Arnott Replacement ABC Strut

[SteveJ69]

Hi All,

Does anyone have experience of Arnott Re-Man ABC Struts for the SL55. Hopefully dont need them (yet), but was having a look online. ECP can source them for £550 + VAT which is good. They seem to be the correct part but the description mentions Air rather than Hydraulic.

https://www.arnotteurope.com/p-4163...bc-strut-mercedes-benz-sl-class-amg-r230.aspx

Any thoughts?

Steve

 

[Craiglxviii]

Hi All,

Does anyone have experience of Arnott Re-Man ABC Struts for the SL55. Hopefully dont need them (yet), but was having a look online. ECP can source them for £550 + VAT which is good. They seem to be the correct part but the description mentions Air rather than Hydraulic.

https://www.arnotteurope.com/p-4163...bc-strut-mercedes-benz-sl-class-amg-r230.aspx

Any thoughts?

Steve

A number of us have had replacement struts over the last 12-18mth. The best pricing we found was direct from MB. You have to absolutely check your part numbers; from memory there are about 5 different parts dependent on which model/ model year your car is.

I looked at Arnotts and they couldn't provide one to fit my car. Try MB Grangemouth for a competitive quote.

 

[SteveJ69]

Thanks, i've got ECP on the case with the VIN to confirm accordingly.

 

[Craiglxviii]

I wouldn't trust ECP with something like this. Give one of our friendly neighbourhood indies a bell. Cole at MBS is likely your closest, around 31.3 miles from you give or take a few hundred yards.

 

[SteveJ69]

Will definitely heading MBS' way, was just tempted by the possibility of a more cost effective parts option

 

[Craiglxviii]

Will definitely heading MBS' way, was just tempted by the possibility of a more cost effective parts option

We've all tried this and all ended up doing exactly the same thing for exactly the same reasons

 

[John Laidlaw]

Arnotts definetely do a good remanufactured strut but I'm wholly surprised at the price! If it all checks out you're on a winner. Remember each corner is different so you won't be able to keep one 'in stock' for when you need it. I seem to remember seeing that they mention them as 'air' rather than ABC but I think that's a typo. Arnott bought my left rear strut from me for 250 Euros when I replaced it. They used to deal direct but only through ECP now, and as Craig says....
I found Aerosus were the best remanufactured prices, and although I'm not aware of any members having used them, Jay Manek (Mercland) uses them regularly for Airmatic struts and has reported good service and quality, so I'd have no reason to believe their ABC units would be any different. From memory those were c£880?
And yes, as you've gathered going to MBS is a very wise choice

 

[star]

Not had much success with arnotts on an s class we had, one leaked and the other the gaitor wasn't even fitted correctly. Maybe we just had a bad batch??

 

[John Laidlaw]

Not good Ian! From my view I bought MB struts, for me the difference in price would have to be much greater to tempt me....

 

[Steve@Avantgarde]

Like you Ian, I had one on a CL that lasted about 500 miles before sinking overnight. And one for an SL where the gaiters were twisted and it wouldn't line up.

Each time we went back to genuine.

Now I don't even bother searching about the place and just fit genuine struts.

 

[star]

Like you Ian, I had one on a CL that lasted about 500 miles before sinking overnight. And one for an SL where the gaiters were twisted and it wouldn't line up.

Each time we went back to genuine.

Now I don't even bother searching about the place and just fit genuine struts.

Us too, the estate ones you have to fit in pairs because fitting one puts a fault in the system. So by fitting a genuine one it works out cheaper.

 

[pugme]

I needed a front abc strut for my sl55 and I managed to find a second hand one on eBay for £350 obviously a risk is involved with a second hand part but Arnott will purchase leaking struts from you for 250 euros (or was the case maybe 6 monthd ago)

Oddly after my strut arrived I stopped getting the abc warning on my dash

So I now have a replacement strut in the cupboard. Might get an abc flush done soon and have it all checked over

 

[John Laidlaw]

I needed a front abc strut for my sl55 and I managed to find a second hand one on eBay for £350 obviously a risk is involved with a second hand part but Arnott will purchase leaking struts from you for 250 euros (or was the case maybe 6 monthd ago)

Oddly after my strut arrived I stopped getting the abc warning on my dash

So I now have a replacement strut in the cupboard. Might get an abc flush done soon and have it all checked over

Wise man!
Yes, I also got 250 Euros from Arnott for my old strut, after a small hiccup which turned out to be my fault not theirs!

 

[eman]

A friend of mine just had a rusty hydraulic pipe replaced at mb on his SL500, he didn't need the strut as they managed to undo the connection nut connecting the 2, he had a bill for £2,5k, £3.5k if he needed the strut.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Not following you Ian- was it the quick connector pipe(hose) to the strut they replaced?
Presume the £2.5k was for a shed more work than just that...

 

[eman]

Not following you Ian- was it the quick connector pipe(hose) to the strut they replaced?
Presume the £2.5k was for a shed more work than just that...

No John it was just pipe work he had done. they did fit a new battery @ £165 as they said they couldn't balance the level as the battery wasn't good. they told him it would be around that cost before they started. told him it was good news as they could save the strut.

 

[flowrider]

A friend of mine just had a rusty hydraulic pipe replaced at mb on his SL500, he didn't need the strut as they managed to undo the connection nut connecting the 2, he had a bill for £2,5k, £3.5k if he needed the strut.

Unfortunately if all he had done was replace one pipe then he got ripped off.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Wow, that's the sort of stuff really puts folks off having ABC - I feel for him!

 

[Submariner1]

No John it was just pipe work he had done. they did fit a new battery @ £165 as they said they couldn't balance the level as the battery wasn't good. they told him it would be around that cost before they started. told him it was good news as they could save the strut.

£2.5K for one pipe and a battery. Wow :-/.
Mine had the main pipe from the pump to the front control block replaced as it was "sweating" (pre my ownership) the part cost £221, £350 incl labour and apparently is a mother to replace on this car, one of the difficult ones.
Even if they did a complete ABC flush and filter change (£300-350) as well, and changed the pump!. (£1,000)
I dont see how it got to that.

No wonder I drive all the way to MBS to get stuff like that done!

 

[Steve@Avantgarde]

A friend of mine just had a rusty hydraulic pipe replaced at mb on his SL500,

You knew it was going to be a horror show of expense when you started the sentence with this....!!

Personally I have never had an issue getting them off.