Can anyone tell me what is available shop manual wise for an '02 CL500? I have heard there are only CD's available and this is what Mercedes uses. If this is so, where is the cheapest place to purchase them?

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'02 CL500
'91 Lincoln Mark VII
'76 Corvette

Got a CL500 and you want cheap info, can't wait to see that car in 5 years.

There is only one place that has usable repair info for that car and few consider it cheap. But then just how could you express the workings of a piece of machinery more complicated than the Apollo spaceship, with a cheap info source:

www.startekinfo.com

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

I don't know what it is with this web site but in the few months I've posed questions, more often than not I get wise ass answers such as yours. I have been involved with similar web sites involving Corvettes and I don't recall any such responses to queries. My question regarding shop manual info referred to Mercedes Benz products only and not some after market effort. Furthermore, I assure that this CL500 that I just purchased will receive the best maintenance available.

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'02 CL500
'91 Lincoln Mark VII
'76 Corvette

Sometimes you just got to take the editorial when given the right answer.

I gave you the correct right answer, but not wanting to give too much help to someone wanting it for free, I packaged it with an editorial that would keep you from using it. Pretty sneeky huh.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Yeah, I can see where you were coming from, but I can also understand how he was offended by your "flip" response. Let's all try to get along............

Wes

I give out a lot of free info. I do it cause I enjoy it. You can really push my button by implying that thiis stuff is easy or that info is cheap. When that happens you get a free editorial. Call it pay back.

I have been around auto repair, specifically MB for over 30 years. i can tell lots of stories. There are diferent audiences for each story. I reply to the group most often and often don't even look a the one posting. Sorry about that, but I don't get paid for this and if I take lattitude to express my feelings once and a while, you will have to bare with me or ***** about it.

Most of my opinions are based in lots of experience and have a lesson in them. In this case, it oftens troubles me that the priceless info I sometimes give out cheapens my value as a technician. It really bothers me that I could be contributing to a group that might get to think that what I do is easy and/or of little value. There are great gobs of those people already on this site that think what I do has no value cause they can get on a site and get the info and every once in a while affect their cars.

I do this for those that are thrilled by it, as I am. The rest are along for a ride. But even with my editorial I gave him the exact right answer. Think he will figure it out and quit being mad?

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Maybe you just need to lighten up a little bit Mr. Chapin. Steve was just having a little fun. No need to get your shorts in a wad.

I vote for stevebfl....your contributions are far and away more beneficial to the inexperienced (myself included!). Just don't let the occassional terse response from the generally ignorant affect your judgement please. I would suggest that all review the statement first before placing fingers to keyboard. Knowledge was freely given and should be freely/gratefully received.

I for one appreciate all of your feed back.

Regarding the manuals, I have a 95S420 (W140) and have been attempting to get manuals similar to the W124 cd from where ever. As of last week, they don't exist from MB. So...you are forced to visit the local library or purchase reference material sight unseen. Let me stress this, I am looking for manuals for an 8 year old vehicle and MB refuses to assist with a publication.

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1995 E320 -171k-km
1995 S420 -333k-km

Yes, in the case of your 8 to 10 year old cars there is poor coverage on startekinfo and the books were never really printed on those cars. Wiring is now available on startekinfo and maybe some repair info in the WIS portion. The DM (diagnostic manual) is pretty easy to use on startekinfo. Anyone interested in viewing the state of MB info should buy a day some Sunday when you have some hours to invest. It will take a number of such days before you will even get a glimpse of how the whole system works. There are numberous areas that will take the whole day. I love the wiring diagram section. Those with money can have the best there is going. I wish I was on the site every day as the online drawings are so much better than the same thing off WIS.

Don't be too hard on Jud. He has every right to react to my comments and it is probably nasty of me to cut into his post with my editorial. He just pushed the wrong button. The word "cheap" just does something to me... I'm alright now (bg).

