94 500SL 55k, Merc inspection report

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

ian11

Member
Joined
May 1, 2010
Messages
48
Just had the 60k major service (£200...very good!) and a long vehicle inspection (£50) at main dealer.

I'd be grateful if an SL guru had a chance to look through the list below and point out any horrors. Not asking for you to contradict the dealer but nice for my background knowledge to know about common items & lurking bills.

Dealer said all leaks & cracks were minor and car was roadworthy. He thinks £1200 to cure all, which I'll probably say yes to (resale will jump):

front pads worn
engine mounts weak
single v-belt crack
rear wheel carrerbushing damage
front shock mount cracked
steering knuckle ball joint damaged
steering box leaking
oil pan gasket leaking (lower)
oil level sender unit leaking
at lockout staich leaking
r/sengine hose leaking
air filter dirty (haha)
front crankshaft seal leaking

rest is minor cosmetic. Impressed by the dealer & this Merc 'keeping old cars on road' policy...good buisness

Christ, SLs have a LOT of parts......
 
Where are you located? Would be better to take it to and indi like PCS @ Horndean:)
 
Oman..! The only real option for a correct fix is the dealer ... even the well regarded independents wear spurs.

I'm sure you get this a lot, but that SL600 is a thing of beauty
 
With so many (minor) items needing attention, when was the last time the car had a service? Has it been well maintained? Front pads and V-Belt are wear & tear items needing periodic replacement.
I also do not think the "only way to a correct fix is the dealer". You'll save yourself quite a bit of money and curse words if you found a good independent Mercedes Garage near you. Some appear on this forum. You can have a look on Mercedes Specialists across the UK under MB Community, read up on people's experiences and make up your mind. There's bound to be one within 75 miles of your location. Probably worth the travel with some change left from your initial quote of £1200. Good luck.
 
You can have a look on Mercedes Specialists across the UK under MB Community, read up on people's experiences and make up your mind. There's bound to be one within 75 miles of your location. Probably worth the travel with some change left from your initial quote of £1200. Good luck.

Don't think it will be - OP is in Oman!
 
With so many (minor) items needing attention, when was the last time the car had a service? Has it been well maintained? Front pads and V-Belt are wear & tear items needing periodic replacement

Thanks for reply (Car in Oman, south of Gulf)

Car had immaculate MBSH until late 06 and PO ran it for 3.5yrs, 12k miles with only independent oil changes. It was a sale via a friend and they were quite open about this, inevitable I would collect all the prizes at the end.

Merc were very encouraging. As its one of theirs & not Dubai trash they are inclined to help me recover to a F(ish)MBSH. I paid less than 5 grand so I have plenty to spend before the car starts feeling dear. Its only one of two dealers in an oil country which loves its 3 pointed star so they have little reason to ply for maintenance trade.

So although I don't have access to quality indies, it reassuring to hear that these issues aren't catastrophic and the MB quote is ballpark. I don't really understand the SL yet and so I can't make judgements on maintenance...I ran a chitty bang bang Esprit SE as a daily driver for 70,000miles and now have a PhD in keeping one running with tie-wraps and pliers.
 
Hehe..with the exclamation mark I thought it was a sign of exasperation..Oh man!
 
Good car you've got there. I hope you do reap all the benefits as expected.
 
That lot would not be done for 1200 in UK dealer. Front oil seal alone requires a lot of dismantling and time costs money.
 
Make sure you get a firm quote and not an estimate. The steering leak is not always an easy fix. The sump gasket is also a nasty job which is probably why they recommend changing the engine mounts at the same time.
 
I worked the winter of 77/8 in Muscat and had my 22nd birthday there - great experience. Couldn't get used to seeing a couple of male policeman walking down the road with their fingers entwined though! They weren't gay, just friends.
 
None of the items listed are horrors - I suspect leaking means weeping in which case get them done as and when.
 
Those items arent incongruent with the cars age but definately cant see how rectifying will add value... that said id get most done out of safety for the future owners.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom