1996 Mercedes SL 600

[The Dictator]

Hereward said:

Crazy scenes at the MOT testing station.

However, an exploratory lift of the reservoir showed it had been designed to lift straight out vertically. It is not bolted in place at all;

That is exactly the same on my 1981 500 SEL, I was quite surprised initially, but it makes a number of job much more straightforward as the pipework is long enough for it to be lifted out and placed elsewhere

[Hereward]

It is a pleasure to work on cars with thoughtful design. For example the headlight bulbs can be changed using one hand. On some modern cars you would need to remove the front bumper or a wheel arch liner.

Earlier this year I battled for over 10 hours to replace the starter motor on my Touareg. The subframe had to be detached then the engine supported whilst an engine mount and its bracket was removed to provide access. When I was under the SL I checked the location of the starter motor and reckoned it would take me less than 10 minutes to remove it from the car if the need arose.

Of course there will be some tricky items but the parts I have worked on so far have been largely stress-free.

I also forgot to state that I recently repaired the wiring to the high-level brake light. Opening and closing the boot over the years puts stress on the wire and it eventually snaps.

[Penguinracer]

On my C140’s the backing plate / reflector for the tail lights are on hinges for easy bulb replacement. Mercedes at their best were definitely top of the heap.

[C70R]

Penguinracer said:

Mercedes at their best were definitely top of the heap.

Which makes the latest batch of Mercs all the more disappointing.

[bolidemichael]

C70R said:

Penguinracer said:

Mercedes at their best were definitely top of the heap.

Which makes the latest batch of Mercs all the more disappointing.

Which panel accesses the starter motor?

[leef44]

it's all about platform sharing nowadays. My SLK shares the same platform and subframe as the C class from that era.

In the 90's, SL and CL had bespoke platforms allowing bespoke engineering design.

[alabbasi]

leef44 said:

In the 90's, SL and CL had bespoke platforms allowing bespoke engineering design.

Not exactly true. Much of the R129 underpinnings are from the W124

[leef44]

alabbasi said:

leef44 said:

In the 90's, SL and CL had bespoke platforms allowing bespoke engineering design.

Not exactly true. Much of the R129 underpinnings are from the W124

Every day a school day. I didn't know that.