Been following on IG for a long time. Excellent vid and more comprehensive than most. I'd only add that SL63's and 65's are distinguished from each other in back by the twin exhaust tips being connected [65] or not [63]. R230 should've come with an inflatable spare tire and kit standard. Don't forget that plastic piece in the shifter assembly notorious for sticking the car in park when fatigued, is easily fixed by a metal version. Easiest mod for me is an all around incandescent upgrade to LED bulbs interior and exterior. Led lighting really modernizes SL's and is a cheap improvement [especially amber LED turn signals]. On this 2009, I like 35W xenon foglights, 55W Bi-xenon low beams and 60W LED high beams. Just a little overkill lol. Biggest mod for the V12's are upgrading the coil packs which are vulnerable to midlife deterioration [100k mi.]
@@bradmason8334 The SL63's early M156 engines have a head bolt issue. But 2011 and 2012 SL63's have the M156 head bolt problem corrected. R231's began selling in 2013 in North America and are a different AMG V8 engine generation.
If you watched the Car Wizard's channel you and your father could have fixed the fuel tank baffles without tearing the rear end apart and replacing the tank.
I really like the starlight mod in the headliner. I've owned my R230 for about 6 years now, and it's still my favorite car to drive. The balance is real though - I've poured money, sweat, blood, and tears to keep it maintained properly. Great car for an enthusiast with deep pockets and/or above average mechanical skills.
Some fresh SL/M113K content is always welcomed. Thanks! I'm currently in withdrawal as mine is down for a new upgraded Balancer/Crank pulley and a few other mods.
I got blessed with finding a cls55 amg a few years ago. Thing has 600hp daily driven.. Family car.. got a smaller pulley and a few things and tuned to do 200mph from Eurocharged. Long tube headers and straight exhaust is ridiculous. I put the oem cls55 mufflers back and it can be quiet when i am cruising, almost silent, but becomes the loudest car at WOT. I even took it to Harris Hill Raceway in TX and was lapping everyone. LOL
Great job bro, very smart to do a voiceover since it's super hard to talk about the car without stuttering and saying "and umm" 😂 you sound ver professional, congrats on your vid.
Great video - actually very thorough.. Ive lived through almost all the "issues" you had mentioned. The most expensive being the replacement of all 4 struts and pump. Where did you get the flat bottom steering with the paddle shifters. Assuming you needed a Paddle Shifter Module for it to work with the SL55..?
Hey man, I discovered your channel a little while back and wanted to greet you. I am the almost happy owner of an SL55 as well and I find your content very thorough and clear. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find your IG, I was hoping to reach you out as I had a couple of questions. For the short but long story, what drove me here is the following: I bought an SL55 in pristine condition and after 1 month preparing it, drove it a couple of days and had a crash with a DUI driver. Truly bad luck, whole front to be replaced. 10K$ second hand. But living in Belgium, my insurance still found a way to tell me it was my fault not being able to predict the DUI attitude and won't cover me. The result ? It sat 9 months while I was trying to find the parts and now I have various electronics issue. Your channel is helping me a lot rooting everything and dismantling the SL properly. THANK YOU 🙏
Good video. Just a couple of things......First, setting the counter back on ABS brake system is NOT a good idea. Doing so negates the Guaranty! The guaranty was last updated to LIFELONG! (IF YOU DIDN'T MESS WITH THE COUNTER). I had the baffle in the gas tank break loose. MB wanted $2,500 to replace tank. I repaired it by placing 3 small (2.5" X .75" X .75" super strong magnet (holds 120 lbs each). You have to go through big hole in tank where the float for gasoline level is. Been in 2 years now. Magnet will loose 1% in 100 years. My gear shift lever got stuck in Park. I repaired that too. MB replaced my ABS modul for free. Some people paid $3,500 to replace it. If you have receipts, MB has to reimburse you. I also had to fix bad cable connection under passenger seat. Message said Seat Belt Restraint System not working. After all that, I still wouldn't part with it.
The R230 S55AMG IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO THE LEXUS LC500 in every conceivable aspect. Am a TOYOTA/LEXUS Diehard fan and I will also admit that a 2003 to 2010 Mercedes-Benz GWagon is a Superior alternative to TOYOTA/LEXUS TRUCKS. The G WAGON will destroy the TACOMA, 4RUNNER, LANDCRUISER AND LX600.
