Definitely change the oil. IMHO, oil should be changed at the very least once a year, regardless of mileage. (Obviously if not driven many miles to justify an oil change based on miles driven).

 

OK, so tomorrow I will change oil, clear codes and go for a drive. Hopefully all will clear and stay clear.

BTW, we did a full deep cleaning, wash and wax and she looks like new.
Well, almost. The back of the roof paint has faded a little and some of the clear coat on the rear bumper has flaked.
Other than that, looks like a new vehicle

 

Pictures???????

The clear coat can always be fixed/ reapplied.

 

 

W O W !!!!!!!!! You have no idea how happy I am for you, ………… absolutely B E A U T I F U L!

If you decide to address the clear coat issues, you will indeed have an almost brand new car. Trust me, you will love this ML and it’s all wheel drive capabilities up in the Sierras.

Good luck with the codes tomorrow while driving it. KEEP US POSTED, we are all rooting for you.

What’s the latest on the SL?

 

Pics don't really do it justice

 

Well, I think it looks GREAT!

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

The SL will most likely stay put until spring. Too much to deal with once winter actually starts

 

Damn, that looks like it has almost all the bells and whistles. I can tell you've got the adaptive curve HID headlights by the headlight washer cutouts in the bumper. Also looks like you have ventilated and heated seats. Maybe the only options missing are Distronic, Parktronic, and Keyless Go.

 

It may have those things. I don't know what they all are haha, but I know it is pretty loaded.
It has a button cover for over the ignition that pulls off. Don't know if they all do

 

The button cover is for Keyless Go, so it seems like you do have that option. I couldn't see if it has any sensors in the bumpers, but if it does, it has Parktronic. Distronic is the adaptive cruise option, but it's a very rare option on the W164s. It's actually rare to see a W164 with all those options.

 

That would be your push button start. I also see the black squares on the door handles which would mean: Keyless GO!

 

OP has scored a great SUV, hasn’t he!!!!!!!

 

It has bumper sensors front and rear. Nice
It sounds like it has keyless go.
Sounds like it doesn't have Distronic, but how do I find out?

Getting more and more excited about this vehicle

 

As you should !!!!!!!

 

Yep, he did. I would love to find a R500 or R550 with all the options, but I've dumped so much money into my current R500 it makes no sense to get rid of it .

Maybe one day I would retrofit the missing options. For now the priority is to get ML/R63 brakes on it. For whatever reason my R500 came with 330mm front brakes and solid rear brakes, the lowest option the W251s had.

Distronic cars would have a solid grill emblem to protect the radar unit sitting behind it.

 

Happy New Year!

What’s the latest? Anything happening during the Holidays?

 

Happy New Year to you as well.

Thanks for checking in

Not a ton new.
Cleared the codes and went for a drive.
Flat spots on the tires, so it felt as though I was driving over a road with nonstop mini speed bumps.
Is the suspension on these stiff? When I did hit some actual bumps at slow speed, I could really feel them.

I still have the ABS light on. Do I need a dealer to clear that?

 

No, a half decent scanner should allow you to erase the codes. Doesn't erase the problem though.

Sounds like you should look at your shock absorbers given the harsness of the ride. Change your tryes first and remove that from the equation.

 

How old are the tires? If it has been sitting for that long, the tires are most likely shot!

Not sure about the suspension stiffness, as mine does not have airbags, but I would imagine the suspension with airbags to be even softer, as mine does not feel stiff at all.

Any good Indy should be able to clear the codes.

 

Changing my tires are next.

I was able to clear the Check Engine with my scanner.
The ABS and the triangle stayed on

Pic was taken before I cleared Check Engine

 

The air suspension should be quite soft unless it is in lift mode. Sport mode is also somewhat stiff. The button with the picture of the shock is how you change the suspension stiffness. Sport is top light, Auto is no lights, and Comfort is bottom light. If you cycle through the different modes and find no change in stiffness, your shocks probably need replacement. Arnott is cheaper than Bilstein, but some people have had issues with Arnott air bags. If buying Arnott, I recommend using FCP Euro for their lifetime warranty. Arnott no longer offers lifetime warranty while Bilstein still does.

 

Hi All.
Just a quick update.
So, my girlfriends Mom passed away at Christmas (93 great long years).
That means I gotta go get that SL550 before the house goes up for sale.
Not looking forward to it. Hopefully it is easier than the ML550 which I doubt.

The latest on the ML is we are working with the DMV to get registration changed and up to date. Holy crap are the back reg fees huge.
Tires will be ordered soon and then off to our mechanic for a simple once through. Prob a new belt and he'll test the rest of the fluids.

I will be posting over on the SL forum for this question, but if someone happens to know, I thought I'd at least try. You all have been super helpful on the ML and I can't thank you enough.

Q1 - Does the SL have the tow hooks that screw in? Trying to figure out how to get it on hauler as well as secure it for transport.
Q2 - The battery will need to be replaced. I am showing 4 batteries for this beast. We will be replacing all batteries, but for the time being, does anyone know which battery MUST be replaced to just put the car in neutral?

Thanks

 

First and foremost, condolences for the loss of your girlfriend’s mom. I am sorry for your loss.

Was actually thinking about you earlier wondering what was going on.

Can’t help you with the SL questions, I would imagine it having a tow hook as part of the tool kit, but am not sure.

Good luck.

 

Thank you for saying that.

No worries on not being able to answer. Totally get that.
The more research I do, it looks like I should just replace the 2 main batteries at the very least.
It has a shifter, so hopefully I don't have to replace any battery just to get it into neutral (doubtful haha). Once home its going to sit for months more. Thats when I want to replace the batteries