R230 project HELP!!

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gunning

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 2, 2010
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Location
Cornwall
Car
800BHP Rothmans 911 / Range Rover / s212
Why do I do it to myself!!

Went out and bought an SL500 with quite a few issues. Which for a Mercedes fan who knows the cars well, is a stupid thing to do!

So... what's good?

Full amg kit and wheels, heated and cooled seats, distronic that works, massage seats, wood and leather steering wheel, few other toys too.

What's wrong? ALOT

So I'm asking for some advice here,

ABC issue it says visit workshop and I can feel the rear struts are most certainly not right! Knocking on the o/s and bouncing on the n/s.

Red Coolant light always on even from cold. it didn't overheat until I did 100 miles and parked it in my garage whilst running. Found a pipe that runs from a main hose to the over flow to be snapped off and plugged up in the main hose so I'm hoping this may be the cause? Other than that it drove nicely all the way home at about 70mph and it never overheated once. - the snapped pipe is connecting to part number:A2305010282

Traction control seems too sensitive.

Oh and the roof dde02 god the list is endless! It went down fine. The roll bar goes up and down but it won't go back up now? Any ideas? I can hear movement then it stops. I can't see any movement though.

I will get it on star eventually but I'd like to just get it back up for now.

It's just a bit of fun for me but at the same time I don't want it to turn into a total money pit which these can be.

It needs a damn good valet, machine polish etc and all the other issues sorting. So all advice welcome.
 
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[QUOTE="gunning". It's just a bit of fun for me advice welcome.[/QUOTE]

Have you got BUPA health insurance? They do very good psychiatric care. I am not sure it go to the extremes you require? But it would get you started on a long road to sanity.
 
Engine coolant light - I had this when I forgot to reconnect the plug to the engine fan after doing some work, can't be more help but could be worth a check!
 
I've sent it over to the Mercedes specialists to be looked at. I have no idea where to start so it's got to be put on star.
 
I hope it was cheap....you've got some well known R230 issues going on there, some of which could be pretty expensive to rectify.
 
John Jones Jr said:
The glass is half full...

You've got to be positive about these things aye!

I drove past earlier and saw it with the roof up, so that's one good thing! Hopefully he got it to operate up rather than manually doing it!
 
You must have balls like an elephant!!! Every time I get in mine I hold my breath, I switch the ignition on, sometimes I get red clocks, sometimes I don't. Owning an SL is a lottery.
On the upside, come the summer there's nothing I'd rather be driving........
 
Vlad said:
I hope it was cheap....you've got some well known R230 issues going on there, some of which could be pretty expensive to rectify.

I wouldn't say cheap but it was acceptable price.

Certainly does have a few common issues.

I think the pump is leaking so I'm thinking about taking the pump off and getting the recon kit online, anybody had an experience with that?

Also I checked the rear shocks and one feels solid and the other seems to move. Again any ideas?
 
m2287 said:
Engine coolant light - I had this when I forgot to reconnect the plug to the engine fan after doing some work, can't be more help but could be worth a check!

The fan isn't cutting in so I'm thinking this is an issue
 
Sturge said:
You must have balls like an elephant!!! Every time I get in mine I hold my breath, I switch the ignition on, sometimes I get red clocks, sometimes I don't. Owning an SL is a lottery. On the upside, come the summer there's nothing I'd rather be driving........

Balls like an elephant or brain of a t-Rex I'm not sure yet!
 
Is that the car being advertised by a dealer recently, can't remember which one, but listed as having a few issues that needed sorting out? From memory it was up for £6750 ish, and I thought then it would take a brave person to buy it, despite it being cheap.
 
Monkeylegend said:
Is that the car being advertised by a dealer recently, can't remember which one, but listed as having a few issues that needed sorting out? From memory it was up for £6750 ish, and I thought then it would take a brave person to buy it, despite it being cheap.

I bought it from a private gent local to me. It wasn't that much though, I'd have to be certified insane if I paid that much.
 
Thats not too bad a list.

There are many others out there that are worse.
 
I bought it from a private gent local to me. It wasn't that much though, I'd have to be certified insane if I paid that much.


Still a lot of car for the money then, treat it as a labour of love then the money is not so relevant and you will have a lovely car to enjoy.
 
It's only money at the end of the day - and in the scheme of what that car cost new, peanuts probably to fix.

They still look the part and it has one of the right engines fitted.

Life's too short...
 
As said, It's all nuts and bolts at the end of the day, what bug's me is why people let there Mb's get in that state.
 
It's only money at the end of the day - and in the scheme of what that car cost new, peanuts probably to fix.

They still look the part and it has one of the right engines fitted.

Life's too short...

You're spot in right.

I reckon taking the plunge on one of those has to be worth it provided you're willing to 'invest' a few bob. A sub 7k R230 with faults (what's new by all accounts) but overall in reasonably good order has to justify possibly up to 50% of the purchase cost for repairs & general maintenance.

An SL500 in good order and serviced with the common faults/issues remedied for ten grand or less and looks three times that, proper motoring if you ask me and backed up with V8. Gunning will be grinning from ear to ear and posing in the summer. Win, win.
 
The main thing car is straight and not crashed/damaged. That list can be fixed and must be expected as the car gets older. You buy these expecting them to cost you time and money to keep running. Love mine and no regrets so far


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Monkeylegend said:
Is that the car being advertised by a dealer recently, can't remember which one, but listed as having a few issues that needed sorting out? From memory it was up for £6750 ish, and I thought then it would take a brave person to buy it, despite it being cheap.
I've seen a few for less dough.
 

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