Howdy gents, ... new forum member here! I recently purchased a 2017 Mercedes CPO SL550 (my first Mercedes ever) that I also had a PPI performed on. The car has only 34,000 miles on it and was driven by only one previous owner. The pre-purchase inspection revealed that the vehicle was in excellent overall shape but with a few small nags:

1 - There are three small paint scratches that I will have touched up soon. Anything I need to know about having it repainted on the right side that would be particular to Mercedes paint jobs?
2 - Rarely, there appears to be a small bit on condensation in the left front headlight. After reading here on the forums I am now aware of the dreaded fogging and water retention problem. Rather than remove the entire front bumper unit and fool with all the sensors, can I caulk it or reseal it for a cheap fix? What happens if I just leave it and do nothing?
3 - The car came with the ABC suspension system, ... which is great. That said, it seems like the maintenance issues are more associated with the early years R231 models and the R230 series. Is the ABC pretty much perfected for the 2017 model year?
4 - My car did not come with the Magic Sky Control liquid crystal sunroof. Can I add it aftermarket? (I can't seem to find any online anywhere.) If so, what type of costs would I be looking at it?
5 - The vehicle has a few driver-side and steering wheel buttons with the finish fading. I can replace the driver's side door easily but can I just pop out the steering wheel buttons carefully or do I need to release the two bolts and take the whole wheel apart to replace just the button surfaces?
6 - It seems based upon my early reading here at the forums that of all the SL Roadster series (R232, R231, R230, etc .... ) the R231 with the facelift (2017 to 2020) are the most reliable with the least problems. Is this true? If not, ... what should I be looking out for down the road with respect to maintenance? (I am aware of the ABC, trunk hydraulic, and retractable hardtop hydraulic issues.)
7 - I would like to update all the maps for the Comand navigation system. I believe I do this through the Mercedes Me app but would be happy to learn more from those who know better than I do. I also don't wish to spend, say, $700 to update the maps if I can do it for $99 or something.

Any counsel would be welcomed! Thanks for reading! - J

 

Welcome to the forum! I'm afraid I'm also a new owner, bought mine in August, so I can't help with your questions. You'll going to love the car. The ABC brings an excellent ride without the awful reliability of the R230s.

 

1) Paint issues depend on the color chosen and which version. For example plain white can be blended quite easily. Diamond white is almost impossible to blend and usually requires a panel repaint.
2) Condensation is typically from water intrusion through the control module seal. Remove the wheel and liner and you can get at the module. Check for any corrosion and then reseal with a new O ring and silicone. Eventually the headlight will fail requiring complete replacement. (experience)
3) ABC was redesigned for the R231, there were no revisions for the facelift. The R231 setup is far better than the R230 design. Also, because it was a option on the R231, you can fit an aftermarket coil over setup if you wish. The R231 advantage is that it has sway bar mounts for the stock sway bar, whereas the R230 doesn't.
4) Good luck with this one. You would need the OE roof, and a reprogrammed BCM.
5) Common issue for the R231 without and really good solutions from the aftermarket.
6) There are many articles on the R231 "soft spots" that you will need to research.
7) I think the last update is 2021 and available from the dealer. Option is to add Android Auto to the command system and use Google maps. That's my next project.

 

I would think CarPlay/Android Auto is included on a 2017 car. Is that not the case?

 

Deleted, sorry.

 

Gentlemen, this thread is now dead (if you don't mind Jeremy (or other admins/mods), feel free to remove at your leisure). If you don't mind, please post any comments about this thread here:

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl-class-...questions.html

(This thread was my very first but it disappeared for about five days bc I believe the AI spam filter blocked it for some reason. The other thread is where I will be posting about our R231 journey )

@Montreal - Thanks so much for those replies. Very helpful!
@GTIBlack - Yes, our "facelifted" 2017 SL 550 has both Apple Carplay and Android Auto options.
@Streamliner - I will respond to your nice comment in the other thread
@Chad - The ABC is working great but our SL 550 came with run flats which I generally abhor. They will be removed over Thanksgiving and replace with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (summer) tires. Should have a more compliant ride in the days ahead. Thanks for your post!

 

Yes, wired. However a wireless dongle is available from Amazon. Look for one with No Lag.