What Have You Done To Your Merc Today?

[00slk]

An estate car gives you longitudinal volume.

Just put the top down and stack things vertically. Hey presto! Instant estate car-like haulage ability!

Don't need to put the top down, I fitted a 2metre length of conduit inside mine

 

[Craiglxviii]

Don't need to put the top down, I fitted a 2metre length of conduit inside mine

diagonally out of the passenger window?

 

[LostKiwi]

I also bought a £5 SRS emulator to turn off the sensor pad in the passenger seat.

I presume this gadget will turn off the SRS light if the seat has a fault? where does this emulator fit? where did you purchase yours?

many thanks

It bypasses the seat occupancy sensor which is very prone to being damaged if someone kneels on the seat or puts a heavy sharp object on it.

Essentially it makes the airbag enabled permanently so it will trip even if unoccupied, but it does mean no child seats in the front!!

Mine was an ebay purchase and it connects into the existing seat sensor plug under the front seat.
It doesn't come with any connectors so you need to cut the old wiring and join in the new. Please note there are different emulators for different cars as it looks like they changed the system at some point.


Looks to have gone up a bit since I bought mine!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seat-Sens...619454?hash=item3d003726be:g:FuwAAOSwRJ9XhFib

 

[00slk]

diagonally out of the passenger window?

Nope.....passenger floor to rear window

 

[John Laidlaw]

Sad to hear your dilemma John. I hope you can get it clear in your mind what's best to do.
I face a similar dilemma with my SL. I really need an estate car and am lucky enough to be able to borrow one at the moment for my needs but my poor SL just sits there regularly for more than a week at a time. I only visit the Shell station once a month or less in it!
I have to make a "sensible"decision on it soon, and it will be a very very sad day when I do! It's been the best car I ever had.

Yours is a real beautiful car as well Stuart, that would be a sad day indeed! There are options mentioned by others I see.
In our case we do have an A6 Avant at the moment which is being replaced by a new XC90 Volvo soon so we're not too bad. There are still times however we need more than one multiple seat car. And its just been not very nice recently with the SL. A shame as its a beauty too. I have actually made up my mind now and on the hunt for an E63 as we speak. Typically what I'm looking for seems to be in the other end of the country so some more travelling coming soon I fear!

 

[Craiglxviii]

Nope.....passenger floor to rear window

Streamlined then

 

[JBell]

Had the fuel filter changed under a recall, full health check, needs disks and pads all round (I knew that)

Drank a lot of MB coffee and a Lemon muffin, dribbled on the SLS and SL63, thought the GLC350d was nice and looked at an A45

 

[John Laidlaw]

John,

I just checked my price from Welwyn Merx dated August, and the remanufactured pump was charged at £478. It seems odd that it's gone up £280 in the space of 6mth!!!

A bargain it would seem? Certainly my prices are from 2 x unrelated sources and pretty much match? Ah well I'm not going to worry too much now

 

[Craiglxviii]

A bargain it would seem? Certainly my prices are from 2 x unrelated sources and pretty much match? Ah well I'm not going to worry too much now

Have a word with Phil @ Welwyn Merx- that's what he charged, he uses his local MB service desk, he was able to better any price I found for anything online, might be worth a go John.

 

[s5tuart]

Yours is a real beautiful car as well Stuart, that would be a sad day indeed! There are options mentioned by others I see.
In our case we do have an A6 Avant at the moment which is being replaced by a new XC90 Volvo soon so we're not too bad. There are still times however we need more than one multiple seat car. And its just been not very nice recently with the SL. A shame as its a beauty too. I have actually made up my mind now and on the hunt for an E63 as we speak. Typically what I'm looking for seems to be in the other end of the country so some more travelling coming soon I fear!

Well, if the E63 is on the horizon I can think of worse things John!

Sadly my next one won't be as exotic unless I win the lottery and the chances of that are pretty small unless I buy a ticket!
I don't HAVE to work now I'm retired but it's nice to top up the coffers and keep my mind active so needs must I'm afraid! I already have an interested party for the SL from this forum...it's just going to be very hard to see it drive away when the time comes.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Have a word with Phil @ Welwyn Merx- that's what he charged, he uses his local MB service desk, he was able to better any price I found for anything online, might be worth a go John.

Thanks Craig, but I've given my guy the go ahead to get the pump now anyway, it should be with him Monday. Luck and a following wind and it's all likely to be done by mid week. Get it back, bit of a valet then....