Great video! I'm a recent owner of an 06' SL55 & I'd like to replace the steering wheel & the aluminum interior surround. I've been searching online for suppliers of interior & exterior aesthetic mods but haven't been able to find much of anything. Are there any particular websites or suppliers that you could recommend for a fellow enthusiast? Thanks in advance & keep up with the videos!
I have a 2005 SL600. I would like to keep the car as stock as possible and any mods would have to be incognito. What am I thinking? Tune, exhaust and maybe air intake? A new exhaust will make it Just a tiny bit louder with better flow. Anything I'm missing?
Overall a great video for beginners, but whenever someone says "it's the full SL buyers guide" there's always that buyer beware, feel. You left out two very important models, the SL 350 and I don't recall in the video you mentioning anything about the SL 63. If you did, you just lightly touched it. It might be better to do a repeat of this review with a more thorough information on the R230 series. Were you aware that SL production stopped in 2009 all the way to 2011 for production of the SLS? It's good to note these discrepancies because people say that they have a 2010 SL, which would not be true, as there is no such thing as a 2010. There are 2010 titled SL's, but none were produced in the year 2010. And in your analysis of the P30 package, you failed to include the fact the package does not include any speed increase, only top end speed from 155mph with the speed limiter, and 187mph without the limiter, the package is an additional 12,000 to 18,000 on top of the price of the car. Also you did not note the differences between the SL600 and the SL65 which are significant, which include different turbo sizes among other things, most people are confused and think both cars are pretty much the same. You spent too much time on the SL55 AMG obviously because you owned one which in that case you did a very thorough job in explaining the SL55'S quirks, it's performance, and add-ons. . I believe it will be better for you to spend equal amount of time on each model (SL350, SL 500, SL550, SL 55 AMG, SL63 AMG, SL600, SL 65 AMG, SL65 AMG Black series,) since you are advertising as the definitive guide. Also check out some of the groups on Facebook now called Meta, for the various Mercedes clubs including r230 and r231 clubs they have a lot of valuable information that would be helpful to your videos, Good luck and God bless! information as the absolute guide. Overall informative but it needs a redo to be more complete, cheers!
Great insightful video. Where are you/your dad located? I’m looking at this car for my next purchase and would prefer a good local or garage mechanic over a dealership for maintenance.
he is right, went thru most of the repairs, still need to get the baffle in the tank fixed, but i just turn up the music or drive on Full not to hear it lol
I'm actively shopping for wheels for my SL55. What size and style best respects the 2004 in your eyes. Am I wrong to think 20s look a tad big on this car?
Will an 07 SL500 be a great daily? I want one tbh but not too sure. I always keep up with maintenance nd that stuff but what i wanna know is will it be great car to go to work in
I’m thinking about getting one. Owner say to get your own scanner with ABC control and do preventive maintenance consistently. One thing I’ve researched is using a hydraulic seal conditioner/ restorer with teflon in the ABC system and regular flushing/filter maintenance for debris removal. For the roof clear drains and weather strip conditioner as well as hydraulic fluid seal conditioner. The major gamble is the brake by wire system no preventative maintenance can prevent a failure. Its a coin toss.
I have a 2009 SL 550 in great condition, runs great but due to back pain I have to sell it…anyone interested let me know, I really hate having to get rid of it 😢😢😢
Gotcha, i still havent bought the LSD yet. I just installed mid length headers and a custom 3 inch exhaust on the sl. Thats the only performance I’ve done to date
Question. Why are you showing different cars and their parts that don't sync up with what you're talking about? Example. I'm showing you that I'm eating an apple while telling you how good an orange tastes.
Good try, unwatchable though! Realize, you're giving a presentation to people that don't know the topic nearly as well as you, some know nearly nothing at all. Your pacing is too quick for listeners to absorb much of what you're saying. Informative visual aids would help slow things down as well as provide nice comparisons to the points you're making. I hope my critique helps you, I'm not looking to be a jerk. Thanks for your efforts!
I disagree with your blanket assertion that people watching this video don't know the topic nearly as well as the guy who posted it. On the contrary, I think the majority of viewers of videos as specialized as these are already well attuned to the topic, or they wouldn't be watching them in the first place. And those just learning about these cars will be happy to re-watch and study carefully if they are really interested.
You do realize you can increase and decrease the speed at which the video plays right? Just set to a slower speed if you can't understand. @dietrichberliner4027
The SBC "reset tool" does not "fix" anything. It fools the SBC using reset data paraneters that were there to protect the driver as the engineers knew the life expectancy of certain components in the SBC module (ABS module). By fooling it you can use the module past the engineers lifetime of components in the SBC. What is the risk? Brake failure. But who cares if its your own car. If you sell it that way, you risk legal action if the next buyer, aware or not gets into an accident with such bypass methods of safety measures. So in short, if its your own car and will always be your car, go ahead. If you forget, sell it and the mod kills somebody, you will be liable.
