Get a mighty vac 8 liter extractor, and you can change the oil from the top in less than 15 minutes...you will have nothing to do under the car....also get a large heavy duty cooking sheet and use it laid on the motor for the filter and other items while changing it...these cars are fun to keep going, the junkyard is your friend, you have a good attitude...keep the videos coming. Thanks
Your front hydraulic cylinder is leaking for top. When oil gets to low it will stop working altogether. There are good videos on you tube to show you how to replace it or repair it which is what I did. I ordered the O-ring and it came in and I replaced it with a little instruction from UA-cam. Don’t worry about the ripple in your rubber there that will go away once the oil stops leaking, it happened to me. I thought I had to replace rubber but I didn’t. It went back to normal.
I just bought a base SL500- '05- in slightly better condition - planning on doing my own Fluid changes- Thanks for the vid, and thank you to the excellent comments below- 👍
This usually happens when a cylinder valve fails and leaks oil, the top might work fine after repairing the cylinder but that is not something that can be easily fixed back to position. Have it on 2 R230s and just live with it. It is annoying cause i know it should be like that but since everything is operating as expected then it is not a big issue for me.
That is caused by the roof lock cylinder seal leaking. That will precipitate removal of the headliner and all the trim down the C-pillar and left side trunk trim as you have to either remove the entire cylinder and ship with all lines intact to Top hydraulics or you can carefully cut the lines and ship to Cabrio Hydraulics and they will ship it back with compression fittings to reattach. Top Hyd will modify the lines going into the cylinder so you can remove them and the next time you have a leak you only have to send in the cylinder. Of you can replace the seal yourself or replace with a whole new cylinder. Your choice.
Thanks to Pile-o-Projets for the video! I would like to add six of what I hope will be obviously helpful points; 1.) Ramps are nice, but tall ramps like I like to use for working clearance reasons don't clear the front plastic bodywork. That means no driving up on them. That means use a floor jack (for me) to raise the front so you can slide the tall ramps in manually. BUT! Be cautious if jacking from the rubber center jacking point with a floor jack. This heavy car will seem to creep off your jack pad as the angle gets extreme, even if you put it in neutral. Obviously, use chocks and exercise caution. Two people makes it better and safer. Have yoru spotter watch the jack plate to rubber jack point alignment. Jack it cautiously, and only high enough to slide the ramps in manually. Work safely but quickly, minimizing time for slip offs and so forth. You know the drill. When you are done, remove the same way. Once on ramps, you can take the jack out of the way to make the oil capture pan easier to manipulate under the right spot...but it can be done with the jack in place too, if you a stickler for never getting under any car supported by only ramps, or only a jack or whatever. It is your life. Use it wisely. 2.) Note that the very front-most pan and rear belly pan DO NOT have to be removed for an oil change. Just the middle pan. It is held on by eight siamese-positioned identical dimension fixed-washer equipped self-tapping bolts with an 8mm hex head. READ THAT CLOSE AGAIN. eight of them, all same, washers are built on, there are two in back, two in mid-rear, one one at center of each "wing" of the middle panel and two in front where the middle and front panel overlap. Use 8mm socket. Use an electric drill driver. Very fast. Note that you don't have to keep the bolts specially organized, as they are all the same. Got it? Good news is that this pan comes off really really easy. I do mine in less than 3 minutes from a creeper. 3. ) As soon as you remove the belly pan plastic, spray it down with an aggressive cleaner like Purple Power or Simple Green in order to get the oil and funk off of it. It can soak while you finish the oil change. Scrub it with a stiff bristle brush and then spray it off with a garden hose. Voila! You have a nice clean surface. So what? So, next time you change the oil, any oil spots on the now clean pan will tell you where leaks are developing, instead of it being a general mass of a decade or more of dirty oily funk that tells you only that you have oil leaks somewhere... 4.) After dropping that brand new clean and DRY filter in the hole, Pre-oil drench it while sitting there with the top off the oil filter boss. Don't make your engine oiling system wet the filter element for you on startup. 100% of oil flows through the filter element. If it is dry, until it drenches ZERO oil flows. Takes about 1-2 seconds to pass oil. Do you really want an extra couple seconds of zero oil pressure and big air bubbles working their way through your oil pressure galleries? No. Show some love for your pressure-lubricated bearings and parts. :-) 5.) Wear rubber gloves on oil changes. It's cheap insurance and makes the whole job cleaner. Plus, motor oil is carcinogenic upon extended exposures. Skip the skin cancer. 6.) Use one of these awesome area type headlamps, available cheaply on Amazon (No, I do not get money for you clicking this link) www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGHF38NH Why? What is wrong with my old standby headlamp? Plenty. First these are rechargeable. Second, these area-type LED bands are MUCH more effective for working under a car than are spot-only type headlamps. And if you need both, the kind I link are both area AND spot, so you have the best of both worlds. AND they have a cool no-touch hand-wave on/off feature so you don't have to touch anything with your oily hands. Try them. Best thing since a funnel for oil changes, IMO, and I don't get money for promoting them either, so there. 7. Just put in eight quarts. It'll be o.k. No need to be anal. That extra 94 ml of oil is not going to cause your engine to self-destruct. 🙂 Again, thanks for the video. Is helpful to many people!
