2001 W210 E320 CDi Estate Tailgate Struts replacement

[JimM]

I found this guide somewhere: http://www.fileswap.com/dl/1akXum1G5h/W210_Tailgate_Struts_Replacement.pdf.html

Is this what TV has? If so then that's good, anyone else here can get it from the link above. There is not much detail but it should be enough with the right tools, 2-3 hours free time and a dry warm day - or a flask of hot coffee!

But now I need help to identify the replacement (or original) strut part numbers for my 2002 W210 E320 CDi Avantgarde Estate if anyone can, please? Then I can save quite a bit of time by having them handy.


Thanks in advance.

 

[mej]

Sign up through this site

http://******************s.com/cl2item/epc/Registration/ClubLounge/186/en/001

and for £30pa you have access to the EPC, and in many cases the WIS with official MB detailed instructions on all maintenance and repair operations over a broad range of models.

 

[mej]

Don't know why that link doesn't reproduce, but search ******************s.com

 

[mej]

Something odd here. Should read Mercedes hyphen Benz hyphen clubs dot com

 

[Clkrichard]

These are for a 2003 so you might need to check part numbers.
Someone on here did manage to buy a little cheaper from a dealer but their prices can be all over the place and some charge £30 each so its worth checking.
I got next day delivery fron SGS and the process was really easy.

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/gas-...class/gsc1672-mercedes-e-class-tailgate-strut

 

[JimM]

Very many thanks guys.

Yes SGS is at £13 per strut, nothing bad about that. I don't have another Merc dealer near me other than the one in Caversham who was very pricey some years ago so I've never used them since.

 

[Naraic]

Great thread?

It's been going a couple of years...and yet unless TV sends the papers out no one has a clue how to do this job. Would it not be better if one of you gents who has done the job could come back and describe what you did...that way we may all benefit without constantly bothering TV.

 

[Clkrichard]

I wish I could help and that I could relieve the burden on Malcolm but I only know of a strut supplier not how to fit them to the car in question. Sorry.

 

[JimM]

OK let's see what we can do to help between us then.

The document I uploaded and linked to above will help a little.

www.fileswap.com is supposed to be a permanent repository so we can use it for general uploading, I've been using it for a couple of years now and it's been fine.

I contacted SGS Engineering today for the struts, unfortunately they say they can't supply the ones for my car, although if I use their website and select my model and tailgate it comes up with 3 alternative part numbers but I have no idea if either is correct:-
- 2119800364
- 2119800464
- 2119800564

EDIT: - These are for the later 2003 E class. Mercedes part number = 2119800564 matches the SGS number, they can't help with my tailgate ones but the bonnet ones are the same on both models, 2108800229

My Merc part number is A0019808064

I called Eurocarparts and they can get them for next day at £19.xx each, £40 for a pair.

I called Mercedes and their price is £42.xx each! That is £86 for the pair!

I'll get them from Eurocarparts, I don't want the car in bits while I look for struts.

Thanks everyone.

 

[JimM]

Mej, I tried to register at the mercedes clubs link you gave me but it's asking for a clubcard and won't let me register.

Talk about Elitism! lol

We'll find another way to crack the nut!

 

[JimM]

We have progress!

I found Gas Strut manufacturer Berthold Marx's catalogue gives the Original Manufacturers' strut part numbers for many car marques, here is their catalogue's link (3.7MB): http://www.bertholdmarx.com/images/catalogue/automobile_fr_082012 - web.pdf

And here is the Mercedes page only which I have extracted (44KB): http://www.fileswap.com/dl/zAwdzsFYCT/Berthold_Marx_Mercedes_Gas_Struts.pdf.html

For our purposes:
Capot = Bonnet (Hood)
Break = Estate (Tailgate)

 

[Troon]

Jim,

For EPC and WIS access, you need to join the official club at mercedes-benz hyphen club dot co.uk. In a couple of weeks after joining, you'll get your card from Stuttgart and can then access the excellent online MB systems which contain all the work instructions.

