SL/R230: Thinking hard about 04-05 r230 sl55
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2005 cooper s,2007sl55
Thinking hard about 04-05 r230 sl55
Hello all, thinking about pulling the trigger on a 04-05 r230.what should I be looking for beside records ? better year to aquire? found one without ABC,dealership paper work states car is equipped with coil-overs,from a handling point ABC or Coil-overs. 
any advise would be helpful.
any advise would be helpful.
Last edited by jcwright; Oct 15, 2016 at 10:23 PM. Reason: forgot to add sl55
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ABC is amazing. The ride in normal driving is very comfortable and luxurious, but when you need it, you've got real "snap" and unbelievably flat cornering. The price you pay is in maintenance of the system. None of it is difficult, just sometimes a bit more costly than it seems it should be. Of course that assumes you are planning to DIY. If not, then this probably isn't the car for you as you'll be "re-buying it" every couple of years in shop fees.
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I guess there wouldn't much take up for a V6 245bhp SL in the US, you guys love your big V8's as do I.
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I would not want a SL55 if it had been converted from ABC to standard. The reviews make it sound like a hack job.
So what to look for on the car? Drivetrain is not the issue, it's solid. Leaks from valve covers, transmission, ABC hoses and struts. Suspension bushings in front, motor and trans mount replacement (good for maybe 60K miles), brake disk wear, tire condition. Issues with the roof or leaks, do all electrical, seat and HVAC items work. Pull codes from OBD2 port and investigate, better yet get the car scanned by Star Diagnostics System (SDS) and see what errors show up. A knowledgeable pre-purchase from tech or owner will save a potential dog in your house.
These issues, and replacement of all fluids and filters, plus you'll need a battery charger, can be $2K+ to fix, so keep a reserve to handle the freshening up. This will improve reliability immensely. Then drive it like you stole it and enjoy a super car in your garage for a VW price tag.
So what to look for on the car? Drivetrain is not the issue, it's solid. Leaks from valve covers, transmission, ABC hoses and struts. Suspension bushings in front, motor and trans mount replacement (good for maybe 60K miles), brake disk wear, tire condition. Issues with the roof or leaks, do all electrical, seat and HVAC items work. Pull codes from OBD2 port and investigate, better yet get the car scanned by Star Diagnostics System (SDS) and see what errors show up. A knowledgeable pre-purchase from tech or owner will save a potential dog in your house.
These issues, and replacement of all fluids and filters, plus you'll need a battery charger, can be $2K+ to fix, so keep a reserve to handle the freshening up. This will improve reliability immensely. Then drive it like you stole it and enjoy a super car in your garage for a VW price tag.
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If you found an R230 without ABC, it's a hack job. I wouldn't give it a second look. And I suggest a 2007 or later model ... "new and improved" ABC. Shop wisely. Don't fall in love with a beautiful R230 ... fall in love with a sound R230. Invest a bit of money in having the car checked out by a competent MB mechanic who has and knows how to use the Star Diagnostic System. Good luck. Tell us about your purchase.
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2005 SL55 AMG
115,000 miles on my 2005 SL55. I drive her regularly and would not hesitate to jump in her now and drive coast to coast.
A few notes on ownership:
- I've had some minor issues along the way but nothing major.
- Religious maintenance is the key to reliability with these cars.
- I am fanatic about routine maintenance.
- I do all my own work so, I can source parts online for much less expensive than the dealer. Most parts I buy are OEM Mercedes just purchased for less than half the cost of my local dealer when purchased online. Other I sometime use OEM suppliers. Just depends on the part.
If you are mechanically inclined don't be intimidated by these cars. They are quite complex but, they are also quite easy to work on (the V8 cars anyways). Plenty of room for most procedures and repairs.
If you don't do your own work DON'T bring your car the Mercedes dealer - EVER! Research and read horror story after horror story of dealership experiences here. They gouge you like nobody's business and rarely have tech's on hand that truly understand these cars (R230's) or work on them on a regular basis. Much better to find a trusted indy mechanic in your area that specializes in Mercedes and has working knowledge of R230's. Then treat them like family.
