DEFEATED! Tow Lot Bought 500HP Mercedes CL55 AMG Sat For 7 Years

[@I_Do_Cars]

For those that are wondering, three of us tried to get this hood open when it first came in. We tried everything non invasive we could, pushing down, twisting, etc. The hood is a 3-400$ hood and thats why it went the direction it went. As well, this was filmed over the course of a month or so, and was easily one of the hardest to edit videos i've done. Really appreciate all of the support! It means a lot.

[@12345.......]

@user-ih9kt5kq2k according to the English

[@Dirtyharry70585]

The Freon put out the electrical fire you started

[@PONO-go3ee]

Under Dash leaver hiding up by the Kick panel Hood release ,if you haven’t still found it

[@stans5270]

I owned a 2002 E320 and the hood release started to give me problems 5 years ago. 18 months later, it completely stopped working. I spent two hours doing what you did without a lift before I decided that with the 235,000 mileage and all the other problems that were piling up, I decided to junk it.

[@Diamondo25]

I dont know where you are at, but Crossfire Diva, The Mercedes Swap Shop could possibly help

[@Goofy685]

If you think I'm gonna sit here on a Friday evening and watch a guy try to start a car for almost an hour, you're goddamn right

[@retro440]

You, too?? ;-)

[@haroldhenderson2824]

Makes at least three of us!

[@zactormak]

i see mercedes i click

[@reptilez13]

Technically he's "trying to *try* to start a car"

[@dsloop3907]

Just imagine how long HE tried to get it started, before editing the video.

[@dertmatyui]

It honestly makes me sorta happy to see you get frustrated working on cars, breaking shit, everything falling/ dropping it. Cause that’s how everything I do goes…

[@aidanmcneilly5459]

that’s how you know he’s a real car guy

[@patsiv1]

Amen to that brother

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

schadenfreude

[@jupitercyclops6521]

If he'd curse more, tbh. Cursing is like a turbo

[@hm5142]

If you do anything, stuff like that always happens. I don't even notice it anymore.

[@CL500MBZ]

The standard process is to remove the left side turn marker cover and use a coat hanger to release the left hood latch. Same for the right side.

[@thetoymanator7723]

German engineering at its finest!

[@danielsteward5090]

I remember a similar process for late model VolksWagens. They use the same hood strikers. For what reason I'm not clear. But they do.

[@liuj88]

Does the cover pop off?

[@joeyknuckelz]

of course there is a better method

[@steinbauge4591]

Had to be something like that. I guess it does not matter, this one is for parts anyway

[@JCPaintGuy]

Persistence does pay off. If you wind up with a complete drivetrain, the hood, the trunk lid, the doors, and maybe the glass, you’ll do alright AND gave us, your fans, another cool video of entertainment and how to solve problems. Great job Eric - thank you for what you do!!

[@the1stvendetta]

I for one love these "will it run" videos. I'm an engineer and have been working on cars a long time. It's always interesting to me the story of bringing something together, or solving a difficult and sometimes obscure problem. I do still like the engine teardowns of course but I think I honestly like these even more. They are pretty diverse.

[@neilmckellar5899]

Probably one of the most engaging videos you've done! Sharing your thought process as you do battle with those electrical gremlins really demonstrates the complexities of modern car control systems and the talent it takes to sort them out. Well done!

[@fred.larson2720q]

I first became aware of your channel when KZbin offered me one or more of your engine teardown videos. I have watched MANY of them, but I really love videos similar to this one where you show how you test the engine on parts cars that come in. Your knowledge and ingenuity are very impressive. I also like videos about your own cars, even the oil change on the Lotus.

[@papawheelie5835]

This was a valiant effort, Erik. Mercedes are great cars right up til the new car smell wears off. Beyond that, regular maintenance and care are paramount to their continued value, same as with virtually any other brand of automobile. Their proprietary systems can be daunting and having the right tools and diagnostic equipment is critical to successful repairs.... As you have now experienced. Love the content!

[@TheVespap200e]

All I can say is WOW! Thanks Eric for the awesome video. I had no idea that you would go threw this much trouble to see if the engine would run. Thanks also to your two buddies that helped you out too. Good job guys! 😀👍

[@imjustinjong3939]

literally spend an hour in the midnight looking at a random guy struggling to open the hood of an AMG, man it was an enjoyable journey. one hour well spent. he is committed to get it to run. well done!! great content.

[@allynns1]

I admire your determination and skills just getting the hood open was an exercise in determination and not a little bit of pain. Thanks for the entertainment. I wouldn’t think that you would’ve worked so hard without an audience. Thank you.

