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2001 s500 toast

1K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Skylaw 
#1 ·
My father bought a 2001 s500 about three months ago and absolutely loved the car. Until his suspension went out. Both front shocks and the pump for ABC need to be replaced. I was quoted $4,500 for the job. He wants to sell/scrap the car. I want him to get the most out of it he can so if anyone has any suggestions on where to go from here I'm all ears.

Also he wants another mercedes but wants something more reliable, something that's less likely to fail. Suggestions?
 
#3 · (Edited)
I'm with Oliver...

Hello:

That quote seems "low" (if you can call a 4500 repair low) for a dealer quote on ABC. Seems about right or slightly high for a dealer quote on an Airmatic repair(pump + airmatic front about 2.8K, rest in labor), and a couple of grand light on a dealer quote for ABC (Tandem pump list price over 2K+8 shop hours for R&R, without ABC Struts.)

Their are easier and cheaper ways than dealer parts to resolve Airmatic issues. Arnott coil overs, replacement Airmatic, even replacement ABC parts(maybe not for AMG however).

Yes, it is a nice car, no it is not cheap to repair or maintain. With the great ride comes the cost(the yin and yan so to speak). Don't forget about lower suspension components that should be replaced when they have these struts torn off the car. Perhaps parting out the car makes sense...not to me however.

If it is strictly a money issue, cut your losses. If all the panels are straight, and the drivetrain is good, the car is worth something, unless the miles are way up there! If you give it away, someone else who knows how can make a buck off the car, or have a driver. If you like DIY, have mechanical skills, and some metric tools and the correct scanner many things can be resolved by you, or you can direct a competent european mechanic in the repairs, and save alot of money.

PS: Almost all this is in the Encyclopedia....in the form of a sticky at the top of every page of this forum.

Stickies are located at the top of each forum main page. As the "age" they do not move down, as other threads do. They are "stuck" at the top, because they have high interest or value. The first word in the title of each is "Sticky," and their background is blue rather than white. There is a "stick-pin" symbol in the "Rating" column.

Good luck. Would hate to see a 100K car go on the scrap heap over 2 to 3K worth of repairs heavily marked up by a repair shop. My 2000 S500 has 174K miles, and I expect with some TLC and maintenance it could make the 250K line. I however have put about 20K over 10 years into the car in repairs and maintenance(and it is not 2K per year either-last round was 5K-but A and B services for 40K before that).
 
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