sl55amg ohyeah

Hi everyone. I've been lurking for a few days now and I decided to post to ask for your opinions. I am about to purchase a 2005 sl 55 amg with 35,000 miles for $43,500 (cpo until 10/2009). Is this a decent, good or great price? I would appreciate any feedbacks because I need to make a decision by tomorrow morning.

Also, could anyone recommend a good, reliable extended warranty company? I was told Fidelity or Total Protection Plan are decent ones.

Thanks.

150shot

That's a GREAT price. I've seen similar cars close to $50k. Most I see in the lower 40's have about 45k miles or around 50k miles. CPO is a big plus even if its almost expired.

Dont know about the 3rd party warranty, but there are a few out there a big thread in the CLS & E Forum I think, let us know what warranty you go with.

kamilclk430

Very good deal. I paid $40,000 for my 04 with 43K miles

IngenereAMG

Remember, it's not just about the best price. Sometimes a 'deal' ends up costing big money, heartache and patience, than a good car, with a good history that costs more up front.

sl55amg ohyeah

The private party I'm purchasing from is the 2nd or 3rd owner. He purchased it from Carmax and prior to that it was a CPO (warranty runs out in 10/09). I was ready to purchase, however upon test driving I noticed that when I stepped on the accelator there was a squeaking noise prior to takeoff. Now I'm not sure if I want to take a chance on a potential problem... Decisions, Decisions.

garybc230

When you say there was a squeaking noise, what exactly do you mean. Was it in the accelerator or in the suspension, was there a lag? Seeing that it was from CarMax, they do go through there vehicles very thoroughly. 125 pt inspection. I've purchase quite a few high line vehicles through them and never had a problem, plus a 5 day money back guarantee. Anyhow, why don't you get the SL55 inspected by a MB dealer or service center. It would be better to spend 1 or 2 hours in labor and know that you are getting a good vehicle or at least know what needs to be repaired and of course priced accordingly. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

OC_AMG

I have an 05 SL55. Mine is at 55K miles. There are 2 kinds of these cars.
Blessed or Cursed. Get the Service History Report form the a Dealer. Make sure that you avoid cars with multiple ABC or Electrical Issues. Otherwise these cars are rock solid. Other issues at this age for this car are IC Pump. Belt Pulleys, Super Charger Clutch, That sound you hear may be the chirp. Look hard at the brakes. May be time for front rotors. Get under the car. How is the front skirt ? Thats a good way to tell how the car was cared for. Look in the rear wheel wells. Is there tons of rubber debris caked on the wheel liners ? That shows abuse. They only made around 1200 units of this model year so they are a little rare. You price sounds about right. But spend the money and really get a dealer that knows AMG`s to give this car his blessing before laying out that kind of cash.
Because if its cursed. Its going to just chew up your wallet.

sl55amg ohyeah

Thank you for the the feedbacks. The squeaking sound did not come from the brakes because after I came to a stop, I released the brake pedal for a second and stepped on the accelarator, which is when the squeaking/chirping noise sounded just before the car accelerated. This happened every time (about 10 times). It sounded like it came from the transmission area but I really can't be certain. If I decide to go ahead with this purchase, I plan on getting as much detailed records from the MB dealership it was serviced at and having a MB certified mechanic inspect the car. I'll post back if I find out the source of the problem.

SL55AMG_Norsk

The chirp is most likely the super charger engaging. This is common and I would not worry about it.

sl55amg ohyeah

Actually, it's more of a squeaking sound than a chirping sound. The squeaking sound is very brief, but it occurs everytime. Is this normal with all sl 55 amg?

OC_AMG

Its NOT normal. Some people just put up with the condition. The Super Charger will engage at about 1500 RPM. If this is what your hearing the clutch pack in the Super Charger needs service. Its not a major issue. The Clutch assembly is around $ 700.00 out of warranty.

sl55amg ohyeah

I spoke with service advisors from 5 different MB dealerships: 2 mentioned that the squeaking noise was normal, 2 mentioned that I should bring the car into their dealerships to get it inspected and 1 mentioned that it could be a loose belt or pulley. I was very confused, so today, I decided to test drive another sl 55 amg and noticed that car was also making squeaking noises, which made me feel more at ease. I will test drive 1 other amg to make certain that this squeaking noise is common on all the amg's. I will post the result.

sl55amg ohyeah

Yesterday, at a local MB dealership I test drove a sl55amg, which also made the squeaking noise like the one I'm looking into purchasing. Well this morning I got a call from the salesman at the MB dealership, who informed me that one of the MB mechanics (w/39 years experience of repairing MB cars only) repaired the car and it was no longer making the squeaking noise. I went this afternoon and confirmed that the noise is gone. I am now ready to purchase my sl55amg and will take it to this MB dealership so that the same mechanic can make the noise disappear on mine. Thanks for all your feedbacks.