robiferretti

This is my first post here. My name is Rob Ferretti, I live in Edgewater NJ and I make exotic car racing dvds, and run an exotic car rental company in NY and Fl.

I found this board trying to get some info on what might be wrong with the car I just bought. I just flew out to Scottsdale and bought a second sl65 this past weekend. Driving around town the car feels fine, but once you try and get on it it is noticeably laggy and down on power. There are no check engine lights and when the car is hot it pops (assuming backfires) on deceleration. I tried searching the boards for similar problems with no luck, has anyone experienced anything like this before? I eliminated the possibility of bad gas by filling up from 1/4 tank and it still drove sluggishly. To check my SOTP meter was accurate I ran the car against my friends SLR Mclaren and Gallardo SE, both times I got absolutely raped. It should have been much closer. Does anyone have any suggestions? The car is under factory warranty still but I think without check engine lights they may come back to me and say its normal.

-Rob

IngenereAMG

This sounds like a trip to the dealer. They don't need check engine lights to tell if something is wrong.

It could be an IC pump that has gone bad. I know that will cause a power loss.

Is the car stock? Are there any mods to it that may be causing a problem?

SoS SWATxV2

You live in Edgewater eh?

Funny thing. I'm also in New Jersey Englewood Cliffs Bergen County....

Sorry to be off topic but I just had to point out.

Vic55

Sounds just like what happened with my 65 ... charge air pump (thats what it said on my R/O) is bad more than likely. You wont get CEL's for that either but your car will feel like a normally aspirated V12- otherwise known as a slug. Got mine fixed and it is running stronger than ever. The Bosch pumps are notorious for failure in the 55 engines and believe it or not, its the same part in our 65's too.

robiferretti

was the car backfiring on you too? Yes my car is stock. Just a K40 built in.

Juice it

I had to have the intercooler pump changed out on mine as well. Didn't have the backfiring though. When they hook the computer up to it they should know exactly whats wrong. The check engine lights won't matter. The car holds all the codes for any issues and it might not set off a check engine light.

Juice it

On a side note, do you know how long the debate has been going on about how bad the Sl65 will spank Allen in his Gallardo and then you run him in that and get abused!!! Go get it fixed and redeem that car asap!!

Vic55

No backfire just loss of power- serious loss of power.

robiferretti

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIfMlFOCkno

there is the video, there was a serious loss of power and it backfired when hot on decel after the throttle was released.

NSM

Mine when to hell when the air intake temps were upward of 200F. Swapped the pump and added another heat exchanger.

c32AMGUK

I would think its air relay sensor's and IC pump, both really common problems on all modern AMG's, i had it on many AMG's myself.

The backfiring is due to the ECU restricting power, which occasionally causes the backfire, either way, get it into merc, they will sort it.

Just watched the 65vsgallardo vid, a gallardo should not do that to a 65, its gotta be running awful !!!

Good luck and film the re-match !!

I stopped uploading my filmed races, as i got convicted in the UK off a you tube vid, as they got my reg number, i run a 2 digit plate on 1 of my car's, it eventually got to the police, i got a 12 month ban, filmed at 139mph !

NSM

Busted by the internet. What a strange and rapidly evolving world we live in...

allanlambo

We discussed on my board when the videos were uploaded that something was wrong with the Benz. Realize though, that as bad as the Benz ran the Gallardo could absolutely destroy it.

I picked it up yesterday, and the Benz does feel much better now. Inmo, I still dont think it will beat my Gallardo. I also filmed a speedo run of 20-130mph in the exact same location as we did my SLR, and the SLR assrapes the Sl65.

I do however thinkt he SL65 makes a great daily driver!

allanlambo

There are ALOT of people with alot of opinions. Some people here think that the Sl65 runs close with the SLR. Not going to happen. The initial shove of the Sl65 feels similar to the SLR, but after that, its not even close.

I am trying to get someone here to race the Sl65 against my Gallardo, but that looks like it is not going to happen either, as I fly out to Florida and the Bahamas at 1pm. Again the Sl65 seems to have a harder initial shove then the Gallardo, but the Gallardo pulls much harder up top. Against my Gallardo, and I stress, my Gallardo, not an 04/05 Egear or whatnot, I put money that they will both be very very close.

As for the comparison to the SLR it is rediculous. If you search the net you will find video of the SLR beating CGT's, 599's and even a video of the SLR beating a modified Sl65 up until 200mph where the SlR peters out, and only then can the SL65 catch and pass it. A stock Sl65 isnt even in the same realm.

Ive enclosed some pictures incase you doubt what it is here, or the validity of the 65.

