I found myself wishing I was back at MIR.
SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Trapped 126 MPH Today
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Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
Trapped 126 MPH Today
It was opening day at Milan Dragway so I mounted my brand spanking new Hoosier drag radials and took the SL55 out for some runs. The weather was decent: sunny and 50 degrees but there was also a headwind gusting from 15 to 25 mph.
I was the only Benz on the track through mid-afternoon. A Porsche Cayenne and a BMW did show up in the early afternoon, otherwise it was mostly Detroit iron (as is usually the case at Milan). The most interesting car on the track was a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon complete with a bench front seat and a child seat in the rear. It had a 5.0 liter Mustang engine under the hood with Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in back and ran the 1/4 mile in 12.0 seconds.
My launches on the Hoosiers were decent but nothing special: 1.70, 1.71, 1.78, and 1.80. The two best launches came with the highest tire pressure, 24 psi. I think I'll try 26 and 28 the next time out. I've launched as fast as 1.69 on 18" street tires and would like to think that 17" drag radials on lightweight wheels (with a net savings of 14 lbs per wheel) would be a little faster once I get the pressure dialed in.
My two best runs were 11.61 seconds at 125.38 mph and 11.62 seconds at 126.01 mph. I was hopping for a lower ET but can't complain about the 126 mph trap.
I was the only Benz on the track through mid-afternoon. A Porsche Cayenne and a BMW did show up in the early afternoon, otherwise it was mostly Detroit iron (as is usually the case at Milan). The most interesting car on the track was a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon complete with a bench front seat and a child seat in the rear. It had a 5.0 liter Mustang engine under the hood with Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in back and ran the 1/4 mile in 12.0 seconds.
My launches on the Hoosiers were decent but nothing special: 1.70, 1.71, 1.78, and 1.80. The two best launches came with the highest tire pressure, 24 psi. I think I'll try 26 and 28 the next time out. I've launched as fast as 1.69 on 18" street tires and would like to think that 17" drag radials on lightweight wheels (with a net savings of 14 lbs per wheel) would be a little faster once I get the pressure dialed in.
My two best runs were 11.61 seconds at 125.38 mph and 11.62 seconds at 126.01 mph. I was hopping for a lower ET but can't complain about the 126 mph trap.
Thread Starter
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
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From: Central WI (BFE)
SL55, ML500 & Acura TL
Very nice.
I'm getting ready to run my 03 in a couple of weeks. I usually go to the Muncie drag strip in the cornfields of central Indiana. Nothing but American muscle out there and no respect for “little foreign cars”, well that is until they see it run 12.2s or high 11s as I hope for this year with my new mods.
I have been thinking about running Nitto 555R street legal drag radials as a summer tire. They should help with launch times at the track.
I'm getting ready to run my 03 in a couple of weeks. I usually go to the Muncie drag strip in the cornfields of central Indiana. Nothing but American muscle out there and no respect for “little foreign cars”, well that is until they see it run 12.2s or high 11s as I hope for this year with my new mods.
I have been thinking about running Nitto 555R street legal drag radials as a summer tire. They should help with launch times at the track.
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From: Maryland
'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
It was opening day at Milan Dragway so I mounted my brand spanking new Hoosier drag radials and took the SL55 out for some runs. The weather was decent: sunny and 50 degrees but there was also a headwind gusting from 15 to 25 mph.
I was the only Benz on the track through mid-afternoon. A Porsche Cayenne and a BMW did show up in the early afternoon, otherwise it was mostly Detroit iron (as is usually the case at Milan). The most interesting car on the track was a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon complete with a bench front seat and a child seat in the rear. It had a 5.0 liter Mustang engine under the hood with Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in back and ran the 1/4 mile in 12.0 seconds.
My launches on the Hoosiers were decent but nothing special: 1.70, 1.71, 1.78, and 1.80. The two best launches came with the highest tire pressure, 24 psi. I think I'll try 26 and 28 the next time out. I've launched as fast as 1.69 on 18" street tires and would like to think that 17" drag radials on lightweight wheels (with a net savings of 14 lbs per wheel) would be a little faster once I get the pressure dialed in.
My two best runs were 11.61 seconds at 125.38 mph and 11.62 seconds at 126.01 mph. I was hopping for a lower ET but can't complain about the 126 mph trap.