[@mphilleo]

Eric, I was getting real "Every twenty minute job is one broken bolt away from becoming a three day ordeal" vibes from your struggles.

[@MMCUSN]

Mercedes Management: How can we make an engine too difficult for the average mechanic type to work on? Technician: Add wiring. In fact add enough wiring that really doesn't do anything but keep the engine from starting if not perfectly connected. Mercedes Management: Wunderbar!

[@Me-zo8yc]

The start function being on the same fuse as a beeper in a wheel arch exposed to cold/damp/dirt was absolute genius.

[@Malaveldt]

I get way too emotionally invested in these. Great video, thank you for showing the nitty gritty of diagnostics here.

[@lilibethdoherty295]

@17:58 of video Hood Opens ! Do not look at the first 17:57 it will make you regret any cheap Mercedes which in fact is the most expensive kind of Mercedes to buy !

[@1benyko]

You had me worried at 'Defeated' but I'd say you definitely won

[@bartdaw6681]

Cheers to Eric and Ed, it is nice to have smart friends! And you were far from defeated.

[@standardsupplies3332]

What a great argument FOR a 1970 Ford F-150 with a 300 six. And it'll run forever.

[@johnmoore8599]

That was a lot of work, but you have a decent parts car and saved a lot of valuable parts for your bottom line. Hope it all worked out!

[@RandBLSWorld]

I love these type videos ! I work at a salvage yard so I really appreciate these videos. This is like getting a stuck C4 corvette hood open

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

You were entertaining and interesting while offering a whole lot of good tech info. I'm glad you got it to run at the end. Thanks very much for investing your time and talent for your viewers. It is appreciated!

[@hamsterox9216]

I had a similar run with this type of situation to what u went through with an E55 and it turned out to be a dead ECU caused by a ruined harness underneath the supercharger. You gave it a fair shot and went on a wild chase, but I could tell immediately what happened the second I heard that fan blow full speed.

[@savostanivukovic9801]

Love the videos! I’m doing that engine swap in to my customers C55 and I did many 6 speed manual swaps in these generation AMG’s.

[@JoeCoool59]

It's really cool that you and Eric work together. Eric has been very helpful on several cars I've worked on.

[@kevin9c1]

Ivan from PHAD has a great method for working on shorted circuits. Use a test light (one that draws a couple amps) across the fuse pins. If the lights are bright, you have a dead short. Fiddle around with everything until the lights go out or at least very dim, and you found your short. No need to continuously sacrifice fuses.

[@hav0c134]

I would love working in your shop. You put real care and effort into your work and it shows. Great vid!

[@heinzkot360]

Next time get a second person and do this: Hold tension on the cable Press on the hood where the latch is. Maybe tap the hood slightly to release presure on the latch. Pretty common for these latched when not used to „lock up“ sort off.

[@patrickcowan8701]

Used to have to do that on my f250

[@cricketyosh]

I don't know why I loved this so much, but I did. Reminds me of being younger and looking over my dad's shoulder as he tried to fix something.

[@BabyZoomer278]

Once again, an awesome and fascinating video of you playing detective/surgeon. I found myself twisting my body and arms empathetically as you were trying to get the hood to open! Keep 'em coming, these are real treats to watch.

[@ctravis595]

I’ve had a 2002 CL for ten years now, going on the third engine. Congrats on the w215 crash course. Between the alarm siren and the water ingress of fuse boxes and floorboards, you’ve found most of the major issues these have. After I bought that CL, I went on to become a mechanic and work for Mercedes. Now I have 4 MB and started my own repair shop specializing in MB. Most Mb techs hate these w215, something about them is very second-nature to me, probably because my w215 is how I learned how to work on cars, how engines work, etc I believe ultimately you need to check rear fuse box under rear seat and you probably have a bad Ecu

[@robertshelton3796]

Eric get one of those oscillating multi tools they're pretty good at making those kinds of shallow cuts in tight spaces through thin metal.

[@paul5683]

And invest in a carbide tipped blade. Normal blades are for wood, the carbide will cut anything.

[@mahcooharper9577]

Literally cheered when the hood opened, much respect for having the patience to refuse to break good parts to get it open. Could sense the frustration but also know why you love your work Eric. Was still a good buy for $1200! The fact you didn't get it properly is a shame but you still got to hear it run, and I still loved the video, looking forward to more of this sort of content! :)

[@kurtschreiber908]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this style of your videos. Engine tear downs just kinda get old after a while. Keep these a coming. Thankyou

[@KCKing-iu4cw]

You Sir Have The Patience Of A Saint!!! Kudos.

