Road Trip
#1
Road Trip
Took our GL550 with 7 people from Minneapolis, MN to Camden, Maine and back. I have never driven something so old so far.
Crossed over the vehicle 150k marker on the trip. Lots of miles at 80+ on the interstate.
Crossed over the vehicle 150k marker on the trip. Lots of miles at 80+ on the interstate.
The following 2 users liked this post by not2fast:
eric_in_sd (08-10-2022),
Max Blast (08-09-2022)
#2
My GL was purchased new by me 15 years ago ... I would look at the dipstick and check the tire pressures and then drive it anywhere with little worry. It's at 87K miles.
I've had zero diesel particulate filter problems and maybe worry a bit that with pandemic and little driving it needs a good blow out.
Biggest worry these days is traveling to states where B20 biodiesel is the norm.
I've had zero diesel particulate filter problems and maybe worry a bit that with pandemic and little driving it needs a good blow out.
Biggest worry these days is traveling to states where B20 biodiesel is the norm.
#3
My GL was purchased new by me 15 years ago ... I would look at the dipstick and check the tire pressures and then drive it anywhere with little worry. It's at 87K miles.
I've had zero diesel particulate filter problems and maybe worry a bit that with pandemic and little driving it needs a good blow out.
Biggest worry these days is traveling to states where B20 biodiesel is the norm.
I've had zero diesel particulate filter problems and maybe worry a bit that with pandemic and little driving it needs a good blow out.
Biggest worry these days is traveling to states where B20 biodiesel is the norm.
The N/A 5.5l seems to be a pretty solid engine.
Last edited by Panzerknacker; 08-11-2022 at 10:14 PM.
#4
Sounds like a good trip. Mine just got back from a road trip from Northern CA to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Mammoth Mtn/Mono Lake area. A return through Death Valley was planned, but due to flooding and related road closures, we ended up going around it. Yours is a baby for mileage purposes though. Mine hit enough miles to have gone to the moon on the trip and rolled past 240K on the return trip. Other than picking up a screw in a tire leaving Vegas, it was a pretty uneventful trip for the GL and it did really well. No problem keeping the cabin nice and cool in 110F temps and seats are the most comfortable for long drives of any car I've owned.
The following users liked this post:
Prince Somorin (08-28-2022)
#5
Sounds like a good trip. Mine just got back from a road trip from Northern CA to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Mammoth Mtn/Mono Lake area. A return through Death Valley was planned, but due to flooding and related road closures, we ended up going around it. Yours is a baby for mileage purposes though. Mine hit enough miles to have gone to the moon on the trip and rolled past 240K on the return trip. Other than picking up a screw in a tire leaving Vegas, it was a pretty uneventful trip for the GL and it did really well. No problem keeping the cabin nice and cool in 110F temps and seats are the most comfortable for long drives of any car I've owned.
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The Thomas J (08-15-2022)
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#8
Yep the 5.5L gas engine. It had some issues with coolant leakage via the head not long after I got it at 40K miles, which was fortunately fixed under the CPO warranty, but other than that, the engine itself has been mostly trouble-free. Not surprisingly given the mileage, everything that rotates on the front of the engine with the exception of the water pump has been replaced, but the engine still barely uses any oil and runs as well as it ever did. It makes a noise at idle once warm that sounds like it could be a rattling timing chain from inside the cabin, but the noise is not detectable under the hood and it has been doing it since at least 200K, so I'm not sure what it is.
I'm a big fan of the M273. It is a nice torquey engine that makes power all over the powerband in a smooth refined manner. I've actually been shopping on and off for a 2010/11 E550 for use as a daily driver and retire the GL to hauling and towing duties as needed. Since used car prices seem to finally be heading downward, I'll probably get more serious with my searching in the new few months.
I'm a big fan of the M273. It is a nice torquey engine that makes power all over the powerband in a smooth refined manner. I've actually been shopping on and off for a 2010/11 E550 for use as a daily driver and retire the GL to hauling and towing duties as needed. Since used car prices seem to finally be heading downward, I'll probably get more serious with my searching in the new few months.
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The Thomas J (08-15-2022)
#9
The thing that kept me going in my extended downtime was reminding myself what a great motor it is. I am actually tempted to buy a e55 to have as a spare.
It is a heck of a road trip vehicle. Most I did in one day was 1100 miles:
#10
Sounds like a good trip. Mine just got back from a road trip from Northern CA to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Mammoth Mtn/Mono Lake area. A return through Death Valley was planned, but due to flooding and related road closures, we ended up going around it. Yours is a baby for mileage purposes though. Mine hit enough miles to have gone to the moon on the trip and rolled past 240K on the return trip. Other than picking up a screw in a tire leaving Vegas, it was a pretty uneventful trip for the GL and it did really well. No problem keeping the cabin nice and cool in 110F temps and seats are the most comfortable for long drives of any car I've owned.
#11
Same here. I believe it is a heat shield on the exhaust. I never bothered to look into it any further after I figured out it is not the timing chain.
The thing that kept me going in my extended downtime was reminding myself what a great motor it is. I am actually tempted to buy a e55 to have as a spare.
It is a heck of a road trip vehicle. Most I did in one day was 1100 miles:
The thing that kept me going in my extended downtime was reminding myself what a great motor it is. I am actually tempted to buy a e55 to have as a spare.
