R230 sl500 shed/project / massive money pit
Discussion
So I've done it again. Buying stuff that I should leave well alone.
This time it's an sl500. This poor car has been sat on a guys drive untouched for the best part of 5 years!!
Apparently it kind of just got forgotten about.
This is the only pic I have at the min and it dose it massive justice.
The thing is covered in green slime and cobwebs and inside is damp and mouldy.
It's position and the fact that the suspension was right down ment we couldn't get the truck near to it. You also can't get it out of park without power so 2 new batteries later and it fired up first flick of the key.
3 of the corners raised up beautifully but one stubbornly refused which made loading it very interesting.
Anyway that's it so far it's dumped on my drive in till I get a day off to look at her
This time it's an sl500. This poor car has been sat on a guys drive untouched for the best part of 5 years!!
Apparently it kind of just got forgotten about.
This is the only pic I have at the min and it dose it massive justice.
The thing is covered in green slime and cobwebs and inside is damp and mouldy.
It's position and the fact that the suspension was right down ment we couldn't get the truck near to it. You also can't get it out of park without power so 2 new batteries later and it fired up first flick of the key.
3 of the corners raised up beautifully but one stubbornly refused which made loading it very interesting.
Anyway that's it so far it's dumped on my drive in till I get a day off to look at her
Well thanks for all the positive support and useful info.
The body has turned out well with no rust.
It came with full history and a stack of invoices including new rear shocks and abc pump the year before it was parked up.
The first big job will be to get the n/s/f suspension to come up. I've oredered a valve block rebuild kit and I've got the day off weds so updates will follow.
Once that's done I'll give i service change all the fluids go through the brakes and then we'll see what the mot man says.
The body has turned out well with no rust.
It came with full history and a stack of invoices including new rear shocks and abc pump the year before it was parked up.
The first big job will be to get the n/s/f suspension to come up. I've oredered a valve block rebuild kit and I've got the day off weds so updates will follow.
Once that's done I'll give i service change all the fluids go through the brakes and then we'll see what the mot man says.
£167 at the local stealer plus 3 days to get!
I'm going to remove them on weds and pop to the local hydro hose place see if they can make them up. Maybe in stainless
They made me some new rams for the hood on a xjs that jag said were no longer available and at half the price.
Back to the sl I can't see the point of the flex section why not all hard pipe?
I'm going to remove them on weds and pop to the local hydro hose place see if they can make them up. Maybe in stainless
They made me some new rams for the hood on a xjs that jag said were no longer available and at half the price.
Back to the sl I can't see the point of the flex section why not all hard pipe?
Right so a bit of a productive day. Faulty pipe removed and it's being made as we speak for less than half Mercs price should be done by the morning so tomorrow I might get to have a drive.
I spent the rest of the day cleaning up the inside and it's now mould free.
I've also cleared all the fault codes and the only one that I can't clear is no communication with passenger side SAM?
I removed IT and cleaned it all up. Looks like it's been wet.
Anyway my understanding is that it works the lights wipers and locking
All the lights work as do the wipers but the locking won't. I guess that's more to do with the vac pump being soaked.
I'll take a few pics for you all tomorrow
I spent the rest of the day cleaning up the inside and it's now mould free.
I've also cleared all the fault codes and the only one that I can't clear is no communication with passenger side SAM?
I removed IT and cleaned it all up. Looks like it's been wet.
Anyway my understanding is that it works the lights wipers and locking
All the lights work as do the wipers but the locking won't. I guess that's more to do with the vac pump being soaked.
I'll take a few pics for you all tomorrow
So another very productive day. Got the new pipe fitted and now all is good in the world of abc.
Then I fixed the boot lock so It opens with the handle.
Next I stripped down the pse pump
I got it all working again but the motor is very poor it's been very hot in the past. So hot it's melted the bolder for the brushes. So I think that will need replacing.
Inside is looking a lot cleaned too
So now I need to sort a few bulbs for the mot.
Passengers dip beam ( not the bulb)??
Drivers main beam
Drivers indicator
Then I fixed the boot lock so It opens with the handle.
Next I stripped down the pse pump
I got it all working again but the motor is very poor it's been very hot in the past. So hot it's melted the bolder for the brushes. So I think that will need replacing.
