Not sure. Now I bought from a dealer, the vehicle has AMG S55 on the registration document, but the LCD vin is not working, the sticker on the door panel is correct, but a couple of things concern me. a) it doesn't have the body kit or the AMG logo on the dash. It have the engine cover, but I don't know if that could just be placed on a normal engine. Is there another chassis number plate anywhere, or a way to verify that it is an AMG engine. I do not think that the dealer has sold it knowingly, the early history indicates that the car came from Bahrain and was imported into the UK.

(quite important as I only have a limited time in which to return the vehicle).

Thank you.

 

Take the VIN and put it into this website. It will tell you if it's an S55 or not as well as other options the car has.

http://old.mbclub.ru/mb/vin/?lng=eng

 

Thank you, that's very useful as the options match (apart from it was shipped with no badges and it now has them), it also engine number and transmission which should be verifiable, but because the VIN LCD through the windscreen is not working, I still have a problem. Any ideas if there is another VIN plate ?

 

I have to modify this, I once had a car with a LCD chassis number, maybe a SAAB or my beloved RS2 (I also have an Alfa SZ). On the S55 there is nothing in the VIN window on the windscreen. It is dark grey, I assumed on a high tech car that it was LCD, but I've seen another S-class today with an embossed metal plate visible. The options list matches almost identically, but the car was original from Brunei which concerns me that another chassis or something serious happened to is before it came to England. There has been paintwork (very well) done to it a very long time ago (rust bubble under the paint correction).

I am still waiting on Mercedes UK to tell me if there is another VIN location on the chassis, as all I currently have is the VIN from a hand written sticker that makes me uncomfortable (according to MBUK they just read it through the windscreen so they don't actually know if a second plate exists either). I also have an engineer checking the transmission, ECU and engine numbers, from the very helpful link that was given above (thank you again). I may be concerned for nothing, but I've seen a lot of people on this very site rebadging there cars. What would be interesting would be if anyone with a real S55 could go to that website and see if their body kit is listed under "options" as in some countries it was optional. My one appears to have been a stealth car as it was originally order de-badged, and then someone has put the AMG badge on later.

 

My car has the production number (last six of the VIN) and all the option codes on the underside passenger side of the hood (bonnet) at the front. I can't remember if it has the whole VIN.

The AMG will have "AMG" on the plates on the door sills rather than "Mercedes Benz." It will also have "AMG" on the tachometer face if I remember correctly. If it has the original mats for the floor, they will also say "AMG." Those are little cosmetic things that a rebadged car will not have. I have a friend who has an '01 S55 and I remember those little things--though possibly not perfectly.

 

Put your COMAND into the Radio mode. Press 3, 5, 7 all at the same time and hold it for about five seconds (it may take you a couple of tries before you get it). A new screen will come up giving you options to set desired configuration. You will be able to select W220 Euro, W220 Euro AMG, W220 US AMG, W220 US, and others. After you select W220 Euro AMG, turn the car off, pull ignition key out and wait for 2 minutes for the system to re-set. Re-start the car. Now, instead of the 3 pointed star you should see the AMG Logo and if you don't see one then your car is not an AMG.

 

Look towards the front passenger seat, on the floor where the seat is anchored, you will see a little flap. Lift that flap up, and you should see the full VIN stamped to the chasis.

 

This should be able to work with the pre-facelift S55.

[Taken from Oxygen on mymbonline]

"For the W220 and W215:

Make sure your MFD is displaying the MILES screen.

Turn Key to OFF

Turn Key to ON

Press the R button (right side of cluster) three times while the SRS light is on: "



"If you pressed the reset button 3 times while the SRS light is on and you were on the MILES screen, your display will display your voltage: "



"You can scroll through the various screens using the page up / page down controls on the left side of the steering wheel: "

"You'll see the car model, engine type, oil level (when running), software versions, VIN # and a bunch of other information: "

 

Looking from the front towards the rear of the vehicle ? Thank you, Philip. (Car is currently at a garage and I have to phone through).

 

Thank you, tremendously useful and I'll phone it through to the garage where the car is at the moment.

 

Bugger, because it certainly has no internal markings saying AMG, not on the ventilated seats, door sills or foot mats (and it has the originals).

 

I'll phone this one through to the garage too, incredible amounts of information. Thank you all.

 

Any updates?

 

Well sort of, I raised my concerns to the Dealer, as well as mentioned some faults with the car (minor niggles), he then asked the garage to perform a full work up on the car and it's a minimum of £1000 worth of work which is being done now. I got a call back from MBUK and they state that it is normal for Arab cars to have no VIN through the windscreen, they've been over the spec of the car and think that it is real, which is very good. The engine numbers and transmission match what was shipped, there's still a query as to why there are no AMG kickplates, and the dashboard, but a general feeling that it was ordered that way to start with. As far as MBUK is concerned it is genuine. The AMG badges on the exterior came from the previous owner, who stuck them on because he felt it looked better, so it's pretty good. The garage could get the push button thing to work, but it's a MY2000, I'm hoping to have a go when I get the car back.

