nubbin

This is an interesting thread for me - I've recently returned from a 1600mile trip around Spain with a bunch of car nutters in Ferraris, Lotuses, 911s etc. I found the supercharger cutting out quite often on the switchback mountain roads we were driving. I eventually worked out that the S/c was cutting out in the heat, and I looked for any evidence of intercooling, but my UK spec car doesn't appear to have any chargecooling arrangement.

Is an intercooler standard? if so, looks like another warranty claim is on the cards....

phonetics

with your decision making ability, something even worse might happen sooner for u in the 65..

blueSL

Thank you all for your comments. No question I mis-judged the traffic - and especially the speed - coming towards me and it shows that even after decades of driving, once in a while, you make a mistake.

I don't think the SL55 is faulty, we're talking 600 yards, closing speed of 150mph, 8 seconds to complete the overtake.

As for which car is quicker, I'm not about to abuse them by testing them, but through the seat of my pants, the 911 feels the more agile. YMMV.

Hazy1

If you have a S/C 55 engine then you should take it to the dealer and tell them that the Intercooler Pump is faulty and needs replacement. It is the most common problem with these cars.

Shinigami

Maybe it was just a very long truck

aza12345

Will a failed intercooler pump come up on a diagnostic check at the dealer? How is it diagnosted?

nubbin

Interesting - I have spoken to my dealer and they told me it is not a fault, but a safety feature - But the tone of replies to my questions didn't fill me with confidence that they knew what they were talking about. I'm going to try again with another source of information - I'm e-mailing AMG...

Hazy1

Most of the US dealers addressed the issue with significant resistance early on. From the recent posts in the E55 forum, it would seem that the dealers are becoming more aware of the issue and are replacing the IC pumps with little to no resistance.

My dealer could find no error codes or anything within the car that told them that a problem existed. I took the technician for a drive to see the result of the SC shutting down. He replaced the pump immediately.

Kar don

They had to put a smaller I/C pump in yours because your steering wheel is on the wrong side .

SLcharger

Blue,,, you are getting old.

If you by now dont know what your SL55 is capable of and what not, you are in big trouble.

How long have you had that car, 5 years i think ?

Admit it, you missjudged the situation, and now you are blaming the car. Drivers error clearly.

Xeron

BlueSL.... Didn't you used to post to the M3 board?.. I think I remember you.

johnlovescar

My friend own a SL55 2007 and he said the same thing "SL55 is not that fast" for a $120k sport car. Even his other car (2005 BMW M3) is more fun to drive than the SL55. I do not own either one so I don't know.

sprins

Technically it's a fault and a safety feature. The fault lies in a non operational IC pump. The safety feature is the SC switching off to prevent overheating damage.

Remedy: Replace IC pump! Pronto!

GrepAwk

I lurk over here on the SL55 board every now and then.

You have been here since the beginning, and helped me diagnose my own issue with the SuperCharger Squeak. I know you know your car.

It seems like the older 2003/4 MY S55 guys have drifted away from that forum and have been replaced by a much younger crowd who waste a lot of keystrokes complaining about posers with fake AMG emblems. It's getting harder to find any real technical knowledge shared on these boards.

Back on topic...
I am curious about whether this same Intercooler Coolant Pump might also have been used in the 2003MY W220 S55AMGs. Anybody with StarTech access know the answer?

JackStraw

I share your sentiments.

I have the same question about the IC pump in the 600. If you take a look at the RennTech site, the part numbers for the upgraded pump for the 55 and the 600 are silimlar and the price is the same. Could it be the same pump? Is the stock pump the same in the 55 and 600? Was there a change to the design of the pump at some point in order to fix the defect?

nubbin

Thanks for the replies everyone - the way I'm ragging mine I think it needs a larger IC pump and possibly an uprated fuel pump as well!

I'll have a more serious word with the dealer once AMG has replied to me.

Edit: - I've had an e-mail back from AMG, confirming it as a known fault. So, off to the dealer for a replacement!

JackStraw

Well I found out the answers to two of my questions. The same IC pump is used in both the stock 55 and 600. In addition, the pump Renntech offers is used for the 55, 65 and 600.

On a separate note, the throttle response in my 600 was feeling a bit sluggish, so yesterday I did the "ECU reset" that was described on the boards last year. It worked wonders, the car responds much faster. For those who don't know about it, here are the instructions as described by Jakpro:

1. Turn the ignition key to the on (not start) position. (two clicks)

2. Press the gas pedal to the floor and hold for five seconds.

3. Turn the key to the "off" position (don't remove the key), then release the gas pedal.

4. Wait at least two minutes for ECU to reset.

BlueSL, give this a try if you haven't already... I would like to hear your thoughts.

DoctorV8

It may appear that way on the surface, but you must keep in mind that 493 and 420 are PEAK numbers. We all know the 55 motors are underrated from the factory, but even discounting that, the MB motor makes more torque over a broader RPM range than the 996TT.

AMG Child

So is it possible that my I/C pump could also fail on my C32AMG?

JackStraw

I was told that the pump used in the 55 and 600 is also used in the stock C32.

nubbin

Thanks for all the comments. I took my SL55 to my dealer, as well as a copy of the e-mail from AMG confirming the fault. Pump now replaced, and several pulleys, the belt, and belt tensioners were also changed to stop the annoying squeaking noise from the engine when started from cold. Thank goodness for Mercedes warranty!

All I have to do now is go back to mainland Europe and thrash the bollox off the car to see if the pump really is working!

AMGSport

Bumping this thread as I am also looking for the answer to this question - does a bad IC pump throw codes or activated a CEL?

Also, is the ECU reset as described in this thread for an SL600 also accurate an SL55? Thanks!

jmf003

No CEL. Supposedly it can throw a code under certain circumstances but typically it does not.

It will have high Intake Air Temperatures (IATs) which can be measured with a datalogger.

Yep, it does. Definitely worth doing from time to time!

AMGSport

Thanks for the response...I'm trying to determine if I have an issue with the car, or if it simply doesn't seem as fast now that I've had it a couple of months...

NCC-1701

I have a 2006 Z-06 although this 2005 SL55 I have is not as fast it can keep up with it with no problems so I think you have something wrong with your car or the one you traded in. The handling of this car in the sport mode is very good as well and more compliant than the Z-06 on rough roads. I have stepped on it on a few occasions on the highway to see what the SL has and it pulls and pulls with no problems. My only complaint with this car is that it is harder FOR ME to get in and out of than the Z-06 and the seating position is not as comfortable.