Full of optimism and a glutton for punishment (2003 CL600 owner that I hate to love) I am seriously considering coming over to the two digit AMG world.

I have an opportunity to buy a Black on Black no pano 2003 SL55 EX garage queen that has been excommunicated to an outside parking spot for a few months now 30K miles on the odo. The body looks very straight, has aftermarket headers, some kind of tune, expensive looking wheels (I like the stock ones and it comes with those) clean interior. Shows very dirty from road dust but no sign of paint work or previous damage. Front ABC block needs R&R or kit... The current and second owner (no longer in the area) says he put new batteries in it and "burned" something in as something smelled like it got fried after the batteries were installed. First what would you offer for this car and what's the worst case scenario here?. He is asking 10K. I said OK hoping when I get the key it starts. If not I'm thinking 5K is really more the number.

Whats the salvage value super worst case? He says he paid 12K for the header kit and another ludicrous sum for the tune on the engine and or supercharger. 640hp?

 

Sounds like he burned up the battery control module in the back trunk. It is a DIY job and will take 10 minutes to replace - after you spend some time figuring out the puzzle of the trunk trim removal.

Not familiar with an "EX" model. Do a VIN check.

 

Great to know thank you! The "EX" was meant to symbolize no longer, as in "EX" wife It was a garage queen no it's an ex-garage queen. Any thought on value?

 

Check the "bring a trailer" website. Great place to see what others are paying for many different cars. Saw a similar car to your target with an auction ending very soon. Go look at what price it sold for.

 

10K for a 30K mile SL55 is very low . Even if you had to spend a couple of grand on it .
from what I can see , these cars in A1 condition and similar mileage are asking 20/25K .
SL55 prices are bound to stabilize and go up , once people figure out how to keep
the ABC system clean and functioning .

 

If your buying it for 10K and I don't think you can really go wrong.

Worse case ABC may cost 5K at a good independant shop to completely update it. Chances are more like 3K it will be running perfect. I'd also have them swap out all the fluids and more or less just a good tune up.

57Staff already told you what needs replacing in the trunk. That isn't to expensive and easy to do.

Check those tires also since its been sitting. Chances are they are dry rotted, flat spotted, or hard as rock if they are more than 5 years old. So another $1200 to $1300 or so there.

So you might have to put 5 to 7K in it and you'll have a hell of car worth a good 25K or so with only 30,000 miles. You just got to be prepared to either do about 3K of work yourself or pay someone about 7K to do it all.

 

OK this is great everyone! I love BAT but its been a while! I just spent way too much money on the ABC for my CL600. Can't sell it for what I have in coils let alone what I have in the rest of the car I do love driving it though. I personally rebuilt both abc blocks and got most of the hydraulic lines refreshed by a local shop here so I know what pentosin chf11 smells like. Two flatbed rides later Have a star laptop which helps a ton. I did think 10K was a good price but the car looks super dirty and slammed on the front from sitting for a few weeks now. I am having a hard time not buying it but can't justify parking two black 2003 Mercedes in front of my city home It would start to look horderish....

 

Update: I took a closer look at the car. It has a few spots that have rust. The glass on the retractable top is sun burned enough to see it creeping around the fringes. Some clear signs of pain work rear quarters. The interior looks very good so maybe the miles are right. The aftermarket wheels have curb rash. Looks like the trunk liner and a bunch of stuff inside the car. I'm firm at 5K and really don't want to deal with it. Probably a basket case. Maybe a parts car. Seller came back with $7500 as is before getting to the battery module. I can wait to find a nice example. Now I'm wondering if a junky one was even worth 5K.

 

There's a 1 owner on auto trader now. Guy is out West and if it's still available he'll probably deal off his $26,500 price because it's been listed since I began a search in February. It shows 63k miles.

 

OK guys. So someone scared me about the possibility of much further damage than just the battery module. Has anyone seen more extensive damage than just the module? I want this car, it's been an obsession with me for w while. I placated it with the CL600 but I want the 2 number SL. Help me please. It's nerve wracking. If the car needs extensive wiring I'm out. What are the odds? 50/50? or worse or better....

 

There could be more damage, none of us have seen the car.

If you really want the car maybe its worth putting it on a flatbed and having a qualified Indy shop who is familiar with these cars take an extensive look into what is all wrong with the car.

Worse case you might be out about $300 to $500 and not have a money pit on your hands. The flip side is you'll know everything that needs to be done and have a very good ideal of what it will take to get in good working order. Either way you'll have peace of mind.

 

Update.

I pushed the button. Car is very straight great interior. The dash by the passenger side is broken. Some minor delimitation on the vinyl/leather around the command. Really happy overall with interior. The engine bay is IMMACULATE. A few fasteners missing around the trim on top of the fan shroud. The previous owner put in a Pulley kit and a larger intercooler along with long tube headers allegedly spending 11K just on the headers. I hope it's not obnoxiously loud. Stock AMG mufflers and looks stock after the headers. New rear tires. New brakes according to seller. Paint was rough.Needs serious correction on the horizontal surfaces. I'm working on that now. No real dents. One very small dent so far but the car does have rust. Step one will be make it shiny while I wait for parts.

The bad news and why it was so cheap:

The battery module fried the harness going into it. I have ordered the harness and a replacement module is on the way. I can't get the car out of park. Had to put my floor jack under the car to get it off the flatbed. It was a show. I have no shame and I know the obsessive compulsives here will love this post but hey, the car was a roller. It really does only have 30K something miles tho. Books, locally bought second owner. Obsidian black with black interior alcantra designo headliner, keyless go (which I really wanted). Now my fingers are crossed that I don't have every sam in the car upstream from the battery module fried. Either way I'm in at a low basis and I'm enjoying turning a wrench on it so far.

I have a question for the cognoscenti. Once I get the wiring harness patched in (pro soldered and shrink wrapped) what is my next move to get the car to recognize the key? At the moment the center console and the rear compartments are closed. So is the fuel door. I realize that is a PSE system issue and the batteries are discoed, needless.

 

If the battery died while the key was in the ignition (or sometimes just nearby), you may be looking at a new key to fix.

 

Success! Car is awesome! Soldered the replacement harness in where needed. Trickle charged the batteries up. Wow it's LOUD!

I get top not secured warnings and dings. Got the red battery light. White BRAKE light. It creeps down in the front over night. The top not secured won't let the windows close correctly. Still smells a little burnt. Paint is coming along well. I'm not going crazy on correction as I will be getting paint work done. Right now it's front end work and mounts. The roads down here are getting better but since the hurricanes it's been hell holes everywhere. So it needs a front end overhaul. The usual like fluids coming up.

The top does have one ram leaking. I'll get on that after the front end is tight.

I want to thank Pmercury from this forum for helping me with my diagnostics all the way from France! What a huge resource! Just incredible assistance! We ironed out the car with Xentry and worked out 99% of the codes leaving only the tele aid which is dead anyway. Incredible to see ZERO faults other than obsolete equipment! I'm feeling incredibly grateful.

I'm taking pictures and video to make a series on putting the car back together.

 

Congrats and good luck! keep us posted

 

My pleasure
Hope this helps to convince others that there is no way to properly repair these cars without properly installed SDconnect clone + Xentry (genuine software, not from China) for the price of 2 diagnostics at MB