Been following on IG for a long time. Excellent vid and more comprehensive than most. I'd only add that SL63's and 65's are distinguished from each other in back by the twin exhaust tips being connected [65] or not [63]. R230 should've come with an inflatable spare tire and kit standard. Don't forget that plastic piece in the shifter assembly notorious for sticking the car in park when fatigued, is easily fixed by a metal version. Easiest mod for me is an all around incandescent upgrade to LED bulbs interior and exterior. Led lighting really modernizes SL's and is a cheap improvement [especially amber LED turn signals]. On this 2009, I like 35W xenon foglights, 55W Bi-xenon low beams and 60W LED high beams. Just a little overkill lol. Biggest mod for the V12's are upgrading the coil packs which are vulnerable to midlife deterioration [100k mi.]
Which year (from the 2009-2011 SL63 body style) is the best in your opinion, & what would you look for as a newbie purchase ? Thanks in advance.
@@bradmason8334 The SL63's early M156 engines have a head bolt issue. But 2011 and 2012 SL63's have the M156 head bolt problem corrected. R231's began selling in 2013 in North America and are a different AMG V8 engine generation.
I’m one of a proudly owner of this car and to 98% same style as yours 😅.. timeless love this car .. greetings from Germany 🇩🇪 and safe drive
If you watched the Car Wizard's channel you and your father could have fixed the fuel tank baffles without tearing the rear end apart and replacing the tank.
..and Tavarish told him about it via Hoovie.
I really like the starlight mod in the headliner. I've owned my R230 for about 6 years now, and it's still my favorite car to drive. The balance is real though - I've poured money, sweat, blood, and tears to keep it maintained properly. Great car for an enthusiast with deep pockets and/or above average mechanical skills.
I can't wait now!!! This was the most informative SL video so far... If it dosen't have current issue I'll have an 07 SL600
Some fresh SL/M113K content is always welcomed. Thanks! I'm currently in withdrawal as mine is down for a new upgraded Balancer/Crank pulley and a few other mods.
I got blessed with finding a cls55 amg a few years ago. Thing has 600hp daily driven.. Family car.. got a smaller pulley and a few things and tuned to do 200mph from Eurocharged. Long tube headers and straight exhaust is ridiculous. I put the oem cls55 mufflers back and it can be quiet when i am cruising, almost silent, but becomes the loudest car at WOT. I even took it to Harris Hill Raceway in TX and was lapping everyone. LOL
Great job bro, very smart to do a voiceover since it's super hard to talk about the car without stuttering and saying "and umm" 😂 you sound ver professional, congrats on your vid.
Great video - actually very thorough.. Ive lived through almost all the "issues" you had mentioned. The most expensive being the replacement of all 4 struts and pump. Where did you get the flat bottom steering with the paddle shifters. Assuming you needed a Paddle Shifter Module for it to work with the SL55..?
Racing a cold engine is the best way to kill lit.
Hey man, I discovered your channel a little while back and wanted to greet you.
I am the almost happy owner of an SL55 as well and I find your content very thorough and clear. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find your IG, I was hoping to reach you out as I had a couple of questions.
For the short but long story, what drove me here is the following: I bought an SL55 in pristine condition and after 1 month preparing it, drove it a couple of days and had a crash with a DUI driver. Truly bad luck, whole front to be replaced. 10K$ second hand. But living in Belgium, my insurance still found a way to tell me it was my fault not being able to predict the DUI attitude and won't cover me. The result ? It sat 9 months while I was trying to find the parts and now I have various electronics issue. Your channel is helping me a lot rooting everything and dismantling the SL properly. THANK YOU 🙏
Good for you taking the time to bring the car back to its glory. Good luck!
Good video. Just a couple of things......First, setting the counter back on ABS brake system is NOT a good idea. Doing so negates the Guaranty! The guaranty was last updated to LIFELONG! (IF YOU DIDN'T MESS WITH THE COUNTER). I had the baffle in the gas tank break loose. MB wanted $2,500 to replace tank. I repaired it by placing 3 small (2.5" X .75" X .75" super strong magnet (holds 120 lbs each). You have to go through big hole in tank where the float for gasoline level is. Been in 2 years now. Magnet will loose 1% in 100 years. My gear shift lever got stuck in Park. I repaired that too. MB replaced my ABS modul for free. Some people paid $3,500 to replace it. If you have receipts, MB has to reimburse you. I also had to fix bad cable connection under passenger seat. Message said Seat Belt Restraint System not working. After all that, I still wouldn't part with it.