[@bryanduncan1640]

I found you looking for the electrical fault fascinating - I didn’t have a clue what you were talking about, but found it riveting all the same!

[@joethompson2102]

I know a bunch of people said you should have done this or that to get it open. I’ve actually done this, I also got an abandoned cl with no key and stuck hood. After I got a key from the dealer($300) I still had to get the hood open. I went under and use a long rod with hook on the end. Grabbed the cable right by the latch and pulled.

[@gannicus1026]

If you look closely to my thumbnail picture then you know how I felt while you were cutting your way to open that hood latch. it hurts me when someone mistreat this beautiful masterpiece (I mean the previous owners, not you Eric). Mine was pristine and I do regret selling it every time I see one on the road or on TV (I owned both the CL55 and the S55). It's a good find and a lot of valuable parts which makes me happy that you'll make some profit. btw; that noise while trying to start the car is the secondary air injection pump gasping it's last breath.

[@bennyblanko3]

And the key programming was genius. I just called the local dealer, gave them the info, and they mailed me a new key - but it cost 200 bucks for a damn key.

[@crazieman]

I love these WILL IT RUN videos so much

[@petersomma4407]

I love the methodical approach to diagnosing the issues.

[@cwillmore97]

Something about a flapper valve in the ABC system which disintegrates and plugs up the hydro lines. LegitStreetCars did a 99-part series on trying to troubleshoot this issue.

[@brianf8621]

😂

[@kevin9c1]

That's ridiculous. It was only 91 parts.

[@shan6021]

Great video! You have shown the frustrations of all MB owners fixing their cars.

[@jonnyduncan7056]

You have got some serious patience Eric and great methodical way in fault finding..

[@kayciecarryl3366]

This video is really cool. THANKS! Every bit as good your engine teardowns.

[@benaldredge2671]

Eric, you definitely get an “E” for Effort! You excel in determination

[@shsshs3895]

Thank you for showing all the different things that one has to go through in trouble shooting the car. I learn a lot from the video. One could have chosen not to added the details shown in the video, but I'm glad it was added, because I learned a lot from them. Thank you for the video. It was a good teaching video. My education background is electrical. I watched it over dinner, on a Tuesday night.

[@patrickdiehl6813]

You never know until you try.... I'd still call it a success, you have a lot of decent parts to sell and we all got to enjoy this video 👍

[@kurdisshop243]

Great video! Man that's a whole lot of wire chasing wrench throwing craziness.....and I loved every minute of it!

[@stephanebolduc6501]

Eric, You should bottle up your patience and determination and sell them, you’d make a mint. Great video with a very good outcome considering the challenges you worked through. Thanks again for sharing this story!

[@Nevoexpo]

This was very interesting. Thank you for sharing.

[@thomass2055]

Love it Eric sarcasm and all good job man!!!

[@ibannymous]

I’m at 40K feet laughing at you misadventures. It reminds me of my youth. Thanks for the entertainment as always!

[@gamingwithzan4654]

Whenever you say it's fine I really feel like everything's going to be just fine thank you.

[@TJG239]

Subbed, these are amazingly well designed cars but quite complex. Hats off to you for finding this one and giving its guts a second life

[@michaelskinner896]

This was pretty epic. I loved the troubleshooting process you went through, although it's obviously helpful to have some of the tools you were using, haha. Too bad it sat for so long as it's a really great car. It would make an interesting project car for someone.

[@edifyguy]

I think this one is too far gone to be a worthwhile project car. Eric did it no favors in that regard, but sitting for 7 years with mice and moisture eating at everything makes it not a good proposition to repair. There are just too many issues to make repairing this car worthwhile. These are fun, but not rare, so not worth the effort to put back together when they're this much of a mess.

[@dustup2249]

Oh crap. Jack the car up high enough that you can see the two quarter turn flat bladed screw heads in the bottom of the passenger side splash guard that goes across the undercarraige just behing he bumper. Turn the two screws a quarter urn and you will see the hood latch (and probably the broken end of the cable) and stick a screew driver blade against the L-shaped release and the hood should release. There's another access panel on the driver side of the splash guard but it's tougher to stick a tool up into the release mechanism.

[@blown9646]

Bro, not even 15min in & I'm fricken dying here😂😂

[@bonose12]

Great work and perseverance Eric. Thx so much.