Juice it

Dude,unlike the lambo board people here actually know what a proper running SL65 would do to yours or any other Gallardo with exception to the TT'd ones. Look at any of the drag strip footage,dragtimes.com etc. They aren't even close.
As far as the SLR, I never said the SL65 would be close to it. I said in the 1/4 it wouldn't be too bad of a beating and I still stick to that. You also forget to mention your G isn't stock and you still could never get it under 12 sec. Sl's all over Arizona are smoking up the tracks in the 11's. Cars with just the ECU done are low 11's. The car is 604 hp and has 734FT Pnds of tq. The weight probably helps the traction and isn't a huge factor once the car is rolling. If you think the G is faster, good for you and it may be faster than the one you have at your house but in the real world it aint happening!

JAYCL600

im going to a meet with over 20 lambos on 8/12, there will be extensive video taping done, relative to the video posted i should have my *** handed to me by any gallardo, something tells me that wont be the case though......

SleeperX

Rob,
Off topic, but do you run an exotic car company that begins with the letter G and make exotic car racing videos that begins with a T? If so, I think we met at your location near the airport.

I hope you can get your car fixed. Is it here in NY/NJ? If so, would you be open to filming a race of your SL65 against an E55?

Juice it

Look at these times. This is what they run.

1/4 Mile
ET 1/4 Mile
MPH 1/8 Mile
ET 1/8 Mile
MPH 0-60 Foot
ET Temp F Car Year Driver
10.853*+ 124.929 6.973 103.605 1.583 61.0 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG RENNtech 2005 Lou Fishgold
11.267* 123.729 7.273 1.675 77.0 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG RennTech 2005 Lou Fishgold
11.324* 123.418 7.326 1.713 81.0 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG RennTech 2005 Joe Curry
11.380 127.200 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG 2005 Benjamin Treynor
11.389 127.200 1.660 70.0 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG 2005 Benjamin Treynor
11.395*+ 127.190 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG RENNtech 2005 treynor
11.420* 124.600 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG 2005 randall@mbwerks.com
11.664* 124.530 7.680 96.310 1.950 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG KLEEMAN 2005 Joe Cermin
11.694 117.830 7.588 1.790 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG 2005 Schiznick
11.710* 125.600 1.880 65.0 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG 2005 Benjamin Treynor



I am sure the 117 was probably a misprint. Schiznick is here so he will probably chime in but I think his car is stock ut may have drag radials. Compare these to the Gallardo page and it isn't even close. I would say that you have a one off fast Gallardo but your times sucked and your car is modded. Like I said, take what you can get for that car and run!!

IngenereAMG

Not another AlanLambo hijacked thread!

Anyway, I hope Rob Feretti got out of this that he needs to have that intercooler pump checked!

Anyway.....back to the debate.......

BiTurboAmg

Ok well this is for my earlier post #14. I said the 65 would kill a G. I was in a 04 G with an exhaust last week and it felt pretty damn fast. I know the 65 would have a car or so on the g from 0-100 but after that I think the g's top end would walk on by. The 65's top end is weak for some reason. I have asked allan before to race my car and he has always said WHEN. I will make the trip to AZ and we can see how it turns out. I think allas car is a freak and puts out more power then most G's but I have nothing to back this up. I dont think it matters what car is faster they are both nice cars and are very different. The G (sports car/exotic) is an attention getting car that sounds great. The sl is more class less sport and is just smooth. If I meet up with allan before he sells his car we can see what the out come is.

Juice it

I sold mine and bit the bullet. No worries you have to pay to play. You will be in the same boat trying to unload the G, they are dropping quickly as well.

Juice it

I didn't ad my times on there because I could care less. Also, Schiz says he normally traps 122's not 119-120. What was your average again? 115 or was it 117?

allanlambo

A 122 trap, in the East coast, would not be possible in the desert, but you wouldnt know that would you?

Go back to magazine reading.

also as far as My gallardo I dont think it is really freak in the power dept. It dynoed right inline with others. The 6speed is just that much quicker then the Egear.

And as I said on the depreciation, who the cares, not to mention the Gallardo does not depreciate ANYTHING like the Sl65. But then again, i dont buy cars worrying about depreciation.

Schiznick

The 117 was a freak day but it was a long time ago.... At that time I was running on stock tires in my first SL65. That car dyno'd in the 530 range RWHP. That was the only day I ever ran 117 and it was the quickest that car ever ran. Very strange....

I am with Juice on the depreciation.... I hate it but it certainly doesn't stop me from buying the cars I want.

If you don't flinch at throwing away 50K then I will PM you where you can send me some cash next time you feel like throwing it away. If you want, make it 250K and I can buy my own SLR to compare against the SL65.

Do you actually make the money you spend on cars? That could explain quite a bit of this.

Since we are paper racing......

The only drag times I could find on the SLR were between 11.42 (east coast FL) and 11.61 and traps between 124 and 129. Certainly not an assrape...

If you compare the best SLR time to my 11.69 you are talking about .27 seconds. What is that, 1/2 of a car length at best?

Cheers!

robiferretti

Yes, I got the car fixed, the info in this thread I gave to the service manager before hand and that did prove to be the problem.

Sleeper X I do have both companies, I sent you a PM.

Thanks guys!