a bit low to me. Hopefully another forum member will come along shortly and suggest a suitable mechanic somewhere near you who can take a look at it on a ramp.
Yes - thanks for advice & positive comments.
I reduced the size of the attachment.
I think these look better on a dark colour than the light colours.
They were monsters when new but I think they have aged well (unlike myself)..
I have just had the front wings refabricated.
The guy who did it assured me that the bumpers should be matt/satin rather than gloss but I think the late models should be gloss..
The parking sensors have a fault, the interior mirror is floppy and the rain sensor for the wipers isn’t working - early technology is frustrating !
However the spring issueis really frustrating.
I need to find a specialist in the Merseyside area if anyone can help..
 
Yes - thanks for advice & positive comments.
I reduced the size of the attachment.
I think these look better on a dark colour than the light colours.
They were monsters when new but I think they have aged well (unlike myself)..
I have just had the front wings refabricated.
The guy who did it assured me that the bumpers should be matt/satin rather than gloss but I think the late models should be gloss..
The parking sensors have a fault, the interior mirror is floppy and the rain sensor for the wipers isn’t working - early technology is frustrating !
However the spring issueis really frustrating.
I need to find a specialist in the Merseyside area if anyone can help..
 
See the bumpers?
 

Attachments

  • 27290D72-EE98-4E34-AD93-85B2DECE2159.jpeg
    27290D72-EE98-4E34-AD93-85B2DECE2159.jpeg
    40.5 KB · Views: 11
  • 59A07C19-D522-451F-99EE-55EA60D35503.jpeg
    59A07C19-D522-451F-99EE-55EA60D35503.jpeg
    38.9 KB · Views: 10
Altho your wheels/tyres may be the right size all round 255/45 on an 8.5J X18 WHEEL 5 hole style B if they are ORIGINALLY off a different model ?? the offset might be wrong should be ET47- SEE INSIDE OF WHEEL RIM and check the spare dimensions too
ps the correct part no for the wheel is B6 6 47 0083

pps
at that time there were two lengths of spring with the same rating red and blue --- each needed different spring pads to adjust the ride height
 
Last edited:
Altho your wheels/tyres may be the right size all round 255/45 on an 8.5J X18 WHEEL 5 hole style B if they are ORIGINALLY off a different model ?? the offset might be wrong should be ET47- SEE INSIDE OF WHEEL RIM and check the spare dimensions too
ps the correct part no for the wheel is B6 6 47 0083

pps
at that time there were two lengths of spring with the same rating red and blue --- each needed different spring pads to adjust the ride height
Thanks Graeme

I think the problem is more likely to be the springs - interested that there were 2 spring lengths with different pads required.
Given the age of the car, OEM springs are not readily available and pattern parts appear to vary in quality.
 
There's very little difference between red and blue spring codes in reality. It's the same part number for both, the load group when tested then determines the allocated colour. The difference between red and blue is invariably 1 buffer, i.e about 3mm.

Do you have the part number of the springs that were fitted? According to the Sachs catalogue, there are 3 different part numbers for the 500, and 7 in total for the 140 platform. Given yours is a late 500 I would expect 997025 to have been fitted.
 
I would go for Lesjofors or Sachs

bearing in mind your car is the last of the line SACHS front spring part no would be FROM CHASSIS NO 185925
 

Attachments

  • SPRING140.gif
    SPRING140.gif
    23.1 KB · Views: 6
I see lots have been springing to help you ;),I would say you do need to get the ATF changed in the gearbox,good looking car
 
I would go for Lesjofors or Sachs

bearing in mind your car is the last of the line SACHS front spring part no would be FROM CHASSIS NO 185925
Thanks - I can source OEM but they are £103&VAT each
Would you go for OEM or SACHS?
 
Mercedes have detailed tables on spring ratings for various individual models according to equipment fitted so theoretically the best- but as models age I suspect this gets more restricted to possibly 2-3 choices? It might help to check the existing springs for colour codes and spring pads for the number of pips which are indicators of their thickness.
springpads.jpg


Your choice may be limited by cost and availability whichever way you decide to go. In terms of quality I doubt there is much between them- Mercedes don't make springs so the MB ones may well be SACHS or LESJOFORS made for MB anyway.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom