Deleting problematic Active Body Control! CAR WIZARD shows a work around for a fraction of the cost!

[@MrGman636]

I purchased a CL55 AMG a few months ago. Previous owner did the conversion, and the car has 100% peace of mind when driving. If you do one of these, don't forget to put a sway bar (from a S500) on it to stabilize the front end. Despite it's age, it's still incredibly fast and there's nothing like having no B-pillar.

[@machtschnell7452]

No B pillar = less structural integrity in a side impact.

[@maxim430]

@@machtschnell7452 Dont get in a side impact

[@FEGTTTSDH]

@@machtschnell7452 Is a MB not a chinese with no B pillar design

[@805NAVE]

The pillarless coupe design is absolutely beautiful and amazing. My uncle has a 2012 CL550, damn I love that car he let me drive it one time. Absolutely blew my mind how smooth it was but how amazing it handled. Can’t imagine how good the AMG is

[@chrisdavidson911]

@@machtschnell7452 if a miata's plenty strong enough, you'd imagine a mercedes is

[@busterbcook]

I'm currently running a couple of ABC Mercedes (2004 SL55 and 2001 S600), and it has cost me about $1000 each to get the systems working properly, but after 4 years of ownership, though I expect those costs to go down over time. Why? First, I started with cars that had been pretty well maintained. Not perfect (they both had some ABC warnings), but had at least seen some service and the ABC fluid was green and at the right level. Then I did some research, bought a Mercedes STAR diagnostic computer, and decided to understand the system fundamentals. Not everyone is going to invest this way, but I figured it made sense if I'm going to maintain these cars in general. It seems the root cause of failure for ABC first of all isn't the pump, struts, or the hoses; those are secondary failures. The first things to go are the accumulators and the fluid/filter. The accumulators are gas bladders that protect the rest of the system from having to work so hard. They absorb actual shock in operation. Without those, shock is absorbed by the next weakest points, which are your hoses, strut seals, and pump. Accumulators cost a few hundred to replace, and basically have a shelf life of 10 years or so, but are vital to protect the rest of the system from damage. I'll bet if you removed the accumulators from this car, one or more will be ruptured and full of fluid, which probably contributed to the failure. The other thing is fluid quality. Over time, a bit of rubber will be shed from the hoses and things. Not normally a big deal, especially if you have the upgraded 3-micron filter. The filters are only $40 or so, and you need to replace them every couple of years. If you don't, or you have the original factory 10-micron filter, a lot of rubber gunk will get in the valves, pump and such and cause problems, needing a fluid flush, which will cost you a couple hundred in hydraulic fluid. Again, a thing where a bit of preventative maintenance goes a long way. A third thing is pretty funny. Early software revisions of the ABC controller just closed the valves and called it a day, which required absolute perfection out of the valve blocks to properly seal. Later versions actually wiggle the valves a little bit before the close, which allows them to seal better. I have a 2001 S600 whose persistent ABC droop problems were 100% solved by adding a $100 ebay ABC controller from a 2005 CL. I only found this by reading service bulletins in the library, but it was a major fix. All in all, if you do get one of these cars, check out the accumulators, fluid, and filters first, even if everything seems to be working fine. It'll go a long way towards making the rest of the system last. Is this more trouble than most folks would want from a suspension system? Probably! But hey, they're pretty awesome to drive, the satisfaction of making them work is what makes me enjoy the cars even more.

[@TonyRule]

Maintenance? Are you crazy or just from another planet?

[@RandallFlaggNY]

Brent, this one of the best replies I've ever seen on YT. Thanks.

[@mrdomhare]

I agree. Heard similar from Mercedes mechanics I went to college with.

[@pgboyinthehouse9041]

I completely agree with you. In my opinion, most people don't understand the necessity of routine maintenance. They expect these cars to just perform well all the time. These cars are complicated. However they are not out of the realm of a competent DIY'er. I have a 2005 cl55 amg. I have over 250,000 miles on her. I rebuilt the valve blocks myself. Replaced the accumulators. Sent the pump to be rebuilt and replaced or remade all the hoses.. Since I do regular filter and fluid flushes. I have had no strut leaks thus far. Since I bought the car with 40,000 original miles for $11,000 seven years ago. I say thats a bargain for a great car. The only other issues I ever had was a cracked coil pack, some broken speaker wires and a failed vacuum pump for the trunk and doors. For a car I use as a daily driver 200 miles a day. Thats a win!

[@JayMaverick]

Very good writeup.

[@Rafymon98]

The trick to not having issues with abc is maintenance, change the fluid and filter. I have a 2005 CL55 and have no problem. All of the abc parts can be rebuilt except the spheres, pump, shocks, valve blocks. The lines can be done by your local hydraulics supplier. It is not rocket science, but the drive is mind blowing. I feel that installing this conversion kit just takes away the driving experience that the ABC system gives. The CL 55 is not a daily driver but every time I take it for a drive it makes me happy and I look forward to the next drive.

[@bobd9868]

I agree with the "maintenance" part BUT that doesn't prevent a line from failing. I have a 2012 SL550 with 40k and the line in front of the engine failed. I am 100% pro ABC, I'm not ripping it out.

[@CarWizard]

For those thinking $4k is more than expected. Here is the run down. $1299 For Strutmaster ABC Kit. Add shop markup, brings strut kit to $1550. NO ONE gets repair work by my shop without shop markup on parts. Then 15-20 hours labor at $100/hr. 1 hour diagnosis. 2.5 hours spent at each wheel, which is book time by the way ,3 hours tandem pump to ps pump and hose conversion. Install MIL eliminator module and remove / clean up other ABC components and hoses. 2 Hours. Supplies, fluids, 2 new belts, hose modifications. annnnnnd here is the gut punch that NO ONE ever thinks of....8.5% sales tax!!! Your knocking right on $4k. If someone would refuse to pay this. I will refuse to do that job. Not worth my time for any less.

[@GamerGuy51]

The 99% of people on YT have no clue what it takes to run a business....they think profit is "evil". You're spinning your wheels trying to explain...

[@vincescalise4821]

There is a lot of overhead to run a shop of that size,

[@dave1the1deer1hunter]

@car wizzard check out my instagram @v12dave I have lots of pics.

[@onlyfoolriding8223]

@@jaafarjfe Dude, you're a moron. How do you think he pays people?

[@Xandil]

Well worth it for quality work from very qualified staff. Many people forget that they're paying for experience and access to the tech's tools. I never complain about book rates. If the book says 3 hours but a good tech does it right in 2 hours...that's fine with me as long as the work is good and no 'come backs'. But if it takes 5 hours, I'm still paying for 3 hours; I will complain about over paying for a new tech to gain experience.

[@SAdeimosSA]

I think one of the things missing may be the swaybar.(from the S500).

[@cameronhuber8339]

Correct, ABC models don't come with sway bars and none come with camber adjustment for lowering.

[@capn_shawn]

Lowered on decent coil-overs my car does not roll.... no matter how hard I corner, it is flat as a board. I don't know about using strutmasters, they are soft and long travel and you cannot lower the car with them. I did use the strutmasters light module, though. It was the only one I could find.

[@bigjugbs]

@@capn_shawn was you able to get the light module without ordering the whole strut system from strut masters?

[@capn_shawn]

@@bigjugbs Sorry, they don't sell it separately. I bought the entire kit and sold the coilovers on eBay. Basically the light kit ended up costing me $300-$400 By the way, Arnot will pay you $$ for your old hydraulic springs, so don't toss them. I got $150/each.

[@delroythompsons159]

Only one company that makes sway bar that fit those car vvk in Florida

[@Unclemiffato100]

I love the way Wizzard presents his vidlogs. Fantastic, it's like talking face to face with a genuine Mechanic (which he is). Welldone wizard!

[@redporschekilla]

Wizzard, I concur the CL is the best looking coupe Mercedes has ever brought to the market. I was privileged to own me an 03 CL600, nothing goes over a 12 cylinder engine..... Yet I also have to agree that suspension was a pain in the rear end. One rear strut $1,500.... just the part. I had a extended warranty, the best money I've ever spend. They black listed me, after having paid $20K in repairs... :). Yet, this coupe is a dream car.....

[@pablopicaro7649]

This is the best post in this thread!!!!! $20k in repairs - and your black balled

[@smileypwn]

the CL is just such a beautiful timeless car!

[@blairwilliams136]

Agreed

[@diablocls55]

Especially in black

[@roodick85]

The CLS and that SL. You can’t get better than that for the money. Especially the 600’s with an equal length exhaust 😍😍

[@ilhanhalilseyhan6722]

I’m buying one next week. I’m really excited I hope shocks won’t give me problem for couple years and then I’ll apply this kit.

[@NickTarterOKC]

Perfect timing Wizard! I needed something good to watch while I eat my lunch.

[@Kacsaszezon]

always kitchen-positive videos from the Wizard

[@andy-james-]

Me too, I had bacon, lettuce n tomato in toasted rolls. Ideal Wizard watching food.

[@mikeresnik]

i have a customer i do some side work for that has an SL55 amg that i have replaced almost every ABC pressure line on, I keep trying to talk him into deleting the ABC system but every time it blows a line he always just wants to fix the line, and runs it until it fails again, in a few weeks i get to overhaul the leveling blocks, it never ends with these ABC systems lol. your customer made the right call on the delete.

[@capn_shawn]

You DO NOT NEED to lengthen the power steering hose! There is a short service loop on the steering rack. Simply unbolt it and add a 3" mount extension to the mount on the steering rack. Simple... no new hose. I used a 2004 S430 power steering pump. Also>>>> Arnott Suspension will purchase the old hydraulic shocks for $400-$800, so don't toss them. My CL has 204,000 miles on it. 60K of those are with my coil-overs and I love it!!!!

[@mrkrzt]

Well worth the cost for conversion. You are an honest shop and have the customer in mind. A rare trait.

[@Samcrac]

Congratulations on 300k David! I love this Mercedes Chassis; but I'm really torn on ABC since the car drives so incredible with it (even though its a fortune to maintain)!

[@jmluke1876]

I enjoy the ride with the coil overs and sway bars on a SL55. The peace of mind of not spending $3500 per strut is priceless. Even though it took me around 20 hours to replace all 4 struts, add front and back sway bars and new power steering only pump.

[@capn_shawn]

You will NOT miss that ABC on this car. With decent coil-overs, you do not need roll-bars because with 3" of total suspension travel it cannot roll anyway.

[@espadajusta4380]

@@jmluke1876 So if you buy a Ferrari will you change the engine for a Toyota engine because is cheaper to maintain?

[@tomasexteriors]

@@espadajusta4380 fell you mate and it was sore to see 🙈⚘❤😂

[@biffdorkinton555]

​@@espadajusta4380We're taking about used Mercedes. Different ballpark.

[@czarekaj1098]

The ABC system on S class MB can be royal PITA and replacing it with coilover struts is cost effective. The problem is that the ABC also controls the body roll in corners (CL55, CL600 or CL65 do not use sway bars) The car will be fine as long as you don't go into a corner too hot. Would like to see some company make a sway bars for the front and rear with regular struts.

[@umad42]

I see people talking about installing sway bars from other cars, I'd think it would have required some fabrication work? I mean as they say anything is possible with a welder and a grinder

[@CarWizard]

@@umad42 Would require lots of modifications. You cant just "bolt in" an S500 sway bar like some are saying. Unless you are tracking the car and taking corners at 95 mph, it will be barely noticeable.

[@czarekaj1098]

@@CarWizard Thank you Car Wizard for the heart

[@criticaljim1]

Opinions on sway bars are split in forums, do you need one with coilovers after ABC delete, or not?? People mention, don't go hot in a corner, you will be OK if the streets in your area are good. This is totally reckless and naive! Mercedes builds and tests these cars to safely evade obstacles on the road, keep you alive during if you happen to have an accident. Having no sway bar stability in a car that weights 2 tons is, to say it short, IDIOTIC. That one time somebody pulls into your lane unexpectedly and you have to swerve, this all comes down like a cardhouse. You will go sideways and lose control without sway bar in an "elk test".

[@21Piloteer]

We used to replace the air bag suspensions with regular struts on Lincolns all the time. Customers would come in either dragging the frame or with leaking air bags. The cost to replace was more than the cars were worth. You could buy a kit to replace all that with conventional strut assemblies.

[@owenchinaloi8588]

Been there ....done that,just tell the owner to swap out the rear and front swap at setup from a w220.he will have to remove the accumulator and reservoir on the subframe in order to mount the sway bar as this is we’re the mounting hooks are for the sway bar clamp.the front lower controle arms will also have to be swapped out for the w220’s to accommodate the sway bar.i have converted 3 myself......all with proper sway bars,not the silky smooth ride of the ABC but hey I live in a 3rd world country.running a couple’ v12’s....you’re gonna get creative.

[@youngbetz]

Cool !!

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

I have an 02 CL500 with yellowspeed coils. I'm doing the pump on it soon. ABC was good 20 years ago, but the conversion brings peace of mind.

[@imadtanouticonta]

Not a CL anymore. Now you have a dodge charger RT

[@emiliobruh7485]

@@imadtanouticonta It's still a CL

[@youngbetz]

I just got done putting the red strutmasters on mine now I’m also going to do the pump soon !! They the sway bar is next

[@sportunage]

I just completed this conversion with front and rear sway bars from the s class. Used yellowspeed coilovers. You also have to use the lower control arm from the s class which is longer and relocates the bottom of the shock outward creating some negative camber that can’t be dialed out with an alignment.

[@sportunage]

I removed EVERYTHING ABC (lines, accumulators, valve blocks, and tandem pump) well over 100lbs saved.

[@krush_it6650]

Just did the coilover conversion on my 2003 CL55 AMG, I used the Yellow Racing ones because they are adjustable. the strutmasters are not. Its nice to adjust the height of the stance. it makes a big difference.

[@markzawada5927]

I love how the wizard is not afraid to work on anything from lambos to vw’s , the man is a genius , wish I had a mechanic like him over here in the Uk .

[@endaf]

Had my CL55 for 5 years nearly, I'm just a home DIY mechanic, I like to tinker. First thing I changed was the abc pump, then rebuild the valve blocks, replaced the accumulators and changed two abc pipes. Cost around £1000 My rear shocks need changing at some point as they give me a white error going over bigger bumps at speed, cost is around £700 for both struts. I'll change the front ones as time goes by, but probably won't cost me more than £2500 in total from the pump to the front struts over the years, pretty good I think I love the ABC system it really works well when everything works as it should. And most of the work can be done at home

[@cbizkit36]

I just did this swap on my CL55 AMG 2 months ago. I swapped it with a strut master set. No difference in ride quality. No more abc stress. This car is extremely fast, comfortable and no reliable! Cool Mr.Wizzard

[@JNFGambler24-7]

Absolutely spot on, I could not agree more with every word in the first 2 minutes. I can't afford/will not spen money on new/newer cars. Since 2016 I owned a 2004 SL500 and after i sold that got an SL55 AM5 2002 (first run). Both cars were ABC Suspension, I think is was OK but nothing to write home about. I sold both quuite quickly after ownership as I did not want the worry of £1000 per corner plus £2000 ABC Pump +++ everytime I woke up in the morning. The SL500 ws a lovely low miles car but if I had to swap all the known parts I would have spent more on it that the whole car was worth - this doesn't make sense = SOLD. Wanting to try the SL55 I bought one last year, another classic near time warp example 48k miles 2002 MY, again the worry got to me and I sold it. Funnily enough none of the ABC parts failed in my combined 12 months ownership of both, yet 3 years of ownership of my 2006 Bentley Continental GT has seen me spend £1130 each for 2 front air struts. The Bentley is far more highly prized hence my decisions, but was I right, Please ask Hoovie.

[@danieldenev]

3 years of owning an abc car and after a costly first few encounters it has been completely reliable

[@druffner3074]

So glad I can wrench on my CL55. I did this exact conversion 3 years ago, $1,500 and an afternoon on the garage. His car is in great shape!

[@tylercouture216]

What state you in 👀

[@druffner3074]

Mr. TAMW Idaho

[@pablopicaro7649]

How many hours did it take total with all overhead (order items, setting up shop, clean up, running for parts) multiply total time by $100/hour - to get reasonable estimate a shop needs tocharge.

[@velvetjones1856]

Wizard is magical by adopting parts from other applications to provide an affordable repair and upgrade. Kudos to your resourcefulness.

[@verdele]

i like how michael is very comfortable in front of the camera

[@felawes]

With CLs it's well worth keeping the ABC maintained. It works like a dream.

[@stuwemhoener5937]

I swapped a Subaru into my VW Vanagon to eliminate all the headaches associated with the VW waserboxer engine that was in it. Did the swap myself. I now have 30K trouble free miles on the conversion

[@aalabbasi]

ABC cars have active suspension and if removed, you really should install sway bars from an airmatic car so that you have some high speed cornering stability

[@muneersakallah326]

I had a 2005 Merc S55 with ABC system that was converted to Strut master. My observation having owned lots of high performance German cars and many AMG's is that the handling was terrible compared to stock, yes there are no more headaches with ABC system but there is a price to pay. I think there is more to be done to the suspension to rectify that problem on top of the strut master conversion since the ABC system also controls handling. Correct me if I'm wrong please :-)

[@Salvaba]

Can you upgrade to coil overs?

[@TonyRule]

Sounds like there's a market for exchange rebuilt units.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

You're not wrong. I would have removed the tandem pump, had it rebuilt/fixed, reinstalled and carried on. It's a crime to take perfectly fine ABC struts and trash them because of a leaky pump. Whatevs, not my car or money.

[@omeryehezkely3096]

@@yambo59 You are totally right! There is nothing luxurious about being stuck in nowhere in a very hot/cold/raining day. Even if you're lucky and you don't get stuck, there is nothing luxurious about your car being taken to the shop again and again. Reliability should be the number one criteria in luxury cars. Leather upholstery is nice, but not that important.

[@AmandaHugenkiss2915]

Like Lipstick on a pig, I suppose.

[@kurtpolentz7897]

As a MBZ master tech I say “well done” good detail. The video on ABC ball joint replacement even better.

[@adamlacey9416]

I own ( got stuck with)a CL600. I also own Lexus/Toyota. This is the problem. People that own European cars generally say vapid things like" they're really not that bad if you just do abcdefghijklmnop to them, maintain them etc, etc. I'm guessing they've never owned a Lexus with quite literally 10 x reliability. If they did Mercedes would be out of business.

[@rlscustoms]

Did this on an SL55 using the kit from VVK out of Florida, it came with massive swaybars, totally transformed the ride and handling on the car, don’t think they’re in business anymore though!

[@Q.Lawrence]

I ditched the airmatic system on my Benz for the Strutmasters system. The airmatic isn't worth maintaining based on my experience. It was about to nickel and dime the hell out of me. It's not as expensive as the ABC system, but it's still more expensive than the Strutmasters system. I like the way it rides better than the airmatic too.

[@Floppistopp]

michael seems like a really good guy. keep him around!

[@bryduhbikeguy]

The question at the end:I greased the stems and balls,(ok,take your shots)and wrapped aluminum foil over them.I put JB Weld in the ends of the shift rod because the sockets were sloppy.It was like brand new,and my '85 Omni GLH 5-spd. shifted solidly.They use a hollow tube and insert the shift sockets.

[@CL500MBZ]

THere is no need to extend the high presure line to the pump. THere is a bracket under the car that can be opened up to extend the flex line about 3 inches to fit the new position of the PS only pump. You can actually see the bracket in this video at 10:45

[@ronsalazar64]

I did a complete conversion did everything the same on my Sl500 except after a lot of research I found that Strutmaster was not a good conversion. It's better to go with another coil over that is completely adjustable for ride and hight. You cannot do that with Strutmaster. You definitely need front roll bar. You can also delete the ABC code with a Mercedes Star computer no need to pay $400 for the chip.

[@dzodaj]

in Serbia we repair those struts for 150$ with a 2 year guarantee , 50 plus for replacing labor....as I figured they all have same weak spots, especially when sitting...changing height settings on cpu from time to time, within a half of inch range, makes them last much much longer...I am certain that at first the owner will have feeling like he is in a different car

[@dzodaj]

​@@pablopicaro7649 I do not understand this stupid and humiliating comment. Reparation considers thermal gluing of used struts failed and taken out of a legal cars...it costs that much because wages are generally lower here, we earn per day as W earn per hour...just because EU which violently colonized us like it so , helped by Clinton pedophile administration an Blair's evil clan.

[@pablopicaro7649]

@@dzodaj You are a skilled person, thanks for your good talents, and learning of English too.

[@kianquinn6336]

I've owned and driven my 2004 CL55 AMG for almost 2 years and used it for my daily for most of that time. I use the raise/lower function and the sport mode more than once per drive and have had very little issues with my ABC. It's definitely an issue, but one that's blow out of proprotion. People I know that still use ABC have put in an in line filter because the stock one wasn't a small enough micron. There are aluminium chips that come off of the valve blocks and can ruin seals ect. but I wouldn't want to own the car without the ABC. It's one of the things that make this car unique with no body roll in corners. Only conversion I would do is to airbags. These cars are too heavy for coils and it ruins the driving experience imo.

[@blairwilliams136]

The CL that accuair did that's on the smoking tire is pretty sweet .

[@MrCarGuy]

If you convert to air suspension it still needs sway bars. That is not an easy thing to do because ABC cars have no mounting points for them. Not using sway bars is incredibly dangerous. Not the first gaffe of the wizard.

[@jimmyrustler2381]

I'm not sure about the 1st gen ABC but on the 2nd gen ABC cars Mercedes actually moved to a small micron filter you can buy from them (10mm down to 3mm).

[@300zVinh]

04 cl55 on bags here. Ran the car without sways for about a month, no issues. Just a bit loose, but not dangerous. Can you drive the car without sways for the next 30 years? Definitely. I later installed the front and rear sways from a s500. Car is more stiffer but comfort wise, abc wins. With abc, I could drive over speed bumps at 10 and not care, but with airbags . I’m like 1mph over them. Only reason why I converted was because my abc would sometimes act up on its own. Sometimes on the freeway I’ll be at 70 and all of a sudden the car would drop in one corner. Sometimes the drop would be so low I could feel the wheel rubbing on the liner. Sometimes I park the car and get out and the car would drop on one side or the back would drop. Like it was possessed. It would do this for about 2-3 minutes. No key, no power, completely on its own.

[@bimmerwill925]

If youre handy the ABC suspension can be reliable and not that expensive to maintain. Struts are 400 a piece not 2k and the tandem pump can be rebuilt for 100 bucks. If the hydraulic fluid/filter is changed on time it will also keep the seals fresh as well as the lines so it will be far less likely to leak whether its a valve block, line, strut etc.

[@jwenting]

only "alternative fix" I've ever done was taking some superglue to glue a cracked center console back together rather than taking it to the dealer to have it repaired. I'm not exactly mechanically inclined :)

[@theamerican7080]

Being able to have The Car Wizard work on your car is truly a gift: The gift of knowing the money you just spent wasn't stolen from you.

[@300zVinh]

Some corrections. Struts for the cl55 are now $500 and that’s from arnott. The tandem pump are under a grand new. If your charging $4000 to convert that over to coils. That’s way too expensive. The strut master kit is only 1k and the pump used is only $80 plus both belts are about $100. I recently converted my cl to air suspension and it wasn’t that hard. I use a s500 power steering pump and all I did was unbolt one bolt and it was long enough to reach the pump. No need to get a extension made. Took out two fuses for the abc and I just get the white abc warning which goes away from the reset button. Can’t see me spending $400 for the strut master module when I just need to press a button. Car drives good but not as comfortable as abc. But I have the adjustability to raise or lower my car on demand. Nothing beats the looks of a car aired out. If the cost is 4K to do a conversion. At least you can take out all the abc lines and add the front and rear sway bars from a s500 ($200 eBay) then I can see it being worth it.

[@johnbates606]

I have had my serpentine belt let go. We caught it before it broke entirely so no damage however it’s probably something you should explain to people and do a video on. Very important on 2nd hand cars after 6-7 years. Even though it does not cost much to replace it can save your engine.

[@dave1the1deer1hunter]

car wizzard this is such a devisive subject in the w215 community. I think though if a person wants to enjoy their car then whats the problem. we're not taking away from the other users cars and to be honest they should be thankful as people are able to get the spares we have to help keep their cars running longer.

[@eduardiliescu-wb7yr]

You can actually keep the original tandem pump by removing its pumping mechanism which is responsible for making pressure for the suspension only. This way you can keep it filled with oil but it will not go anywhere. It will just stay inside the pump keeping it lubricated. The pump has this little pistons inside of it which you can remove by dissembling the front portion of the pump. The only thing will remain inside it will be the shaft spinning submerge in oil. I hope this solves this dilemma.

[@ScottMcEwen1]

I had a 2000 CL500. Changed it to a Strutmasters. You really don't need a sway bar set-up. The car is low and wide and handles quite well without it...even when driven fairly aggressively. The Strutmasters units are not adjustable and the front sits higher than what you might want. It always bothered me. Coilovers are now available but not through Strutmasters. When the original ABC suspension loses pressure the car sits too close to the ground to be driven so if that happens when you've got the car on the highway or traveling out of town, you have a big problem. The ABC suspension really is the Achilles heel of this car. Otherwise it's a gorgeous vehicle

[@anonymoususer4937]

I like seeing Michael on these videos. He's a personable guy.

And i very well agree to the Range Rover Comment. i my self have a couple p38 Range Rovers and you HAVE TO KEEP THE EAS. So many saying its complicated, its expensive blablabla. its none of that actually. Ok i used a year of my life yelling at the car, but now i can do it blindfolded and there is 1000's out there who can and the forums to help you out are there in 2020 :-D Buying a Range Rover: YOY NEED A Diagnostic tool!

[@jarekp.2160]

I have a challenge for you: Remove the ABC light without putting the module from strutmaster haha... I just installed BC Racing Coilovers on an 03 SL500 and the dealer had original sway bars for it (much cheaper than aftermarket). Since they don't supply the modules, I had to find another way to get the light off; and it surprisingly took less than 2 minutes.

[@renovanity8001]

Removed fuses?

[@prscustom2112]

Do tell

[@corgiowner436]

I had a CL600 with ABC. Fantastic system when it was new.

[@ES-wn6fx]

I had a 2005 CL65 and spent 6000 dollars in 12k miles replacing abc components. It was a nightmare. That was using a secondary shop. I looked into this conversion and was against using a system that did not utilize sway bars on a vehicle with 600 hp and over 700lbs of tq. This systems have no sway bars and I believe are only available for the SL since they bolt right in.

