I bought a used SL500 with 21,000 miles on it. The automobile appears to be in excellent shape other than an intermittent drip from the left top locking pin.

By chance, I went through every one of the fuses to check to see if there were any blown out fuses only to find that with a couple of the fuses, there were either a higher amp or a lower amp put in the slot. With so many fuses, I went back and double checked each one.

I cannot believe that this is a standard practice.

I am assuming that the correct size fuse should always be used in the proper slot. Am I correct or are there any hidden MB secrets that I am not aware of regarding putting a higher fuse in a certain slot.

You're correct in assuming the proper amperage fuse should be installed per the fuse chart in the cover of the fuse box. Potentially overloading a circuit by installing a larger amperage fuse is never a good idea, and may result in damage and replacement of expensive electronic modules.

__________________
Fred Hoelzle

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

__________________
95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K