Just wondering if the 2003s have any common issues besides abc. This was the first year if the r230 right? Im assuming that means it will likely have little things that were updated and refreshed for later years.

Is there a list anywhere of things to look out for, or possible "facelift" updates to perform for these cars?

 

early 2003 build M113k had ring land issues

 

2002 was the first year for the SL55 in Europe. The US got it in '03.

I have had my '03 since new, and it has been extremely reliable. The secret is maintenance. Fluid changes, etc. In other words, common sense.

In 12 years, other than maintenance:

AC compressor
Shifter
IC pump
Secondary air pump
Oil level sender
Supercharger tensioner and idler
ABC accumulators

 

The 2003 and 2004 were nearly identical (notable exceptions below) and had similar "common issues" as most years that followed.

There were a few changes made for the 2004 model year making the 2003 sl55 (and european 2002) slightly "unique".
some of those differences are ...

For 2003 the keyless go was handled by a card (carried in wallet) rather than the key (a 2004 or later keyless go module and newer keys can be used to update this).

In 2004 the TCU (transmission control unit) and transmission valvebody were updated. The new valve body had the "blue top" solenoids and along with the newer TCU, allowed steering wheel button shifting in ALL transmission modes (2003 was "manual" mode only). To update this the TCU and valvebody needs to be replaced as a set.

In 2004 the electronics were changed slightly adding the N93 central gateway (CGW). To the owner/driver, the difference intangible. The difference is really only noticed when troubleshooting (or changing programming/options with DAS).

In 2004 (perhaps late 2003) the rear differential was changed. While differences in functionality/durability are not known (to me), the early diff offers few to none upgrade paths for LSD and locking diffs (quaife offers an expensive LSD for this orphan IIRC).

Some of my favorite mods for this car are a Pulley & Tune, a smarttop remote top module, the interior motion sensor upgrade, Paddle-Shifters, and of course a Valentine 1 : )


Hope that helps

Cheers,
Chris

 

Thanks Chris, thats all the facelift updates id typically expect. I appreciate all your detailed info!

Pulley, tune, killer chiller, and headers are what im thinking for mods, though id never even heard of a remote top! That sounds pretty slick. How much do those run?

 

Are there any performance/reliability enhancements for the tcu or diff swaps? Or would getting a tcu tune and buying a quaife be preferable?

This is the first ive heard of the motion sensor mod. What is it?

 

The "smartTOP" remote top module is made by Mods4cars. They make modules for various makes and models. The unit for the R230 lists for $299. I have installed them on all of my AMGs and bought my last 3 from Motivemods ... good people and good price (currently have the R230 unit below list at $284), Here is a link to their page http://www.motivemods.com/Mods4Cars-...4c-stlbmz1.htm

Aside from allowing your to raise and lower your top and/or windows using the "lock" and "unlock" buttons of your factory remote, the module also allows you to program various other functions (related to TOP, windows and alarm). My favorite feature is that it allows you to put the top up and down while the car is in motion (with a settable max speed for this feature). The module also allows you to program lock and unlock chirps.

The install for the R230 is very straightforward. 4 wires .... ground, +12, and 2 CAN wires. The module mounts under the compartment behind the passenger seat.

 

Opinions vary about TCU, transmission valve body, and rear diff upgrades. Other members who are more serious about tracking their cars will likely have more useful input as to reliability, cost, and bother vs benifit.

I have a TCU upgrade in one of my other AMGs that was a disappointment, so.... so far i have not messed with my SL's TCU (beyond replacing it with a stock TCU from a 2004). I bought the 2004 valvebody and decided to have it reworked by Bill at Paramount (who totally knows his stuff) however, If I had to do it again, I would likely leave the valvebody un-modified.

I put a wavetrac diff in my SLK32 and love it. I wanted to put one in my SL55, but found out that 2003s (up to build number?) are oddballs and only found a quaife that fits this unpopular sized diff and cost more than $2k (IIRC) ... so I moved on. If you want to upgrade, you should check (using your VIN) to see if yours is the oddball or the later unit. If yours is the later unit, you can use the more common and more reasonably priced quaife and/or other diffs (the wavetrac for the later sl55 is about $1K for example).


