Seen the 2003-2005 sl55/cl55 Mercedes are down around $25k-$30k. Seems like a lot of car for that money and probably worth sticking maybe one or both in the garage. Any down side on either?
We owned one and experienced a myriad of problems. Make sure to have a proper PPI performed. Please make certain the following are checked - ABC suspension system leak Top mechanism which does not properly close or leaks Fuel pump Voltage regulator Nagging squeaks and rattles When running properly it is a blast, but I would budget 3K-5K annually for repairs.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=313121&highlight=sl55 All of the big Mercs (SL, CL, S) will have the ABC system. The Active Body Control for the earlier cars is probably what would give me the most concern. I'm not sure what you can do about it other than replacing (expensive) components. There are servo valves within the system which have metal-on-metal seating surfaces. Eventually this will foul the fluid with tiny metal particles which will lead to the valve surfaces not completely sealing. Ideally the car should be able to sit for any length of time unused and maintain the same ride height. On a leaker, the car will droop on one or more corners after a few hours/days. This as I understand it is the start of the problems. Occasionally one of the many hoses will also leak or blow (this is a fairly high-pressure system tied to the power steering). This will become a more common as the cars age IMO. Basically when it runs low on fluid the pump will cavitate and quickly be ruined. What I have never been able to find online or at my local dealer is a good explanation of how to: a) check a used car and determine the real condition of the ABC system b) preventative maintenance on the system that actually prevents the failures. I assume that completely flushing the fluid at accelerated intervals (30k miles?) would help. I assume attaching an inline filter to capture the inevitable particles would help. I assume yearly inspections of all the hoses with replacement perhaps every five years would help ensure the system remains in top condition for as long as possible. But instead from the dealer I get a wishy-washy response, and online is mainly just reports of how many thousands of dollars it costs to repair after it breaks. I would love to own one, they sound great and I personally prefer the mid '00s body style for both these cars to their current models. If I were to purchase one w/o warranty as you would in your stated price range, I would probably budget $3000 in immediate preventative maintenance to the ABC system. Fluid flush (~$1000), installation of filter (~$250?), and replacement of all hoses would hopefully ensure the system would remain operational for the next couple of years. BTW, there are a couple of popular Mercedes forums that this would also be a good question to ask.
My father-in-law just bought this one back in April. 33,000 miles for ~$36,000. It's an awesome car to drive, effortless power throughout the rev range. It's a heavy car and you can feel it in some turns, but the majority of the time the car hides its weight very well. The Air suspension as mentioned above is a known problem for these cars, especially if they sit for a while. So far my FIL hasn't had any problems with his. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hook up a Star Diag. Computer to the car - all the info you will need including codes that have been cleared or reset will appear - a virtual log on the car. You can get a overseas knockoff on ebay for $300 or so - I have one and have used it on my three MB's and Smart Car - works fine as was able to diag and clear problem codes. Our S430 has the air suspension and we just spent $6,000 repairing it - slow leaks that eventually keeps the car on the ground. Erik