I'm interested as my S211 struts no longer (if they ever did) raise the tailgate satisfactorily, and new parts from MB are over £80 per side! SGS sell some for £13 each (the same parts mentioned numerous times in this thread), but the part numbers don't exactly match. I suspect this is just old information from SGS not keeping up with all the revisions - I'm tempted to get a pair and try them out anyway...

 

[JimM]

Hi Troon, thank you!

See my earlier comment above, SGS number and Merc part number for your struts, or if there is any doubt Eurocarparts are still half the price of Merc at £20 each strut against SGS at £13 each plus postage.

 

[Troon]

Hi Troon, thank you!

See my earlier comment above, SGS number and Merc part number for your struts, or if there is any doubt Eurocarparts are still half the price of Merc at £20 each strut against SGS at £13 each plus postage.

Are ECP just getting the SGS parts in with a healthy markup, I wonder?

 

[JimM]

Well, I don't mind a £6 markup per strut.

And I save postage as I can pick them up in my town.

 

[JimM]

Brief update -

I got the replacement struts from ECP, they are German made.

They have the pianowire circlip on each end whereas the originals have the sliding lock clips.

Now: this type is impossible to get the circlips in once the strut is fitted, and you can't fit it with the circlips in place either.

So I discarded the pianowire circlips and used a stiff metal paper clip the same diameter as the pianowire circlip and pushed it in from the opposite (outer, visible) ends, very easily, and bent them to lock them in place. No problem, but if you don't want to do this, then either get the correct struts and struggle a bit and scrape your knuckles to refit the sliding clip too, or let your local mechanic fit them. If he uses the circlip type as me, he will either curse you or use my paper clip method.

I changed the left side, it was a real pain getting the trim off and of course some trim clips were brittle and broke, and the left side gutter clips were impossible to remove without losing the plunger so I broke 2 of those in trying to save them too, but it is easy next time now I know what to do.

The new strut is perfect, both size and strength, the tailgate opens easily and stays up, but the other one needs changing too as it's not as firmly up as it should be.

So I'll change the right side strut and upload my photos and guide, after my knuckles heal!

For those who can't wait, just take it easy, here is how:

1. Hold your tailgate open and near its stop with a broom handle or piece of sturdy wood.

2. Insert a flat wide metal scraper or strong plastic spatula into the long narrow left hand velvety roof trim strip carefully at the long side, pull down gently but firmly, and its clips will eventually pop out and you can pull it down enough to work without removing it completely which looks difficult.

3. Remove the nuts from the long metal tube thing in front of the left hand strut (I think it's the antenna amplifier), unplug the yellow wiring plug, and drop it down slightly below the strut end. If you don't loosen this and drop it down you won't be able to remove the strut because you have to pull it forwards into the car, it won't come out backwards through the tailgate hinge hole.

4. Remove the left hand black plastic tailgate gutter trim (4 small black plastic clips with push-in pins and a screw at the bottom)

5. Slide off the small flat retaining clips from the strut ball ends (do the inner one first to see how to take it off, it pulls forward off the ball-end).

6. Push up the tailgate and hold it up to its stop before you try to prise the strut ends off or else the strut will release with a big bang and may do your fingers some damage. I used a big flat screw driver to lever off the outer (tailgate hinge) ball-end first, and then used a mole grip for the inner (body anchor) ball-end, it was a bit tougher to get off.

7. Then support your tailgate on your broomstick and you need to pull the strut out forwards into the car, above the antenna amplifier or whatever it is, and leaving the rubber gaiter inside the strut cavity.

8. Remove the pianowire circlip from each ball-end of the new strut, turn the extending (tailgate end) strut ball-end to face 180 degrees opposite the body-anchor ball-end (you won't be able to turn it easily when it is in place), lubricate each ball end (inside) with some nice grease (I use Lubriplate, it's a great lubricant). Make sure the ball-end on the body of the strut is screwed on tight to the strut body, mine had unscrewed when I turned the extending arm ball-end to align it.

9. Slide the strut into the gaiter from inside the car, (hold the gaiter so it doesn't slip back in and make sure it slides over the new strut).

10. Push the outer ball-end onto the ball on the tailgate hinge first. It takes a lot of pressure, I put a piece of 1/4 inch wood against the body gutter in front of the ball end and used my large flat screwdriver to lever it on. Don't be fooled, it seems to go onto the ball easily without much pressure, but there is another tiny circlip inside the ball end and that hasn't popped over the ball yet, so keep levering hard until it really snaps on, you will hear and feel it. Try to prise it off gently just to be sure it is secure.

11. Straighten one end of one of your metal paper clips keeping the other end bent, and with a long-nosed pliers push it through the circlip pinhole all the way, and push hard again until you see the end bend up after it comes through the ball end, then with your long nosed pliers grab it and bend that end of the paper clip back towards you, bend the ends towards each other to lock the clip in place, and cut off the extra unneeded length of paper clip.

12. Push up the tailgate to its stop with one hand and push the strut inner ball-end onto the body anchor ball, it's not too hard to do that end. Again you will feel it snap into place, try to pull it off gently to be sure it is on properly. Do the same with the second paper clip on the inner ball-end of the strut, push it through the pinhole and bend the ends back to touch each other and cut off the extra length. Be sure the clips can't pull out of either end, they are your security devices.

13. Then just refit everything carefully. It only took 5-6 minutes to refit everything. The inner nut of the antenna amplifier thing kept falling off before I could turn it enough to catch the thread, until I put some Lubriplate grease on my finger to hold it onto my finger, and I was then able to put it onto its thread easily enough. A magnetic socket will be better if you have one, or put the grease on the socket.

This left strut replacement took me about an hour and a half, but now I know how I can do it in less than half an hour a side. I don't expect to find another antenna amplifier thingy on the right side, so that side should be a bit quicker.

Then I'll need to find replacement trim clips, hopefully they won't be expensive at MB, or ebay may be a source for those too.

So I'll report again soon.

 

[JimM]

Unfortunately I can't edit this post so here's an Amendment...

There is no need at all to remove the gutter trim from the tailgate frame, I broke those clips unnecessarily, as I found out when I changed the right-side strut.

It is straightforward to replace the struts and they are easily available from Eurocarparts and probably other motor factors too.

Here is the link to a guide I have written while doing the work.

http://www.fileswap.com/dl/IsiVFNrIGM/W210_E-Class_Estate_Tailgate_Strut_Replacement.pdf.html

 

[JimM]

Another Edit for my big post above:

I said the following:-

3. Remove the nuts from the long metal tube thing in front of the left hand strut (I think it's the antenna amplifier), unplug the yellow wiring plug, and drop it down slightly below the strut end. If you don't loosen this and drop it down you won't be able to remove the strut because you have to pull it forwards into the car, it won't come out backwards through the tailgate hinge hole.

:Oops: The "long metal tube thingy" is not the Antenna Amp, it is the Head/Sidebag canister!

The Antenna Amp is the black rectangular box below the left-hand strut.

Sorry pals! :roll:

But the Guide I wrote (the download link for it is in the post above this one) is correct, so download that and print yourself a copy for your file while you can still find this thread.

I hope it's helpful.

And by the way, when you get your replacement struts, check that the !400N rating is marked on the strut, this indicates the same pressure as the originals for this model.

 

[gbcambridge]

Struts repalcement

Hi,

Please ignore the request below... I have just found Jim Matthews's excellent instructions.


I need to install a new pair of struts on a 2001 E430 Estate. So far I have put it off as I have not found any installation instructions.
However, it seems that some do exist.. see the above questions and answers, so if anyone still has a copy would they send them to me please as my arms are getting really tired

Thanks for the help

George

 

[JimM]

Hi pals.

If anyone would like to have a copy of this guide please download it now because my cloud storage provider is about to delete all free accounts, this is against what they said a few years ago when I opened my account, but anyone can do anything they want except one of us, it seems.

Here is the current link in case it has changed: http://www.fileswap.com/dl/IsiVFNrIGM/W210_E-Class_Estate_Tailgate_Strut_Replacement.pdf.html