New to E55
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Newbie
Joined: Nov 2017
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E55
New to E55
Hello everyone....just brought home a new to me 2003 E55 with a whooping 44k miles. Has some minor scuffs etc but seems to be in really good shape. Apparently the very first owner (this is a 2 owner car) put the stage 2 Kleenman upgrades on it. Everything else appears stock. All I can say is wooow. This thing will pull your arms off, beat you with them and then go out and find chicks. I definitely run out of ***** before I do forward thrust. So a couple of questions that seem to fail on a search function on this site...or so much data comes in I don't know where to start:
1. Any recommendations for a good shop in Charlotte NC?
2. Any modifications I should stay AWAY from?
3. How do you get blue tooth in these things without going with a completely new head unit (which I hope will happen someday)
Thanks and one other thing....I have never actually seen one of these in real life...so I bought the car, flew to Texas and drove it home. Here's what I didn't expect...it is a beeeeautful car! I have seen countless pictures but for some reason they just don't do the lines of this machine any good. I was stunned by how awesome it looks in person. Anyway, looking forward to participating on this site!
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 64
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2004 E55 AMG
Nice ride. Welcome to the AMG family and this forum. This is easily one of the greatest auto boards I've been on. The folks here are a gigantic help and really know their stuff. Enjoy your car, they are a blast!
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2015
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From: SC
2005 E55 AMG
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 241
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From: Houston, TX
2006 E55 AMG, 2018 Audi Q7, 2005 Porsche Boxster S, 1930 Model A Hot Rod, 744HP 1965 Shelby Cobra
Deleted - Posted in wrong thread by mistake - Sorry!
Posted in wrong thread by mistake - Sorry!
Last edited by Doug427; Nov 22, 2017 at 04:57 PM. Reason: Posted here in error
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 288
From: New Zealand
Nice car, as far as mods, it just depends what you want from it. Heat exchanger and new intercooler pump are always first. I have a pulley and tune in the mail and that is about all I plan to add to my mods list. Nice, reliable and simple.
If you are ok dealing with some minor issues then headers are a great addition. I personally would stay away from throttle body upgrades, I am still not convinced that they are 100% reliable and hick-up free, some people still seem to have issues with no vacuum leaks but many others have them running perfectly.
Anything more than those just depends on what sort of investment you are looking at and downtime you are ok with.
If you are ok dealing with some minor issues then headers are a great addition. I personally would stay away from throttle body upgrades, I am still not convinced that they are 100% reliable and hick-up free, some people still seem to have issues with no vacuum leaks but many others have them running perfectly.
Anything more than those just depends on what sort of investment you are looking at and downtime you are ok with.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11
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E55
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
E55
Nice car, as far as mods, it just depends what you want from it. Heat exchanger and new intercooler pump are always first. I have a pulley and tune in the mail and that is about all I plan to add to my mods list. Nice, reliable and simple.
If you are ok dealing with some minor issues then headers are a great addition. I personally would stay away from throttle body upgrades, I am still not convinced that they are 100% reliable and hick-up free, some people still seem to have issues with no vacuum leaks but many others have them running perfectly.
Anything more than those just depends on what sort of investment you are looking at and downtime you are ok with.
If you are ok dealing with some minor issues then headers are a great addition. I personally would stay away from throttle body upgrades, I am still not convinced that they are 100% reliable and hick-up free, some people still seem to have issues with no vacuum leaks but many others have them running perfectly.
Anything more than those just depends on what sort of investment you are looking at and downtime you are ok with.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 804
Likes: 62
E55 amg
Nice car, as far as mods, it just depends what you want from it. Heat exchanger and new intercooler pump are always first. I have a pulley and tune in the mail and that is about all I plan to add to my mods list. Nice, reliable and simple.
If you are ok dealing with some minor issues then headers are a great addition. I personally would stay away from throttle body upgrades, I am still not convinced that they are 100% reliable and hick-up free, some people still seem to have issues with no vacuum leaks but many others have them running perfectly.
Anything more than those just depends on what sort of investment you are looking at and downtime you are ok with.
If you are ok dealing with some minor issues then headers are a great addition. I personally would stay away from throttle body upgrades, I am still not convinced that they are 100% reliable and hick-up free, some people still seem to have issues with no vacuum leaks but many others have them running perfectly.
Anything more than those just depends on what sort of investment you are looking at and downtime you are ok with.
are you modded now with a tb and bolt ons now??
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 804
Likes: 62
E55 amg
This sounds like the first car you have owned that’s quick .
