I have an opportunity to purchase a 2006 S65 with roughly 60K miles for 23K that is a one owner car and has spent its entire life in Texas. This car was under a warranty program through 2014 with the motor mounts and ignition coils being replace in 2009 with roughly 27K miles on the car. The car is in really good cosmetic condition, but the owner has been adding fluid to the ABC system of late indicating a leak and the suspension is 100% original, so I am sure there are some pending issues. I currently own a 2001 S500 and I am fully aware of the various issues these cars have and luckily I am very good doing my own repairs. However, I have never had a car with the ABC suspension and replacing the motor mounts can be extremely costly and it is not a job I would perform on my own. My question is should I pass on this car and look for a S55 instead? If I take the risk and purchase this car what is a fair price?

 

I'll speak to the motor mounts. I'm at 123K miles in my '08 and had the motor mounts done at 65K including the transmission mount. They are currently still OK but I expect I'll need to do them again soon. It cost me $1,300 at the dealer so it is not terribly expensive. An independent shop should be less. There is a lot of mis-information concerning the V12 cars and the cost of replacing mounts. $1,300 shouldn't seem excessive to you since you're already in an S Class. I had a 2000 s500 and it was cheaper to maintain because AMG parts just cost more (such as brake parts) and the newer cars have more "stuff" on them to maintain or replace. As you know, the V12 is tough on the motor mounts.

The '08 has the 2nd generation ABC system and to date I've had no issues. The first gen seems to be more problematic based on what I read in various forums. Not sure which is in the '06 but it obviously needs to be repaired. Might be a simple fix or you could be heading down the rabbit hole!

The V12 engine itself is very reliable. I've had no issues other than a split power steering hose, had to replace an o-ring on the coolant line at the DS turbo and replace both coilpacks (one at 60K and one at 120K miles). And if you really think about it, each coilpack has 12 coils so I've had 2 bad coils out of 24 in 123K miles. Problem is when one goes out you have to replace 12 coils so it is expensive! Coilpacks are easy to replace yourself. The coolant leak cost me $5 for an o-ring plus my time. Power steering hose was a trip to the dealer.

Randy

 

Randy, thanks for the reply. I am not sure if the 2008 model is different than the 2006, but I have been told the motor has to be removed in order to replace the motor mounts. Local shops in Dallas are quoting 2-3K for the service depending on what else needs to be replaced during the removal. Can anyone else confirm this and what is a typical cost is to replace the motor mounts on a 2006?

 

Read this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/s55-amg-s...pe-type-b.html

I think we have the same mounts.

 

The easiest way for a repair shop to replace the motor mounts on the S65 is to lower the front sub frame. The engine does not need to be removed. That's how my 2006 S65 and 2009 SL600 were done. While doing the mounts i recommend the plugs as well. My dealer did the plugs and some seals for about 1/4 the labor while the sub frame was down. The replacement mounts should last longer than the 2006 factory originals.
The ABC may just be failing hoses given the age. If so you should see some small drops of Pentosin on the floor. The 2006 does not have the improvements the 2008 has. My 2009 ABC has required no maintenance, the pulsation dampener on the did Pump fail but no other components. It makes an irritating whine between 1200 and 2300 RPM when that happens. When I sold my 2006 I bought a 20015 S65. Once you own one you never want to give it up.

 

My shop in north jersey can replace your w220 S65 mount in 2 hours for $600

 

I bet the 2015 is amazing!!!

 

I greatly appreciate all the information because it is making the decision a lot easier. It is amazing all the misinformation that has been posted about the motor mounts. I am going to see the car Saturday and will let you know if I pull the trigger.

 

I bought mine with 55k on the clock. Driver side motor mount was shot. Transmission mount collapsed. Leaking transmission pilot bushing. Worn ball joints. Passenger side coil pack bad. Nav DVD drive bad. Sharkfin busted. I've replaced the coil pack and the transmission mount, plus a bunch of other little things here and there. I paid 27k for the car which was too much now in hindsight.

Point of my story? A car with low miles does not equal trouble free. Have a knowledgeable tech do a full PPI, otherwise be prepared to open your wallet. The good news is that once the problems are fixed, you've got what's essentially a four door super car for peanuts.

 

Factor in 1k to 2k minimum on repairs and maintenance

 

My advice for 65's is "stay away." It's been that way since I bought my 55 in '09. All you're buying is a bit more power you cant use, for way more trouble than you can afford. Time and time again, this has proven true.

maw

 

I have to agree. The 55 with 500hp is plenty vs the 600hp 65 which is way more trouble to fix.. my MB specialist says a lot of them are turning them down because they are a pain to work on and it's not worth the hassle to them.. plus the 65's are known for a lot more trouble whereas the 55's drivetrain is known to be near bulletproof.

 

Sorry, I didn't read your entire post and didn't answer your question. Yes, get a 55 instead.