So basically the mystery as to why a de-badged/ no body kit S55 ended up being badged is solved, which was the main thing that got me suspicious, someone in Brunei ordered it to look like an S500 but with a surprise in the engine, someone in Birmingham stuck some AMG stickers on it. MBUK have it as an S55, and the dealer is correcting things for free like a faulty window regulator (£220) and a new drivers door module (£250), fuel filter, external temp gauge, Tyre valves jammed on. A pretty good result expect I haven't seen my car for two days now.

The body kit, missing VIN and dash got me suspicious, the VIN number leading to a report that almost matched but stated the car was shipped de-badged, coupled with someone saying it should have more internal AMG logos, got me even more suspicious, the MBUK saying an Arabic missing VIN was normal re-assured me. It's a good result but it has taken the glow off a little, I'd be a little happier with more AMG logos and a solid metal plate welded somewhere with the VIN number. or I'd have been happier if it had remained debadged and been sold as such.

 

Have any pics ?

 

If you have the ability to return it, then do so.

Buy a S55 that looks like an S55.

Just my opinion.

 

Not sure about foreign markets, but in the US the S55 was introduced in late 2000 as a 2001 model.

 

Why don't you dyno it? If you get 270-300whp, no doubt that the engine is from S55... can't say for sure the rest is, though

 

The secret comand system setup screen described above does not work in my '03 S55 AMG.

I tried holding in the 3, 5, 7 buttons at the same time.
Held down for 5 seconds. Tried 10 seconds. Tried 30 seconds. No change.

Also tried in AM, FM, WB, CD SVC and NAV and TEL modes.

Are you sure? I have the S comand system that uses a single CD for NAV, and the 6 disk changer in the trunk.

 

a) At the time of purchase I didn't know what an AMG body kit was like, and I would not have cared. I am disabled with a partially severed spinal cord, I am sensitive to vibration, and asked around dealers as to what the most comfortable car it, as I am currently stuck in a 2-3 mile area like a prisoner. I bought an S-class, simple as that, AMG because it was available and I mourn the days when I was able bodied and driving performance manual cars. Unfortunately it would appear that I am too badly damaged to travel even in a S-class, and I'm not best pleased about that. I like the car, the keyless-go is great, I thought it was a bit gimmicky but with the walking stick, it great not to have to fish around in my pockets. I like the seats, the shape, the soft touch doors are lovely and make everything else clunky. I find the GPS and parking sensors too slow, I believe the computer chip used is rather stone age compared to what I am used to in more modern cars.

b) I got the air conditioning diagnostics to display on a 2000MY by holding the REST button for 5 seconds. This link gives an explanation:

http://www.mymbonline.com/forum/view...+comand#333541

c) I have been unable to get the diagnostics on a W220 2000MY to work by pressing the reset button 3 times when it is on the miles screen as advised above. Any advice would be appreciated.

d) I have been unable to get an AMG screen on the COMAND screen, I was wondering if that was a hoax.

I appreciate everyone's help and comments both on and off forum, the forum notification is not quite working so I missed some posts. Thank you.

 

From this link I have been able to get a type of diagnostic screen on COMAND

http://www.mercupgrades.com/Mercedes COMAND Diagnostic (Service) Mode-article-13.html

(pushing 1, 3 and mute at the same time for about 5-10 seconds works)

the information shown is not very good though, I appear to have a software version dating back to late 1999 so no logo or anything really useful apart from some general diagnostics, must talk MBUK as there is apparently an update to 2003 on the original W220 COMAND as opposed to COMAND-APS (I tend to write things in full in the hope a search engine will pick it up and solve other people's problems quicker than it's taken me).

 

you can't tell the difference of the exhaust note btwn a 500 and 55? What about having a look at the brakes? Are they AMG equipment? I would think it would be rather easy to tell just by driving?

 

Anybody could put an aftermarket exhaust on it, and even then it's rather too civilised, I had an RS2, 8 years ago, it had variable cams as well as a rather large turbo charger, so 0-60 gave not one but two kicks in the kidneys in 4.8 seconds, it also handled like a pig. It turned corners, eventually.

The AMG is an AMG, the debate was mainly whether it was an engine put into an S-class body. I have it's early history now, it was ordered from Brunei but came to England directly as they got the AMG 14 months before we did in the UK. It's a very peaceful car, the auto close doors leave me relaxed and unslammed, and all other cars just don't feel the same. The keyless go is great, but leads to much irritation when fishing around for my house keys. Now if I could only add the features to my house, I'd be really chilled, a keyless, soft close front door, or maybe a soft closing fridge and washing machine, ventilating bottom fans on my sofa would be quite nice too... if only MB designed houses.

 

+1 Got to love the S-Class...