What Have You Done To Your Merc Today?

[sl500amgsport]

There is also the PS4

Yep found out too late:-(

I am worried, the tyre can be heard deflating and is going from around 35psi to 10 in 10 mins now whilst stationery, Kwik Fit say no puncture or nail, surely a perished tyre cannot do this alone?

Could a cracked wheel do this...?

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[00slk]

Top down drive in the 55
Top up drive in the E 320 and so far the anti-freeze has stayed in the radiator

 

[Blobcat]

Yep found out too late:-(

I am worried, the tyre can be heard deflating and is going from around 35psi to 10 in 10 mins now whilst stationery, Kwik Fit say no puncture or nail, surely a perished tyre cannot do this alone?

Could a cracked wheel do this...?

Mercedes SL500 R231

Cracked alloy is pretty common these days...

 

[sonic]

Tyre warning came on front nearside was deflating at a rate 5 bar a minute! Had to call Kwik fit as they were nearest tyre repair shop (6 miles away). Pulled over and pumped up to 230 bar limped to tyre shop.

Turns out no puncture at all just tyres perished so badly air escaping through the cracks (was bubbling through water the fitters put over it)!

The tyres were manufactured in 2018 and still had 4 and 6mm on the fronts. The last time I buy Pirelli, 2x Michelin Pilot Supersports ordered for delivery on Tuesday, £213.00ea fitted.

£60 dearer than Pirelli or Dunlop (total) but think it worth it.....

Mercedes SL500 R231

Do you garage your car, just wondering about sunlight on the tyres? That said it still shouldn't happen. Both our cars are always garaged never had any cracking issues on tyres. Being retired one car does 3K miles PA the other 6K miles PA, so the tyres are on the car for quite a long time.
However the tyres on the 4 year old SLC we bough a year ago are cracking on the edges, they are Bridgestone & have done 15K miles. I took them off 6 months ago as I picked up a set of all season wheels & tyres.

 

[sl500amgsport]

I do garage now and have since October, however before that I didn't and last MOT in September warned of Perishing.

Will find out for sure on Tuesday.

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[flowrider]

I've had hairline cracks on my Bridgestone tyres on the SL and they were only 6 years old. I have now replaced them with Goodyears. No loss of air pressure was experienced, have you checked the tyre valve isn't leaking air.

 

[sl500amgsport]

I've had hairline cracks on my Bridgestone tyres on the SL and they were only 6 years old. I have now replaced them with Goodyears. No loss of air pressure was experienced, have you checked the tyre valve isn't leaking air.

No that could be a possibility, both tyres need replacing anyway according to the service garage so will do that Tuesday which involves new valves anyway.

Having a bad time mechanically lately, the blade deck on the sit on mower has now stopped engaging lol, luckily the lawn was cut first, first World problems in a Covid world!

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[Blobcat]

No that could be a possibility, both tyres need replacing anyway according to the service garage so will do that Tuesday which involves new valves anyway.

Having a bad time mechanically lately, the blade deck on the sit on mower has now stopped engaging lol, luckily the lawn was cut first, first World problems in a Covid world!

Mercedes SL500 R231

Likely to be a belt failed on the deck, they perish after a few years...

 

[th3h1ghlander]

Today (yesterday) I broke my Merc (whimper)... kinda. Some blue-sky driving in the C270cdi W203 and then I noticed a air-rushing sound behind the dash, almost like the fan speeding up, on acceleration. At first I didn’t notice loss of power, turbo still sounding normal, but within a few more miles I noticed loss of power and difficulty holding speed without either letting off or acceleration to kick the turbo in. A few miles more, getting closer to home and I am now noticing black/grey smoke out of the back on trying to hold speed or accelerating.
Eventually it went into limp mode, no higher than 2000 rpm, no turbo, but on the plus side no smoke (due to natural aspiration of the engine most likely).
My self diagnosis is a boost leak although sitting in my driveway I cannot see or hear from where, going to have to take it to my indie.
Honestly, more things going wrong with it, I am tempted to trade up for a newer model before I drive to the Lake District. Thinks going wrong in the last few months:
The bushing at the top of the large front-left suspension arm is creaking (will need replacing)
The rear sway bar has too much play (even though the bushes replaced) meaning the back end of the car lurches to the left at high speed when the wheel goes over a bump)
There is a knocking sound on low acceleration (guessing something on the drive shaft but could be something loose between engine and gearbox?) In Jan, at MoT, mechanic couldn’t find anything.
The biscuit was the base of my drivers heated seat is not working now, the back still does but base has stopped.
With all these and the boost leak, thinking of throwing in the towel and upgrading to a CLS instead of throwing money into more repairs. Thoughts?


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[daveenty]

Was going to take mine out for a quick run round to charge the battery amongst other things, generally just to get the fluids moving again.

It was a nice bright morning but somewhere between my first and second brews, the snow decided to appear.

Ah well, soon be summer...

 

[sl500amgsport]

Likely to be a belt failed on the deck, they perish after a few years...

