PillDrive

I have access to a 2003 S55 built in may of 2003 with 77k miles on it...looks in great condition and the engine purrs like a kitten. Any thoughts about the age/miles and what to look/check before i buy it?
I am a good wrencher but this will be my first MB. Any tools/tips/tricks i should get/have?
Thank you for your help....

C43AMG

Another one for sale here - https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...l-records.html

DRTYLNDY

Hey PillDrive,
Well to start I have a 2003 S55 and I love it!
I would try and find out what if any ABC work has been done. The pumps are good for about 80k miles and then they need replacement. Other than that I wouldn't be to scared just the damn ABC. It is always expensive when it fails.
Johan

mrbenzes

My brother in law is looking at a 2004 today...here is what I told him:

The originals are Michelin Pilots.

-There are plenty of shields under the car…you wont be able to see much from below….check for the following (you probably already have all of this on your list)
-Make sure it has the navigation DVD
-The car will have no antenna, other than the SAT/Cell block antenna on the rear window.
-Any records are a plus
-Check the front and rear rotors, they are both cross-drilled in design
- Good front tires and bald rears don’t necessarily mean the car was abused, everyone tells me that 20,000 miles on a set of rears is normal without smoking the tires….and the fronts will last twice that. Make sure the rear has different size tires than the front…they are wider.
-The keyless start only requires you put your foot on the rake and press (and quickly release) the gearshift button, it should start quickly.
- Check that glovebox door, it should close and stay closed with a uniform gap.
- Work al of the windows and the rear shade, they should go all of the way down and smoothly.
- The trunk opener will hit you in the head if you are not careful, and the right close button will lock the car as well.
- Lock the car at least once, the mirrors should fold in smoothly at a uniform speed.
-The car should be relatively silent at all speeds.
- Check all glass for the Three pointed star symbol, it is a dead giveaway for damage if aftermarket glass is present.
- I saw a few scrapes on the right front wheel…this is common but not very pretty, point out these flaws to the salesman and the price becomes lower…
- The sunroof has the pop up function and the slide back function, as well as a shade and wind deflector.
- It should be very docile at low RPMs but really bite back when pushed…if you see a flashing triangle under hard acceleration, that is normal and you are spinning the rear tires. I don’t recommend flooring the car until you are used to it…you can break the rears loose at 50MPH loaded with passengers, with no problem, on dry roads.
-Try the power rears and the rear HVAC, it is a contained unit all within the center console (and takes up all of the storage space there).
- Try the phone and make sure you get the Cellphone with it….you will probably want to get a Bluetooth module later, but the original phone is worth about $250 on EBAY. The Bluetooth module will cost about $300 but will work fine with your I-phone.
-The Navigation will seem quite antiquated compared to your I-phone…remember it is a 2004.
- Make sure it has the CD-changer magazine and that it ejects OK.
- The spare wheel is a solid black 18” wheel that is a five-spoke design……you will need that to fit over the big brakes.
-The tools are a plus but a standard wheel wrench will work fine.
- I have found that the heated seats take about 10 minutes to warm up, I wouldn’t worry about too much testing of them…..they will work.
- Check the ABC and Power steering fluid levels…there aren’t any dipsticks for Oil or Tranny fluid….I’ll help you get those on EBAY later.
- Filp through the menu screens and make sure there are no “Messages” after driving, this will tell you if something is wrong and the car will tell you.
` - Don’t be too alarmed if the TPMS (tire pressure moitoring system) is not operational….each in-tire monitor has a battery and they go dead after about 5 years…they are $50 per wheel, at the dealer, to replace the battery…Mine has stopped working (all four) and gives me a message every time I drive it.
- There is a button on the center dash console that shows the car going up and down, push it and the car will raise or lower about two inches very quickly (While running)…try it out.

Bottom line, don’t think you wont find a better one, if you don’t like it….just walk away…there are plenty of these cars out there…especially in TX.

PillDrive

Thanks MrBenzes....well....i went and looked at it again.....i test drove it for 45 mins including highway.....it did great...i even sat on their parking lot and raised and lowered the car about 20 times...no problem...SO I BOUGHT IT!!!

Love the ride...and after 150 miles....ABC warning...WTF...so i have to get to my benz dealer on saturday to check it out......I CANNOT believe this happened after me trying it about 20 times....the car does not sag..it stays where it is...but it wont lower or go up...it drives ok but a bit spongy..still love the car and i will get it fixed up.