Coming from a W220 already and being a DIYer, you'll do most of the work on the 55 yourself, saving tons of money and headache (provided you use only OEM parts). The ABC system is the car's only real weakness. The answer there is don't buy one that's already exhibiting trouble, because ALL ABC trouble is costly. Period. Some will say you can rebuild the ABC valve blocks and a simple internal cleaning with new o-rings fixes them. People on this thread will do that for you for under $500 (IIRC). Others, like me, have learns that if you tend to the fluid (simple Pentosin) and filter every 3yr/30k miles, that takes care of virtually all issues. I just have a dealer do that, to keep them warm and friendly, plus on the hook. Those things are where you see typical failures, although one member has just seen massive pulley failures, which I just don't understand and have never heard of. I suspect non-OEM components or faulty installation are the culprits there, but I'm guessing from way beyond the arc.

However, the important thing is these failures are NOT inevitable, as is seemingly all trouble in the 65's (coil packs, ignition modules and transmissions, in addition to ABC, + more plugs, fluid, and a heavier car).

That extra weight, by the way, is why the extra 65 power is "meaningless" under (IDK) 120-ish MPH. And since you need the turbos to spool in the 65, the 55 is much more jumpy and athletic than the 65. The 55 snaps your neck back with instantaneous power, whereas the 65 predictably builds power then unpredictably never stops -- there's just more and more power coming.

Hope this helps a bit more than "stay away."

Cheers,

maw

P.S. Shops turn them away because the components are costly, the labor is always extensive, and the car will always, ALWAYS, be back. This means the customer will almost NEVER be happy and will suspect the shop is guilty of all sorts of thievery. And life is too short. At my home shop in a wealthy community of car nuts, I see people drop all sorts of money on 600's and 65's. And while the shop owners are good, cheap, quick and honest, they simply can't understand why their customers insist on throwing money at these cars. But they have a great customer set for this. Most don't.

 

To each his own, I would respectfully disagree though. The V8 has plenty of power but nowhere near the torque of the V12 and because of that they drive substantially different in my opinion. Maybe no faster at the strip or track but a very different character and feel on the road.

Parts for the V12 will be more expensive, but most of things that will fail on a car (any modern car) are usually not going to be engine related. The worst problem I have had with my car is a rodent that made a nest above the headliner. Other problems I've had are a bad bushing in the steering column, which also broke the steering rack and problems with the night vision. Also while you get more complexity with a V-12 engine on the flip side most years you get a simpler 5-speed transmission and RWD which is less complex than AWD.

It also depends on what maintenance you can do yourself. Overall it will typically be cheaper to own an S-65 you fix yourself than an S55 you take to the shop for repairs.

To each his own though

 

How did you know the bearing went out in the column? What were the signs to that?

 

I didn't at first which is why the rack ended up getting broken too. At first the steering was just a little sloppy but gradually it got harder and harder to turn. The thing was it is power steering so it wasn't really hard like the old manual steering cars I grew up with but harder than it should have been. At first I figured it was a speed sensor failure because there is supposed to be less boost at speed to give better "road feel" but when it wasn't that I was stumped.

Eventually I jacked it up and got under it whiles someone turned the wheel and could see there was something wrong. Even with the wheels off the ground and the engine running it was hard to turn. Watching the joint where the two meet was precessing substantially when the wheel was turned. Had to replace both the rack and the column.

 

a good shop with some know how can snake out the mounts and replace them for no more than a few hundred bucks. removing the motor is the really easy way of doing it though.
as for the reliability of the 65's i can speak from my experience for the last 4 years with one, the car is rock solid
93k miles and i still have the original suspension, ignition system and mounts, the people who cry about these cars being too much either don't have one or don't know how to take care of a car.
make avoiding potholes a habit and the suspension will be fine, make sure you run good fuel and no misfires, above all do regular services!!

 

"Once you own one you never want to give it up."
This could not be more true for me! Last week I spent 3 days detailing and machine polishing my 2007 S65 and it looks nearly perfect for a 10 year old car. I went and visited a old high school friend that I haven't seen in a year or so and he saw it and said I see you traded in for a new car.
At this point in my life I plan on keeping this car forever. Let's say it will be the first car in my midlife crises collection.

 

How often is your 08 asking for a quart of oil. I have 97k on the clock and i am seeing it ask about every 750 to 1000 miles. I bought the car with 90k on it. and love every mile it has taken me.

your the first person I have seen that has over 100k on the car and not ready to drop it out the door. thanks in advance jim

 

I haven't really kept track of it. I change oil every 5K miles and I probably put in 1 to 1.5 quarts between changes. Problem is no dipstick so its hard to be exact but I put in 9.5 quarts when I change the oil and I've never really checked to see if it needs oil right before I change it. Could be a quart low when I do the change. I check it occasionally and if it is low it is usually 1 or 1.5 quarts. I never let it get to the point that it tells me its low (think that is 2 quarts). I'll start keeping track and report later. I think these turbo cars use some oil. I have the MB V6 turbodiesel (210K miles) and it takes a couple quarts between changes (5K mile intervals). Just bought a GLS63 so I'll see how the 5.5 liter compares.

I had a Porsche years ago that needed a quart every fillup!! Dealer said it was normal but who believes anything the dealer says anyways!

Randy

 

I have two m275 cars. 600 and a 65. I run 5w-40 and notice it consumes less oil than running 0w-40. My 600 use less oil than the 65. If you read in the manual and a lot of other owners say a quart every 1000 miles is normal.