Hi.......... I'm looking to buy an SL R129 body, probably the V8........

Can anyone advise me what is the best year.....or worse to own? What should I look for or look out for when shopping for one?

Thanks

 

96 and up

 

The ones with complete service history. Honestly, they are all trouble free if well cared for.

 

Agree with that. It's worth going for a car after the first face lift in 95/96 (identifiable by the door air bags). It's also correct that full service history is vital. Differences in how the car has been used and maintained will completely mask any year to year variation.

 

The last face lift got new engines as well...

I bought a 99 320 v6 last lear FMBSH 23K on the clock...

So far I have spent about £2000 on the bloody thing

Gearbox leak,
MAF/MAS sensor,
Catalytic Converter,
Paint Work,
now needs new plastic windows in the softtop and the windscreen requires refitting to solve a small leak

It had 2 Services as well in that time... and I have found some rust inside one of the sills...

The SL's are good cars and are genrerally reliable but parts wear out like any other car...

I don't think the service history is the only answer to a reliable car The problem with the SL is that you are paying new car money for a +6 year old car so expect 6 year old car problems and you won't go wrong...

 

The MAS sensor cost a couple of bucks and you cant blame the car for the paintwork, or .. was it scratching it self with the tyres :p

I think that over all, the R129 is a car that have less problem than other cars from same catagori and year. It is´t for nothing that it´s called "safebox".

 

I've often head from Facelift2 Models (Model year 99 and later) with many problems (catalytic converter and various other things).
The older models seem to be more stable.
I would say the best production years were 1994 (pre-Facelift) and 1998 (last year of Facelift1-Models) - it depends on what you're searching for.

 

And the pre-1994 cars have a few more horses under the hood as well.

 

Good point. However, full service history tells you how the car is cared for and what had been done to it. At least use it as an indicator of what shape the car is in.

 

In case of the 500 V8 - you're right.

But the strongest R129-SL was built in 1999/2000...

 

A few bucks ??? you wish (unless you pick one up off the local dump !) The MAS cost £250 ($480) or eur 380 (but it did take the cats with it so say £1500 all in for that little episode

Rust on an _internal_ panel is worrying as it means that water got in to the car somehow so now you are faced with two tasks 1 find the leak 2 fix the rust...

The SL is built so well, most owners would not ever know that the car was rotting inside out in the event of a problem have you taken your carpets up lately to check for water? I doubt you would find any water unless you did although it can be present in large quantities...

The later paintwork sucks (post 98) I regularly see 10 year old cars with better paint than the last facelift models.This with possible rust issues could mean that the older cars are a better choice althought the v6 is certainly nicer than the older straight 6

 

I think I'd rather not know!!

 

I had the MAF/MAS sensor's changed on the SL320, it was expensive. Though they didn't take out the Cat on mine. Lucky, I guess...

As for the rear window, as long as it's not cut, I used the MB plastic cutting polish. Brought them up like new!

 

I would normaly agree but seeing as the SL is a car that could well be drivable in 30 years time (especially yours). It would be gutting to find the car was wrote off within 10 years due to internal structural rust that could be reduced with a few well placed pampers nappies

 

Have the say the very last morning I had my SL600, I was cleaning it out, vacuuming the carpet behind the drivers seat and it was sodden. Lifted it up, a real mess underneath - so that was the musty smell - and was pleased the car was moving on. No idea how it can have got so damp.

 

Ah ha !

my water was comming in on the passenger side in the same place I think its something to do with the door seals its very impressive how well the car hides water though

 

As I said -A few bucks! :p

Hmm, are we talking about same thing? I purchase my SENDER UNIT, AIR-MASS UNIT for 13 EUR
.

 

What is that? Do you have the article number. I used MB glass cleaner, and that was crap for plastic windows.

 

No mine was different I still have the old one so I will take a photo and post it

 

Here you go, brought my rear windows up a treat. Got it on eBay, £10!

Is there a way to recode the SL key's? I think my neighbour's has lost its code due to low battery...

 

My MASS unit was different to! May be the difference between engines!?!

 

That's not the mass sensor. Thats a sensor for something else.

The mass sensor is the big tube casing with the sensor moulded into it.

 

Ok, What you talk about is 005 AIR MASS SENSOR. What I have changed is 008 SENDER UNIT, AIR-MASS SENSOR. The price for 005 is 358,94 EUR and for 008 11,69 EUR according to MB pricelist for 2004.
.

 

Thanks!

Yes, You have to order a new key and code it into the computer in the car. You can code 8 keys into the car. What happens after that I don´t know.

EDIT: Ok, He did´t lost it I see now. Lost of batteries should not force recode. However, that could be done if the car have lost the code.

 

If you replace the battery in the key holder, then it will lose it's memory for the code. Any mercedes dealer can give you instructions but it is very simple. You stick the key into the ignition and hold down the alarm button at the same time you are turning the ignition over and it should work fine.. May have to do it a few times.

A.j.