Becks Imports

Hopefully the seller will take care of you. But I can tell you two things:

1. Unless you are a pro mechanic that specializes in these cars, you should never ever ever buy one without a full pre-purchase inspection done by an MB dealer or indepedent specialist shop. The car can look great, drive great, and need an easy $5K in repairs. Not saying that's going to happen to you, but it can happen (happens to me often, but I can return the car, I buy 20+ of them per year).

2. Making the car go up and down in parking lot is not the same as driving it, although it sounds like you DID drive it and it still was OK. Many time is needs filter cleaning and hydro fluid flush, but drive very cautiously and get it to shop ASAP. Take pic of cluster showing miles and ABC warning as proof of problem to show to seller, get estimate, do not do any repair work, and then speak to seller to try and get them to take responsibility.

However, if you did your test drive, and drove it off, and had no warranty, technically it's on you. It truly is possible that the problem actually happened for the first time on your drive home, but it's unlikely.

Bruce

mrbenzes

I would guess that the car may have been sitting awhile and the new activity may have contributed to the warning light...it is good news that the car is not sagging. Is the warning in white or RED letters on the dash?
I recently workied on mine and made the mistake of starting it while it was up on jack stands...it threw a real fit with the ABC and ESP warnings...However, when I took it for a quick drive afterward (with warnings blaring) it setled right back down and all warnings turned themselves off. You should definetly check the ABC fluid level before driving it for any period of time and certainly check for leaks all around. From the sounds of your pre-purchase checking, I would suspect that the problem may be minimal....but you never know. I can attest, however, that it would be difficult for an individual, or even a dealer to hide an ABC issue for any amount of time ( I mean even for 5 minutes) without the warning messages appearing.
Keep us posted.
Mike

PillDrive

Well....this morning on my 20 mile drive to work...no issues...no warnings...btw the abc warning yesterday was red and the first thing i did is stop and look at the reservoir...full....so far the error has not returned but i found a new issue. It looks like the IR system for locking/unlocking isnt working....i couldnt lock my car at work and thought it was the remote but a friend in the building told me she cannot use her fob at work either...we work very close to 4 big radiotowers....so i walked up to the car and tried the remote very close to the antenna in the back and that did the trick....but if i walk up to the doors and hold it in front of the handle nothing happens so i guess the IR isnt working....i am going to see if the fob puts out an IR signal later today and if it is then i guess the IR system in the car isnt working...any thoughts?

And even though i have had a few issues allready in the first 24 hrs.. i still smile when the engine comes alive ...so i guess thats a good thing.

mrbenzes

That is good news...sounds kind of like my ABC warnings..that was several weeks ago and no issues...Your FOB issue sounds like just a dead battery to me...pop the key out of the FOB and use it to pry it apart gently. There is a battery in there to replace...go adead and replace in both FOB's if you have two...because both of mine went dead within days of each other.
Too bad the TPMS isnt that easy.

Mike

mrbenzes

I told you wrong in that last email about the FOB...use the key to gently pry the large end OUT of the fob....not apart...the keylatch end slides out of the housing and you cant miss the battery.

I still smile when I hear that rumble too...wait until you are going along at 140 and it feels like 80...talk about smiles !!!

Mike

PillDrive

Thanks MrBenzes...another thing that i have noticed (and it may not be a problem) is when i floor he car and then get of the throttle its almost like a manual shifter where the car slows down like your in that gear ....my Q45 was VERY smooth if i accelerated and then took the foot of the gas....this one seems very harsh

mrbenzes

I bet you are in "Sport" mode when you feel it hold the gear in deceleration...that is a normal function of the adaptive transmission...it is designed to hold the gear longer...I run mine in "comfort " mode 99% of the time because it doesnt hold the gears, or start in first, etc...it also allows for the best MPG.
Keep it in sport if you want to race everyone that you pass...it will happen that way too.

Mike

PillDrive

Hey Mike
The car has been in Comfort mode the whole time...in sports mode it does it even stronger...but its ok...
Anyways....after having the abc warning on all day since after lunch i finally got home and wanted to get the actual error code...so i hooked up my scanner and turn on the car.....and wait....wtf....NO ERROR...hhmm...let me play with the ride height....so i sat ther for ten minutes putiing the car up and down...no problem....and all at idle...if the pump were bad it wouldnt create enough pressure at idle to do this....so i sucked a little fluid out of the reservoir and took a look...its pretty dirty...im thinking the system has never been flushed...so i will go to the dealer and do just that...and just for good measure ill do a tranny flush as well...does anyone know how much either usually runs?