With a little research these cars don't "have" to be expensive to own or maintain. I'm not going to say they're "cheap" to own but, performance for price they are a hell of a bargain that's for sure - even when considering the routing maintenance you WILL have to do to keep one in top shape.
A few notes on ownership:
- I've had some minor issues along the way but nothing major.
- Religious maintenance is the key to reliability with these cars.
- I am fanatic about routine maintenance.
- I do all my own work so, I can source parts online for much less expensive than the dealer. Most parts I buy are OEM Mercedes just purchased for less than half the cost of my local dealer when purchased online. Other I sometime use OEM suppliers. Just depends on the part.
If you are mechanically inclined don't be intimidated by these cars. They are quite complex but, they are also quite easy to work on (the V8 cars anyways). Plenty of room for most procedures and repairs.
If you don't do your own work DON'T bring your car the Mercedes dealer - EVER! Research and read horror story after horror story of dealership experiences here. They gouge you like nobody's business and rarely have tech's on hand that truly understand these cars (R230's) or work on them on a regular basis. Much better to find a trusted indy mechanic in your area that specializes in Mercedes and has working knowledge of R230's. Then treat them like family.
With a little research these cars don't "have" to be expensive to own or maintain. I'm not going to say they're "cheap" to own but, performance for price they are a hell of a bargain that's for sure - even when considering the routing maintenance you WILL have to do to keep one in top shape.
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2005 SL55 AMG
And I wouldn't outright dismiss a car with the ABC removed. There were R230's that were sold without ABC. KW Suspensions was the OE Supplier to Mercedes for the Black series non-ABC Struts and make a fantastic damper in the V3 coilover. ABC delete kits are bolt in, and the tandem ABC/PS pump can be replaced with a standard Mercedes Power Steering pump. All in all there are some very nice conversions out there just depends on how it was done and, what components were used in the conversion.
There is a long thread about ABC delete in the R230 AMG forum on this board complete with write-ups, considerations and reviews:
https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-...5-amg-r230-49/
There is a long thread about ABC delete in the R230 AMG forum on this board complete with write-ups, considerations and reviews:
https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-...5-amg-r230-49/
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Not much changed from MY2005-2008. MY2009 was the "facelift" which has updated headlights, Airscarf, standard Bluetooth and iPod and a few other enhancements. Also the ABC system was revised then which (hopefully?) will be more reliable. But no SL55 - they introduced the SL63 (6.2L V8, 7-speed transmission). I would avoid the SL63 until MY2011 because of head bolt and valve lifter issues with the M156 engine.
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the 07/08 cars also had slightly different gearing in the supercharger that resulted in about .5 lb more boost.
The 07/08 cars have more expensive brakes to replace if I recall, and the ABC system was slightly revised. What I can gather is that the dampener on the ABC system was moved from behind the drivers front wheel well to directly on the pump (which makes it harder to remove/replace, but puts less stress on the hose that goes from the pump to the distribution block that splits fluid from front to back), the valve blocks themselves are from a different supplier and instead of the orings being sandwiched between 2 hard pieces of plastic they are sandwiched between 2 square cut orings (I don't think that its been proven that one supplier is more reliable than the other), and the computer that controls the ABC when you are stopped opens and closes the valve blocks slightly, which should put less stress on the system.
The 07/08 also had a different front bumper.
Most parts between the cars should be the same or similar. Mercedes even during the same model year will occasionally make improvements to parts, so technically buying the newest one possible should be the most reliable. Having said that a well maintained 05 will be more reliable than a poorly maintained 08.
The 07/08 cars have more expensive brakes to replace if I recall, and the ABC system was slightly revised. What I can gather is that the dampener on the ABC system was moved from behind the drivers front wheel well to directly on the pump (which makes it harder to remove/replace, but puts less stress on the hose that goes from the pump to the distribution block that splits fluid from front to back), the valve blocks themselves are from a different supplier and instead of the orings being sandwiched between 2 hard pieces of plastic they are sandwiched between 2 square cut orings (I don't think that its been proven that one supplier is more reliable than the other), and the computer that controls the ABC when you are stopped opens and closes the valve blocks slightly, which should put less stress on the system.
