Merlin13

Hi Guys,

I picked up my SL500 (R230 -2005 UK), yesterday and havent even gotten around to posting a newbie message and pics before needing to call out the breakdown service!!!!!!

Your advice and thoughts would be very welcomed please.

The car is a one owner car, done 14,041 miles, last serviced june last year at 10,400 miles by Merc Hampstead. Mint condition. Bought from an independent dealer who sells Enzos, SLRs, Bentleys etc. She is a UK spec imported by the dealer for a client and therefore only has a 2 year warranty for some reason. She is now 26 months old.

The story so far.................I picked her up and drove her 60 miles to a friends workshop so that we could install an Origin Pogo, garage door opener and a couple of new rear tyres. All went well. I then drove her home and sat in horrendous traffic on the M25 with the roof down but enjoying playing with the toys and settings. As I got off the motorway I decided to open her up and floored it. The auto box redlined and changed up as and when it wanted. Normal I guess. Then a few miles from home I lost all drive! Had to turn off and then limp back in first and second only with apparently a rev limit of 3,000. I called out mobilife and they said she just needed to be reset on the dash which they did despite me being doubtful. All well so I thought.

Until this morning when a friend came over to see her and go for a spin. The garage floor was covered in about half a litre of clean viscose liquid. Doesnt seem like oil though. Checked in the oil cap and seemed ok. Went for a gentle ride and as soon as I put my foot down she shut down again. Came back, parked up and fluid started leaking out again. Not a single warning light or message on the dash for some reason.

I called the place I bought her from and they said take her to a Merc dealer to diagnose the problem and go back to them to discuss the way forward.

Your thoughts as to what the problem could be please?
No reference in the books to a limp home mode!
What recourse do I have to the dealer I got her from?
Is the fact that an imported car only has a 2 year warranty instead of a 3 year warranty legal? I hear that all members of the EU have to offer the same.

Any help or guidence you can give would be realy appreciated at this low point.

Many thanks
J

theboogers

there is a known leak from the trans electric switch. easy fix from dealer.

okc329

a really clean car with low mileage but just out of warranty was d9isposed of by the previous owner.

allminesl550

Insist they take respon to fix it, not you. If you start with repairs you may close yourself out of complete return/refund, be careful and dont trust them. I would have brought it directly back to seller (if recently purchased) and let THEM handle the diagnosis/repair.
Dont matter that out of warranty, if car crapped on first ride they should fix it or give you your money back. Be firm.

I hope you didnt sign a statement "take as is with all defects known and unknown"!!!

Merlin13

Hi Guys, here is an update for you.

Contray to your suspisions, I had the car warranty history history checked out before buying it and it had only gone back under MB warranty for a hydrolic pump change. The owner did 10k mile first year and 3 k in the second so got ride of it due to lack of use which is what the dealer told me.

MB UK have agreed to repair the car under sympathetic warranty thankfuly. The dealer organised that not me.They confirmed last week that they are changing the gearbox and torque convertor! After only 13k miles that really shouldnt be needed tho! But I guess thats to my benefit as not only do I get new parts but they will also benefit from 2 years parts and labout guarantee. A good result I think.

Cant wait to get her back and enjoy her at last.

Any further words of advice?

CY

If you dont have an extended warranty get one!