[@farmcat3198]

This is bringing back some traumatic childhood memories. Our family had a '78 Grand Prix. It had been in an accident, my Dad's fault, which he blamed on me. After banging out the fenders, the hood release cable broke. He finally figured out some way to get it open, and he stuck the cable through the grill. When we needed to open the hood we had to grab the cable with channel locks, pull the cable, and bang the hood down and at the right angle. There was some special trick to getting it open and it was very difficult. All this hassle for a wrecked car. Could we get the car fixed or replaced? No! Our budget was being eaten up by six worthless horses in the back yard that nobody paid any attention to. It was awful.

[@george2113]

Horse people don't apply logic

[@madf00bar15]

A day in the life, we don't always win. Thanks, enjoyed the video.

[@kevinsmith9420]

Anyone remember getting a key cut at the hardware store?

[@n6mz]

Yes. I also remember testing vacuum tubes at the small-town drug store. They sold all kinds of chemicals with which a young geek could make lots of foul smoke. They also sold some "interesting" pets such as baby caymans. Across the street I could buy a gallon of gas to mow neighbors' yards and get change back from a quarter.

[@danielknepper6884]

Or calling the dealership and give them the last eight of the VIN

[@gamercoolapple1]

Still do for my older car

[@12345.......]

What's a hardware store 🙃

[@sleepychallenger]

Whats a key?

[@PerfectDirectionscc]

Hi from South Africa Erik. I recently found your channel and love your off brand humour, double entendres and subtle irreverence to social norms. I really have learned a lot and even though many of the engines you tear down are only found in the States your simple explanations help expand ones knowledge base easily. You mentioned in this video the rolling screen on the laptop. This is a simple alignment of shutter speed, frame rate and electrical pulse all determined by your electrical feed at 60Hz. It is almost always visible in your videos especially when they are sped up. Try playing with your shutter speed or exposure time and avoid increments of 30fps when it is really noticeable, going for odd frame rates and see if it resolves the issue. Thank you very much and keep up the good work.

[@Me-zo8yc]

I love how even on a "Defeated" video you have more talent and patience than I could muster in a month of Sundays 😂

[@douglaskleinjans4232]

Your a modern version of vice grip garage. Both of your knowledge put together would solve alot of problems.

[@dueljet]

My 2005 Volvo XC70 has a Volvo battery that is from January of 2014! Still starts right away! I feel like I am on borrowed time.

[@isdos]

I think what I would have done is that find out which part is the least expensive to ruin. Sometimes some fender grill part or similar is dirt cheap and could be easily chopped with sheet metal cutters or angle grinder. Anyways, really enjoyded the video, keep this stuff coming along with the "my cars" stuff.

[@DEEuroworks]

Great video in going into details! That CL55 definitely has seen better days. I have owned a CL55 and CL600 for about 10 years and while they are amazing cars when in good condition and running well, if they get neglected they can definitely become a huge headache for anyone trying to fix them up. 🍻

[@stevenberg1903]

Now that was some original content!!😃

[@user-de9rg2nu5p]

I owned for the last 3 years a 2005 CL600 (made for the US market and I drove it in Europe) and I am selling it now. I learned so much about cars around this car - engine, ABC suspension, water-to-air cooling improvements, electronics (coil packs etc)... Even though now I have 2019 S450 Coupe, I still love the CL very much - one of the most beautiful and pleasant to drive vehicles I have ever had, will miss her.

[@MrPaige222]

Somewhere along the line we forgot what cars are for and started adding ridiculous stuff that is fragile and expensive. This car could have lasted 50 years by eliminating 90 percent of the stuff that killed it without any difference in it's function.

[@earlearl8850]

Great show, and do more of these types, thanks. ..

[@redlock4004]

Your probing up the front of the car for the hood latch is reminiscent of bovine veterinary practice (:

[@CaptainSpadaro]

5:54 one of my first purchases from a tool truck was a set of Matco wheel pegs/pins for European cars. Made tire rotations and the like infinitely easier. Also is that a Coyote with its valve covers off I see lurking in the background?

[@fletcherchambers7175]

One thing I admire about you is your ability to do what you do without profanity. I wouldn't last 90 seconds.

[@carlbernard4197]

Agree on this 💯 😂😂😂😂

[@MarinatallIronside]

If the M113K engine fails the compression and leak-down test, you should tear it down. Would love to see that, and someday a Mercedes-Benz M176/M177 V8 teardown, and the Toyota 2AZ-FE straight-four. The latter is widely considered to be their worst engine, in large part due to their notorious oil consumption problem (~1 qt per 900‐1,200 miles on a high-mileage engine).

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

That battery seen better days ! The cells may even be shorted causing electrical issues !

[@emilschw8924]

Blue is always ready for action! Yay for good old blue! And the dipstick battles pales in comparison to this battle of getting the hood popped.