[@Kompre55rr]

W220 sway bar from an airmatic car fits

[@jrbuch]

I got rid of the air suspension on my Toyota Soarer UZZ31 and replaced it with Bilstein coilovers. I liked the air suspension, but nobody made aftermarket air suspension for the Soarer. The Bilsteins were nice, but on the firmer side of things. I like this generation of Mercedes for the M113K engine, but the rest of the car scares me, reliability wise

[@memememe6519]

Shot my first turkey today, scared the hell out of everyone in the frozen food section.

[@bosgaurus1]

You too? I got in trouble for hunting bare. Turns out they expect you to hunt bear. Like, out in the woods. Where the bears live. That's just weird. No, thank you.

[@terrystratford1235]

@@bosgaurus1 what has these comments got to do with the price of fish?

[@bosgaurus1]

@@terrystratford1235, if you don't know, you are being cheated at the fish store.

[@terrystratford1235]

@@bosgaurus1 your comment was soooooooòoo funny! It had nothing to do with nothing, but totally genius! Thku for the giggle

[@steveww07]

har har

[@mrlrob3102]

The wizards ask and answer all the right questions to teach in their videos!

[@bikersoncall]

So clearly the question from my stand point after reading some comments is that there is maintenance to be done. Exactly and specifically what can be done to prevent a $10k or $15k suspension repair order?

[@andrewkiwi1]

I used to work on them. Those susp systems are garbage. Dam expensive too. I wish we had known about that kit. We had a 1973 W115? 600 With 6.9L? motor. limo with hydraulic suspension. It wasnt any good either. We converted it back to a std W115 spring and shock set. The only parts we had to get other than the springs and shocks were the 2 rings that mount at the top of the front springs in the inner fenders. We got them welded in nicely by a local panel shop and had the inner fenders repainted as the car had just been restored and painted. The suspension parts were still obtainable from Mercedes but so expensive it wasn't worth doing. The only part of it that was left in the car was the switch in the dash. We pulled all the lines valves and you wouldn't have know hyd suspension was an option other than the switch still being in the dash.

[@fredsimmons6188]

Strutmasters made the air suspension delete kit for my 02 Navigator. It works great and the best part is the kit was less than 600 bucks including shipping.

[@johnbates606]

My Merc E550 doesn’t have this system, however it has air suspension. It can go wrong however but it’s generally either air pump or 1 of the shocks loses its seal. Not to bad to fix however you have to treat these parts of the car as consumables.if you want the fancy suspension you have to be prepared for the price or get a warranty that will cover the first few years. Fortunately nothing has gone wrong with mine yet. 🤩

[@vmlelectronics]

I think this kind of conversion is totally acceptable and wise, much more than scraping the whole car!

[@JohnDoe_333]

What about the anti roll bars, are they retrofitted as well? I thought ABC didn't have them?

[@alvarop.6842]

Many people delete ABC on CLs and SLs and leave the cars with no sway bars. Maybe for this model it is possible to fit some W220 S500 sway bars

[@YuriLychacz]

yes, you need to add sway bars / stabilizers if you do this conversion

[@dave1the1deer1hunter]

front are fine, rear is a bit of work.

[@MrCarGuy]

@@alvarop.6842 It is not possible to "retrofit" sway bars on these cars and it is a major safety hazard.

[@300zVinh]

Actually, the car drives fine without sways, but adding them does help. The rear not so much but it does smooth out the stiffness. The front you will definitely notice a difference. I converted my cl to air suspension and had no sways for about a month. Car drives and handles ok. A bit loose but not dangerous for a 80 yr old to drive. Front is easy to install but the rear is a little challenging. Rear you need to drop the subframe about 15 inches. And if you do the rear. That’ll be a excellent time to rip out all the abc lines.

[@johnmccloskey7137]

Great video, the mercedes ABC system was poorly made gave lots of issues and expensive to repair

[@AJGreen-cn8kk]

Hey Wizard, what are you doing about the lack of sway bars?

[@mercedesbenzisbest]

S500 sway bar

[@AJGreen-cn8kk]

@@mercedesbenzisbest Yeah, you could do that for only a few hundred. Good catch!

[@jmluke1876]

I'm not sure about the CL55 but the SL55 needs a rear sway bar that clears the fuel filter.

[@steveww07]

nothing, the answer is nothing!

[@Pennychaser1]

Just put in yellow speed coilovers just days ago and love it. Rides almost like stock. Drives nicely even without sway bars. Next I will convert tandem pump to ps pump and put in sway bars

[@angeltovar6360]

Where can I find these yellow speed coilovers

[@WinningTints]

So basically If you wanna change your unreliable ABC suspension you must also change your power steering pump 5:56

[@MichaelJwolf1984]

You can get Arnott rebuilt struts /shocks for $300 /500each and a tandem pump for $595. So the prices have come down so much you would be better to keep the same system. Do not delete.

[@steveww07]

no struts, only shocks.

[@edwardmyers1746]

Those struts were huge! So were the front calipers holy cow! Nice pro way to get ride of that system

[@alkalineph9446]

Same issue wth my e38 hydraulic system! Lord what a PITA to source the parts and find a shop to overhaul the system!

[@oveidasinclair982]

Coil spring conversion was a must do for the late 90's, early 2000's Lincoln Continentals.

[@sleepyhollow783]

Had to do it on our 1997 Mark 8. Hated having it done no thanks to Ford's incompetence at product support.

[@pablopicaro7649]

The Ford/Lincoln air springs are not terribly expensive, I did one several years ago.

[@honchoryanc]

Ive done 3 panthers

[@channell11]

They all start leaking after 7-10 years. But the replacement parts are pretty inexpensive and easy to get.

