Does the r231 have weeping boot seals and consumer battery woes?

[BPD07]

Hallo all, briefly last summer I added a 2004 r230 to my driveway. Naturally I bought the first one I saw and drove - and then found out about the boot seals and consumer battery drains. The car lives in a driveway as the garage has the SLK-32 in it and it’s really too small for that car even.

my 230 was written off when someone pulled out of a junction with out looking. It went to coparts and lives again as a cat S, (hello owner of YH54WCO). I couldn’t find another r230 with the same spec for the insurance money. So I bought a different manufacturers ragtop. But I cannot get the SL drive out of my mind.

So the boss here at home has said, we can por sell the Cascada (a bath coming in terms of loss) and I can look for another SL. I did find an SL350 but the seller wasn’t really a willing seller, making it quite hard to view the car and he wanted top money for it. But those boot seals and consumer battery error haunt me.

I think I read that the r231 boot closes differently so forms a better seal, is that right? And did Mercedes sort out the random consumer battery drain?

If I sell the -32 as well as the Cascada then I can get into an SL400 which would be nice. Anyone able to help me with my questions?

 

[C240Sport97]

June 2015 SL400.

no boot leaks and no battery issues.

bought at 1k miles and 15 months old. Now 34k miles.

R231 sl 400 | General Discussion

After an eventful few months with the Morgan, I came to my senses .. I got rid of it and I bought a 15 month old, 1000 miles, almost fully loaded SL400 earlier this month. It is just lovely to be back in a Mercedes .. it’s like coming home. Options: Driving assistance package ...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I've owned two R230's neither of which had boot seal issues, but which did need consumer battery charging if left unused for more than a month. (That said, I was never "let down," only mildly inconvenience by a radio that didn't play for the first five miles after starting).

I was "reliably" told that both the battery issue and the rear seal issues were resolved in the 2006 R230 facelift, and don't exist in the R231. But I didn't actually buy, so can't prove that advice.

I make the point because, if you like the R230, then a 2006 R230 is a petty cash upgrade at £8-12k, compared to doubling your investment with an R231.

(But, hey, you can't take it with you, and what else can you spend your wealth on with the pubs shut ?)

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[BPD07]

“I make the point because, if you like the R230, then a 2006 R230 is a petty cash upgrade at £8-12k, compared to doubling your investment with an R231.”

You raise a good point, but it needs to be post 2008ish to avoid the balance shaft issues, and then post 2011 (I think) to get out of outrageous RFL tax band. I’m a classic man at heart (so r129) but don’t do spanner’s or rust. So a modern modern is the way to go.

 

[V6GBJ]

Hallo all, briefly last summer I added a 2004 r230 to my driveway. Naturally I bought the first one I saw and drove - and then found out about the boot seals and consumer battery drains. The car lives in a driveway as the garage has the SLK-32 in it and it’s really too small for that car even.

my 230 was written off when someone pulled out of a junction with out looking. It went to coparts and lives again as a cat S, (hello owner of YH54WCO). I couldn’t find another r230 with the same spec for the insurance money. So I bought a different manufacturers ragtop. But I cannot get the SL drive out of my mind.

So the boss here at home has said, we can por sell the Cascada (a bath coming in terms of loss) and I can look for another SL. I did find an SL350 but the seller wasn’t really a willing seller, making it quite hard to view the car and he wanted top money for it. But those boot seals and consumer battery error haunt me.

I think I read that the r231 boot closes differently so forms a better seal, is that right? And did Mercedes sort out the random consumer battery drain?

If I sell the -32 as well as the Cascada then I can get into an SL400 which would be nice. Anyone able to help me with my questions?

Neither of my R230s (2007 and 2010) had any boot leak or battery issues but I did trickle charge them when not in use. My R231 is from 2016 with 28K miles on the clock and no issues of any kind.. I love it even more than my R230s