I was gonna do the basic tune up. since she's at 83,xxx miles
Spark Plugs
Belts
Fuel Filter
Air Filters
anything else?


I was wondering what the best parts are, as I'm not too Familiar with Mercedes, this is my first.

I was gonna do Bosch plugs but noticed that the Iridum one Bosch 9652 sells is cheaper that the "OE" plug Bosch FR6MPP332 sells. I had Assumed Bosch is the best plug for the application.

I Figured K&N air filters

Any SC belts better then others?

I've also seen a few threads on the I/C pump going bad? I noticed my intercooler is hot when the car is running. My past intercooled cars the SC was room Temp when the car was running. Does this mean my I/C pump is bad? or is this normal? how do u test the IC pump?

 

Does anyone have any input?
Thanks, Stuart

 

I hate to say it, but I'd recommend asking the same question on the w211 forum, it's more active and more guys working on their cars. Most of the parts will be similar if not exact.

 

Yeah I hate to say it but This forum seems quite useless when u have a serious question. But if it's something silly it will get 50 replies in an hour

 

Which MB model and year do you own? Do you have a service history for your MB? Do you have an Owners Manual? Have you read it?

All I see is an Acura under your moniker, kid.

 

I have an 04 S55 , 83k miles i have read the owners manual yes. but i don't wanna use stock parts.

 

Sorry you didn't get much response, but I agree with Zax63, this particular section is not that active for this sort of question. Nevertheless, here's my input...

Spark Plugs - There was a TON of discussion a few years back about plugs in a different section. No real consensus came of it other than the agreement that everyone had a different point of view. I have tried different plug designs over the years, and found for a solid street application, the standard Bosch OEM plug was pretty good. If someone has dyno data to the contrary, I'd love to see it. That said, the plugs in your car should last at least 100K if the gas used was high-quality and a higher octane. If the car’s past is unknown, I’d change them.

Belts - To me, a belt is a belt as long as it's a good quality. I used Goodyear Gatorback in my SL600 and have had zero issue. Why Gatorback? Simply because it was over-the-counter at the local parts house.

Fuel Filter - Again, high quality is best as you want one that captures stuff but doesn't restrict the flow. Personally, I get mine from the local MB dealer but I also get a heavy price discount, so the cost is comparable to aftermarket.

Air Filter - This one will generate a TON of hate, but I do not recommend K&N Filters in street applications. I use the standard OEM style, which is made by Mann. Believe it or not, I have found these now available in some local parts houses, so the dealer is not the only source. K&N Filters do increase air flow, but at the sacrifice of increased pore size. Thus, more stuff passes through the filter. There are published papers available on the Internet that substantiate this. And the infamous one-million mile Chevy truck running K&N marketing hoopla has also been debunked.

Other items…
1) Run a bottle of Techron Fuel Injector Cleaner every 3,000 miles.
2) Use Mobil One 10w40 Synthetic oil. Realistically though, you could use any 10w40 synthetic. If you live in the northern climates, use 10w30 in the winter months.
3) This is another one that may generate a TON of discussion, but I change my oil every 5,000. Not because the oil deteriorates, but MB has consistently shrunk the size of the oil filter over the years as compared to the surface area of moving parts in the engine. The smaller size captures less stuff over time. If the filter were larger, I’d go 10,000.
4) Yet another highly emotional point amongst MB owners… I flush the brake fluid every 3 years. Subjectively, I do feel a firmer, more responsive brake pedal. Really though, personal choice.
As for the intercooler, I have no points to offer as like you, I have only recently acquired my S55. (I'm assuming by your moniker that you have an S55.) So I’m in the learning curve on the M113 engine.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

It's nice to get a real response. Thanks, However I already spent $80 on 2 K&N air filters. and $100 on Iridium Bosch spark plugs. Not the OEM bosch either. So i Guess we'll se what happens... and yeah my brake pedal feels a bit softer than I expected from this car. So maybe I'll bleed them out and see what happens. And yeah I'm not sure but I would think my IC pump should run after the car is off?? till it gets cool but i'm not sure.. my supercharger is hot while the car is running and i don't like that

 

Regarding the brake flush, use caution. Do not let the brake reservoir get low while bleeding the brakes. If any air gets into the system and migrates to the ABS Block, you could start to feel weird brake sensations. Any air in the ABS block can compress, while the fluid does not, causing the ABS circuitry to react differently than it should.

If you are feeling a spongy brake now, I would recommend finding a local independent MB Repair Shop to do a complete brake flush, including the ABS Block. You never know how much air, if any, is in the system now. After that, you could flush it yourself using traditional techniques. Purging the ABS Block (at least on my SL600) is not a trivial event. I’m assuming the S55 is as difficult.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

There are two sources of information that may help answer your question (and I, too, am interested in the answer). Within the MBWorld site, use the search function for "intercooler". You'll get about 250 hits, but they'll be across the board. Look at the extreme right column for our particular area. This helps narrow down the choices. You may find some clues. At a minimum, you’ll learn more about the intercooler.

Second, there is a section under 'Mercedes Tech Talk' called ‘M113 V8 Kompressor Platform’. Although not highly active, there are a few things in there that might be applicable for our engine.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

Thanks for the help guys, I'll look through there deffinately. and I'm pretty stubborn I'm not so sure I'll take it to the shop. At least not until I break it myself.

 

I wouldn't use any synthetic oil, make sure it is spec MB 229.5 grade (0w40 Mobil 1), otherwise you may accumulate sludge and critical engine parts may not get the full lubrication it needs. Non 229.5 spec oil may also break down sooner.
These engines generate a ton of heat and oil cools 40% of the engine. Also note that these engines cost about $85k, so treat it well.
Brake fluid changes are normally every 2 years. These cars like clean brake fluid.
There's nothing wrong using stock parts, they are engineered to fit exactly and maintain the performance of your car. You can go online to get wholesale prices. I wouldn't use any other aftermarket parts. These cars can be sensitive(especially spark plugs), so use what is required. I've heard others may get misfires or rough idle if you use the wrong kind of plugs.
My I/C was cutting out, so got it replaced and all is well. Go with the stock equivalent and you'll be OK.

 

I'm with you, you can never change that oil too often...I wont go past 3000 miles on mine and use Mobil 1. Mine only goes about 3000 per year so I'm not changing the oil that often anyway. All stock on the other filters and plugs fo me as well.
I bought the ABC fluid but have not changed mine due to the good color in the reservoir. I will do my brakes this winter sometime.

Mike