[@MrCarGuy]

No. Conversions are not a must. The air suspension is why you buy those cars (just like a W220, etc.). You lose what makes them great and you've got just any other POS.

[@thethomasj1795]

I'm shocked the Wizard won't send those struts back to Strutmasters to get the core refund, but more importantly, Strutmasters can recondition those struts to resell for those who want to keep the car matching original.

[@witchdoc-xp]

Interessting solution. In Germany there are company's that can rework ABC used parts to make them new. The main problem is IMHO their Mercedes told the customer that ABC system had maintenance free. Definitely the ABC liquid and pumps needs maintenance and oil replacement from time to time to keep them clean and alive.

[@dave1the1deer1hunter]

Glad you got onto a CL. I have a CL600 love the car but my ABC died. I did a coil over conversion and added sway bars front and rear

[@prscustom2112]

S 500 control arms, too?

[@jespersimonsen174]

As far as i remember Tavarish made a video about this

[@nferraro222]

The MarkVIII's had the same issue as your Rover - converting to springs made it ride harsh (especially after getting used to the air ride) and delete the automatic ride height system, which was really handy for city driving and dealing with potholes and curbs.

[@umad42]

I think the most *alternative* repair I've ever done was wiring an external voltage regulator in on a 98 Jeep Grand cherokee, the one in the ECU had failed and I didn't want to replace the ECU. I believe I used an 87' Dodge W150 voltage regulator on an aftermarket harness.

[@jasonb9629]

As people say its absolutely necessary to install sway bars and its a real bitch of a job! If you wanna see what is involved look up Tavarish. He did the job on his SL55 and it took him 4 solid days of work.

[@winstonchambers9888]

Will the E 500 power steering pump work with a 2006 Cl 500????

[@maxdrelinger]

Why didn’t you swap the lower control arms from an airmatic car and add in sway bars? Typically the addition of sway bars is highly recommended when deleting the ABC.

[@christiancern4275]

As someone’s who works at the dealer and has a W215 CL65 I do not necessarily condone this... but that’s me... whose mechanically inclined and has the tools/knowledge...if this were my significant other or a family member I’d probably do the same thing. Good research overall. Good luck on the sway bar modifications.

[@jimmyj4395]

Can someonehelp me with my cl500 its stuck in limp mode the code reads (The signal of the transmission output speed sensor is implausible compared to that of the wheel rpm)

[@klaascarstens1880]

Anyone else hear Hoovie driving his straight-piped X5 past the shop at 6:55?

[@CrazyUncleChris]

That was probably Michael on the Harley going to lunch lol

[@machtschnell7452]

It would be interesting to hear how this drives from the owner compared to the former system when it was working.

[@MercedesE63S-AMG]

Everyone that I've seen do the kit online said they wish they would have just fixed the abc system. They say it rides like sh#t after the coilovers. 🤷

[@MercedesE63S-AMG]

I've heard it rides like sh#t after the coilover kit. Everyone who does it says they wish they would have just fixed the abc system. I have an 05 CL55 too with a RR strut failure right now. I'm going to just fix the strut. I'm also going to do the accumulators & maybe rebuild the valve blocks too while I'm at it.

[@krush_it6650]

I did this same conversion on my 2003 cl55. I went with the yellow speed racing coilovers. Better than strutmasters because of the adjustability on the yellow speed ones. Strutmasters sit too high and cannot be height adjusted. Doing the pump now! Thanks wizard!

[@MercedesE63S-AMG]

How did it ride? Was the abc better?

[@krush_it6650]

@@MercedesE63S-AMG abc will always ride better but saving myself 10k and I don't have to worry about a very expensive suspension problem anymore was well worth it. It hugs the turns really well. Check out bman cars on YT. He did the same thing and he takes you step by step on his videos.

[@Matt_from_Florida]

Did a similar conversion on a Lincoln Mark VIII in the early 2000's. *NOW/TODAY* I see you can buy all 4 *rebuilt* pneumatic struts for $1,000

[@normansabel1850]

You need to install sway bars. That is the hard part of this job.

[@juliopadilla9315]

Do I need to replace the power steering pump if I convert to coil overs

[@heymoe663]

Last December i bought a 2002 s55 amg for $1,000,. The abc light was blinking on and off. The previous owner explained the cost of the repair. That's why i got it cheap. The car was well maintained. 2 weeks later is when the system failed. I did my research . i also went with the strut master, Bc of the module delete. Strut master won't sell the module separate. Or i wouldve went with Yellow Speed. bc they offer height adjustment and damping. I never did a coilover conversion or worked on MB. It took me about 6 hours to do the whole conversion. Including the power steering pump. only hard part was lining up the back struts. Bc of the location is inside on the back deck. The car rides fine. Not as smooth.. But close. Cornering has a little lean. And i don't have a sway bar. BUt i am planning on installing one.. BUt it isn't necessary. I would recommend doing the conversion.

[@pjazzz353]

Love your show on old Mercedes. I own 1995 E320 myself.

[@onelyone6976]

The wackiest and definetily not the easiest nor the cheapest way would be to fit Citroën’s hydraulic suspension, from maybe the Xantia Activa but then those parts would most likely have to be imported (I’m not a mechanic and I don’t know the technicals)

[@thejkyle]

A man travelling a good distance to have Wizard work on his car says a lot about how serious he takes his job.

[@cwacheats1234]

You need a UK branch ! Your knowledge is unmatched

[@cariusx]

Citroën Hydractive 3+ for the win!

