Considering purchase of a '95 SL 500 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

raftel · #1 11-24-2004, 10:15 PM

I am now considering the purchase of a '95 SL500. It has had one owner, a documented maintainance history, and has less than 53,000 miles. The CARFAX is clean. The dealer has allowed me to take it home over Thanksgiving to evaluate it.

Here are the issues:

ADS light on:
It came on about 20 miles into the 40 mile trip home. The ride became considerably stiffer. Dealer is aware of this issue, and I expect it to be addressed - any ideas on what this might be?

SRS light on:
Came on for a few minutes after startup, then went off.

Slight tear in softtop:
Where the rear plastic window is stiched into the canvas, the stiching has come undone for a length of ~4". Otherwise the top is in nice shape. Can this seam be restiched without too much expense?

No CD player - how easily is a CD changer added? I think it has the Bose amp.

Otherwise, the car looks and feels like new. What other areas should I look into?

Thanks,

Robert

elau · #2 11-24-2004, 10:56 PM

If you buy the car from the dealer, then you are in much better shape than those who don't. Make sure you address the ADS light before take delivery of the car.

SRS light should stay on for a second or two when the car starts.

You should have the dealer fix the soft top tear for you. If they refuse, negotiate the price a little as you would want to have it done sometime down the road.

Can't help you on the CD changer, but it should relatively easy to do. Especially if you are buying a new unit from any of the audio store, installation usually is free.

Other things to check, the roof mechanism works faultlessly. Look for oil stain in the trunk, as it is the tell tale sign that the roof mechanism is going bad.

Take the car to a car wash and check for water leak on the A pillar. With both soft top and the hard top. A few bucks spent in the car wash saves you plenty of headache in the future.

Look for oil leak around the head gasket area. I believe '95 and earlier models have the premature head gasket failure.

Check and make sure all seat controls function properly.

Buy an extended warranty if they offer you. It will save you big $$ if you ever need it.

Do a search on this forum as many people asked the same questions as yours.

Then.......good luck and enjoy the ride. It is the best car you will ever have in your stable in my opinion

raftel · #3 11-24-2004, 11:07 PM

Thanks for your reply. Let me also add that I noticed that it seems to take a while to start - about 2 seconds of cranking, hot or cold. Idle looks to be around 500 rpm, with just a hint of roughness in drive, and oil pressure hovers around '1' there, but goes up to 3 immediately once the revs go up.

The top works well - I tried it a couple of times, both with the hard top and the soft top. Drove it home in rain and saw no leaks. All seat controls and memory work well, as does the orthopedic option on the seats. Seat heater on driver's side does not work on bottom cushion.

My concern with extended warranties is that even if I could get one on a 10 year old car, would the coverage be worthwhile? Most of the offers only cover basic drivetrain stuff, which is not what seems to go wrong with these cars usually. Is there a warranty out there that would reliably cover these items?

JimF · #4 11-24-2004, 11:19 PM

am a little familar with the M119 engine.

Before having the dealer do anything, get the DTCs (Diag Trouble Codes) read from the car's ECUs (Elec Control Units). The dealer should have a scanner from which the codes can be read. Or take it to somebody who can read MB codes.

Make sure the all codes, active, registered and stored, are read and you should be there so that you can write them down.

The main ECUs are DM, HFM, DI, EA/CC/ISC, ABS/ASR and SRS systems. Maybe do some homework by checking my MB web page for what all of the above "means"; it's all explained there.

You would be wise to go to school first. We are here to help.

elau · #5 11-25-2004, 03:03 PM

As far as cranking is concerned, check the battery. It may be still the OEM. I had mine changed just a year or so ago. The original one lasted all those years. To check the battery, look for the date stamp on top of the posts. There should be a date stamp on it.

Again, all those little things you noticed should be dealt with by the dealer before taking delivery of the car.

Look for a warranty that will cover everything on the vehicle. Believe me, it will pay for itself as everything on this car is expensive.

If the car has been well cared for by the PO, you have yourself a very good car for years to come.

raftel · #6 11-26-2004, 07:41 PM

I took the car in for its state emissions test, which it passed by wide margins even though the engine was pretty cold and it was just above freezing outside. The engine is clean enough for surgery, and the oil was just changed (with Amsoil) by the dealer. What wires I could see did not seem to be suffering from deteriorating insulation, so I hope I'm good there.

I noticed that the reservior for the suspension was bone dry, so I added Mercedes hydraulic fluid to bring it up to level - it took the full liter! The light went out immediately, but the ride still feels a bit abrupt to me. I'm not sure, since I am not terribly familiar with SLs, and that could be normal. I'll have that checked further. The car still felt tight, and I did not detect any rattles or cowl shake when driving over irregular surfaces at speed.

The SRS light stays on for about a full minute after start, is that still normal? With the holiday, I have not had the opportunity to pull codes. The battery is an aftermarket replacement, I'm not sure how old it is, but given an average battery life span of five years, this one could be done.

The PO, and only owner had left a repair receipt in the owner's manual, so I contacted him. He told me he enjoyed the car very much, used it for leisure driving, and his current personal circumstances forced its sale. He had no unusual repair costs to deal with, and seemed very happy with the car.

I'd love to hear other's recommendations for a good extended warranty on this car. It seems to me that, on a car this old, I'd be left with maybe a drivetrain warranty, which won't help with the ADS or other electrical issues which seem to plague these cars.

Thanks again for your help. JimF, I've been to your site and have been amazed at the work you've done on it as well as your coupe!

Robert

JimF · #7 11-26-2004, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raftel

The SRS light stays on for about a full minute after start, is that still normal? With the holiday, I have not had the opportunity to pull codes. The battery is an aftermarket replacement, I'm not sure how old it is, but given an average battery life span of five years, this one could be done.

I'd love to hear other's recommendations for a good extended warranty on this car. It seems to me that, on a car this old, I'd be left with maybe a drivetrain warranty, which won't help with the ADS or other electrical issues which seem to plague these cars.

Thanks again for your help. JimF, I've been to your site and have been amazed at the work you've done on it as well as your coupe!
Robert

a MINUTE is a bit long to stay on but if it goes out, well, nothing in life is perfect. When you pull the DTCs you probably will see what MAY be wrong with the SRS; probably a bad "driver's seat belt" code.

A low charge battery WILL definitely cause troubles on a MB. You can usually tell when you go to start the car: When you turn the key, the lights in the IC will be lit. As you turn to position 2, to engage the starter and crank the engine, observe the lights: a GOOD battery will hardly dim (just a little bit); a WEAK battery will cause the lights to dim a lot! Not very scientific but gets the job done.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend spending the money (about $2K) for an extended warranty. If the car is in good shape, and you had a tech check it over, then go on a vacation someplace.

Tnx for the cudos: I'm retired so I have some time to 'play' and 'learn'.