SL 500 timing chain or belt?

[bruiserdennison]

Has my SL 500 (1994) got a timing belt or chain? How often do they need replacing?

 

[KLP 92]

It has a timing chain.

Normally they are good for 120k+, but the best way to tell is to see if they rattle on start up. If they don't then there's not much point in changing them.

 

[Ian B Walker]

If this, which I rather suspect, a V8 then the chains on them are prone to breaking at milages above 100k. I would get it changed for piece of mind.

 

[stats007]

The engine is an M119 - I'd get the tensioners replaced but not the chains if anything. The M117 V8s in the R107s were prone to failure around 100k.

 

[bruiserdennison]

Thanks - any chance you could explain the codings to me - what is the difference between W129 and R129? Presume the engines have their own codes from what you have said?

 

[stats007]

W refers to chassis - R refers to roadster - all MBs can be referred to by their chassis code - though there is now a trend with the more modern cars to refer to their body code.

Strictly speaking the 129 chassis has always been known as an R129, the preceeding style was an R107, it's successor the R230. The 'Pagoda' models of the late 60s and early 70s were W113s - not R113s.

All engines have their own codes and subcodes referring to revisions - not all M119 V8s are the same for instance.

Chassis codes will also have subcodes that designate the model - for example your car is a 129.067 SL500 - whereas mine is a 129.068.

 

[LastMinute]

The chassis code and subcode are the first six digits of your VIN.
Similarly, the engine code and subcode are the first six digits of your engine number.
I think the W comes from the German 'Wagen' ['car'] and the M from 'Motor' ['engine'].

 

[stats007]

The W stands for Wagengestell.

 

[LastMinute]

The W stands for Wagengestell.

= chassis, as you said. My dictionary gives the German for 'chassis' as 'Chassis', hence my uncertainty.