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

The last manuals I got for Mercedes were for my 89 SL and SEC.
I did manage to get a "intro to service" for my 92 SEL. Steve is right, Mercedes makes you sbscribe to to the web site, because they were mandated by the government to do so. If this were not the case they still would not put anything out. The techs at the dealership got some books when they went to school, but now the dealerships have to subscribe also. I have always obtained SHOP manuals for my american cars.
Dont get your shorts all knotted up, Steve gave the correct answer, if you dont like it discuss it with Mercedes. There are also other forums, if you dont like the answers or the way they are worded!

Sorry to get everyone involved here a little worked up. I just want to work on the cars I own as I have done it all my life. This includes restoring a couple of Corvettes. Actually, I have always had the manufacturer's shop manual for every vechile I've owned.

In the case with my '02 CL500 which I bought last week, I couldn't even figure out how to change the oil, so it was a little frustrating. As a side note, the oil was changed about 5k miles ago according to MB, but looked quite dark, actually pitch black, to me. MB said that it wasn't due to be changed until another 5k because of synthetic oil, etc. I later went down to the local MB dealer and a mechanic there very gracioulsy showed me how to change the oil and filter and gave me a few other pointers. I have now taken care of this and feel beter about it.

In any event, I just thought MB possibly had a manual or cd's available for this vehicle. My comments, Steve, were in no way meant to discredit you or your profession and am sorry if you took it that way. You have provided me with a web site that offers info and I am grateful to you for that. I will check it out.

As another side issue, Steve, I did opt for the full three year Starmark extended warranty which runs about $3k. I have 60 days to decide whether to keep it or not and was wondering what your opinion would be.

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'02 CL500
'91 Lincoln Mark VII
'76 Corvette

When asked the same question by my dad recently, I talked him out of it.

Let me tell you how I see it and you can use that info as you wish.
Do you know how paramutual betting works? Everyone bets on a horse say. The money that is bet is given to the winners minus a regulated profit and the governments share. If there were no profit taken or taxes the only losses would be strickly to chance.

An extended warrantee is much the same. They sell them for more than they pay out for them plus profit. They wouldn't be around long in any other case.

So like paramutual betting after the profit is removed your winning or losing is up to chance, only with cars there is more to it. For my dad he has me, even though I would prefer not to work on his Chrysler. My dad is also the gentlest of automotive owners. So his risk is two fold serverely reduced. If he plays the game he is likely to lose. He has the money to risk it and even though my dad doesn't like risk I convinced him to play the game with the odds stacked so to speak.

Now in your case, I don't know how you treat cars; whether you are hard on them or not. The real risk (in my eyes) is your locality ad the complexity of your car. Service in your area has to be some of the most expensive known to mankind. The complexity and the warrantee probably leave you only at dealers, in an area where you are as likely to get a new controller as a readaptation. (no sense taking chances, just put in a new $2000 computer and then adapt couldn't hurt ya know).

So the answer comes in assessing your risk from both a personal standpoint and your trust in your service provider. You can't fix many things in PBC for $3000.

Actually, as I really think about it $3k is dirt cheap for a starmark on that car. It should be still in its new car warrantee. If that starmark will extend it two years or more it's probably a good risk just due to the car and the area.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Click the PartsShop link at the top of the page. Phil can get you a W124 CD set. The maintenance section has specific W140 info and I'm comfortable applying W124/M119 procedures to a W140/M119.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Sixto:

Looks like I'm hijacking the thread...but I have the W124 cd's and have been using them for reference on the W140's engine requirements. My conversation with Phil about the timing chain issues indicate same motor parts across the board, as I would expect. What is lacking are the toys, such as pulling the instrument cluster to replace light bulbs, or accessing the doors again for light bulbs.

As a furthur note, I am gearing up to do the timing chain/chain guide replacement and am really confused with the procedures as outlined in the cd's. Just more study before wrenching in.

Thanks for the thought though.

Ron

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1995 E320 -171k-km
1995 S420 -333k-km

Since it's derailed anyway, alldatadiy.com has decent information on a number of procedures. No help in replacing the ACC cabin temp sensor as I recently discovered. Not bad for $20-25/yr.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL