SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Newbie need advice on buying SL 65 AMG
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Newbie
Joined: Aug 2011
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SL 65 AMG
Newbie need advice on buying SL 65 AMG
Hello,
Thinking of buying a 2005 SL 65 AMG with 44,000 miles and at the end of the MB certified preowned warranty (aug, 2011).
My questions for this group
1. Are there any "big" things that I need to check that commonly are worn out on these models?
2. What is the estimated yearly maintenance on such a vehicle? I typically drive about 10-12,000 miles/year in city driving.
Thank you!
Dave
Thinking of buying a 2005 SL 65 AMG with 44,000 miles and at the end of the MB certified preowned warranty (aug, 2011).
My questions for this group
1. Are there any "big" things that I need to check that commonly are worn out on these models?
2. What is the estimated yearly maintenance on such a vehicle? I typically drive about 10-12,000 miles/year in city driving.
Thank you!
Dave
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,268
Likes: 253
Why don't you search the forum?
Your questions have been discussed to death.
The most expensive item that will need work is the abc suspension. Shocks, valve blocks, tandem pump and the connecting hoses are all succeptable to malfunction and are expensive. They will fail at some point.
The other item is the intercooler pump which goes out often when using the stock one. There are aftermarket alternatives and they are not expensive.
Engine and tranny mounts are another weak spot and will fail every so often. The parts are not expensive, but the labor is a lot as the engine needs to be lifted a bit.
Another problem is the top roof hydraulic cylinder.
Around town you will get about 10mpg and on the highway you might get 18-20.
You will have a service a or b annually and price will be between 400 and 800 for those. In addition your car right now prolly needs a rear diff flush and a brake flush.
Those cars are not really home- serviceable unless you really know what you are doing and have the right tools.
Good luck.
Your questions have been discussed to death.
The most expensive item that will need work is the abc suspension. Shocks, valve blocks, tandem pump and the connecting hoses are all succeptable to malfunction and are expensive. They will fail at some point.
The other item is the intercooler pump which goes out often when using the stock one. There are aftermarket alternatives and they are not expensive.
Engine and tranny mounts are another weak spot and will fail every so often. The parts are not expensive, but the labor is a lot as the engine needs to be lifted a bit.
Another problem is the top roof hydraulic cylinder.
Around town you will get about 10mpg and on the highway you might get 18-20.
You will have a service a or b annually and price will be between 400 and 800 for those. In addition your car right now prolly needs a rear diff flush and a brake flush.
Those cars are not really home- serviceable unless you really know what you are doing and have the right tools.
Good luck.
Last edited by alx; Aug 7, 2011 at 01:38 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 603
Likes: 2
From: Asheville, Atlanta
SL 65 AMG, Porsche 911 (993), 2014 Cayenne GTS, 2013 Toyota Highlander Limited
My experience
Has been very good in general....have aftermarket warranty which has been great for major item coverage.....car is a dream to drive.....very high quality machine with great performance...... when running well....
Make sure you have the ENTIRE service history on the car by giving the VIN to a dealer or to MB corporate for warranty work done on the car... the present owner needs to call them for that.......hopefully a service dept. can give you the history........very key....
At 44K miles I would inquire about the brakes status....new rotors for the front are $ 1000 each and rears are about half of that each....I had the seller replace the pads for me before the sale.....$ 1,000 job with labor...rotors are usually replaced with pads on these AMG 4500 pound beasts...so a brake job can be around $ 4-5 grand all around with rotors replaced.......usually fronts go first, so costs can be defrayed....
ABC suspension failure is a possibility and also expensive, so I have a fund of $ 5,000 set aside for repairs for that and other things for when the warranty runs out..
Trunk lift struts wear out pretty fast, but are just $ 70 to repair/replace yourself...
The V-12 can be known to be prone to misfires.....have the OBD 2 scanned before the purchase to see if any misfire codes or other issues.....new ignition coils are $ 1200 each for each bank of cylinders and ignition modules are about $ 800...if the car has misfire codes.....have selling party deal with it to make sure there are no major repair issues....
