81 500 SEL Euro Benz Hydraulic Suspension
 

Anybody out there familiar with this system. I'm looking at this vehicle for possible purchase and I know the system is bad. What are the costs associated with a rebuild of the accumulators which I'm told by the owner is one of the defects in this vehicle. Would apreciate any info anyone has to offer:confused:

Typically this is not a rebuild but a replacement only procedure.
There's one accumulater for each side and the system will need to be drained and then refilled for the procedure. The hydraulic fluid is 10-15$ per liter and you'll need about 3.5 liters.

I believe replacement accumulators are around $100/side and minimal labour. If the car was driven too long with bad accumulators, the hydraulic rams may be trashed (look for oil leaks) and cost as much as $400 per side and additional labour! It is a hearty system as long as the accumulators are changed at the proper intervals. Cheers, Andrew Seidel.

If it has hydraulic suspension and not load leveling then there are 5 accumulators. One for each strut and a system one.