Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Mercedes-Benz SL Discussion Forum

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #181  
Old 01-02-2004, 10:00 AM
lynn tassin
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
NO I will still sell. Again I cannot live with the uncertainty of something breaking everytime I set foot in. I am enjoying driving now, but only because I know I have the FX45 as backup when something happens.

Reply With Quote
  #182  
Old 01-02-2004, 12:29 PM
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Falls Church, VA
Posts: 5,318
Better be careful - the Post reported this week that Infiniti has issued a recall for the FX45. Something about brake caliper bolts loosening and causing the brakes to make a horrible grinding noise. I am not making this up.

You may need the SL to back up your FX!
__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
Reply With Quote
  #183  
Old 01-02-2004, 12:33 PM
lynn tassin
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Hey no problem, its free, and guaranteed.. Why all the anger over my FX. This is getting ugly
Reply With Quote
  #184  
Old 01-02-2004, 12:42 PM
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Falls Church, VA
Posts: 5,318
I defy you to find one bit of anger in my last post. I informed you of some news about your car, and added a little bit of joshing about using the SL as a backup.

Are we being a little sensitive?
__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe
Reply With Quote
  #185  
Old 01-02-2004, 01:21 PM
lynn tassin
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Your right, I apologize. It was a very kind statement meant to fill me with peace and joy for the holidays. I missread it. Im so sorry
Reply With Quote
  #186  
Old 01-02-2004, 01:26 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Wilmington, DE
Posts: 205
Sorry you feel that way, but it is very understandable. When I was much younger and had British sports cars, it was often a crap shoot as to whether I would have brakes or clutch if I let them sit for more than a month. When I decided to get back into the sports car market, I was looking for a reliable marque, and there is none better than MB. Fortunately for me, I've had only one problem in the 2 years I've owned mine. Granted, I don't drive it every day, but it was great fun to take it from home to Lexington, Ky and back (1300 mile round trip) right after I bought it. It is in the shop now, though...for body repairs after some guy plowed into it in a parking lot. Anyway, good luck no matter what. (You ought to keep it at least until spring so you can put the top down on some back roads down your way.) BOB
__________________
I asked the Lord for everything so that I could enjoy life. He gave me life so that I could enjoy everything!
Reply With Quote
  #187  
Old 01-02-2004, 01:30 PM
lynn tassin
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Thanks Robert . I will keep until that time as you suggested. Actually Im having alot of fun driving it now. Its been very dry and warm in dc so far so its been nice driving weather. A guy at the supermarket offered to buy it yesterday. I explained all of the problems Ive had and told him to call me in the spring, that I wanted to actually drive it for a while. he said he was very familiar with these cars and that I should expect to always have problems, but he was prepared for that.
Reply With Quote
  #188  
Old 01-02-2004, 03:30 PM
Peyton300TD's Avatar
S124 owner
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Marina Del Rey, CA
Posts: 1,072
sorry, im my opinion i didn't see any anger in ctaylor738's post either.

i also don't think he was trying to fill you with peace and joy these holiday's.

he was just objectively pointing something out. at least that's my take. it's hard to convey emotion via text.

eric
__________________
1995 E320 Sportline Wagon "Bernard"
black on black leather

http://i.imgur.com/BdZ7jM3.png
Reply With Quote
  #189  
Old 01-02-2004, 06:00 PM
73 280c
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: kittery me
Posts: 93
I think you hit the nail on the head Lynn. Drive the SL for fun and keep the Lexus for the daily driver. Lord knows the SL is the fun car.
Reply With Quote
  #190  
Old 01-02-2004, 10:40 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 321
i have never liked these roadsters, i guess you can call them that.

not enough leg room. no trunk space.

my advice, try a coupe. a 560sec, maybe.
Reply With Quote
  #191  
Old 01-03-2004, 11:47 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Niceville, FL
Posts: 471
I read a few posts in this thread when it first started and wasn't real thrilled at reading somebody's gripes about the SL, but I came across the thread this evening and read the whole thing. Looks like Lynn is warming up to the SL...finally. Admittedly, I don't like having something if it doesn't work the way it's supposed to. So I can sympathize with Lynn's 'pursuit of excellence'.

I've had my 500SL for about two years now and put about $4.5k into it for what I consider pretty much normal repairs for a car with about 90,000 miles on it when purchased...fuel pump, fuel accumulator, steering box, front calipers and pads, drag link, idle speed unit, idle speed control valve, speedo rebuild, soft top, tune up, trans filter/fluid change, timing chain, valve guide inserts, and probably a couple other things that slipped my mind.

Have also done some cosmetic work on it...floor mats, most of the interior carpet replaced, wood steering wheel, shift know replaced, chrome sill plates, wheel well trim, etc. In fact, I just completed the refinishing of a set of the OE bundt rims today in preparation for new tires in a couple of weeks.

