Just bought 2007 SL55 - first steps

[danieljames]

I purchased mine with 37k, it’s now done 108k. My advice, get a good warranty, I use WarrantyWise, normally costs me just over £1k a year but so far it's always paid out more .

But most of all, use it..... Don’t let it sit around for long periods.

 

[AMadGit]

The 'I told you so' fans out there won this one.
The noise was the blessed ABC pump preparing to crap out! They tried the damper first but that didn't remove the noise (and slight vibration through the wheel I wasn't sure I was feeling but was confirmed as a tell tale symptom).
The car is now so quiet I can hear the slightly noisy fuel pump (!) and have to start saving for new front discs which are on their way out and cost a fortune because this is a Performance Pack model.

Never mind - as they say in the army, 'if you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined'.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cb1965]

The 'I told you so' fans out there won this one.
The noise was the blessed ABC pump preparing to crap out! They tried the damper first but that didn't remove the noise (and slight vibration through the wheel I wasn't sure I was feeling but was confirmed as a tell tale symptom).
The car is now so quiet I can hear the slightly noisy fuel pump (!) and have to start saving for new front discs which are on their way out and cost a fortune because this is a Performance Pack model.

Never mind - as they say in the army, 'if you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined'.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nah these cars are cheap to run. You should have asked for a 'tenner' fix from our esteemed expert

 

[AMadGit]

Well, the ABC was going to go one day so that's out of the way.
I knew the disks were on the way out and probably have until next summer to get them sorted.
The fuel pump can wait until I'm ready - it's quietened down now a bit, bizarrely.

The car is still epic and I'm enjoying it more by the day.

 

[MicB]

I have owned my R230 for over twelve years from new and the two major expenses have been a replacement ABC pump five years ago and a replacement fuel tank last month.......aggregate cost circa £2750.

ie. £230/year or 2.3ppm

These cars are CHEAP to own and run compared with anything else on the market with anything close to what they deliver.

As lxi the preventative measures for rear window and boot seals are a cheap fix (sealant) plus a couple of hours maximum for a DIY numpty like me.

You may find this an interesting read.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/197665-my-r230.html

Mic

 

[AMadGit]

You may find this an interesting read.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/197665-my-r230.html

Mic

Yes, an interesting read. I see you use Star Motors. They attended to my ABC pump and I'll be using them in the future. Probably the near future

I'm hoping that I may have caught up with my car as it is bottoming out a bit in the depreciation curve. I had quite a job finding a decent SL55 - they seem to sell pretty quickly when they come up.

 

[cb1965]

Well, the ABC was going to go one day so that's out of the way.
I knew the disks were on the way out and probably have until next summer to get them sorted.
The fuel pump can wait until I'm ready - it's quietened down now a bit, bizarrely.

The car is still epic and I'm enjoying it more by the day.

I am glad you are enjoying it and I am not wanting to spoil it for you, but people filling your head with a load of nonsense about how these are cheap to run is just not right.

The problems I listed are all real as you've just found out with the ABC which can be especially bad. My ABC pump was replaced in Jan 2012, then the front valve block gave up in 2015... yes you can have them rebuilt, but it is no guarantee of success and the car is worth looking after properly rather than bodging IMO so a new one went in.

The boot seals can indeed be bodged up for a tenner, but they will leak again and the next time your electrics may go west so better it be done properly I would say!

Mine was a FMBSH car and in the two plus years I have had it I have done front suspension arms (£500), crank pulley(£500), new discs/pads all round (£700), new parking brake shoes (£250), caliper refurb (£400), ABC valve block (£1700), belt tensioner (£200), new rear window - bottom plate corrodes through, look along under rear window above boot and you may see rust - can be fixed without new window to be fair (£1200), new batteries front and back (£170). That is all remedial work over and above mods and servicing.