The pneumatic pump for the seats, doors, etc. can be known to fail.....mine failed twice before I bought it....
The front spring link bushings are known to crack pretty readily...there is an upgrade bushing, but significant damage can occur to the frame suspension if not replaced....have them checked
There is a TSB # 46.20.60B that deals with cracking noise when backing up slowly that comes from lack of lubrication of suspension and the need for tightening certain suspension bolts to 70 lbs.....$ 150 job every few years...warranty does not cover as it is an "adjustment", but manufacturer warranty may cover....
That is my 2 cents........all cars require maintenance and some require more than others at a higher cost....it is a $ 200,000 car with a corresponding repair cost quotient......if you want something that will not have high maintenance costs, go Japanese, i.e. Lexus/Infiniti/Nissan GTR and know that BMW, Porsche and MB....are higher maintenance due to their German tendency for over-engineering things.............good luck with your decision....
Make sure you have the ENTIRE service history on the car by giving the VIN to a dealer or to MB corporate for warranty work done on the car... the present owner needs to call them for that.......hopefully a service dept. can give you the history........very key....
At 44K miles I would inquire about the brakes status....new rotors for the front are $ 1000 each and rears are about half of that each....I had the seller replace the pads for me before the sale.....$ 1,000 job with labor...rotors are usually replaced with pads on these AMG 4500 pound beasts...so a brake job can be around $ 4-5 grand all around with rotors replaced.......usually fronts go first, so costs can be defrayed....
ABC suspension failure is a possibility and also expensive, so I have a fund of $ 5,000 set aside for repairs for that and other things for when the warranty runs out..
Trunk lift struts wear out pretty fast, but are just $ 70 to repair/replace yourself...
The V-12 can be known to be prone to misfires.....have the OBD 2 scanned before the purchase to see if any misfire codes or other issues.....new ignition coils are $ 1200 each for each bank of cylinders and ignition modules are about $ 800...if the car has misfire codes.....have selling party deal with it to make sure there are no major repair issues....
The pneumatic pump for the seats, doors, etc. can be known to fail.....mine failed twice before I bought it....
The front spring link bushings are known to crack pretty readily...there is an upgrade bushing, but significant damage can occur to the frame suspension if not replaced....have them checked
There is a TSB # 46.20.60B that deals with cracking noise when backing up slowly that comes from lack of lubrication of suspension and the need for tightening certain suspension bolts to 70 lbs.....$ 150 job every few years...warranty does not cover as it is an "adjustment", but manufacturer warranty may cover....
That is my 2 cents........all cars require maintenance and some require more than others at a higher cost....it is a $ 200,000 car with a corresponding repair cost quotient......if you want something that will not have high maintenance costs, go Japanese, i.e. Lexus/Infiniti/Nissan GTR and know that BMW, Porsche and MB....are higher maintenance due to their German tendency for over-engineering things.............good luck with your decision....
Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 94
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2005 SL55 AMG
See if you can extende the warranty at the dealer, if not after market. I would consider this part of the cost and not really optional.
Have a dealer or a good indy do a full prepurchase inspection after you have seen the repair history. I would ask about getting the care rodeoed (this tests the suspension).
This car is fancy. things will eventually break unless you are the exception. The question is whether you can live withthe broken stuff or have the avility to fix it (warranty or money).
Also, think about the depreciation. The car still has a way to drop, but the repairs will not get less expensive in the future. Just something to think about.
Good Luck,
Z
Have a dealer or a good indy do a full prepurchase inspection after you have seen the repair history. I would ask about getting the care rodeoed (this tests the suspension).
This car is fancy. things will eventually break unless you are the exception. The question is whether you can live withthe broken stuff or have the avility to fix it (warranty or money).
Also, think about the depreciation. The car still has a way to drop, but the repairs will not get less expensive in the future. Just something to think about.
Good Luck,
Z
