Wanted CLS 55 AMG

[AlanD]

One of my favourite options on these cars for me has to be Keyless go. I hate having to mess about with keys on normal cars now!

So explain keyless-go to me. You can be near the car and the doors, when pulled, will unlock by virtue of the little black square on the door handle sensing the key? Does it do anything inside?

I forgot to experiment when I took a test drive. I just put the keys in the ignition and started as normal. Can you start it with the keys in your pocket? Is the start button on the gear lever related or just in every CLS55?

 

[Will]

So explain keyless-go to me. You can be near the car and the doors, when pulled, will unlock by virtue of the little black square on the door handle sensing the key? Does it do anything inside?

I forgot to experiment when I took a test drive. I just put the keys in the ignition and started as normal. Can you start it with the keys in your pocket? Is the start button on the gear lever related or just in every CLS55?

The little black square is the lock button. There's another button which is behind the handle and much longer. This unlocks as you grab/pull the handle.

Keep the key on you (eg pocket as you say) and as you walk up to each handle you should be able to lock/unlock as appropriate.

Again to start the engine, just have the key on you (ie inside the car) and put your foot on the brake, then press the button on the gear shift to start/stop the engine

Start/stop on the gearshift is only for keyless go cars.

Check all the handles work properly as they often get wet/corroded inside and people don't bother fixing them. New handles are around £150+vat last time k checked for a 211 - not sure if the CLS ones are the same (?)

 

[Will]

Regarding discs and pads, because if driven as designed, they are hard on brakes.

Of course that is true for any heavy/performance type car, but Alan has noticed a number of cars with replacement calipers - this is a common issue.

The corrosion on these calipers probably causes more issues with discs than through general wear now these cars are all getting on a bit

FWIW, the discs are cheap and easy to replace. The pads are more expensive and corrosion on the calipers is a headache to sort out.

 

[b1g1an]

They don't have the fog lamp based cornering lights, due to the AMG bumper design. The dipped beam 'pod' turns within the headlamp unit. Very important to have the function correctly set up via STAR or you potentially dazzle other drivers. Often gets disabled.

Happy to be wrong about this but, as I understood it, "616 BI-XENON HEADLICHT W.ACTVIE CURVELIGHT" is the foglight system that is standard with the xenon option BUT the AMG bodykit then deletes it due to the small round foglights that go with it.

Who's got a vanilla CLS with xenons so we can see if the datacard says something different on them?

 

[b1g1an]

Because the alloy Brembo calipers corrode, and the pads become siezed. This causes corrosion on the discs - mainly on the inside face - as the pads don't move freely. Common issue and affects other cars with similar brakes - such as Porsche.



It's an adjustment on one of the steering wheel menus, 1-5 in light intensity IIRC, you get a glow from the dome lights etc and some other areas/switchgear.

Just to make it slightly more confusing the rear ambient lights are controlled via the rear light module itself.

There is also the most pitiful glow under the interior door handles but you almost need to get on the floor and stare up to see it even in pitch black.

 

[whitenemesis]

Happy to be wrong about this but, as I understood it, "616 BI-XENON HEADLICHT W.ACTVIE CURVELIGHT" is the foglight system that is standard with the xenon option BUT the AMG bodykit then deletes it due to the small round foglights that go with it.

Who's got a vanilla CLS with xenons so we can see if the datacard says something different on them?

Mine is SA 616 and I have the active curve system integrated in the headlamp as I posted above.

SA code 619 is the turning lamp version using the fog lamps

 

[AlanD]

Check all the handles work properly as they often get wet/corroded inside and people don't bother fixing them. New handles are around £150+vat last time k checked for a 211 - not sure if the CLS ones are the same (?)

Yep - I did that as the seller didn't know about the feature. Two of the doors (driver and NSR) didn't work! I'd make it a condition of sale.

 

[AlanD]

Of course that is true for any heavy/performance type car, but Alan has noticed a number of cars with replacement calipers - this is a common issue.

The corrosion on these calipers probably causes more issues with discs than through general wear now these cars are all getting on a bit

FWIW, the discs are cheap and easy to replace. The pads are more expensive and corrosion on the calipers is a headache to sort out.