As far as the car goes stock ,I wouldn’t consider it fast ,most so a quick car . Adding bolt ons makes a tq monster but horsepower is still low as it hits 520 whp (real numbers not a happy pull) with all the bolt ons added with a proper dynontune.
This type of car is a tank and to really feel it you need over 600 whp real numbers .The post mentioned above has to do more of install and setup ,and tuning .If your car is setup correctly ,tuned good ,install like Oem ,the car should not have issues as this person is saying .( people talk with no experience more so repeat cause other said it ).
Power gains on a tb 82 mm is around 10 whp max with your added parts and makes a nice finish to make the whole combo come together for extra breathing and better throttle response .By far ,the best mod on this car is long tube headers ,then he and pump upgrade and pulley to get more boost to take advantage of the breathing and cooling .
all supercharger cars run like hot boxes (on top blower )but the e55 due to its v design flaw furthers further in the pit for this so cooling is important .The more boost your run the more power the more heat comes in its nature of the beast .
As far as the car goes stock ,I wouldn’t consider it fast ,most so a quick car . Adding bolt ons makes a tq monster but horsepower is still low as it hits 520 whp (real numbers not a happy pull) with all the bolt ons added with a proper dynontune.
This type of car is a tank and to really feel it you need over 600 whp real numbers .The post mentioned above has to do more of install and setup ,and tuning .If your car is setup correctly ,tuned good ,install like Oem ,the car should not have issues as this person is saying .( people talk with no experience more so repeat cause other said it ).
Power gains on a tb 82 mm is around 10 whp max with your added parts and makes a nice finish to make the whole combo come together for extra breathing and better throttle response .By far ,the best mod on this car is long tube headers ,then he and pump upgrade and pulley to get more boost to take advantage of the breathing and cooling .
all supercharger cars run like hot boxes (on top blower )but the e55 due to its v design flaw furthers further in the pit for this so cooling is important .The more boost your run the more power the more heat comes in its nature of the beast .
Last edited by oneslow55; Nov 23, 2017 at 10:01 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,969
Likes: 1,317
From: Republic of Texas
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
DIY info for when/if you go with an upgraded heat exchanger (unless your car already has one).
https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...formation.html
Info on one of the weakest links in the E55; not a matter of "if", but "when":
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...intenance.html
General info on what to look for in your car; stay on top of the maintenance or she'll bite you in the butt:
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ml#post7169029
EDIT: regularly check the inside of your wheels for cracks. The stock wheels are weak in my opinion; I've had to replace three of them due to hitting what I thought were not-very-big potholes. Do not attempt to repair; the wheel will just crack again in the same spot (no need to ask me how I learned this lesson not once, but twice!). Next time a wheel cracks, I'm going aftermarket on all four wheels.
You'll find the W211 AMG sub-forum tends to have the "gear-heads". Some very smart people post here and I've learned a lot from them. Don't be afraid to ask a dumb question and one of your first investments should be a full-up DAS/STAR/Xentry (pick your name).
Welcome.
https://mbworld.org/forums/mercedes-...formation.html
Info on one of the weakest links in the E55; not a matter of "if", but "when":
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...intenance.html
General info on what to look for in your car; stay on top of the maintenance or she'll bite you in the butt:
https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ml#post7169029
EDIT: regularly check the inside of your wheels for cracks. The stock wheels are weak in my opinion; I've had to replace three of them due to hitting what I thought were not-very-big potholes. Do not attempt to repair; the wheel will just crack again in the same spot (no need to ask me how I learned this lesson not once, but twice!). Next time a wheel cracks, I'm going aftermarket on all four wheels.
You'll find the W211 AMG sub-forum tends to have the "gear-heads". Some very smart people post here and I've learned a lot from them. Don't be afraid to ask a dumb question and one of your first investments should be a full-up DAS/STAR/Xentry (pick your name).
Welcome.
Last edited by bbirdwell; Nov 23, 2017 at 10:22 AM.
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,388
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'06 E55 K2
Congrats and welcome.
I have the Kleeman K2 package on my car and the only mod I would consider beyond that is the K3 which is the SL55 TB 80/82 mm TB upgrade and an ECU flash to support the additional air / fuel management into the engine. I would steer you away from oversized pulleys and supplementary water tanks and pumps in the trunk etc.
I've owned my car now for 8 years and it has 55k on it, I am the 2nd owner and had Kleeman in Colorado Springs install the K2 mods in 2009 and the car has been reliable and proven ever since. Treat it right and be sensible and the car will return the favor several times over.