[@Nudnik1]

Frog bag suspension Inspector Clueseau ....

[@FEGTTTSDH]

The Xantia have the II (2) version? I feel that WAY better than the C5 suspension

[@gazzafloss]

2CV suspension superior to all...

[@FEGTTTSDH]

@@gazzafloss too much roll the activa is insane and not even a bit harsh

[@averagedev7768]

The down side is that there is no sway bar, so hitting holes or passing obsticles on one wheel is basically a nightmare. In europe you can find replacement oem parts that are much cheaper. But in the long run doing a retrofit is probably a better idea

[@Vizenz121_OR]

I've owned an SL55 with ABC for almost 4 years now (car only has 66k) and one of the main reasons I bought it over an E55 was for the ABC suspension. These cars are super heavy and they really need this system in my eyes. The problem with these systems is if the fluid is not kept clean/changed the wear bands in the struts and other contaminants start to clog and contaminate the entire system including the valve blocks, hoses and everything. I'm super cautious about this and would say replace the fluid/abc filter every 30k. Once the system is contaminated it takes a lot of cash to set up right and make good again and a shit load of fluid cycles too because the system can never go dry. if the systems contaminated maybe 16-18 liters of fluid need to be cycled until its clean. However if you maintain the system, its super reliable. Yes the pump will go and lines will need to be replaced but it's totally worth it to me and you can get rebuilt arnott struts which are just as good for less than 600 a corner. The system is more robust than people think and the lines are super thick/last a long time and heavy duty, ive got one In front of me. I don't think the average consumer is aware of how much pressure this system is under and no matter how tough they make it, there will be leaks over time. The other thing you gotta be careful about too is making sure everything is clean while working on it because its easy to contaminate while working on it. It deeply saddens me that Mercedes has been going away from this system because people weren't maintaining them right etc. and it made them look sort of bad because it really is a genius system. I love the way it works and its super affordable to run if the systems maintained. I mean just carbon ceramic brakes on a Alfa Romeo or something is like 16k in parts. It's A LOT cheaper than that. Mercedes is probably the most affordable European car to own compared to Volvo or Saab from my experience. The dealers are great to deal with too if you get stuck.

[@Brooke-fy4zf]

what would you say the max mileage on these cars I should buy so that it's not too far gone? like the max mileage that it would be salvageable at?

[@Vizenz121_OR]

@@Brooke-fy4zf you can’t really go off the mileage. It’s more of the age. You can have a super low mileage car and many things will need to be done just because the rubber pieces dry out with time. A lot of times higher mileage cars can be good because many of the parts will be replaced on them already. If you get one regardless of mileage though I recommend you get a good scan tool like an Autel and make sure it can do actuations or active tests. Im 608 looks like a good one if you need to do keys and ms908s pro isn’t a bad one either. I have the 908 but if I were to do it again I think I’d get the 608. Typically the higher end models will be a better value and include more programs. None of them chances are will be needing nothing because they’re starting to get older now. Here’s what I do, I get as far as I can by myself and then once I get tired or it’s above me I’ll take it in. All of it usually won’t come up at once so you should have time to grab a cup of coffee before moving on to the next maintenance item. I would look it over the best you can. If it’s missing wheels though be aware many of them or going out of production so they might be hard to find. One of mine cracked and I had to find a guy.

[@Brooke-fy4zf]

@@Vizenz121_OR thank you so much! I really appreciate it

[@ginco_bnz]

I know people who maintained their well and it still blew. It's just an unreliable system, some are lucky but many more will have constant issues with it. It was an excellent system when new but I need my car to start every day and drive me safely where I need to go and the ABC system is just untrustworthy.

[@classiccarfinds1008]

*What do you call a used car salesman?* A car-deal-ologist.

[@jupitersailing6911]

@@PaulTC97 simp

[@CrazyUncleChris]

Groan

[@bryduhbikeguy]

Actually Laughed....thnx.

[@alternergysolartech]

Don't leave me..

[@theshadowman1398]

I have seen this done on older wheeler dealers episodes on a merc. Car Manufacturers reinventing the wheel and use normal shocks and springs

[@CarWizard]

Thats what we are doing Shocks and springs. Not Reinventing anything. Just sharing whats in the shop. Sheesh.

[@theshadowman1398]

Car Wizard That comment was pointed at Mercedes not you wizard. Manufacturers need to stop making proprietary parts

[@thedoo777]

I have a common r230 and my right side sensor level is failing occasionally. It is really weird I do not have that issue for 3 weeks and then I have it for 2 days this is been going on for 3 years hasn't gotten worse. Arnot remanufacturers those struts. The sway bar issue if I did the coilovers looms large in my mind. There's a company out there called rmt also provide you with remanufactured struts. I bought this car used and have no idea what was done to it. My car has 72000 miles on it. Age versus the mileage. Which is greater for wear? I am the furthest thing from a mechanic. Great Thoughts by the wizard all pseudo experts. Many thanks

[@eatont9999]

Thanks for the info, Car Wizard. I'm about to do a Strutmasters conversion on a 2002 S55. Seems very straight forward. The only draw back is it is time consuming but it's good for billable hours, I suppose. The $1000 price tag is peanuts compared to sorting the whole ABC system out. Hopefully he likes the ride quality after the conversion.

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

I enjoy this one, I just replaced my two front end struts on my ‘07 XJ 8. It a big deal, lovin the air cloud ride but those air suspension systems are going to fail sooner or later.