 

[Submariner1]

I hear you Craig..
I will give Grangemouth a try for sure, they've helped me with various parts so far. The going rate seems to be about 550 now for the recon pump, then filter and Pentosin again (no point in recycling the old stuff which although changed 8 months ago is already probably contaminated!), labour etc we'll be over 1k at a guess. Anyway get this done then I think I'm done too - much sorted SL500 for sale I think

I sympathise with you totally, and do get the "I have had enough" but as Craig said you have done it all ... now is the time to enjoy some trouble free motoring. If you change, can you imagine if you get another one with problems, and worse still find the guy who buys yours runs it for 2 years without a glitch!

Assuming you love the car apart from the reliability/component failures? I would sleep on it, before doing anything rash.

As for other cars, having started with a 190E 2.6, moved to E320 coupes, then an SL320 R129, then to a S320 and then 4 SL 500s and experienced the C270cdi I inherited from my mother. And Now the CL500 ... I genuinely believe the S Class derivatives (S, SL, CL) are in a league of their own, and dont compare with say an E class etc. Its a better build quality.

As for ABC, until I had it ... knowing these problems I wouldnt go there. The problem is once you have had it, nothing compares.
Sure I bitch about One leaking strut and one misting strut. And no they ****** well should last 80,000 mile imo.

My sisters friend married a guy high up in F1 and he put it in perspective, "you have Formula1 Race technology suspension, and as a daily drive it ****es you off if something major fails after 40K miles, but in perspective we strip the cars down after every race! If we got 10,000 miles out of our stuff; we would think it was Christmas, Christ we just pray it lasts the day out"

Last year I wasnt concentrating and nearly missed my junction on the M40, and just swung a left. Within seconds, I realised WTF I had done, then Bang! Up went the roll bar, (hell of a noise) I was convinced it was going to roll over and over.
Yes it squealed like F....., recovered, semi lost it again and then thankfully totally recovered.(with a few wiggles).
Bluntly without ABC, ESP etc. and 285mm tyres that would have been one sod of a smash up. Made my heart really thump I can tell you.
Yeah ABC is that good!

 

[John Laidlaw]

^ i agree, ABC I hear is fantastic and just so much better than standard suspension set ups, however I must admit I've not really felt the massive difference from a standard set up? I'm sure someone will slap me round the head for that!
I'll be happy at my driving skills or level to have something which doesnt make my sphincter tighten every time I turn on the engine- and not in a good way!
Will I be peed off is someone else gets this and has 2 years trouble free? Nope I'll be glad I got it right for them at least. I sincerely hope an enthusiast will buy it, nurture it and it goes on and on :roll:

 

[SortedE320]

Picked the wife up at lunchtime in the R170, dropped the roof and went for a razz round the local backroads. Temp was 7c, but dry, so good enough with the heater set to 11. Damn good fun...

 

[LostKiwi]

Picked the wife up at lunchtime in the R170, dropped the roof and went for a razz round the local backroads. Temp was 7c, but dry, so good enough with the heater set to 11. Damn good fun...

Funnily enough been looking out the window today thinking it might be time to lift the hardtop off the SL.....

 

[JBell]

Will I be peed off is someone else gets this and has 2 years trouble free?

This is probably exactly what will happen though, the amount you have invested in it I would keep it for a year and enjoy

 

[John Laidlaw]

This is probably exactly what will happen though, the amount you have invested in it I would keep it for a year and enjoy

My eyes have strayed elsewhere unfortunately.....and that elsewhere had still a V8 5.5 but with twin turbos and 557bhp....and its only 2 years old and has of course a year left of MB Warranty and only done 22k and....
Only thing it has extra is a roof and another 3 seats and a boot to actually take stuff in. This is what happens unfortunately

 

[C350Carl]

My eyes have strayed elsewhere unfortunately.....and that elsewhere had still a V8 5.5 but with twin turbos and 557bhp....and its only 2 years old and has of course a year left of MB Warranty and only done 22k and....

Only thing it has extra is a roof and another 3 seats and a boot to actually take stuff in. This is what happens unfortunately

MTFU!

 

[Craiglxviii]

My eyes have strayed elsewhere unfortunately.....and that elsewhere had still a V8 5.5 but with twin turbos and 557bhp....and its only 2 years old and has of course a year left of MB Warranty and only done 22k and....
Only thing it has extra is a roof and another 3 seats and a boot to actually take stuff in. This is what happens unfortunately

Calling Mr Foti...

 

[Submariner1]

Been exceedingly generous bought her some differential oil. So expensive!

Oh my god £67.33 for 2 liters
Thats what I call expensive , and thats after 10% discount.
I always buy MB genuine fluids but....... I coughed at this.
No wonder lots of folks leave it!

Just hoping its the one litre differential, not the 1.2L or 1.6L, as they say I can return any unopened bottles.

I wonder if these are the new Brexit weak £ prices coming through. Maybe I should buy that strut, just in case the price goes up like Johns ABc pump did.


Has anyone heard any news about price rises, re the weak £.???