The kompressor is themost beautiful car ever made.
In my humble opinion.
The R230 S55AMG IS A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO THE LEXUS LC500 in every conceivable aspect.
Am a TOYOTA/LEXUS Diehard fan and I will also admit that a 2003 to 2010 Mercedes-Benz GWagon is a Superior alternative to TOYOTA/LEXUS TRUCKS. The G WAGON will destroy the TACOMA, 4RUNNER, LANDCRUISER AND LX600.
Great video! I'm a recent owner of an 06' SL55 & I'd like to replace the steering wheel & the aluminum interior surround. I've been searching online for suppliers of interior & exterior aesthetic mods but haven't been able to find much of anything. Are there any particular websites or suppliers that you could recommend for a fellow enthusiast? Thanks in advance & keep up with the videos!
Beautiful car I have the 2011 SL 550 black on black with AMG package great video Thankyou
I think this will be my next car thanks!
6 pot piston calipers are awesome.
Awesome video keep them coming!
With a name like Mr Afalterbach, you need to do something big with this channel!
SL Mercedes old school are 👍
I have a 2005 SL600. I would like to keep the car as stock as possible and any mods would have to be incognito. What am I thinking? Tune, exhaust and maybe air intake? A new exhaust will make it Just a tiny bit louder with better flow.
Anything I'm missing?
Overall a great video for beginners, but whenever someone says "it's the full SL buyers guide" there's always that buyer beware, feel. You left out two very important models, the SL 350 and I don't recall in the video you mentioning anything about the SL 63. If you did, you just lightly touched it. It might be better to do a repeat of this review with a more thorough information on the R230 series. Were you aware that SL production stopped in 2009 all the way to 2011 for production of the SLS? It's good to note these discrepancies because people say that they have a 2010 SL, which would not be true, as there is no such thing as a 2010. There are 2010 titled SL's, but none were produced in the year 2010. And in your analysis of the P30 package, you failed to include the fact the package does not include any speed increase, only top end speed from 155mph with the speed limiter, and 187mph without the limiter, the package is an additional 12,000 to 18,000 on top of the price of the car. Also you did not note the differences between the SL600 and the SL65 which are significant, which include different turbo sizes among other things, most people are confused and think both cars are pretty much the same. You spent too much time on the SL55 AMG obviously because you owned one which in that case you did a very thorough job in explaining the SL55'S quirks, it's performance, and add-ons. . I believe it will be better for you to spend equal amount of time on each model (SL350, SL 500, SL550, SL 55 AMG, SL63 AMG, SL600, SL 65 AMG, SL65 AMG Black series,) since you are advertising as the definitive guide. Also check out some of the groups on Facebook now called Meta, for the various Mercedes clubs including r230 and r231 clubs they have a lot of valuable information that would be helpful to your videos, Good luck and God bless! information as the absolute guide. Overall informative but it needs a redo to be more complete, cheers!
Now, If your dad wasn’t a mechanic, would you still own this car?
Thankyou for this great video! 👍 I also like Tavarish videos
do u recommend buying an '03 SL350 ? I'm thrilled to own one but I'm afraid of the reliability.
Great insightful video. Where are you/your dad located? I’m looking at this car for my next purchase and would prefer a good local or garage mechanic over a dealership for maintenance.
Excellent detailed review! Many thanks 😊
he is right, went thru most of the repairs, still need to get the baffle in the tank fixed, but i just turn up the music or drive on Full not to hear it lol
Hi mma41 see my post above👍
Beautiful ride
Whats the Mercedes Benz part number on the 2003 steering wheel upgrade?
I need this car in my life once 😮💨🙌
Great information, very useful, thanks!
If you buy the earlier models with the shifter buttons on the back of the wheel, can u replace them to paddle shifters?
I'm actively shopping for wheels for my SL55. What size and style best respects the 2004 in your eyes. Am I wrong to think 20s look a tad big on this car?
Not wrong, it's personal preference, 19s would be perfect if you think 20s are the slightest bit big🤟
19s are perfect with a 30 wall 👍🏻
Is there much diffrent about the later 2007 sl550 like timing chains like in a e550
Can you share your father’s shop if his in southern california. I need a shop that knows these cars. Thnaks
Do the 2004 SL500 have the SBC module recall as well?
