trumpet1

I'm on the verge of taking my ECU unit out and sending it to Florida at Renntech to have the horsepower/torque upgrade performed. It will raise the values to approximately what an S65 has without having to pay the $40K difference so in my mind this $6400 mod is worth it. Has anyone had any problems, (or should I expect any problems), from my dealer each time I have routine service done? Will they fuss at me and make me wish I had not done it due to possible warranty issues if the increased power damages the car? It will have the RennTech badging on it and I know their eyes will pop up when they see that. Has anyone had any issues with the ownership experience after doing these mods? Also, will this $6400 upgrade increase the value of the car or is this a lost investment during a trade or sell?? I don't plan to sell the car at all as I love it but this economic factor does raise my eyebrows a little.

art@kronen

Trumpet1,

Just sent you a PM.

AdamG@NorCal

Where are you located Sir and which dealership are you dealing with? Oh yeah, we have a rebate on any Renntech products you purchase from EuroElites.

trumpet1

Thanks, I got it. I responded but I hope you got my response. I'm new to the forum and I may not be using the reply feature correctly. I have AOL and I can't seem to stay logged on. I am now just using my internet browser and it seems to work better. I hate AOL!!!
David

AdamG@NorCal

David,

No worries, you can call me any time too if you need help. I am pretty much 24/7 on m5board and mbworld.

trumpet1

Does anyone know if the transmission in a S65 AMG is built any different than that of an S600??? Should I be worried about the increased torque upon my S600 tranny as opposed to an S65 tranny which already has the H.P. and torque values similar to a Renntech upgrade?

MB Fanatic

The 5 speed transmission is a solid one and built to withstand a lot of power. You might want to look into a TCU (Transmission control unit) upgrade from Renntech that would allow it to shift much faster than it is right now.

trumpet1

I had both ECU and TCU upgrades done. Now my wife wants to drive all the time. She thinks she is Jeff Gordon
Damn this car is powerful.

MercPlease

Sorry to troll but.. whats this "$6400" upgrade? The ECU? Sorry for asking....

trumpet1

The ECU and the TCU. The engine control module and transmission control module were altered to increase performance.

trumpet1

The only negative thing I've experienced so far with the upgrades is that a slight jerk occurs about once every other day between 1st and 2nd gear when starting from a standstill especially after just cranking the car up. This was a problem right after I bought the car but they did some sort of campaign work on the car at the last service and it went away. Now it seems to have reappeared since I got the upgrades. It's not a serious jolt but enough to make everyone in the car question what's going on. They all ask me "Is that supposed to happen like that?". Not enough of a problem to make me wish I hadn't done the upgrade. I'm still pleased with the results.
I tried to make the car repeat the problem but I couldn't get it to do it.
My guess is that the tranny is still trying to adapt to my various styles of driving. It's probably confused because I still sometimes open the throttle to test out the power (Dr. Jekyll) and then I go back to easy driving (Mr. Hyde), so it can't figure out if it's on the Talladega 500 or on a lazy country road!

pmrogers

Trumpet, after 6 more weeks with the change, any other regrets or further thoughts about the upgrade? I'm on the verge of going with the same upgrade myself.

My only regret with the 600 so far is that it won't reliably give me full power when I drop the pedal. About 1 time in 3 I can floor it while at 3000rpm and just about get thrown through the back of the seat, while the other 2/3 times there is about 1.25 second lag before power delivery.

Did you have any issues with consistent power delivery before the ugprade?

Cheers,
Paul

trumpet1

Hey Paul,
I felt exactly as you do about the unreliability of getting a surge of power on demand from the stock 600. Yes, the power delivery was not consistent. Their were times when it was strong and then times when it disappointed me. That is why I decided to do the upgrade and now I am very happy with the performance. To answer your questions, I love the upgrade. It always impresses me with plenty of power at all RPMs. Very quick car!!!! Passengers are amazed as well. I rarely feel the jerk in the tranny now and it is certainly not a deterent for doing this upgrade. I even added the letters biturbo on the sides like on an S65.
I honestly feel this is the best way to get the best Mercedes. Buy an S600, Renntech it, and you'll get the best of all worlds in the new model.
Even some S65s don't get the distronic cruise. Here in the U.S., that is a feature you really need.

pmrogers

Great feedback, Trumpet, thanks! Have you had any dealer visits since the upgrade, and did they give you any grief if so? I think I'll do this, if I can get comfortable that it won't void my warranty or extended warranty.

trumpet1

That was one of my concerns as well but they never said anything about it one way or the other.

obaidan

Do you have ART Steplights for 2007 S-Class (Long Wheel Base version)? Please provide price if possible + shipping charges to NY. Installation is not required assuming detailed installation manual is included.