Very happy SL400 owner....until recently...

Morning all,
I’m sure a lot of you will be able to imagine my surprise when my wife suggested I get a mid-life crisis car for my 50th birthday a couple of years ago! Anyway, I was immediately off down to the Mercedes dealer to became the very happy owner of a Brilliant Blue SL400 before she changed her mind! My wife and I have loved going out in it, particularly when you can get the roof down and it is a fantastic all round car which I feel blessed to own. We’ve had some amazing trips, including to the South of France, image below!




things have gone a bit pear shaped recently though with a persistent misfire. I will post in the relight thread to see if I can get some assistance.

Thanks all, I’m looking forward to being a member of the forum.

cheers
Jules

 

Welcome Jules, that is a stunning car /brilliant colour.
There are a lot of SL owners on here, less so the newer R231 version as you have (I had the SL500 R230 Face lift which was close ish). Being 2017 I'm assuming warranty has run out? Probably a blessing , if you could let us know your location we can recommend a Mercedes Independent who will be able to diagnose and fix your misfire issue at considerably less cost than the main dealers. Of course if you're still in warranty the main dealer is the place to go...

 

Welcome @JFW

Beautiful car and colours - convertibles are the way to go and the SL really is a fantastic choice imho.

Misfire could be any number of things, but I guess the possible list is narrowed down a bit, considering the car isn't that old.

Despite the car being out of warranty, you might do well to research the engine and see if there is a pattern of this fault caused by a particular part. If that is the case then you might be able to use that to extract even a small amount of goodwill from MB. Every little helps and you don't get if you don't as is my motto.

Some might say I am m a tight, miserable so and so but there you go. We all have our own unique dispositions

Best of luck with it all and do keep us posted. If you feel you won't have any luck with MB, you can give your location here for suggestions or try out the MB Specialist Finder. While this finder is great, you do seem to get a lot of "specialists" who might not have the related knowledge. Best to check here in any case, with the pros

 

Hello and welcome

 

gorgeous car in need of a star session to get to the bottom of your issue

 

Thanks for the welcome messages. The fault arose when it was just over 3 years old typically - I’ve had it since new. I live near Harrogate and took it to a local specialist, GT service. Been in and out 5 times with a recurrent issue. I will raise a thread in the engine forum. Very frustrating.

 

Hi, what is a star session? Apologies for the Newbie question! Thx Jules

 

star is what any good indy merc specialist will use for diagnostics , anything less will not cut the mustard

 

Ah, thanks. I think my guy is using that tbh. Thought it was some kind of thread in here, lol

 

star is the bit of kit to have but its only as good as its operator pal

 

Get codes read pretty much any other method will likely cost you more.
Once read and saved ,copied down delete them go for run see what comes up again
If ur intending to keep car and are reasonably pc literate get yrself a reader it WILL save you more than the cost.
If yr not that way inclined find a recommended indy .that will be easy enough if you post on here your area.
These are complex cars and need someone who understands them or is prepared to learn to understand them.
Lovely car by the way. I miss my sl 600 but it WAS going to bite me ,so after a few yrs I moved it on .which I sometimes regret. Hope ur problem simple,cheap fix.

 

Hi Jules, yes typical things happen just out of warranty, law of the universe!
Anyway, I've just had a look at the website of the mechanics you are using in Harrogate- I don't know them so I won't cast aspersions- they don't mention Star/Xentry specifically in their diagnostics write up, they look like they don't fully specialise MB...the fact that your car has been in and out for the misfire issue might be the result?
What I can do is recommend someone I know HAS and does specialise
https://www.rhautoservices.co.uk/
Richard is an excellent chap and knows his way around Mercedes specifically. I know it's 40 minutes away but it'll be worth it.
So I'd recommend getting in touch and getting your car to him. Hope that helps

 

I would back the above view - on both counts (I live in Wetherby) - Richard is excellent & not too far.

 

Thanks for the comments and recommendation. The error code that came up was P030022 (multiple combination misfires). I’ve had the software updated (apparently it’s never been updated since new despite full MB service history), spark plugs and coil packs changed, pin to pin tests done on pack wiring and coil pack voltages and all ok, air filters changed, cylinder pressure tests checked and a new injector fitted on cylinder 1. Problem always returns. I’ve agree with the GT service guy, Tom, that he can take one last go and then I will take it for a fresh set of eyes. To be fair to him he says he is using the MB diagnostics tool and is doing a thorough job of working everything through and trouble shooting it. Problem goes away for a couple of test drives but then reappears, when cold or heavy acceleration. If this time fails I will give your man Richard a call. I’m £1,000 into the problem and no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Hi Jules and welcome to the forum, what a great colour choice/combination. I am a bit biased though as it is the same colour combination that I have albeit mine isn't an SL400.

 

On a more positive note though (leaving aside the big engine issue!) I’ve got to say the SL400 is an absolutely awesome car. In terms of performance, level of kit you get with it versus most competitors and everyday liveability it is a no brainer choice. The brilliant blue and porcelain nappy leather combination looks awesome and the upgrade wheels really set off the exterior look.

 

Welcome, beautiful car and colour combo.

Intermittent faults are always a pain, it does sound like the fault occurs when the engine warms up, where does the engine ECU sit is it at the top of the engine between the vee subject to all the engine heat this can lead to problems - might be worth watching this video by ‘diagnose Dan’, not exactly the same problem as yours but....

 

Just a thought - M276 Injectors are quite sensitive to fuel quality, P30022 also refers to signal quality, sometimes damaged sparks (although I see you've had those changed). But I'd agree, good to let the current garage have a last go at it before a fresh set of eyes. Presume he hasn't gone so far as smoke tests or anything else more drastic?

 

The spark plugs were changed. I don’t think he has done a smoke test, might suggest it to him. On fuel I always put in Shell V-power....it never gets supermarket file, rightly or wrongly.

 

Welcome lovely car however I have kept away from SL's. A friend of mine had one very expensive to maintain.
However there is a vast amount of knowledge on SL's on this site so you are in the right place.