If you raise the suspension all the way up via the console switch you should have no problems getting it up on ramps. I no longer need to do so As I use an oil extraction system like the M-B dealerships do. This only works on cars with a single pan. SL55 have a dual pan and does not get all the oil out.
Ill preface by saying I not an expert on all R230 engines. I am however a Chief Engineer who owns since new a sl55 amg. So couple of things, I believe you have 2 drain plugs. 13mm aft and perhaps a 15 mm plug a few inches forward of that aft plug but located on the port side under the driver. The pan configuration is horseshoe shaped. Look from the side while un your back. All the oil drains to the aft section where a scavenging pump takes a suction and sends oil to the forward end of the pan. Mercedes wants you to buy/use new drain plugs every change where their threads are treated with sealant and no crush washer is needed. I use copper seals from a hydraulic kit. You should be using a fleece 'Mann' filter. That was original equipment. Buy a small plumbers strap wrench off ebay. You'll never use anything else. Just try and keep the strap clean. Buy an ebay shop dipstick. You pull a blank centerline engine back by the firewall and insert the stick which reads 140 to 165 when full. You cant run w/dipstick in so check level and remove. Do not trust the oil transducer to give you and accurate reading. 7.9 quarts is low for me, mine takes 10 quarts so you may not br getting everything out (Two drains) Two separate pans by way of configuration. You can write me back tired now.
Thanks for the advice. I did look for a second plug and did not find one. I can't find anything online on if there is two plugs for the 55 and only one for the 500. Oh well. Next time its due, I'll take your advise on the Mann filter (I actually had one and couldn't find it in time for the video).
@@pile-o-projects Ok good luck! My engine is the AMG 5.4 liter supercharged, so perhaps your design differs. You can always call MB parts, furnish VIN & ask.
Wavy rubber seal above passenger window is caused by a hydraulic oil leak. The hydraulic line going to the center lock cylinder for the retractable roof is located along the right edge of the roof. I had this problem in 2021 and had the hydraulics repaired, but did not change the seal (too expensive for a simple rubber seal!).
Yes, like the people here have said... you have a leak in the roof lock cylinder which is located basically above the rear view mirror in the roof portion. To have Mercedes fix it? $2500 maybe... I was able to fix it for $19 US ... check UA-cam... theres great videos on how to do it and what parts you'll need to rebuild the cylinder yourself. It took me MAYBE 3 hours... and afterwards you'll have to refill the reservoir in the trunk. The gasket that's wrinkled has to be replaced. I'm having a tough time finding the part number so if anyone has that... it would be much appreciated... thanks :-)
Great feedback! I have already ordered the repair kit (hydraulic oil, O-ring, and syringe) and will tackle this project soon. I like to hear that it was only a 3 hour job! If I can figure out the wrinkled part and where to get it, I will put in the video.
@@pile-o-projects trust me... if your handy... it's not hard... just time consuming. I used a vice sitting on a rolling cart to hold the cylinder when I drilled it. After that the fix went smoothly. I cleaned up the fluid all over with brake cleaned and a rag. At certain points I sprayed the rag and wiped... when it came to other parts I just sprayed the part... the part being the roof liner as it sat against my truck. Use shipping blankets or something to protect your car. Do not let the pentosin fluid get on your paint. I dont know first hand, but people say it will damage the paint... like i said, i dont know first hand and i dont wanna know . I wouldn't let any of the brake cleaned get on upholstery or paint either. I used shipping blankets and towels to protect the car. Good luck. I've gotta tackle the ABC manifolds next. Similar process... but a bigger job. Have fun...
Get a mighty vac 8 liter extractor, and you can change the oil from the top in less than 15 minutes...you will have nothing to do under the car....also get a large heavy duty cooking sheet and use it laid on the motor for the filter and other items while changing it...these cars are fun to keep going, the junkyard is your friend, you have a good attitude...keep the videos coming. Thanks
Your front hydraulic cylinder is leaking for top. When oil gets to low it will stop working altogether. There are good videos on you tube to show you how to replace it or repair it which is what I did. I ordered the O-ring and it came in and I replaced it with a little instruction from UA-cam. Don’t worry about the ripple in your rubber there that will go away once the oil stops leaking, it happened to me. I thought I had to replace rubber but I didn’t. It went back to normal.
