SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: soon to be sl55 amg owner
08-15-2009, 03:17 AM
#1
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1992 SL500 AMG
soon to be sl55 amg owner
new member to this site so hello to all. im about to buy a 02 sl55 amg with about 60000 miles on it. my concern is what mechanical parts should i be concerned about? my mechanic will be checking it over but any major areas he should be looking at? 
( no dealers in my area)
( no dealers in my area)
08-15-2009, 05:52 AM
#2
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SL 55 AMG, ML420 cdi, E320 cdi
Hi
You must be aware before you buy, these cars are high maintenance. Even the MB dealers struggle to sort the problems out.
Water leaking into the boot (trunk) is just one (seals), make sure all the bits on the opening roof work ok, check the operation of the brakes, (the brakes on mine are crap, see thread SL55 poor brakes).
Having said all the above I love my SL55, it has only done 28000 miles and has cost me a fortune, but I am sticking with it.
You must be aware before you buy, these cars are high maintenance. Even the MB dealers struggle to sort the problems out.
Water leaking into the boot (trunk) is just one (seals), make sure all the bits on the opening roof work ok, check the operation of the brakes, (the brakes on mine are crap, see thread SL55 poor brakes).
Having said all the above I love my SL55, it has only done 28000 miles and has cost me a fortune, but I am sticking with it.
08-15-2009, 11:38 AM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
As jvgarnett pointed out, these little monsters can be expensive to keep in good running order. Here is a list of issues from my 03 SL55 which now has about 60k miles:
IC pump: The intercooler pump on the 55 is a known problem. They produce less flow than spec. or just fail completely. Many people change out to a Johnson Pump that has higher flow rates and is more reliable. I run an after market pump from Renntech along with an additional heat exchanger.
SC Clutch: The supercharger clutch tends to wear out. It could start chirping and many people say that is not a problem. I allowed mine to chirp for 8 months or so and then the clutch bearing failed completely. Have your mechanic inspect the SC clutch bearing for certain. The picture below is not what you want to see.
ABC issues: The ABC or Active Body Control system on the SL is rather complex and finicky. Have your mechanic pull stored codes. Hopefully no ABC warning codes exist. I have replaced the hydraulic pump which is the heart of the ABC system. Struts tend to fail and sometime leak fluid that is visible.
Xenon lights: I’m not sure the car you are looking at has Xenon lights, but replacing Xenon light parts is expensive. I just spent $2,800 to replace all the major components of the Xenon for the passenger side. I figure the driver side will fail any day.
I don’t mean to frighten you with any of the above. They are issues I dealt with and are not that uncommon. Some people have trouble free SLs. All my work is done by the dealer so it costs me more. Hopefully you have a reliable independent that you trust. I had one independent royally F-up my first performance mod and had to get the dealer to fix the problem.
The SL55 is a wonderful car, but I have never had such a love hate relationship like I do with it. When it is running good, I love it to death and even stand in the garage and stare at it sometimes. My wife says: did you tell your little car goodnight before you got into bed? I don’t tell her I did. When I have repair issues and it blasts a code at me on the MFD, I hate it, but once the beast is running right again, I’m back in love.
You will get lots of great advice from the forum. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
IC pump: The intercooler pump on the 55 is a known problem. They produce less flow than spec. or just fail completely. Many people change out to a Johnson Pump that has higher flow rates and is more reliable. I run an after market pump from Renntech along with an additional heat exchanger.
SC Clutch: The supercharger clutch tends to wear out. It could start chirping and many people say that is not a problem. I allowed mine to chirp for 8 months or so and then the clutch bearing failed completely. Have your mechanic inspect the SC clutch bearing for certain. The picture below is not what you want to see.
ABC issues: The ABC or Active Body Control system on the SL is rather complex and finicky. Have your mechanic pull stored codes. Hopefully no ABC warning codes exist. I have replaced the hydraulic pump which is the heart of the ABC system. Struts tend to fail and sometime leak fluid that is visible.
Xenon lights: I’m not sure the car you are looking at has Xenon lights, but replacing Xenon light parts is expensive. I just spent $2,800 to replace all the major components of the Xenon for the passenger side. I figure the driver side will fail any day.
I don’t mean to frighten you with any of the above. They are issues I dealt with and are not that uncommon. Some people have trouble free SLs. All my work is done by the dealer so it costs me more. Hopefully you have a reliable independent that you trust. I had one independent royally F-up my first performance mod and had to get the dealer to fix the problem.
The SL55 is a wonderful car, but I have never had such a love hate relationship like I do with it. When it is running good, I love it to death and even stand in the garage and stare at it sometimes. My wife says: did you tell your little car goodnight before you got into bed? I don’t tell her I did. When I have repair issues and it blasts a code at me on the MFD, I hate it, but once the beast is running right again, I’m back in love.
You will get lots of great advice from the forum. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
08-15-2009, 01:14 PM
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sl 55 amg
Warranty
This is a luxury germany car. The last three words should have caught your eye and wallet LOL. They are fun and speak of good taste in cars IMHO but not cheap. I bought a warranty from Michael Chase with the ziegler auto group that has paid for itself in repair costs. ($1200 new pump for top and locks cost me $100) I would look into one and Michael told straight. Stay away from easycare warranty which covers nothing major on an AMG and fidelity is way over priced.
Good Luck and enjoy
Good Luck and enjoy
08-16-2009, 11:11 AM
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1992 SL500 AMG
great advice
thanx for outstanding advice. i will have my mechanic go over the areas you guys (or gals) have pointed out, i did take it out on a short test drive (no plates) and all seemed great. i was thinking of selling the wifes car put now i'll hold off for awhile encase i run into any bugs. if all goes well i"ll have my butt wraped in leather seat buy the weekend and be cruising down the road. again many thanx