[@sirpercival4731]

Some times you WIN - sometimes you LOSE !

[@kimepp2216]

You should get an air nibbler to cut sheet metal. That chassis looked pretty clean . That car sells for $35,000 CAD and up in Canada.

[@colchronic]

So $500 USD?

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

@@colchronic no no, at LEAST 5000$ /sarcasm

[@RollingRoadEFI]

@@colchronic LMFAO

[@da443-galmond4]

First time viewing your channel. Was an interesting one to start with... Defeated, but learned alot about diagnostics(not that I will ever use it....but one never knows what the future holds). I subscribed.

[@Madpegasusmax]

next video, how to install a carburateur .Great video , it shows how complicated recent cars are ,and how the horn wire can block your car from cranking ...

[@nitroruski7986]

a yes the fuel toilet making less of em bhp and making 4 mile per gallon

[@bradhaines3142]

​@@nitroruski7986wrong, there's a guy who has one on a 70s ford getting 40mpg

[@Kingsoupturbo]

Deep dive! learned some diagnostic procedures I didn't know before, impressive content!

[@stanleystrycharz2572]

Not bad getting it to run. Seems to have more wiring than the space shuttle in there.

[@elektrosmokes1911]

As someone who had one of these supercharged CL55s 15 years ago, it blows my mind both to see one in this kind of shape, and to see one being hacked apart like this. $1200! Holy shit.

[@therealdojj]

It's Alex getting rid of his fleet 🤣

[@brianjay692]

9:15 is when Eric’s Chop Shop officially opens for business.

[@clintcolombin]

Seeing that it's not all easy really shows people that there will be struggles. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do, but it's worth it.

[@williamclark1091]

Amazing amount of work to troubleshoot! Very impressive.

[@tdotw77]

This was a cool video Eric. Thanks for sticking with this one, you have alot more patience than many of us do. I too want to hear this run on its own! Thank you to your friends Eric & Ed for their help too. Those MB cars & European cars in general are a whole nother animal & are soo electrically computer complicated!👍👌🤔🛠️🔧✏️📐📏🔩🗜️⚡⚠️🚧🤷‍♂️

[@billyclubbandit]

Sometimes the car does you instead.

[@johndiaz7240]

Great stuff love your thinking when troubleshooting.

[@chrismemphis8062]

You sure know cars, this is way beyond my vast skill set

[@metalted6128]

That’s a very cool car, someone just left!! Unbelievable what some people do. Great video!! Great job!!

[@duancoviero9759]

Not really these cars require a lot of maintenance. With high labor rates and part prices of today some people don't have options other than abandonment.

[@metalted6128]

@@duancoviero9759 then don’t buy one!!! Of course they are expensive to fix. Anyone but an idiot knows that!! Please try and keep up.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

Did you look on a similar model to see how the cable works? I think you need to also push on the cable sleeve instead of just pulling on the cable itself. I.e. the differential pull action would do it perhaps. Nice video 🙂

[@weedmanwestvancouverbc9266]

I had a seized latch on my hood of my F-250 and I sprayed pile of anti-seize into it to try it. I finally gave up and cut the cable and the housing far enough back that I could reach it and then the anti-seize started working on I could get it open. Now I just have to open it by pulling on the cable reaching through the front trim.

[@seer7327]

Careful about relying on continuity tests on communication wires. You can get continuity if a wire is shorted to another wire. Only true way to know for sure is to use an oscilloscope.

[@andrecampbell691]

If I were a billionaire, I wouldn't buy a Mercedes, but I do love my Toyota.😂

[@timothyodonnell8591]

I loved the video! Troubleshooting videos of anything mechanical are my favorite.

[@1JackTorS]

My wife told me I should be more in touch with my feminine side. So I crashed the car.

[@lethalhype1931]

I owned two C215s and worked on all kinds of electrical gremlins. Check the Bus Connectors in the footwells left and right. No need to remove seat just put it all the way back and you can pull the carpet up. There is a huge cable canal going along there where I found many connectors corroded and that fixed many of my problems! On the passenger side theres a fat 12V line supplying the EIS & its controls. Having seen how your nuts looked on the fuse box in the passenger footwell open it to see if your prefuses are still intact. Also check rear SAM under the right rear seat cushion. It is very prone to suffer from water intrusion and can cause all kinds of malfunctions. Here in Germany even a non runner like this would sell for 5/6k easy! Try to get that beast of a M113K working again she deserves it. Parts and Spares are even cheaper in the US. If the ABC isnt completely shot it would be worth it IMO.