I just bought a base SL500- '05- in slightly better condition - planning on doing my own Fluid changes- Thanks for the vid, and thank you to the excellent comments below- 👍
The wrinkle in the rubber above the side window is caused by hydraulic fluid leaking out of the convertible top cylinder
Thanks for the info on that. I will look into it and see what it takes to repair. If you already know or have a video to reference, I am grateful.
This usually happens when a cylinder valve fails and leaks oil, the top might work fine after repairing the cylinder but that is not something that can be easily fixed back to position. Have it on 2 R230s and just live with it. It is annoying cause i know it should be like that but since everything is operating as expected then it is not a big issue for me.
@@pile-o-projects I did see a video on UA-cam where the guy used glue to glue it down and smooth it out
That is caused by the roof lock cylinder seal leaking. That will precipitate removal of the headliner and all the trim down the C-pillar and left side trunk trim as you have to either remove the entire cylinder and ship with all lines intact to Top hydraulics or you can carefully cut the lines and ship to Cabrio Hydraulics and they will ship it back with compression fittings to reattach. Top Hyd will modify the lines going into the cylinder so you can remove them and the next time you have a leak you only have to send in the cylinder. Of you can replace the seal yourself or replace with a whole new cylinder. Your choice.
I needed to watch this to get a idea on the oil change and also to see under the car of where the hydraulic lines run at the transmission.
Thanks to Pile-o-Projets for the video!
I would like to add six of what I hope will be obviously helpful points;
1.) Ramps are nice, but tall ramps like I like to use for working clearance reasons don't clear the front plastic bodywork. That means no driving up on them. That means use a floor jack (for me) to raise the front so you can slide the tall ramps in manually. BUT! Be cautious if jacking from the rubber center jacking point with a floor jack. This heavy car will seem to creep off your jack pad as the angle gets extreme, even if you put it in neutral. Obviously, use chocks and exercise caution. Two people makes it better and safer. Have yoru spotter watch the jack plate to rubber jack point alignment. Jack it cautiously, and only high enough to slide the ramps in manually. Work safely but quickly, minimizing time for slip offs and so forth. You know the drill. When you are done, remove the same way. Once on ramps, you can take the jack out of the way to make the oil capture pan easier to manipulate under the right spot...but it can be done with the jack in place too, if you a stickler for never getting under any car supported by only ramps, or only a jack or whatever. It is your life. Use it wisely.
2.) Note that the very front-most pan and rear belly pan DO NOT have to be removed for an oil change. Just the middle pan. It is held on by eight siamese-positioned identical dimension fixed-washer equipped self-tapping bolts with an 8mm hex head. READ THAT CLOSE AGAIN. eight of them, all same, washers are built on, there are two in back, two in mid-rear, one one at center of each "wing" of the middle panel and two in front where the middle and front panel overlap. Use 8mm socket. Use an electric drill driver. Very fast. Note that you don't have to keep the bolts specially organized, as they are all the same. Got it? Good news is that this pan comes off really really easy. I do mine in less than 3 minutes from a creeper.
3. ) As soon as you remove the belly pan plastic, spray it down with an aggressive cleaner like Purple Power or Simple Green in order to get the oil and funk off of it. It can soak while you finish the oil change. Scrub it with a stiff bristle brush and then spray it off with a garden hose. Voila! You have a nice clean surface. So what? So, next time you change the oil, any oil spots on the now clean pan will tell you where leaks are developing, instead of it being a general mass of a decade or more of dirty oily funk that tells you only that you have oil leaks somewhere...
4.) After dropping that brand new clean and DRY filter in the hole, Pre-oil drench it while sitting there with the top off the oil filter boss. Don't make your engine oiling system wet the filter element for you on startup. 100% of oil flows through the filter element. If it is dry, until it drenches ZERO oil flows. Takes about 1-2 seconds to pass oil. Do you really want an extra couple seconds of zero oil pressure and big air bubbles working their way through your oil pressure galleries? No. Show some love for your pressure-lubricated bearings and parts. :-)
5.) Wear rubber gloves on oil changes. It's cheap insurance and makes the whole job cleaner. Plus, motor oil is carcinogenic upon extended exposures. Skip the skin cancer.
6.) Use one of these awesome area type headlamps, available cheaply on Amazon (No, I do not get money for you clicking this link) www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGHF38NH
Why? What is wrong with my old standby headlamp? Plenty. First these are rechargeable. Second, these area-type LED bands are MUCH more effective for working under a car than are spot-only type headlamps. And if you need both, the kind I link are both area AND spot, so you have the best of both worlds. AND they have a cool no-touch hand-wave on/off feature so you don't have to touch anything with your oily hands. Try them. Best thing since a funnel for oil changes, IMO, and I don't get money for promoting them either, so there.
