Reliability of 1997 SL 320?

[henryk1]

I had my first MB now for 2 weeks, and put 1,000 trouble free miles on it............super car!!!.......has 35,000 miles on it. The 6 cylinder is smooth, and I can actually see the ground from the engine compartment....haha!

Are these cars/engines known for any unusual problems? I plan on using it as my everyday car, during the off-snow seasons.

I do most repairs on my cars, myself.

Thanks.

[bwheitman]

Congratulations on your SL320! I have had a 96 model for about 8 months now. The little quirky things I have discovered are oil leaks. The little 104 engines are easy to work on so it is not too hard to fix yourself, the front main seal, the upper timing chain cover seal, and the head cover seal had to be replaced. While doing these I replace the thermostat, removed the radiator and cleaned, you will be surprised how much can collect in the exterior fins of the radiator. I also cleaned the engine, changed the plugs, oil, anti-freeze, tranny fluid, brake fluid, rear differential grease, and replaced the freon to ensure proper pressure, no leaks and enough oil. I had my engine light come on once after the engine was washed and you have to be careful when the engine gets wet because water will cause attenuation from the plugs and make your engine go into limp mode. I also had a vacuum leak from the manifold to the switch for the EGR and blowby valve. I am sure now that all these things are fixed everything will be fine! but just to give you an idea of what I have had to deal with, I have 108k on mine and drive it everyday. Also if you can look down and see the ground from your engine compartment you are missing your lower panels. Most people remove them, but I like mine there because it helps keep the engine compartment clean.
One thing I noticed too is that there is a groove right behind the fender where the lip is, a lot of dirt and goo build up there and will cause rust, so keep that cleaned out, I could not believe the mud built up in there! WEll good luck and have fun! the 320 engine is a blast the way it winds up and takes off! The 5 speed tranniy gives me over 30 mpg on the highway too!
Congrats!
Brian