Mower was serviced and belt replace as a precaution last Autumn, hoping it just slipped off and requires adjustment, will ask the service guy to take a look as only mowed twice since it's service..

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[th3h1ghlander]

Mower was serviced and belt replace as a precaution last Autumn, hoping it just slipped off and requires adjustment, will ask the service guy to take a look as only mowed twice since it's service..

Mercedes SL500 R231

With more days like yesterday, you are going to need a working mower...and beer fridge


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[sl500amgsport]

Today (yesterday) I broke my Merc (whimper)... kinda. Some blue-sky driving in the C270cdi W203 and then I noticed a air-rushing sound behind the dash, almost like the fan speeding up, on acceleration. At first I didn’t notice loss of power, turbo still sounding normal, but within a few more miles I noticed loss of power and difficulty holding speed without either letting off or acceleration to kick the turbo in. A few miles more, getting closer to home and I am now noticing black/grey smoke out of the back on trying to hold speed or accelerating.
Eventually it went into limp mode, no higher than 2000 rpm, no turbo, but on the plus side no smoke (due to natural aspiration of the engine most likely).
My self diagnosis is a boost leak although sitting in my driveway I cannot see or hear from where, going to have to take it to my indie.
Honestly, more things going wrong with it, I am tempted to trade up for a newer model before I drive to the Lake District. Thinks going wrong in the last few months:
The bushing at the top of the large front-left suspension arm is creaking (will need replacing)
The rear sway bar has too much play (even though the bushes replaced) meaning the back end of the car lurches to the left at high speed when the wheel goes over a bump)
There is a knocking sound on low acceleration (guessing something on the drive shaft but could be something loose between engine and gearbox?) In Jan, at MoT, mechanic couldn’t find anything.
The biscuit was the base of my drivers heated seat is not working now, the back still does but base has stopped.
With all these and the boost leak, thinking of throwing in the towel and upgrading to a CLS instead of throwing money into more repairs. Thoughts?


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How old is it and mileage?

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[th3h1ghlander]

How old is it and mileage?

Mercedes SL500 R231

2002 and 125k. Had it since 85k, 5 prowd years of ownership. Last year I had the last of the injector seals replaced (slowly done them one at a time as they failed). Most of the suspension arms, mounts, shocks and springs have been replaced as well.


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[sl500amgsport]

With more days like yesterday, you are going to need a working mower...and beer fridge


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Funny you said that, the new garden furniture with Firepit arrived and I was wondering if my sparky could extend the lighting circuit to provide a fridge socket!

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[th3h1ghlander]

Funny you said that, the new garden furniture with Firepit arrived and I was wondering if my sparky could extend the lighting circuit to provide a fridge socket!

Mercedes SL500 R231

Where there is a will, there is a way. Sounds doable for something so essential...


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[sl500amgsport]

2002 and 125k. Had it since 85k, 5 prowd years of ownership. Last year I had the last of the injector seals replaced (slowly done them one at a time as they failed). Most of the suspension arms, mounts, shocks and springs have been replaced as well.


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Based on age and mileage I would say time to swap, however seems a lot of the perishable parts have already been replaced....

If the Turbo looks to be troublesome that would persuade me to move on..

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[th3h1ghlander]

Based on age and mileage I would say time to swap, however seems a lot of the perishable parts have already been replaced....

If the Turbo looks to be troublesome that would persuade me to move on..

Mercedes SL500 R231

Yes, that is where my thinking is at. I was planning to wait until this time next year and step into a £14-18k CLS, finances allowing, but given the deterioration recently of the C270 I was thinking about a gap/starter CLS £2.5-5k to see how I get on with the model before jumping in whole hog. Maybe keep that for a few years.
Ideally I want to step into something of a tidier disposition (w203 classic bubbling alloys, arches and bottoms of doors), but something solid.
The gearbox on this w203 has been a little funny since day one (and may be the reason the previous owner wrote it off in the first place) as when it gets hot (driven hard on a hot day for an hour or two) it does the hard gear change down to second gear (common issue that most people never find the cause of) which can and does occasionally (and reproducibly) take the box completely out of gear and won’t put you back into gear until you wait 10 seconds or so before adding any revs again. This and the other issues point towards an upgrade.
At a minimum, I need to get this boost leak (if it is that) sorted for now, and get the knocking sound resolved if possible, without throwing too much at the problem, that will give me the freedom to look for something worth purchasing rather than forced to jumping at the first CLS that fits budget and trim level...


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[JBell]

Cracked alloy is pretty common these days...

Or just corroded which a full refurb will cure

 

[LostKiwi]

2002 and 125k. Had it since 85k, 5 prowd years of ownership. Last year I had the last of the injector seals replaced (slowly done them one at a time as they failed). Most of the suspension arms, mounts, shocks and springs have been replaced as well.


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Personally I don't see 125k as much mileage.
The leak is almost certainly a split boost hose (very common) or a holed/split intercooler.
The boost hoses need to be removed to inspect as the splits can be very hard to see.