Only 284 Brabus 454's were made for the UK market, of which a fair
few are no longer with us due to 'accident damage' etc etc.
So....l hope this helps potential buyers...
First and foremost, ensure that the car you buy has 2 keys.
If not deduct £250 from the price. £200 for a new key from MB
and £50 to code it to the car. No one except MB can provide the
keys as they are a specilised item due to the shape and electronics.
REQUIREMENT: Set out what you want from your BRAB....
AGE - production finished with 56 plates (i think) but there are some newer registered ones than that
Colour - Black or Silver
Radio/CD - Radio5(basic 2 speaker set-up, though there are some with 6 speakers but no sub, and some with
6 speakers plus sub).. Radio6(larger screen, telephone controls and 6 speakers plus sub woofer)..
SatNav(built in satnav).
Other options - Large opening Sunroof, panoramic roof, headlamp washers, HID's (with headlamp washers),
auto lights/wipers (think thats about it!!)
SERVICING:Service history is one of the key things to consider when buying a second hand Brabus ForFour
because of the tuned engine. There are some out there which have not been serviced correctly,
usually missing the 10,000km (6,250mile) Intermediate Oil change.
If the seller cannot prove evidence that it has been done, walk away and find one which has.
http://forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=138.0(Saying that though, a lot of BRABs have low mileage and this change may not have been
necessarily due to lack of road time)
WARRANTY:If the car was registered after April 2006, it will have the benefit of 4 years warranty as opposed
to 2years (some Dealers argue this fact, but it's true, so call MBUK if you are unsure).
The extra two years are granted as an extended warranty if the car has been serviced correctly
during the previous 2 years term (not necessary to be with Merc) . Then, the extended two year
warranty is only valid if you continue using Smart Centre's and not Independents.
(but Merc can be good value for money).
COMMON ISSUES: Leaky shock absorbers (especially rears) are common across the while ForFour range !
Wheel bearings are known to go !
Reverse gear selection can be crunchy !
BRAB MonoBlock VI alloys are soft (they will dent if you hit a pothole too hard) and the lacquer does
corrode (as it also does on expensive Mercs too !)
(The BRAB Monoblock 'A' wheels are a lot harder/better wheel than the Monoblock VI's..easier to clean too !)
The alarm can be very sensitive, and it has no adjustment.
The engine itself is more or less 'bullet proof', as is the manual gearbox (the Mitsubishi influence)
TUNING: The standard Brabus Map is excellent. Its beyond description and pulls power all the way to the redline,
unlike other cars where power drops off in the last thousand or so rpm.
The best mods on the car can be had very simply, hardware mods.
Upgrade exhaust with sports catalyst, panel air filter replacement (ITG, Pipercross, K&N), or an Induction kit
such as the one made by K&N (The Colt CZT one). Remapping is an option, but not many suppliers around,
and of those, very very very few who can do better than the original map.
NB: Some owners have tried uprated Colt CZT maps, but they have all seen and felt the 'rev-iness' of the
original Brabus map disappear, and overall the car is nowhere near as quick or driveable as it was before !
Any further questions then feel free to ask !!
JJ