It is a heck of a road trip vehicle. Most I did in one day was 1100 miles:
#12
Ditto on the seats, Mercedes is great. Our R500 is even more comfortable with the larger legroom (at the expense of trunk space) and middle captain chairs (limited to 6 though). Sat in an uncle's 2012 GL450 and our R class is better for the rear passengers. Unfortunately it is currently down with a siezed engine. Been trying to find a shop that will replace it with the M113 5.5 AMG engine or the M273 5.5. I figure might as well go big if I'm replacing the engine anyways. Would be nice to have the M273.
#13
Last edited by Max Blast; 08-12-2022 at 10:28 PM.
#14
#15
My local dealer had a used R63 a few years ago that ended up getting purchased by an out of state buyer.
#16
What is SBC? Sensotronic Brake Control?
#17
Pretty sure it's the Sensotronic Brake Control. Mercedes did extend the warranty on them: https://atlanticmotorcar.com/casestu...d-to-25-years/
#18
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,690
Likes: 1,098
From: In my garage
E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
True about the E55 but the G55 used the M113K until it was replaced by the M157 in 2012. The M156 63 lacked the torque needed to push the G63 quickly enough so they kept the M113K. I skipped the AMG's with the M156 due to all the issues I read about and some of the early adopters said it was lacking compared to the 55. Many love the engine but I never viewed it as reliable enough for my hard-earned money.
#19
The model lineup that used the M273E47 and E55:
Kinda nervous about buying a motor and being unable to dynamically test it before installation, so yeah buying a E55 motor is not high on my priority list. It just fits in my imagination of driving this thing till I die. It is a ... pleasing ... motor for a road trip, the way it just effortlessly purs along. Much of my 1100 mile road trip was done at 85 mph on the interstate. Effortless and practically silent.
The E47 is a 4.7 L (4,663 cc) version.
Applications:The E55 is a 5.5 L (5,461 cc) version.
Applications:- 2006–2011 E 500 / E 550
- 2006–2010 CL 500 / CL 550
- 2006–2010 CLS 500 / CLS 550
- 2006–2012 GL 500 / GL 550
- 2008–2011 ML 500 / ML 550
- 2006–2009 S 500 / S 550
- 2007–2012 SL 500 / SL 550
- 2006–2009 CLK 500 / CLK 550
- 2006-2015 G 500 / G 550
- 2010-present KSU Gazal-1
Kinda nervous about buying a motor and being unable to dynamically test it before installation, so yeah buying a E55 motor is not high on my priority list. It just fits in my imagination of driving this thing till I die. It is a ... pleasing ... motor for a road trip, the way it just effortlessly purs along. Much of my 1100 mile road trip was done at 85 mph on the interstate. Effortless and practically silent.
Last edited by eric_in_sd; 08-13-2022 at 02:06 PM.
#20
Last E55 AMG model year was 2006. After that it was succeeded by the E63 AMG.
Pretty sure it's the Sensotronic Brake Control. Mercedes did extend the warranty on them: https://atlanticmotorcar.com/casestu...d-to-25-years/
Pretty sure it's the Sensotronic Brake Control. Mercedes did extend the warranty on them: https://atlanticmotorcar.com/casestu...d-to-25-years/
#21
The E55 as a car was a W211 and did NOT feature an M273 engine. That engine derived from previous M113. Car replaced by E63 in 2007. that engine a clean sheet design not derived from a main line engine. There was likely a W210 E55 as well.
I’m fairly certain the Wikipedia M273 article is in error when it suggests an ML450. In USA, the only gasoline V8 W164 was the ML550, the other gasoline models being ML350 with M272 V6.
I’m fairly certain the Wikipedia M273 article is in error when it suggests an ML450. In USA, the only gasoline V8 W164 was the ML550, the other gasoline models being ML350 with M272 V6.
Last edited by lkchris; 08-28-2022 at 08:01 PM.
#24
Sounds like a good trip. Mine just got back from a road trip from Northern CA to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Mammoth Mtn/Mono Lake area. A return through Death Valley was planned, but due to flooding and related road closures, we ended up going around it. Yours is a baby for mileage purposes though. Mine hit enough miles to have gone to the moon on the trip and rolled past 240K on the return trip. Other than picking up a screw in a tire leaving Vegas, it was a pretty uneventful trip for the GL and it did really well. No problem keeping the cabin nice and cool in 110F temps and seats are the most comfortable for long drives of any car I've owned.
I just did a 350 mile trip on Saturday on Nigerias roads. I continue to be very impressed with the truck.
The following users liked this post:
xsramo (08-29-2022)
#25
The E55 as a car was a W211 and did NOT feature an M273 engine. That engine derived from previous M113. Car replaced by E63 in 2007. that engine a clean sheet design not derived from a main line engine. There was likely a W210 E55 as well.
I’m fairly certain the Wikipedia M273 article is in error when it suggests an ML450. In USA, the only gasoline V8 W164 was the ML550, the other gasoline models being ML350 with M272 V6.
I’m fairly certain the Wikipedia M273 article is in error when it suggests an ML450. In USA, the only gasoline V8 W164 was the ML550, the other gasoline models being ML350 with M272 V6.