amok55amg

Her we go again ..... after pic-up at MB from a repair to almost 1600USD then I only manage to drive 900 miles before the bearing at the AC gave way - the bloody wheel flew off - terrible noise from the engine room and red lights start flashing everywhere .... then the notification "Visit Workshop" - as I couldn't guess that - what a crap and unreliable car - the car have only 93.000 mil - I mean - I have a Jeep which has run over 280.000 miles ! Never a prop. with the AC on that.....................

sprins

It's harsh, but it's unfortunately true to a certain degree (and I too have backup). I don't know what year yours is (mine is 2003), but a lot can (and will) go wrong from time to time.

Do I understand correctly that the pulley on the AC pump (or another pulley on that belt) dismounted? The pulleys seem to be a weak point on this car, I had many replaced already due to slack on the bearing. Which reminds me to check now immediately on my car...

A lot of things need preemptive care. Not to mention the ABC system, which (on the pre 2007 cars) is effectively a time bomb. Not if, but when will it fail

When it does work though it's a hell of a car

rune solem

If you check the manual, is states that you don't need to do anything, unless you have a problem.

So, only do something with the abc if you got a problem.

If somebody here knows otherwise, i would like to know about it.

Havoc

My SLK55 seems to be the best alternative to my SL55.

alx

ah.. any amg car is not a matter of if, but when will leave you stranded.

good that they are expensive so owners usually have other vehicles too.

i would not rely on any of my amg cars without a backup. they are toys with some practical aspects thrown in...

sound 8

I spent 8 grand on my SL55 in 4 years. when I sold it. it had 3 large things
wrong with it. from 65 grand to 20 grand. when I sold it.

rune solem

.

sprins

It's not a bad idea to refresh the ABC fluid and filters from time to time. The manual talks poop regarding ABC.

The same with the transmission oil. In the early naughties it was thought that refreshing it was not necessary. Now they promote a change every 60k km.

The reason they don't want to work on ABC is that messing with it can open a can of worms for them as it can trigger problems. But that doesn't mean the ABC system doesn't need service.

rune solem

Ok, thank you for the information, mine if from 2003 so it's probably time to take it to the dealer and do it.

Also the tranny at the same time.

It's almost 10 years old so I hope the abc will work as long as possible.

But i'm putting aside some money for the eventually repair of it.

Havoc

Ha! Your right, my SLK55 already left me stranded when its transmission blew!

So you telling me having a third AMG for backup to my SL55 and SLK55 is not good??

This AMG however, should not break down.

alx

Actually I am considering one of these. I have no room for it (have two big bikes already), but it certainly is appealing.

BobLibSL55

Ive only owned my SL for a little under a year and 2500 miles and no problems. But from what I've read they can't be your everyday car.

I leave that to the two Acura MDXes.

sprins

I've had my 2003 SL since 2004 and have driven from 25k km to the actual 117k Km, if my calculations are correct that's around 7.500 miles a year for 8 years straight.

It can be a daily driver perfectly, you just have to repair some expensive stuff from time to time. The car has had 5 ABC shocks replaced (one due to an enourmous pothole). I've had the ABC pump replaced preemprively at 110k km as the car was in for some mayor repairs (due to the pothole). Up next are the ABC valve blocks as the car is sagging on one end in a couple of days (which ideally should be after a couple of weeks). Nothing acute (yet, they can also leak), but should be done some day. Then I will have had the whole ABC system replaced.

Furthermore I haven't had any real troubles really, but e.g. anything on the belts can break due to wear. And the electronics may break from time to time. But then, it's all 10 years old already...

jmf003

My 2003 SL55 was my daily driver from 2006 through 2011 when I switched to a Kona Jake the Snake.

The car had 7,000 miles when I purchased it in late 2005 and has 78,000 now, so I was averaging around 11,000 miles per year. In that time I never experienced a major component failure. The only time the car failed to get me to a destination was due to a tire shreded by a pot hole.

That's not to say that all SL55s are reliable, of course. People have had the issues described above and elsewhere. Some SL55s seem to be more reliable while others are less so. Caveat emptor, I suppose.

amok55amg

Yeah – the bearing in the pulley was gone …… only the inner and outer ring was left and by the look of it – totally dry and rusty ……. I will take the AC out of the car next month ….. curious about which brand it is ……

well – I have cooled down ….. and I love this car …. will do the jobs/repairs myself from this time and onward – I got the repair DVR – just looking for a proper diagnostic tool – guess I should start another thread about that.

jmf003

A genuine STAR diagnostic system is the way to go for serious DIY work. They are pricey when new but you can sometimes find them used for a fraction of the new price.

AndrewJM

While I certainly don't drive mine everyday (don't even take it out in high humidity), my neighbor has used his as a daily driver since 2004. Granted he doesn't drive very much, but he says that it's been very reliable.