This car is going to get me killed...
 

So I just bought an 04 E55 a couple weekends ago. I flew down to Ohio and drove back up to Chicago, stopping in Indianapolis along the way to visit some family.

The trip overall was uneventful, getting a couple head turns here and there, but mostly just setting the cruise control and growling at the occasional bug splattering on the windshield.

Since that weekend I've learned a couple things. For one, jumping out into an intersection a bit to aggressively will vastly increase my heart rate. A bit of spin in the rear was all that had happened, but what the hell...I hardly tapped the gas...that's not supposed to happen in a normal car...

Second...I've opened up the throttle a bit both on main streets and highway while giving a couple friends a test drive. I haven't found a speed at which this girl doesn't want to leap onto the car in front of her, latch onto it's neck, pierce the jugular and kill it. It's a bit unsettling. Something this comfortable shouldn't be able to do that.

And third...Someone posted the "sneaky ecu reset" on here. I figured I might as well let the car adapt to MY driving style, so I reset it with an evil grin on my face, knowing full well that I wasn't going to be emulating my "daily drive" routine with everything back to the raw, original state. That being said, the E55 has very comfortable headrests, though for a moment I was thinking they should come with a neckbrace. Wow did she kick after that reset.


I'm trying to be careful. Last week I somehow "unintentionally" kept finding excuses to drive to see friends and relatives that I normally don't go very far out of my way to see. Last Thursday a cute brunette in a Yaris tried to race me on the highway. Later that night a blonde soccer mom tried to race me on the way back home in a mini-van. Driving has never been so entertaining.

Every now and then I'll step a bit too much on the throttle and there's an evil voice in my head that just giggles uncontrollably. There's so much temptation to just hold the pedal down, but somehow my rational side has won that argument...at least this far.


Anyhow, the community here has been excellent, so I wanted to drop in and thank you folks. Everyone I've spoken to or PMd has been extremely helpful, and generous with their time. I know several people who believe in this stereotype where benz owners are elitest snobs and look down on other people. Surely this must be true for a few people out there, but I've seen none of it here.

So thanks again. I'm loving the car so far. Hope to see you on the road sometime! :)

-D

If your not driving it with the pedal mashed to the floor at all times then your not even driving it. Don't be a sissy :) lol jk

It is a pretty awesome car, enjoy it!

Enjoy the car, and trust me - it is normal to feel this way. The AMG's, and the E55 especially, is a blast to drive.

Our common sense must reign in, or else you'd be mashing the pedal all day! It is a fun feeling though, so don't feel guilty, just drive safely.

Im always volunteering to go get the kids or run to the store. I usually go out of my way.
Fun....isn't it.
Then again, I think I've been this way with about every car i've owned.

Just wait, just like the tranny adapting, your mind, reflexes, and body will adapt. . . you WILL start to think it is slow (or at least slower than you originally thought); then you will start to ask "questions" on how to get just "a little more" power; something safe and conservative just to let the corvettes and p-cars know that it wasn't an "accident" they just got passed. . .then you'll run into modded P-cars and vettes (hopefully BMW's) and then you'll think, just a little more power. . .and before you know it: headers, HE, pulley, tune, drag radials. . .I would say you're in trouble but the fact the of the matter is the fun is just beginning:)

Well said and very true :rolf:

It is great that you are enjoying the car so much. I know my neighbor almost soiled himself when he went on the test drive with me.

I do the same thing with going out for drives and errands just to spend time with the car. Plus, I am even more thankful to have it now since almost losing it a few months when I needed to help out family.

Glad to hear that your situation turned for the better and that you got to keep her!!! I don't think I posted on that thread but my thoughts and prayers were with you the whole time.

My drive to work kills my agressive settings, so I have to reset my adaptives every few weeks. :(

Lol. I was afraid of driving mine for the first couple of weeks... throttle was way too responsive and I kept squealing tires from a stop.

like mentioned, after a few weeks it will not seem as fast.

Just leave the traction control on and do not put it into dyno mode....unless you're in an area where you have nothing to run in to. These cars get very unpredictable if you turn off "nanny" mode to test your driving skills.

Thank you. Much like the original poster here is finding out, this car is WAY too much fun, and I am just glad to have the opportunity to own and enjoy such a fine automobile.

Did you buy it from an Asian guy?

I miss mine its gone to the spa :(

My car has been stock since it left the factory, just like you guys mentioned it does feel slow at times. When ever I want a rush , I do the sneaky reset and take the TC off find an empty street and go bananas. Brings a smile to my face allll the time.

Just got my 04 E55 last week. I did the ECU reset today and man, did I have some fun after that. I completely forgot about the sneaky reset untill I read this thread. Thanks guys!

Why do you ask?

It's "really" fast.....until you start moffing.. Ha

It's "really" fast.....until you start modding.. Ha

OP has created such a beautiful thread

Reminds me of this
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...-behavior.html
Mandatory reading for AMG owners....

TY :)

EXACTLY what I was thinkin...:rolf::y

Yeah I think I've already adapted to the acceleration. I've gotten to the point where on my way to work I'd wonder why the car wasn't hitting as hard. So the next light I'd pull out aggressively and watch the speedometer and sure enough, it was doing what I would have expected it to be doing.

Same thing happened on my M3. And my old 300Zx, which was why I kept modding that thing. The more mods, the more tickets...but the benz will be different (or so I keep telling myself).

Jake from Eurocharged is going to meet up with me this weekend and lower the car a bit and do a tune, so the daily drive should get smoother, and I'm sure I'll have more power.

I'm sort of worried that this is just the first of many visits to the shop to make "subtle changes" to my car to "improve daily performance", cuz that has always hurt my wallet in the past.

Anyway, even if I've gotten used to the performance, I still walk away backwards from the car after I get home from work with a smile from ear to ear. I know you all know the feeling!

-D

whatever you do, DO NOT you tube "e55 exhaust sound" until your done "improving daily performance"; if you're married, it's one thing sneaking on a CF front lip or a pulley and such. . .you'll NEVER be able to justify why your MB all the sudden sounds like a NASCAR:D

Once again, welcome - I think you'll feel right at home.