I was the only Benz on the track through mid-afternoon. A Porsche Cayenne and a BMW did show up in the early afternoon, otherwise it was mostly Detroit iron (as is usually the case at Milan). The most interesting car on the track was a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon complete with a bench front seat and a child seat in the rear. It had a 5.0 liter Mustang engine under the hood with Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in back and ran the 1/4 mile in 12.0 seconds.
My launches on the Hoosiers were decent but nothing special: 1.70, 1.71, 1.78, and 1.80. The two best launches came with the highest tire pressure, 24 psi. I think I'll try 26 and 28 the next time out. I've launched as fast as 1.69 on 18" street tires and would like to think that 17" drag radials on lightweight wheels (with a net savings of 14 lbs per wheel) would be a little faster once I get the pressure dialed in.
My two best runs were 11.61 seconds at 125.38 mph and 11.62 seconds at 126.01 mph. I was hopping for a lower ET but can't complain about the 126 mph trap.
Tom
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
- From VRP:
- VR600 ecu tune
- crankshaft pulley
- 80mm throttle body
- carbon fiber airbox
- second intercooler heat exchanger
- extreme belt wrap
- SLR camshafts- crankshaft pulley
- 80mm throttle body
- carbon fiber airbox
- second intercooler heat exchanger
- extreme belt wrap
- Evosport shorty headers
- PTE thermostat
- Quaife LSD
- 17" drag wheels
- Hoosier drag radials
- K&N air filters
For that particular run, I also:
- Used Sunoco 94 octane gasoline
- Added Lucas octane booster which probably resulted in an overall octane level of 96 or so
- Did the "Urnext" passenger seat removal (which saved 75-80 lbs but also resulted in an SRS light that I've not yet been able to clear)
Last edited by jmf003; Apr 7, 2009 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Oops! Forgot to include PTE thermostat!
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VARIOUS
Nice run. Considering the weight of our cars, I think a mid 11 with a 1.7 short time is about right trapping 126. What would be nice would be to loosen up your tq converter. That would drop your 60' and as you know each .10 off your 60' = at least .20 off your et. Good luck.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 504
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From: SoCal
SL55 AMG
Great work, sorry about the SRS light........I just found out that the stealership was trying to do me a favor by trying clear that light for me, while my car was there for other reasons, but that light kept on coming back 
. I am not to sure how hard they really tried since the SRS light wasn't one of the reasons why my car was there. I know juicee63 has been trying to clear the light too but has been unsuccessful as well. Oh well, the SRS light doesn't bother me
BTW, did you weight your passenger seat on a scale? I double checked mine and it was at 89.5 lbs. Now we just have to work on that driver side seat to save another 65 lbs
Any future mods in the works?
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
...I just found out that the stealership was trying to do me a favor by trying clear that light for me, while my car was there for other reasons, but that light kept on coming back . I am not to sure how hard they really tried since the SRS light wasn't one of the reasons why my car was there. I know juicee63 has been trying to clear the light too but has been unsuccessful as well....
Any future mods in the works?
. I am not to sure how hard they really tried since the SRS light wasn't one of the reasons why my car was there. I know juicee63 has been trying to clear the light too but has been unsuccessful as well....Any future mods in the works?
I'm thinking J510 is on the right track with his comments about the tranny and both VRP and LET have some interesting products coming out.
How about you?
Can we compare notes on the SRS light?
I'm certain I didn't damage any of the wires because I removed the seat a second time to check the wires after the SRS light stayed on.
I'm also certain the passenger weight sensor is working because the dashboard airbag light turns off and on as it should depending on whether the seat is empty.
So if the wires and sensors are all okay then it seems to me the problem should simply be a fault code that needs to be cleared. But clearing the code didn't eliminate the SRS light for you or Juicee63.
Do you know which error code(s) the dealer cleared for you? We might be able to use that info to help get to the bottom of they mystery.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 504
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From: SoCal
SL55 AMG
^^^^ I am not sure about the codes that came up, but I will go ahead and send my service advisor an email to get that for me if still available.
About the my future mods, I dont want to thread jack so I'll send you a pm.
About the my future mods, I dont want to thread jack so I'll send you a pm.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,155
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From: Southern, CA.
