SHIfTHEAD

Hey all,
So I'm in the market for an SL55. A couple reasons are, I like the whine of the Supercharger (and it's low down torque) but more importantly I like the fairly standard 5 speed gearbox. My research appears to indicate the later 7 speeds were less dependable. (If that isn't the case please let me know).

First, this won't be my sole transportation. I've owned a German marque in the past and appreciate their complexity and build quality. But they need attention. With that in mind my concerns are around the AMG cars, and their general reliability. Everything I've read seems to imply the AMG motors are bulletproof, which is very good to hear. The supercharged engines need a bit more attention, but that looks to be isolated to the SC itself, and is around the clutch and idler bearing. The internals of the engine are good for 200K with service, from what I've read.

My concern is around all the fiddly bits. ABC, valve bodies, IC motors, general electrical gremlins etc.

I am a wrencher and have a well stocked garage, so I can do most work myself. With that in mind, is there anything (besides a blown motor) that has to be done by a Benz shop?

The valve body rebuild looks pretty straight forward, and not too different than say a brake caliper rebuild (for example). ABC itself looks to be pretty straight forward and is a hydraulic leveling system prone to minute leaks, which look easy enough to repair. So if this is the extent of the issues most owners face, and those owners rely on others to do their work (thus incurring those costs) then I am thinking I can maintain this vehicle myself for a tiny fraction of the cost.

Am I in lala-land here?

cal1

I would say you have done your research rather comprehensively. IMO, you need one more tool which is some form of MB diagnostics much like the Star diagnositics system (SDS) the MB shops use. DAS Xentry c3 and c4 units are popular. I have a C3 much like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/best-quality-MB-C3-star-Xentry-03-2015-hdd-SF-Dell-D630-laptop-for-truck-/151702257694?hash=item235228c01e&item=151702257694&vxp=mtr

okbarnett

its going to be dependable, but parts do cost extra more than normal. youll need the star regularly. Get the newest car with lowest miles you can afford

kittyandgary

Regarding the Star Diagnostic system. IF you have a laptop that you can dedicate to the system (uses XP OS) then Shardul, a poster on this web site can set you up with a full system for about $600. THEN, you have a knowledgeable AMG owner who uses it for both his and customer service as 'help' whenever you might need it.

m-svt-amg

I know abc adjustments require a special gauge. Ramus or something?

carguyshu

abc requires no special tools other than a STAR tool as far as I know. As others have said get a star tool and you should be able to do most everything. I buy my parts from huskerparts.com, which is the cheapest I have found. The only thing I'll hopefully ever have to bring mine to the dealer for is to do an alignment of the distronic sensor (I'm retrofitting distronic to my car) that requires a special tool. Other than that, you should be able to do just about everything else.

Speedriven1

I disagree with the lowest miles argument. A good number of these cars have spent a lot of time sitting, and extremely low miles on 10+ year old cars is a risk, as well. Buy the service history.

vtvette

I second this advice. I've found hands down the worse thing (especially German cars) is for them to sit for prolonged periods without use. I've had several Audi's with over 300,000 miles driven every day and never had any real issues with them. I also had friends with the same cars that drove them much less frequently and always seemed to have issues. My wife's 2005 BMW X5 has 160,000 no issues whatsoever. My 2005 SL55 just turned 110,000 I drive her every chance I get never any issues at all I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country and back tomorrow. My boss is the original owner of a 1985 300SD with over 400,000 miles no issues at all says it's the cheapest car he's ever owned as it's never needed much of anything at all.

Seals, fluids, belts, hoses - all need to be heat cycled and used regularly or they start to rot out and decay in short order. Most of the German cars I see with issues starts with "I went out and started my car after sitting for XXXX amount of time and....".

r_martin126

If your set on a 55 I would suggest MY 07 or 08. These came with a quietly updated ABC system called ABC 2 and feature redesigned valve blocks and struts. The blocks cant be rebuilt like the old style but are far more dependable. Also the programming is different and is night and day to driving the older version. Iv personally own the older style and the main difference I appreciate most is that there is little to no rocking motion when slowly pulling into the street from say your driveway. The little dip between the drive way and street can "confuse" the car and it will unnaturally rock from side to side for a split second before leveling out. The updated system has much better programming to compensate for these small bugs.


Engine like you said is bullet proof. I would change the oil every 5K. Seems to help from the dreaded M113 valve train noise if started early enough in its life. Intercooler pump is no big deal either.


SBC may give you a hiccup


If you like to tinker get the SDS it will save you thousands!!! Plus its just fun to have


Remember there is the Mercedes tax on everything and when you get over that part, remember there is an AMG tax as well so somethings are completely over priced and some things will surprise you