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I have a 2005 SL55 and have had 76 cars in my lifetime. I can’t believe that I have had this car so long. It is now fifteen years old with 9400 miles on it and still hasn’t been in the rain. Of all the cars I have had or still have it is my all time favorite car. Buy a good one treat it with respect and maintain it and it will be very enjoyable experience. We will be taking it to Hilton Head for the Car Club Showcase and Concours this weekend. Hope to see a few of you there.
Like you I have had many different cars in my lifetime at least 15 different model years of Porsche's for me nothing beats the ABC ride of my 2007 SL55 with the P30 option (Nuremburg ring tuned suspension). I now have 92k miles on it and the key to keeping the ABC system (and all other fluids) healthy is regular preventive maintenance (flushes and filter changes).
I use lab tubes to collect fluid samples and hold them up against a back light to compare them against tubes that have new clear fluid in them. I date them and record the mileage this way it is very easy to see if amount of dirt in suspension warrants a fluid change. Preventive maintenance is the key to keeps things healthy regardless of brand name or type of equipment.
Off course I do realize not everybody is set up as the complete DIY that I am, but this method gives me the pleasure of owning these well build cars (SL55 & S65) at a lesser cost than driving a Honda maintained by a dealer.
So this Thanks Giving day I consider myself lucky that I have the privilege of driving these fine cars based on the extension of my own (acquired ) ability.
2003 E55, 2003 SL55, 2014 CLS63, 2018 q50 Redsport, 1968 Camaro SS, 1999 Trans am Firehawk
Those hoses have a life expectancy that’s a function of age & heat. Frequent filter & fluid changes isn’t going to impact their durability or increase their lifespan one bit.
Those hoses have a life expectancy that’s a function of age & heat. Frequent filter & fluid changes isn’t going to impact their durability or increase their lifespan one bit.
I agree that everything has a sunset period and that heat and age are factors but I disagree when you say it doesn't impact durability, most hydraulic hose failures will show tell tale signs of on coming failure if inspected on a regular basis and preventive maintenance will prevent you from finding yourself stranded by the road most of the time. Life doesn't offer any guarantees neither does any car.
We all have our own best practices that we follow, no disrespect to yours, just sharing what works best for me.
2003 E55, 2003 SL55, 2014 CLS63, 2018 q50 Redsport, 1968 Camaro SS, 1999 Trans am Firehawk
Originally Posted by Hendrik Koster
I agree that everything has a sunset period and that heat and age are factors but I disagree when you say it doesn't impact durability, most hydraulic hose failures will show tell tale signs of on coming failure if inspected on a regular basis and preventive maintenance will prevent you from finding yourself stranded by the road most of the time. Life doesn't offer any guarantees neither does any car.
We all have our own best practices that we follow, no disrespect to yours, just sharing what works best for me.
I wish you well.
certainly changing fluid/filters will help pump life and the time between replacing o-rings on the valve block, but a hydraulic hose is a hydraulic hose. Same with the accumulators. those are just nitrogen filled rubber bladders that are going to age out regardless of fluid condition. I agree that inspecting hoses for weeping ends to get out ahead of catastrophic failure is wise so you don't get stranded or possibly ruin a pump from running it dry after a hose lets go.
figure you can get 10 years/100k out of the accumulators and 10-15 years max out of pressure side hydraulic hoses (return hoses rarely have failure).
2003 E55, 2003 SL55, 2014 CLS63, 2018 q50 Redsport, 1968 Camaro SS, 1999 Trans am Firehawk
To make hose change outs easier in future I had fittings welded on the hard ends of each line so I can just replace each rubber section in car as they go bad without having to remove the entire line
If anyone is looking for an 07 SL55 AMG black/black with the P30 package i can pass on the info, i passed up on the car when i found my SL600. It's located in PA, clean carfax, 33K miles, asking $30K firm
Last edited by FxFormat; Nov 28, 2019 at 10:45 PM.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