Is there anything that helps avoid the caliper corrosion? Is it mainly on cars with low mileage which aren't getting used up to temperature much?

 

[Will]

Is there anything that helps avoid the caliper corrosion? Is it mainly on cars with low mileage which aren't getting used up to temperature much?

Not really. They're all ~ 10 years old now, road salt, water, chemicals from car washes etc all helps to corrode the alloy calipers.

You can get them refurbished if needed. New calipers are big bucks!

See how the brakes feel/sound on a test drive, maybe have a look through the service history/MOT records for any clues.

 

[AlanD]

Well the one I'm looking at has new discs, pads & calipers all round, so that's a plus!

In fact, the main thing holding me back is the beige interior .. I just don't like the look of the steering wheel in particular! It's an unfortunate choice ..

 

[Abb]

Funny that! Thats what attracted me to my 55, looked for a while to find one with the 'cashmere beige' interior with a black exterior, find it a nice place to be!
Would be a dull world if we all liked the same I guess

 

[Will]

Well the one I'm looking at has new discs, pads & calipers all round, so that's a plus!

In fact, the main thing holding me back is the beige interior .. I just don't like the look of the steering wheel in particular! It's an unfortunate choice ..

You could get the steering wheel retrimmed to your liking - eg black suede/alcantara, perforated black leather etc.

I would say don't buy a car you're not 100% happy with - but on the other hand almost all secondhand cars are a compromise - distance, price, specification, mileage, condition etc

If it's just the steering wheel that bugs you - don't hold back

 

[AlanD]

Haha .. yes. Compromise. The C word.

Fair comment Abb .. and not meaning to demean personal choices I just think the grey and beige trims don't hold up to stitched leather on an Astin Martin or Alfa. BMW and MB aren't always as stylish (in the eye of the beholder of course!) as their Italian cousins, but they both do lovely cream, brown and black interiors which seem to "look" more luxurious. FWIW, I think the grey looks plainer ..

 

[AlanD]

Apart from the beige question, in the favour of the one I've looked at, it has:

COMAND APS SatNav, Keyless-Go, Electric Glass Sunroof, Harman/Kardon LOGIC 7 Surround Sys, Electric Boot Release.

New discs, pads & callipers all round. Quite recent tyres all round. Registered - 09/2005, so older example, but cheaper tax. 60k miles so low enough not to be high and high enough not to be low (and a premium for it) if that makes sense (and yes I know high miles are ok!!)!

The seller has agreed to re-spray some bad "erosion" on the offside rear skirt, replace the broken nearside fog, polish the slightly UV damaged headlight glass, sort out faulty ABS sensor and runflat warnings and replace keyless-go on driver and NSR doors.


When I think about it really it just comes down to me not being sure about the beige interior and part of that is because it's a bit dirty. I suppose a half decent detail and interior clean by one of our MB Club members might go a long way to adding a nice sparkle there. Apart from that, the lack of spare wheel pees me off, but at least they're not runflats to dampen the handling!

I would be nice to have Distronic, cooled seats (possibly even Dynamic) and a rear blind, but actually the sunroof I'm finding is one of my favourite extras for the extra light in the cabin when desired.

 

[b1g1an]

Mine is SA 616 and I have the active curve system integrated in the headlamp as I posted above.

SA code 619 is the turning lamp version using the fog lamps

So's mine, as are all 55s, but I can't see any turning mechanism in the headlights?

Thanks for checking the codes.

 

[whitenemesis]

Do you not notice the lights turn as you steer?

When I had my new headlamps fitted but not adjusted the swivel was massive. My dealer had to use STAR to set the parameters for UK driving

 

[AlanD]

Well that's that decision taken - the car I was looking at sold this morning after 4 days on the market! Oh well, more time to sort out my current car ..

Shows me a bit about value though .. there are some horribly overpriced ones sitting for months over the summer without shifting.

 

[AlanD]

What's this in the back of some seats by the way??

View attachment 59647

 

[Will]

What's this in the back of some seats by the way??

View attachment 59647

Vented seats.

 

[AlanD]

Vented seats.

What option is that then? It seems to be relatively rare. Is it to do with the front seats being cooled or a climate upgrade for the rear passengers?