DRTYLNDY

So I hate to be the negative nilly but this ABC issue is almost exactly how my car behaved when my ABC pump began it's failure. It happen all the sudden one day but would go away and come back. Then a few days latter that was
it! The pump would put out about 175 Bar cold but once warm dropped like a rock. I believe the seals inside the pump wore out and my fluid as well was filthy black. Unfortunately I waited to long and ended up having to replace both valve blocks as well because I contaminated the system by waiting to long! I hope it all works out for you and good luck. By the way I ended up spending about 7k in repairs to my ABC but I still LOVE this damn car.

mrbenzes

A dearler transmission change with filter is $450....Not sure about an ABC flush...You now have me wanting to do mine too...I have to check the fluid color....Mike

StarPower

Mine does the same thing. It surprised me at first, but it's normal.

What did you use to scan the car? Most scan tools will only detect general codes (mostly emissions stuff). You need the MB software (SDS) to read ABC codes. Even if the error goes away, the fault will be saved in the computer. A dealer or independent with SDS should be able to read it.

PillDrive

So i went to my local dealer yesterday to get the tranny flushed and the abc looked at and an inspection done....the service guy told me he had to talk to his manager before doing an inspection...im like "WHAT??" so then he quotes me 270 for a inspection (another guy told me 143 on thursday) and 600 for the tranny flush...so i told him that he just lost a customer....what a POS. So im going to have to go to an indy....does anybody know a good one in ther miramar , pembroke pines , hollywood region??

btw mike... the abc seems to get actually better....now it works more than it doesnt...so maybe a good flush WILL do the trick.

And still smiling on startup in the morning.....had the first tank go through...im doin about 14mpg with 90% city driving...not too bad.

mrbenzes

My average is about 14-16 MPG too..It is hard to keep your foot out of it...When I bought mine I set the Cruise at 75mph and averaged 22MPG from Atlanta to Nashville...so it can be done!
I am trying to figuere a way to flush the ABC without using the dealer too...I know about the RODEO function but cant figure why the simple raise and lower functions wont serve the same purpose during a flush...I refuse to pay the dealer prices for basic services....
Mike

PillDrive

I dont see the flushing as a big problem.....take the reservoir off and clean it good....change the filter...start with new fluid in the reservoir .....put the car up so all wheels hang down....turn the engine on and start bleeding from the furthest corner on in....take an extra bottle or 2 after you see clear green fluid and that should do the trick...after that just pump the car up and down a few times.....go drive a few miles and do another pump session....done....im gonna order fluid either today or tomorrow.

mrbenzes

I ordered 10 liters of ABC fluid today...Now I need to get to the dealer for the filter. I dont like the bleed process you suggested....why not reroute the return to the housing to an external container and continue to feed clean fluid into the housing? Then just run the car at idle and raise and lower multiple times until the return fluid is clear?
Mike

PillDrive

Well... i finally got my WIS to work and looked it up...you are right...thats the way to do it....unhook the return line into a bucket and let er rip...but i would still take the reservoir off and clean that first...mine looks gunky...where did you get the fluid from if i may ask?

DRTYLNDY

Please be very carefull when working with the ABC. Even the smallest amount of dirt will cost you tons of cash. It takes very very little to kill a valve block. I even took apart one of my old valve blocks to see for myself. Good luck guys.
I do agree with you guys about the dealer, I will only go back to them if it is the ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT.

mrbenzes

I bought mine at www.autohausaz.com , they have the pentosin fluid but no filters...They also have the correct power steering fluid. I have heard a flush takes about 10 liters.
Mike

PillDrive

Yeah Autohausaz is where i get my stuff from too....i have to read up about the steering flush....should be easy....btw my abc hasnt come on in 2 days now...but the tranny shifts a little ruff...so i think im going to do the tranny this weekend first..then the abc and sparkplugs and wires and filters....after that it should be ok

mrbenzes

I did my tranny a few weeks ago...Bought the fluid on EBAY for abou $11 per liter. drain the pan and remove and change the filter...Measure how much fluid you drain and add the exact amount back....start and take a short drive, then drain fluid only and replace two more times...you'll need about 8 liters total...there is now drain on teh torque converter....dammit!
There is a way to flush the whole thing by removing the input and output pump lines and connecting a pressured machine to "flush" the entire system coolers, etc, with kerosene. I'm not sure how to get all of the KERO out, after completion...maybe just keep pushing the ATF through untul all red. I also bought a "SHOP" transmission dipstick tool on EBAY for a "before" and After" level test.
Mike