Where are you located? I’d love to check out your car if you’re open to it if you’re in SoCal.
My 2004 has a spare tire.
GOOD! Lol I wish i had mine!
Sl55 didn't come with a spare, at least that what Mercedes say!
So pretty much buy a car and replace 80% of it
Beautiful car man
Thanks for Sharing.
Revving a cold engine will do a lot of damage
Why is there any problems with these cars ???
Absolute beauty
Will an 07 SL500 be a great daily? I want one tbh but not too sure. I always keep up with maintenance nd that stuff but what i wanna know is will it be great car to go to work in
I’m thinking about getting one. Owner say to get your own scanner with ABC control and do preventive maintenance consistently. One thing I’ve researched is using a hydraulic seal conditioner/ restorer with teflon in the ABC system and regular flushing/filter maintenance for debris removal. For the roof clear drains and weather strip conditioner as well as hydraulic fluid seal conditioner. The major gamble is the brake by wire system no preventative maintenance can prevent a failure. Its a coin toss.
The front grid is an aftermarket one?
Yes, the front GRILLE is an aftermarket product. Generally speaking, almost any such modification devalues these cars.
Amazing video great job
Great thumbnail btw
Does sl550 09 have reliable engine?
I have a 2009 SL 550 in great condition, runs great but due to back pain I have to sell it…anyone interested let me know, I really hate having to get rid of it 😢😢😢
How is revving an engine a review?
"you can avoid ABC problems" LIES!!!!! lol, great video
Where's the LSD?
LSD is only on the sl55’s with the p30 or F1 package
@@Mr.Affalterbach quaife or wavetrack. You modified only look, how about performance?
Gotcha, i still havent bought the LSD yet. I just installed mid length headers and a custom 3 inch exhaust on the sl. Thats the only performance I’ve done to date
@@Mr.Affalterbach man, make a video about headers, I want to get one, but currently busy with work. What are the gains, did you keep the cats?
Is your crank seal ok?
Question. Why are you showing different cars and their parts that don't sync up with what you're talking about? Example. I'm showing you that I'm eating an apple while telling you how good an orange tastes.
Too bad the R230 was woefully influenced by Chrapler Corp.
Not loud enough it’s need to be down piped
revving a cold engine or any engine that is not under load is idiocy.
Pfft get in and go someplace...Yada Yada Yada
There shouldn't be any problems with this car. Hold these theiving car companies responsible.
These no matter how old the car it should be fixed by mercedes.
Good job synchronizing the video with the narration 🙄
You didn’t touch much on the sl63 very disappointing as you totally skipped the best engine to come out of AMG the heavenly 6.2 v8
I didnt feel the need as those arent as problematic as the older cars
He doesn't have a 63... Go watch AMG meister or legit street cars on the m156..
@@mwlagana does he have an sl600 or sl65?
Just changed my mind and i will buy a electric car. Thanks for your best advice.
These always had the worst and oldest interiors
Good try, unwatchable though! Realize, you're giving a presentation to people that don't know the topic nearly as well as you, some know nearly nothing at all. Your pacing is too quick for listeners to absorb much of what you're saying. Informative visual aids would help slow things down as well as provide nice comparisons to the points you're making.
I hope my critique helps you, I'm not looking to be a jerk. Thanks for your efforts!
Ill defiantly go back in a bit when these cars start hitting the age of 20 and do a more in depth review on specifically the sl55
I disagree with your blanket assertion that people watching this video don't know the topic nearly as well as the guy who posted it. On the contrary, I think the majority of viewers of videos as specialized as these are already well attuned to the topic, or they wouldn't be watching them in the first place. And those just learning about these cars will be happy to re-watch and study carefully if they are really interested.
You do realize you can increase and decrease the speed at which the video plays right? Just set to a slower speed if you can't understand. @dietrichberliner4027
These SL 55 are beautiful but it is a nightmare to own
The SBC "reset tool" does not "fix" anything. It fools the SBC using reset data paraneters that were there to protect the driver as the engineers knew the life expectancy of certain components in the SBC module (ABS module). By fooling it you can use the module past the engineers lifetime of components in the SBC. What is the risk? Brake failure. But who cares if its your own car. If you sell it that way, you risk legal action if the next buyer, aware or not gets into an accident with such bypass methods of safety measures. So in short, if its your own car and will always be your car, go ahead. If you forget, sell it and the mod kills somebody, you will be liable.
Sent you a message on Instagram