The interior motion sensor (IMS) is an option for the R230 that was not offered to the US market. It is a module (microwave proximity sensor) that mounts in a recess of the center console lid that exists in ALL R230's. The module is about $100 and requires you run a few wires to the rear SAM and change the rear SAM programming and Instrument cluster programming. To do a correct install, you would replace the switch pack between the shifter and center console (mirror controls, ect) in order to add the dis-able button, however, I have had this in my car for nearly 2 years and have never had the need to use this button (even though I did install it). It is a great feature; if someone leans into your car, the alarm goes off. Why they did not offer this in the US is beyond me.

Cheers,
Chris

 

I wanted to add some more accurate info relative to the cost of a quaife for the early 2003 sl55 vs the later sl55s

I previously suggested that the quaife for the early SL55s was dramatically more expensive ... BUT
checking on current pricing, I see that it is now only about 25% MORE (only 10% more in europe only because the the more popular . later model is marked up more there) ... bottom line, the quaife for the early sl55 can be found for $1400 or so.

AND, member bayhas is putting together a group buy for all Quaife models (hoping to get 7%, 10% or even more off depending on the level of participation) making this a good time to consider a quaife (I see the OP of this thread has added his name to the list ).

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230...oup-buy-2.html

the more the merrier,
Chris

 

i found myself following most if not all of your advice latemodel, thank you.

How would i know which diff i need for my 03? When was the switch?

Also ive had my trans replaced by the dealer, where would i find the blue solenoids to check which version i have?

In progress:
rebuilding the abc: 4 new struts, 5 new accumulators, 2 rebuilt blocks, upgraded filter, and hopefully avoiding changing the pumps and hoses.

Already did:
New mandrus wilhelm 19s with pilot super sports.
New valve cover gaskets.

To do:
trunk struts
diff
toe links
camber plates
smart top
star lowering
ipod interface

 

Which dif do you need for your 2003 SL55? According to the Mercedes EPC (which tracks the build-up of each car by VIN), the change happened at Chassis number 069434 .... HOWEVER, when I remove MY end number as part of the search criteria it lists a (the next) rear diff that goes from build number 043579 to 089503. SO, if your build number (like mine) is below 043579 then I'd say you have the early diff (which uses Quaife # 230055 ); if it is between 43579 and 69434 then it is less certain (to me), but you could plug your VIN into the EPC for a more definitive answer, or I imagine Quaife would know (... just give bayhas your vin ).


The blue-top solenoids are visible when you remove the pan and drop the valve body (see pic below). The previous version had small brown caps instead of the small blue caps. The transmission (valve body version) and TCU were installed by MBZ in specific pairings ... you can remove the passenger right side kick-panel or check with the SDS to see which TCU you have.

I buy all my struts from these guys (this is a link to the trunk struts)
http://www.liftsupportsdepot.com/sta...-strut-70900w/

Cheers,
Chris

 

You have been extremely helpful. Thank you.

 

Ironic that I should prove myself wrong, but after some discussions with Birdsauto UK (the sole distributor of Mercedes and BMW Quaife differentials as designated by Quaife ... who, according to quaife, are also responsible for defining mercedes applications and updates/improvements for these applications) both through some emails and time of the phone, they (Birds) decided to lower the (catalog) price of the early 210gear size quaife QDF28b (used in early sl55s, 210e55s and early 211e55s and all c32 ... and a few other applications) to the same price as their most popular mercedes quaife QDf27b (used in all late 2003 and newer sl55s, e55s, c55s, etc). So , for now, they are priced the same and I recant my previous statements about price disparity.

Cheers,
Chris
P.S. during the course of these discussions, we worked out a group-buy with a 15% to 20% discount for all forum participants through April 10, 2015 (I signed up for one of course : )
here is some more info on the group buy (with links to more info on Quaife diffs for mercedes apps)

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-...ml#post6353694

if you missed the group buy, the regular prices are still very good.

 

According to this:

http://www.mbca.org/sites/default/fi...reedec04_0.pdf

coolant change intervals are every 3 years on the 2003 and every 15 years on the 2004+ SL.