New to the forum: Just purchased a 2001 S55 advice needed.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 13
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2001 Mercedes S55 AMG
New to the forum: Just purchased a 2001 S55 advice needed.
Moving over from Club Lexus, to MB World.
I just purchased a 2001 S55 with 17K. Price that I settled on was $36.5K Aside from the ovious, what really appealed to me was the mileage.
Now I'm looking for an aftermarket warranty, hopefully up to 100K. I was told by some friends to watch out for the air suspension.
Any tips of wisdom for the 2001 S55?
Advice on warranty, etc....
Here is the link to the car I purchased.
And yea, I know people will be saying you should have purchased the 2003+ S55. I did look, but I really was digging this car.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...g=1&cardist=17
I just purchased a 2001 S55 with 17K. Price that I settled on was $36.5K Aside from the ovious, what really appealed to me was the mileage.
Now I'm looking for an aftermarket warranty, hopefully up to 100K. I was told by some friends to watch out for the air suspension.
Any tips of wisdom for the 2001 S55?
Advice on warranty, etc....
Here is the link to the car I purchased.
And yea, I know people will be saying you should have purchased the 2003+ S55. I did look, but I really was digging this car.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...g=1&cardist=17
Last edited by kazam; Jun 14, 2007 at 07:06 PM. Reason: Left out some addn'l info
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,278
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From: San Jose area
'19 E63S sedan
Congrats! The good news is you don't have the problematic air suspension (Airmatic). The bad news is that you have the more complex active hydropneumatic suspension (ABC). It's an engineering marvel and is the reason such a heavy car corners so flat.
It has a few trouble-prone components (valve blocks, lines, pump), but they don't seem to fail as regularly as some of the Airmatic components.
Good luck finding an extended warranty. They're not easy to come by for AMG models. Low mileage notwithstanding, they usually are also limited to something like 5, 6 or 7 years from original registration date, so that will probably limit the duration of any contract you do find.
If things do act up, don't hesitate to inquire here. Sometimes you can get a pretty good read on the problem based on member experience. (I had a 2001 S55, for example.) The dealers are usually pretty competent, but sometimes diagnosis-by-the-book can take three hours of labor when any owner who's been through it will simply say "accelerator sender." (BTW, when your car suddenly feels like it's running on one cylinder, it's time to replace your accelerator sender.)
It has a few trouble-prone components (valve blocks, lines, pump), but they don't seem to fail as regularly as some of the Airmatic components.
Good luck finding an extended warranty. They're not easy to come by for AMG models. Low mileage notwithstanding, they usually are also limited to something like 5, 6 or 7 years from original registration date, so that will probably limit the duration of any contract you do find.
If things do act up, don't hesitate to inquire here. Sometimes you can get a pretty good read on the problem based on member experience. (I had a 2001 S55, for example.) The dealers are usually pretty competent, but sometimes diagnosis-by-the-book can take three hours of labor when any owner who's been through it will simply say "accelerator sender." (BTW, when your car suddenly feels like it's running on one cylinder, it's time to replace your accelerator sender.)
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Joined: Jun 2007
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2001 Mercedes S55 AMG
Thanks for the preliminary advice.
This ABC suspension. Is this considered an air suspension? I ask because some warranty companies markup an extra $1,500.00, just because the has an air suspension.
This ABC suspension. Is this considered an air suspension? I ask because some warranty companies markup an extra $1,500.00, just because the has an air suspension.
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G55, SLS, smart eq
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,278
Likes: 377
From: San Jose area
'19 E63S sedan
That would depend on how they define air suspension. To an engineer ABC is very different. It uses hydraulic oil under high pressure to actuate the suspension struts, not air. To a warranty company trying to predict liability, it probably is. They probably define "air suspension" to include pneumatic or hydraulic actuation. You'd have to look at the fine print.
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From: West Los Angeles
Cobra/E55
Congrats on your purchase!~ 
Keep in mind many aftermarket warranties try to avoid paying claims at all costs. Make sure you read between the lines when/if purchasing such a warranty. Also, balance the cost of normal repairs to the cost of the warranty. Often times the cost of the repairs is cheaper.
Keep in mind many aftermarket warranties try to avoid paying claims at all costs. Make sure you read between the lines when/if purchasing such a warranty. Also, balance the cost of normal repairs to the cost of the warranty. Often times the cost of the repairs is cheaper.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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2001 Mercedes S55 AMG
Went ahead and purchased a 5/75K Platinum warranty through a local Mercedes dealership. From what I was told, the aftermarket company they utilize is very reputable and the coverage I'm receiving is very comprehensive, i.e. Factory radio, navi, adjustable suspension, etc...
