SLS Upgrades - Take Two
Discussion
Second SLS and my second round of AMG Design Studio upgrades - the combination of this car and that facility at AMG is not good for one's financial health!
I'd originally taken the car out there for some relatively modest upgrades of:
- SLS GT TCU update
- Re-trimmed steering wheel with contrast stitching and centre stripe as per the GT/Black Series
- Updated gear lever design as fitted to all current AMG's
- New leather for the drivers seat - the current one is worn on the outer bolsters
- Retrofit of the integrated garage door opener - the only option it didn't have and one I do use regularly!
But it's not as simple as just that lot, with a couple of further issues needing sorting hence the extended time it was out there.
Firstly, I've had a faint steering wheel / drivetrain vibration problem since I bought it - it feels like an unbalanced wheel and whilst I noticed the problem before I bought it, I put it down to just that. However, no amount of balancing would get it right even after I bought a new set of front tyres. My MB dealer didn't really know what else to do and I had an inkling (now proven to be wrong) that it might be the ceramic brakes out of balance (a known issue on cars fitted with Brembo ceramic brakes). I took it up with MB and to be honest, they've been outstanding in how they've liaised with AMG to get this sorted.
I don't think they'd be too happy at me sharing the amount or value of the parts they replaced as goodwill but what I will say (on the basis that this part developed an oil leak earlier in the cars' life and was subject to the only warranty claim on the car) is that one of the parts replaced was the whole transmission unit. The end result is a car that's now perfect and MB, who often get a slating for their service, deserve recognition for delivering outstanding service. I will remember this when buying my next car.
The second issue was a little unfortunate but I'm not going to mention any names as I understand that accidents can happen and the way the issue's been dealt with has again been tremendous. A couple of weeks before I went to AMG, my rear view mirror fell off the windscreen and when an attempt was made to reattach it, my windscreen broke. No biggie - it was already chipped and this was easily rectified. Only it would be, if the leather dash wasn't damaged at the same time. Cut a long story slightly shorter, AMG have also replaced the dash (hence the extended time it's been out there) - most of the cost is being covered by the other party however I'm contributing as I've had it upgraded to contrast stitching and a strip of Alcantara (as fitted to the Black Series).
Honestly, the quality of the work is out of this world! Despite the fact the dash has been out of this car, it's 100% rattle free and the trim is totally silent even over the roughest Belgian motorway and the cobbles in Bruges - and I'm very sensitive to rattles and unwanted noises.
Heres a few relatively poor iPhone pictures of the upgrades you can see...
I'd originally taken the car out there for some relatively modest upgrades of:
- SLS GT TCU update
- Re-trimmed steering wheel with contrast stitching and centre stripe as per the GT/Black Series
- Updated gear lever design as fitted to all current AMG's
- New leather for the drivers seat - the current one is worn on the outer bolsters
- Retrofit of the integrated garage door opener - the only option it didn't have and one I do use regularly!
But it's not as simple as just that lot, with a couple of further issues needing sorting hence the extended time it was out there.
Firstly, I've had a faint steering wheel / drivetrain vibration problem since I bought it - it feels like an unbalanced wheel and whilst I noticed the problem before I bought it, I put it down to just that. However, no amount of balancing would get it right even after I bought a new set of front tyres. My MB dealer didn't really know what else to do and I had an inkling (now proven to be wrong) that it might be the ceramic brakes out of balance (a known issue on cars fitted with Brembo ceramic brakes). I took it up with MB and to be honest, they've been outstanding in how they've liaised with AMG to get this sorted.
I don't think they'd be too happy at me sharing the amount or value of the parts they replaced as goodwill but what I will say (on the basis that this part developed an oil leak earlier in the cars' life and was subject to the only warranty claim on the car) is that one of the parts replaced was the whole transmission unit. The end result is a car that's now perfect and MB, who often get a slating for their service, deserve recognition for delivering outstanding service. I will remember this when buying my next car.
The second issue was a little unfortunate but I'm not going to mention any names as I understand that accidents can happen and the way the issue's been dealt with has again been tremendous. A couple of weeks before I went to AMG, my rear view mirror fell off the windscreen and when an attempt was made to reattach it, my windscreen broke. No biggie - it was already chipped and this was easily rectified. Only it would be, if the leather dash wasn't damaged at the same time. Cut a long story slightly shorter, AMG have also replaced the dash (hence the extended time it's been out there) - most of the cost is being covered by the other party however I'm contributing as I've had it upgraded to contrast stitching and a strip of Alcantara (as fitted to the Black Series).
Honestly, the quality of the work is out of this world! Despite the fact the dash has been out of this car, it's 100% rattle free and the trim is totally silent even over the roughest Belgian motorway and the cobbles in Bruges - and I'm very sensitive to rattles and unwanted noises.
Heres a few relatively poor iPhone pictures of the upgrades you can see...
Thanks chaps
HotJambalaya said:
really is superb what you do with your motors..
Will the ML be tweeked too?
Not in the same way, but I'm changing the wood trim and retrofitting the ambient lighting pack at the same time. Might do HK upgrade too. But nothing like the upgrades on the SLS as you know me, there could be a new C63 in the ML's place in a few months Will the ML be tweeked too?
cho said:
That looks lovely! I also notice your tyre pressures are quite a bit different front and back. Is that normal or just for high speed runs?
Yes, it has higher pressures (more so at the back) for speeds in excess of 155mph....which I may have exceeded on the odd occasion on the autobahn 
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