Some people aren't very concientious when it comes to automotive maintenance. I have to wonder how the rest of the car was maintained (original oil fill?). I'm glad you double checked each fuse. That's what I did with my used Benz. I too found wrong fuses in certain slots.
BTW, take care of that leaking cylinder pronto. My experience with these cylinders tells me that once they start dripping, they become gushers in short order. Fluid alone is $16 per liter. This is a known problem with the SL500s, and a fairly easy fix.
Check out this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERCEDES-SL-SHORT-REAR-HYDRAULIC-TOP-PISTON-REBUILD_W0QQitemZ120015356124QQcmdZViewItem