The 07/08 also had a different front bumper.
Most parts between the cars should be the same or similar. Mercedes even during the same model year will occasionally make improvements to parts, so technically buying the newest one possible should be the most reliable. Having said that a well maintained 05 will be more reliable than a poorly maintained 08.
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From: Europe, but from Norway
89 SL500 Silver ,97 SL500 Carlsson 04 Mercedes SL55 AMG , 07 Mercedes SL55 AMG convertedBlack series
if was you, would go for upgradet model 2006 or 2007 , so mutch tings they upgraded, ABC system ,brakes and many more tings
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2005 SL55 AMG
Yes, the brakes are "better" on the 2006/2007 cars but unless you are running the car at the absolute ragged edge of it's performance capability (which you will never be able to do on the street and keep your license for any length of time) the cost penalty for the better 2006/2007 brakes should be a consideration if this is a street car for you.
Can't argue that the other upgrades that may have happened in 2006/2007 would be very nice to have in the newer car. It's very rare that I see 2006/2007 SL55's. I believe production and sales of the SL55 dropped dramatically after 2005. It may be difficult to even find a 2006/2007 for sale in the colors, options, etc you would want.
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From: Europe, but from Norway
89 SL500 Silver ,97 SL500 Carlsson 04 Mercedes SL55 AMG , 07 Mercedes SL55 AMG convertedBlack series
Just changed the brake pads front BREMBO 56 EURO
Hello all, thinking about pulling the trigger on a 04-05 r230.what should I be looking for beside records ? better year to aquire? found one without ABC,dealership paper work states car is equipped with coil-overs,from a handling point ABC or Coil-overs. any advise would be helpful.
any advise would be helpful.One caveat to the 2006 and 2007 cars - yes, they have upgraded brakes (I *believe* the same as the SL600) but they come at a price. IIRC those rotors are about $1,000/piece for the fronts and the pads are a few hundred as well. The rotors for my 2005 SL55 were about $130.00/piece for the fronts for genuine Mercedes rotors and the pads were around $40 or $50. The brakes on my 2005 SL55 are excellent in everyday traffic and even performed extremely well when I was on some very empty stretches of road in rural Nevada going speeds that would land me in prison if I was ever stopped (ONLY did this once and visibility was literally miles in any direction with no one around).
Yes, the brakes are "better" on the 2006/2007 cars but unless you are running the car at the absolute ragged edge of it's performance capability (which you will never be able to do on the street and keep your license for any length of time) the cost penalty for the better 2006/2007 brakes should be a consideration if this is a street car for you.
Can't argue that the other upgrades that may have happened in 2006/2007 would be very nice to have in the newer car. It's very rare that I see 2006/2007 SL55's. I believe production and sales of the SL55 dropped dramatically after 2005. It may be difficult to even find a 2006/2007 for sale in the colors, options, etc you would want.
Yes, the brakes are "better" on the 2006/2007 cars but unless you are running the car at the absolute ragged edge of it's performance capability (which you will never be able to do on the street and keep your license for any length of time) the cost penalty for the better 2006/2007 brakes should be a consideration if this is a street car for you.
Can't argue that the other upgrades that may have happened in 2006/2007 would be very nice to have in the newer car. It's very rare that I see 2006/2007 SL55's. I believe production and sales of the SL55 dropped dramatically after 2005. It may be difficult to even find a 2006/2007 for sale in the colors, options, etc you would want.
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2005 SL55 AMG
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From: Europe, but from Norway
89 SL500 Silver ,97 SL500 Carlsson 04 Mercedes SL55 AMG , 07 Mercedes SL55 AMG convertedBlack series
Brembo brakes 06,07 floating brakes
would be great that you guys set up a list in USA where can list mecanics that like to work on this cars and know them . Mercedes Center i never use, overpriced everything, and mecanics dont know this models mutch many.
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2005 SL55 AMG