Had I known then what I know now, I'd have looked at the solder joints on the electronic parts before replacing as this seems to be a recurrent theme with them. Don't believe much could have been done with the other parts. They either work or they don't.

As the owner of two diesels, I knew MB parts were not cheap and I have a good mechanic. Still, the SL is more expensive to maintain than the diesels are, but most of the major repairs on the SL should be behind me.

Somebody mentioned replacing the steering box rather than adjusting it. Totally disagree with that. All the adjustment was out of mine and it had to be replaced. Cost me a hundred bucks to find that out because there is no room on the 500SL to get to the adjustment screw. The engine on my SL has to be jacked up in order to provide enough clearance to get a wrench on the nut, and I wasn't going to tackle that by myself. After watching it done, I'll probably tackle it when necessary. The adjustment screw is there for a reason, so I suggest using it before just going out and buying a rebuilt steering box. The screw on both of my diesels has been adjusted more than once.

I enjoy the heck out of driving the SL! I suppose the contrast in getting behind the wheel of something that has some horsepower after driving a diesel for the last 18 years makes the pleasure even that much more pronounced.

The SL can be a pain at times, but that pain vanishes while tooling down the road with the top down and folks gawking at the "Little Red Rocket"...which happens about everytime I'm out in it.

Cheers!
__________________
Don
'85 500SL (Euro) - 186,000 w/a complete restoration and engine rebuild at 154,000
'95 C280 - 174,000
Reply With Quote
  #192  
Old 01-04-2004, 03:20 PM
73 280c
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: kittery me
Posts: 93
The people/mechaincs I have talked to all have different opinions of what to do with steering boxes... I have heard that when a steering box gets to the point where it needs adjusting, it is a short period of time before it needs it again- and the intervals get shorter as time goes on.

It was explained to me that the gears typically wear at a spot where the steering is most used , presubmably in the middle range, and when you tighten the adjuster, it may make that worn area better but puts a greater force on the good areas and stresses them out. I can only imagine that this would yield tighter performance from the previously sloppy area but an even tighter feel from the good areas- is this desireable?

I know that steering boxes are expensive, but we got almost 120k good miles out of ours before replacement. Is there a type of driving that the steering box prefers i.e. highway vs. around town?

Is there an expert who can put this issue to rest?
Reply With Quote
  #193  
Old 01-04-2004, 03:30 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Niceville, FL
Posts: 471
Mercedes shows an adjustment procedure for the gear box in the repair manual(s), so I'd assume from that alone that the steering box adjustment is considered normal.

Just a couple weeks ago I had the steering box adjusted on the 300D with 285,000 miles on it. That is the original steering box and it still has adjustment left in it. Same story with the 300TD with 145,000 miles. Wish I could have gotten more out of the one on the SL, but for some reason or another it was not to be. So, I purchased a rebuilt one from http://www.************************ for about $275.00...during one of their 15% off sales...and paid a couple hours labor to get it installed. About $450.00 for the repair as I recall.

I'll continue to adjust mine when needed and will replace when all the adjustment has been taken out.

Regards,
__________________
Don
'85 500SL (Euro) - 186,000 w/a complete restoration and engine rebuild at 154,000
'95 C280 - 174,000
Reply With Quote
  #194  
Old 01-05-2004, 08:43 AM
Bruce Hat's Avatar
"themadhatter"
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: springfield, Penna
Posts: 347
Hi Lynn, Now their you go again. You see that's what I'm ragging you about. You just keep on and on about mercedes problems. Why would you think either of my Mercedes had a problem? Just because I commented on this thread. Mine are just fine, never any repairs. However, they were both purchased when only a few years old. BTW, I love Starbucks coffee. And no - caffine never bothers me, just silly comments do. Enjoy your car. LOL.
Attached Thumbnails
Consider This Before Buying Sl's-mercedes-sl-signature-iii.jpg  
__________________
Bruce Hat
2000 ML320 50K miles
1997 Jaquar XJ6 41K miles
1992 300SL 70K miles - Mint
1995 E320 Wagon 105K miles "Sold" - 10-6-04
1998 E320 "Totalled" - 1-14-04

If you want to know how crooked a stick is, just lay a straight one next to it.

It's not the tall sails that bring a ship to the port of destination, but the unseen wind.

Uncle's quote to me at 12 yrs old "Why walk when you can Bogaloo"

Last edited by Bruce Hat; 01-05-2004 at 08:49 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #195  
Old 01-05-2004, 05:04 PM
elau's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: MD.
Posts: 1,725
Bruce Hat,
Nice looking car you got there. See you upgraded your wheels to a MY95.

I would love to upgrade mine to 18" AMG 3-piece. Oh well, one of these days.

__________________
95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:51 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page