Over the years, many owners have come and gone, so hopefully you stick around and enjoy the car and share your experience with us and maybe even future owners.
I have the Kleeman K2 package on my car and the only mod I would consider beyond that is the K3 which is the SL55 TB 80/82 mm TB upgrade and an ECU flash to support the additional air / fuel management into the engine. I would steer you away from oversized pulleys and supplementary water tanks and pumps in the trunk etc.
I've owned my car now for 8 years and it has 55k on it, I am the 2nd owner and had Kleeman in Colorado Springs install the K2 mods in 2009 and the car has been reliable and proven ever since. Treat it right and be sensible and the car will return the favor several times over.
Over the years, many owners have come and gone, so hopefully you stick around and enjoy the car and share your experience with us and maybe even future owners.
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 288
From: New Zealand
If you read my post instead of just writing condescending comments in the following post you would see I have heat exchanger, pump and am waiting on pulley and tune which should coincidentally arrive today. I have done headers on other cars including my old C32. For me it is not worth the downtime, risk of cracking even high quality headers and watching the engine mounts like a hawk. Throttle body- as you already know I don't have an upgraded one on this car. I follow the threads on it that crop up very closely and I still see people seal them very well, all new gaskets, sealant, negative smoke tests, good tuners and still experiencing problems. For me that isn't worth the risk but I guess I can't know without doing it myself right. I have wired in standalone ecu's and built my own turbo kits for other cars, I am not even close to an expert on any of this but I still stand by my observations of other's experiences.
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
1991 560sec. 2005 E55. 2002 g500
For bluetooth, I did a simple solution that works pretty nicely and cost under $100.
Buy an Aux to bluetooth adapter with a Mic from amazon. ($15-20)
Go to a stereo shop or do it yourself and extend the aux plug in to the left side of the ashtray.
Plug in the bluetooth adapter to the rear cigarette lighter so you do have to charge it every 10 hours or so.
Wala you have bluetooth streaming music and calls. Everything is pretty much controlled from your phone.
Congrats on your car. I have a few and this car always brings a smile to my face when I drive it. Enjoy!
Buy an Aux to bluetooth adapter with a Mic from amazon. ($15-20)
Go to a stereo shop or do it yourself and extend the aux plug in to the left side of the ashtray.
Plug in the bluetooth adapter to the rear cigarette lighter so you do have to charge it every 10 hours or so.
Wala you have bluetooth streaming music and calls. Everything is pretty much controlled from your phone.
Congrats on your car. I have a few and this car always brings a smile to my face when I drive it. Enjoy!
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 804
Likes: 62
E55 amg
If you read my post instead of just writing condescending comments in the following post you would see I have heat exchanger, pump and am waiting on pulley and tune which should coincidentally arrive today. I have done headers on other cars including my old C32. For me it is not worth the downtime, risk of cracking even high quality headers and watching the engine mounts like a hawk. Throttle body- as you already know I don't have an upgraded one on this car. I follow the threads on it that crop up very closely and I still see people seal them very well, all new gaskets, sealant, negative smoke tests, good tuners and still experiencing problems. For me that isn't worth the risk but I guess I can't know without doing it myself right. I have wired in standalone ecu's and built my own turbo kits for other cars, I am not even close to an expert on any of this but I still stand by my observations of other's experiences.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 288
From: New Zealand
You don’t have to get so defensive when no one said anything about you with a finger pointed I wasn’t saying anything about you .Don’t believe the hype ,cause I’ve seen many so called, I’m a master tech expert and there installs are faulty after there really checked out .As long as you do the install correct and star it with a proper tune ,no issues will be at fault .I helped 2 members on this tb issues and goes what ?There symptoms are gone and there cars run cherry .Install on a tb takes around 2.5 hours of you wrenched before and headers around 3 hours .The tb can pick big gains if your car is heavy modded and that’s the finishing touch of the puzzle ..Easy car to work on just the ecu is very finicky ..
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 804
Likes: 62
E55 amg
The way it read I could only see it directed at me. Regardless, I have read some of your other posts and certainly value your expertise. I encourage anyone to do these mods as long as they are done properly and they know what they are in for. I personally don't have access to STAR except the dealer so throttle body replacement is not something I would be attempting even though the wrenching is fairly easy. Headers I would do if there were some decent RHD options and it wasn't my daily driver.
Last edited by oneslow55; Nov 23, 2017 at 11:03 PM.