7. Just put in eight quarts. It'll be o.k. No need to be anal. That extra 94 ml of oil is not going to cause your engine to self-destruct. 🙂
Again, thanks for the video. Is helpful to many people!
If you raise the suspension all the way up via the console switch you should have no problems getting it up on ramps. I no longer need to do so As I use an oil extraction system like the M-B dealerships do. This only works on cars with a single pan. SL55 have a dual pan and does not get all the oil out.
Ill preface by saying I not an expert on all R230 engines. I am however a Chief Engineer who owns since new a sl55 amg. So couple of things, I believe you have 2 drain plugs. 13mm aft and perhaps a 15 mm plug a few inches forward of that aft plug but located on the port side under the driver. The pan configuration is horseshoe shaped. Look from the side while un your back. All the oil drains to the aft section where a scavenging pump takes a suction and sends oil to the forward end of the pan. Mercedes wants you to buy/use new drain plugs every change where their threads are treated with sealant and no crush washer is needed. I use copper seals from a hydraulic kit. You should be using a fleece 'Mann' filter. That was original equipment. Buy a small plumbers strap wrench off ebay. You'll never use anything else. Just try and keep the strap clean. Buy an ebay shop dipstick. You pull a blank centerline engine back by the firewall and insert the stick which reads 140 to 165 when full. You cant run w/dipstick in so check level and remove. Do not trust the oil transducer to give you and accurate reading. 7.9 quarts is low for me, mine takes 10 quarts so you may not br getting everything out (Two drains) Two separate pans by way of configuration. You can write me back tired now.
Thanks for the advice. I did look for a second plug and did not find one. I can't find anything online on if there is two plugs for the 55 and only one for the 500. Oh well. Next time its due, I'll take your advise on the Mann filter (I actually had one and couldn't find it in time for the video).
@@pile-o-projects Ok good luck! My engine is the AMG 5.4 liter supercharged, so perhaps your design differs. You can always call MB parts, furnish VIN & ask.
@@monticella You are correct. The larger AMG 5.4 liter engine has two drain plugs, while the smaller 5.0 liter engine only has one.
Wavy rubber seal above passenger window is caused by a hydraulic oil leak. The hydraulic line going to the center lock cylinder for the retractable roof is located along the right edge of the roof. I had this problem in 2021 and had the hydraulics repaired, but did not change the seal (too expensive for a simple rubber seal!).
Thanks for the info. I realized this and actually made a video on repairing the center lock cylinder. Check it out if you are so inclined.
Yes, like the people here have said... you have a leak in the roof lock cylinder which is located basically above the rear view mirror in the roof portion. To have Mercedes fix it? $2500 maybe... I was able to fix it for $19 US ... check UA-cam... theres great videos on how to do it and what parts you'll need to rebuild the cylinder yourself. It took me MAYBE 3 hours... and afterwards you'll have to refill the reservoir in the trunk. The gasket that's wrinkled has to be replaced. I'm having a tough time finding the part number so if anyone has that... it would be much appreciated... thanks :-)
Great feedback! I have already ordered the repair kit (hydraulic oil, O-ring, and syringe) and will tackle this project soon. I like to hear that it was only a 3 hour job! If I can figure out the wrinkled part and where to get it, I will put in the video.
@@pile-o-projects trust me... if your handy... it's not hard... just time consuming. I used a vice sitting on a rolling cart to hold the cylinder when I drilled it. After that the fix went smoothly. I cleaned up the fluid all over with brake cleaned and a rag. At certain points I sprayed the rag and wiped... when it came to other parts I just sprayed the part... the part being the roof liner as it sat against my truck. Use shipping blankets or something to protect your car. Do not let the pentosin fluid get on your paint. I dont know first hand, but people say it will damage the paint... like i said, i dont know first hand and i dont wanna know . I wouldn't let any of the brake cleaned get on upholstery or paint either. I used shipping blankets and towels to protect the car. Good luck. I've gotta tackle the ABC manifolds next. Similar process... but a bigger job. Have fun...
I did mine also...took me about 4 hours...the hard part was drilling the hole to get the O-ring to release..
That's a hydraulic fluid from your top
The rippling is possibly from a hydraulic leak from the top windshield locks you can rebuild the cylinder don't buy another one
If any one can help me I wanna change oil of my sl class 2003 3,7 v6 have to put inside 8 litres or 7.9 litres oil ?Coz I didn’t get it ? Thanks
One of the hydraulic cylinders is leaking on the right side. Expensive fix
Not excited to hear that but it is what it is. Now I'll research to determine best course of action. Thanks for the info.
Where is oil level check?
your wavy rubber is an oil leak from your roof lock cylinder
Thanks! Figured out the leak and made a repair video. Check it out here ua-cam.com/video/QiS5BOK0fTg/v-deo.html.
Should use 0 30