V12-Biturbo
It was opening day at Milan Dragway so I mounted my brand spanking new Hoosier drag radials and took the SL55 out for some runs. The weather was decent: sunny and 50 degrees but there was also a headwind gusting from 15 to 25 mph.
I was the only Benz on the track through mid-afternoon. A Porsche Cayenne and a BMW did show up in the early afternoon, otherwise it was mostly Detroit iron (as is usually the case at Milan). The most interesting car on the track was a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon complete with a bench front seat and a child seat in the rear. It had a 5.0 liter Mustang engine under the hood with Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in back and ran the 1/4 mile in 12.0 seconds.
My launches on the Hoosiers were decent but nothing special: 1.70, 1.71, 1.78, and 1.80. The two best launches came with the highest tire pressure, 24 psi. I think I'll try 26 and 28 the next time out. I've launched as fast as 1.69 on 18" street tires and would like to think that 17" drag radials on lightweight wheels (with a net savings of 14 lbs per wheel) would be a little faster once I get the pressure dialed in.
My two best runs were 11.61 seconds at 125.38 mph and 11.62 seconds at 126.01 mph. I was hopping for a lower ET but can't complain about the 126 mph trap.
I was the only Benz on the track through mid-afternoon. A Porsche Cayenne and a BMW did show up in the early afternoon, otherwise it was mostly Detroit iron (as is usually the case at Milan). The most interesting car on the track was a 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon complete with a bench front seat and a child seat in the rear. It had a 5.0 liter Mustang engine under the hood with Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials in back and ran the 1/4 mile in 12.0 seconds.
My launches on the Hoosiers were decent but nothing special: 1.70, 1.71, 1.78, and 1.80. The two best launches came with the highest tire pressure, 24 psi. I think I'll try 26 and 28 the next time out. I've launched as fast as 1.69 on 18" street tires and would like to think that 17" drag radials on lightweight wheels (with a net savings of 14 lbs per wheel) would be a little faster once I get the pressure dialed in.
My two best runs were 11.61 seconds at 125.38 mph and 11.62 seconds at 126.01 mph. I was hopping for a lower ET but can't complain about the 126 mph trap.
Also what - 17" drag wheel brand did you use? weight savings of of 14 lbs per wheel!!?? is this vs Stockers?
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
The drag radials are 275/40-17 Hoosiers on 17x9 ET40 Rial Nogaro wheels with a 15mm HRE spacer. The Nogaro's won't clear the AMG brake calipers without the spacer plus bringing the wheels out 15mm brings the tire sidewall out to the edge of the wheel well.
That setup is 14 lbs a corner lighter than than my street tire setup of 285/35-18 Conti SC3s on AMG Style V wheels. The AMGs are pretty heavy to begin with (30-something lbs) so there was a lot of room for improvement. A 17" forged wheel setup would probably shave off a few more pounds.
+1. OBD2 doesn't cover SRS faults so no way to clear it with an OBD2 reader. Unfortunately Sal's dealer wasn't able to permanently clear the fault code on his car even using DAS. Some condition is causing Sal's car (and maybe mine) to keep throwing a fault.
Thread Starter
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
Thanks, Ahmad. However even with the new drag radials I haven't yet matched the 11.4s I ran at MIR. I may have to change my home track.
Yep, a stock SL65 is much stronger than a stock SL55. And with a simple (but amazingly expensive) ecu tune, SL65s are capable of running 10s. If you're looking for a torque monster you can't go wrong with either the SL65 or the SL600, which also has a twin turbo V12.
Yep, a stock SL65 is much stronger than a stock SL55. And with a simple (but amazingly expensive) ecu tune, SL65s are capable of running 10s. If you're looking for a torque monster you can't go wrong with either the SL65 or the SL600, which also has a twin turbo V12.
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From: South FL & NYC
Your worst nightmare...
Hmmm wonder why such a headache with the SRS light if the dealer cleared code with DAS...
, very strange. Something has to be triggering the fault. I know seats have somewhat of a vacum line and that must be nipled when seats are removed. Just a thought..
, very strange. Something has to be triggering the fault. I know seats have somewhat of a vacum line and that must be nipled when seats are removed. Just a thought..
Thread Starter
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
As you point out, something else must be going on with Sal's car to keep the SRS light on.
