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Just got my 2004 E55 Yesterday - What Quick/Easy/Cheap HP Mods Should I do first?

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Old 10-29-2009, 02:27 PM
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2004 E55 AMG
Just got my 2004 E55 Yesterday - What Quick/Easy/Cheap HP Mods Should I do first?

Hey everyone happy to be a owner, it's a stunning car! So for my first HP mods was thinking of putting in K&N Airfilters to replace the stock ones.

What else would you recommend, perhaps a Jet Chip rather than a full tune to get small, incremenal HP gains? Was looking for mods under $500 if those even exist on a MB.

Thanks!

Alex
Old 10-29-2009, 03:02 PM
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2006 E55 AMG --old cars -- E39 M5, 2.7tt Audi S4, E36 M3 **Ducati 996, 748
filters will not give you anything noticable... but a good mod. $500??? ummm??? clay and wax it... because $500 is not goig to get you much of anything... You can get some exhaust work done but it will not give you anything noticable -- just some more noise
Old 10-29-2009, 03:04 PM
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cheap... LOL
Old 10-29-2009, 03:12 PM
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perhaps you bought the wrong car if you thought 500 was gonna cover mods.

pulley + tune + intake + heat exchanger would be a nice start

and thats more like 500 x 10 lol
Old 10-29-2009, 03:20 PM
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Whatever there's gas in...
Originally Posted by alextaylor29
Hey everyone happy to be a owner, it's a stunning car! So for my first HP mods was thinking of putting in K&N Airfilters to replace the stock ones.

What else would you recommend, perhaps a Jet Chip rather than a full tune to get small, incremenal HP gains? Was looking for mods under $500 if those even exist on a MB.

Thanks!

Alex
Congrats on your purchase! Make sure you post some pics too!

Don't feel any peer pressure to immediately start modding it though..Maybe give it time to get used to the power you already have? That will also give you time to save for some big boy mods!
Old 10-29-2009, 03:37 PM
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'14 E63s Estate, '21 RR P525, '22 GMC 2500, '23 G63
500 won't go far. i say the same at S-Clusiv, just drive the car and learn what you have and then start modding.

you can get some euro impact strips and window for 500 or X-pipe for noise.

maybe a used pulley - but no tune
Old 10-29-2009, 03:52 PM
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with $500 you can help your car perform healthy.

The worst thing I see now is that new E55 owners not researching about IC pump, IAT's, H/E and data logging.

1) buy the Johnson CM30 pump about $150. This will atleast give you piece of mind your pump is not bad or buy a stock one too. Search about bleeding your IC system.. very simple and cheap.

2) Split your IC system. There is a sticky about this. Very simple and cheap to do. Any mechanic will can do this in about 1 hour with a cool car. Again bleed your system. Basically its removing 1 stock 3/4 "T" connection for 2 3/4" splices and adding a small reservoir.

3) Remove the plastic cover under neath your wipers. its blocking hot air from leaving your engine. Unless you live in a area where it rains heavily, you dont need it.

4)buy a data logger to monitor your IAT's. Please don't race anybody until you sure you have a healthy E55. Data logger connects to a lap top or could be a plug in device like CarChip

All these things are on this forum for you to research.

enjoy your car.. there is lots to learn about it.
Old 10-29-2009, 03:54 PM
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500 won't get you far. you should get an intercooler pump which is ~200 and just enjoy stock power reliably.
Old 10-29-2009, 05:30 PM
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e55
$500 can get you a heat exchanger and a pump...that would definitely help...
Old 10-29-2009, 05:35 PM
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2004 E55 AMG
Thanks guys great advice. This is what I figured but as a brand new owner I figured it couldn't hurt to ask the initial "dumb questions."

Alex
Old 10-29-2009, 06:07 PM
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bone stock E55 AMG
i'd do cooling mod first...
Old 10-29-2009, 09:25 PM
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So for $500 which heat exchanger still leaves you with money for a pump? Which data loggers do you recommended? I am also a new owner with an 06 E55 and wanted start understand what direction to go I understand the split system but I do not understand a T to the reservoir instead of making it the highest point in the loop and creating a self bleeding system.
Old 10-29-2009, 09:49 PM
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Originally Posted by MJ50
i'd do cooling mod first...
+1. I had upgraded my heat exchanger along with the intercooler pump before the some power mods and it was the best thing I did. Keep my already high IAT's in stock form down...
Old 10-29-2009, 09:59 PM
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Originally Posted by TopGun32
with $500 you can help your car perform healthy.

The worst thing I see now is that new E55 owners not researching about IC pump, IAT's, H/E and data logging.

1) buy the Johnson CM30 pump about $150. This will atleast give you piece of mind your pump is not bad or buy a stock one too. Search about bleeding your IC system.. very simple and cheap.

2) Split your IC system. There is a sticky about this. Very simple and cheap to do. Any mechanic will can do this in about 1 hour with a cool car. Again bleed your system. Basically its removing 1 stock 3/4 "T" connection for 2 3/4" splices and adding a small reservoir.

3) Remove the plastic cover under neath your wipers. its blocking hot air from leaving your engine. Unless you live in a area where it rains heavily, you dont need it.

4)buy a data logger to monitor your IAT's. Please don't race anybody until you sure you have a healthy E55. Data logger connects to a lap top or could be a plug in device like CarChip

All these things are on this forum for you to research.

enjoy your car.. there is lots to learn about it.
+1

Being that you bought it used, as did I, I would allocate the first $$$ to maintenance. Flush the trans fluid, flush the brake fluid, o/l/f, and whatever else needs attention.
Old 10-30-2009, 12:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Eraser-X
So for $500 which heat exchanger still leaves you with money for a pump? Which data loggers do you recommended? I am also a new owner with an 06 E55 and wanted start understand what direction to go I understand the split system but I do not understand a T to the reservoir instead of making it the highest point in the loop and creating a self bleeding system.
read the stick about "splitting your IC system"

once you look at the pictures you will see how easy it is.

The reservoir hits higher and there is a line that connects to the IC system via a T.

Search bleeding.. Basically there is a nipple that is plugged. you will need hose and route to your reservoir. Run the car and let the coolant flow to the reservoir. The Reservoir will feed coolant to the system.
Old 10-30-2009, 08:26 AM
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21 E450 Wagon and 07 SL55
Once again my question is why are you not using a reservoir that can have an in and an out and creating a self bleeding system? Is the fluid level above the bleed port when you add the reservoir or below it? My comment was not to "stick" it to anyone just to see if someone knew why you guys are not working on making the system self bleeding.

When I started building my track car the Miata community was full of answer but no one had any reasons as to why and after a while I was getting tired of being steered down the golden path. I am hoping to not do this with my new E55
Old 10-30-2009, 10:59 PM
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There are plenty of people using a reservoir in the manner you described, however they are trunk mounted. You can open your hood and judge for yourself, there really isn't alot of room in there.
Old 10-31-2009, 12:32 AM
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2004 E55 AMG
Thanks guys for the advice. I found the new pump to replace but what heat exchanger would you recommend? A link would be greatly appreciated if you have it handy.

As I live in Phoenix I figure I should get this done now as it gets to 115 in the summer and I drive 100 miles a day to and from work, everyday, in traffic.

Thanks again.

Alex
Old 10-31-2009, 10:41 AM
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cheapest and best mod to do for the 55 amg????

ECU REMAP!!!!!!!
(the temp one - read the thread on 'sneaky reset'
Old 10-31-2009, 11:21 AM
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If $500 is all you have in your budget I would get a HE and leave the stock pump alone if you have the extended warranty. There are still may people running the stock pump with upgraded heat exchangers with great success. The only advantage the Johnson CM30 pump has over stock is reliability.

As far as the trunk reservoir goes, if you do the install yourself you could definitely get away with less then $500. With the rear reservoir the only advantage I see with it is at the track when filled with ice.
Old 11-01-2009, 01:18 AM
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Originally Posted by usmankhan355
cheapest and best mod to do for the 55 amg????

ECU REMAP!!!!!!!
(the temp one - read the thread on 'sneaky reset'

+1 Then drive it like you stole it.

Also new air filters (k+N) and or replace fog light bulbs and driving lights to match xenon?
Old 11-01-2009, 12:11 PM
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Congrats on the car!! I just recently joined the AMG club and I started with the basics (for newbs). I did what "lowprofile" recommended, GO GET YOUR FLUIDS FLUSHED. I took my car to MBZ (got a good buddie on the inside) and they flushed all the fluids. You never know with a used car what kind of crap the previous owner was doing to save a buck.
Then I drove the car to get tints, I recommend 35% in cabin and 20% on the trunk window. It looks clean and the police dont seem to mind it!
After resonator delete for a bit more sound, well, not much more but I think your brain is fooled to think so because you watched them rip apart the exhaust! Still go do it.
Rims powdercoated, and car detailed. The BEST money I've spent thus far (its been about two months since I got the car) is on a LET tune. I got a great deal from Jerry (~$500) and I was blown away with the results. I was not so much blown away and racing Ferraris, but for the money I spent its jaw dropping improvement in speed and performance increase. Hit me up, I'll forward you his #. And good luck!
Old 11-01-2009, 01:38 PM
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an let tune is always a great place to go. he is showing m/b ownwers across the board from 3.2 to the v12 tt that you dont have to spend 1000$$$ on a tune to get amazing results. just surf around. the posts are everywere.
for me the first thing i did to my car was full fluids flush from front to rear and then full brake replacement from front to rear and added stainless steel brake lines and motul blue fluid.
from there look at tunes intakes pullies and dr's for the track. any i/c cooling mods will keep the ponies racing for longer times and are a great improvement
Old 11-01-2009, 03:22 PM
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2004 E55 AMG
Wonderful, thanks guys. TheVazha, I've PM'd you for Jerry's number. Regarding the heat exchanger is there a brand/type you'd recommend?

Searching on it now.

Thanks again.

Alex
Old 11-01-2009, 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted by alextaylor29
Wonderful, thanks guys. TheVazha, I've PM'd you for Jerry's number. Regarding the heat exchanger is there a brand/type you'd recommend?

Searching on it now.

Thanks again.

Alex
heres the website
http://www.eurocharged.com/


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