Inside is looking a lot cleaned too
So now I need to sort a few bulbs for the mot.
Passengers dip beam ( not the bulb)??
Drivers main beam
Drivers indicator
Just had to bleed it out at the nipple then raise and lower it a few times.
The discs are ok just need a clean up which I'll do when I do the service.
I have a suspicion that the lighting issues are going to be linked to this left SAM problem.
Typically there are none listed on eBay at the min with my part number. (A0265453332)
The discs are ok just need a clean up which I'll do when I do the service.
I have a suspicion that the lighting issues are going to be linked to this left SAM problem.
Typically there are none listed on eBay at the min with my part number. (A0265453332)
The boot lock is a bit of a faf to get out but it was just seized up to so plenty of wd and work it in till free.
The pump is fairly basic in my case the motor has been burnt out I got it going again but it's very weak and not up to the job. So I think I'll just buy a cheap c class one and use the motor from that. I'm not paying 600 for a sl one.
As for your soft close and seats not working it's prob a vaccum leak. This would cause the pump to time out and need resetting by removing the fuse. Eventuality this will burn your motor out like mine.
It's common for the boot soft closer to fail but a simple enough fix. There's lots online about it
The pump is fairly basic in my case the motor has been burnt out I got it going again but it's very weak and not up to the job. So I think I'll just buy a cheap c class one and use the motor from that. I'm not paying 600 for a sl one.
As for your soft close and seats not working it's prob a vaccum leak. This would cause the pump to time out and need resetting by removing the fuse. Eventuality this will burn your motor out like mine.
It's common for the boot soft closer to fail but a simple enough fix. There's lots online about it
It's my old man's r129. Carved from granite compared to the r230.
So I today I removed the SAM again completely stripped it and the fuse box again cleaned it all and rebuilt but no joy.
Need to find a new one.
I've also ordered a pse from a c class from the bay which I'll strip and pinch it's motor
So I have up in a huff and went back to cleaning it up.
So I today I removed the SAM again completely stripped it and the fuse box again cleaned it all and rebuilt but no joy.
Need to find a new one.
I've also ordered a pse from a c class from the bay which I'll strip and pinch it's motor
So I have up in a huff and went back to cleaning it up.
😁 thank you. I washed it about 8 times then got a toothbrush in all the seals and trim gaps.
Took about 2 hours to go over it with paint renovator (autoglim) one wing is going to need paint and then some super resin polish. I'll get a buffer on it at some point but didn't have one to hand today.
The inside took more effort a combination of steam cleaner sugger soap bleach spray and even 2k thinners.
But in the end most of it came up good with leather cleaner and a nail brush.
The only biti can't get clean is the air vents nothing will touch them. They seem to be covered in a sticky dryed on sap type substance which has gone black with mould.
Thinner on a cotton bud moves it but takes the paint too.
The 129 is an old boat but you can't fault it. He's had it for 12 years or more and I think it's had 1 fault.
Took about 2 hours to go over it with paint renovator (autoglim) one wing is going to need paint and then some super resin polish. I'll get a buffer on it at some point but didn't have one to hand today.
The inside took more effort a combination of steam cleaner sugger soap bleach spray and even 2k thinners.
But in the end most of it came up good with leather cleaner and a nail brush.
The only biti can't get clean is the air vents nothing will touch them. They seem to be covered in a sticky dryed on sap type substance which has gone black with mould.
Thinner on a cotton bud moves it but takes the paint too.
The 129 is an old boat but you can't fault it. He's had it for 12 years or more and I think it's had 1 fault.
Well I can confirm that the 129 and 230 both eat up the motorway miles with no problem and with the wind deflector in place there's very little bufferting.
The 230 feels much more modern in comparison to the 129 in terms of steering feel and refinement.
Our 129 is a 320 face lift model with the 5 speed auto box. The 6 speed coupled with the v8 make the 230 much quicker and smoother but its still not going to set the world on fire .
The 230 feels much more modern in comparison to the 129 in terms of steering feel and refinement.
Our 129 is a 320 face lift model with the 5 speed auto box. The 6 speed coupled with the v8 make the 230 much quicker and smoother but its still not going to set the world on fire .
Mot day
Roof down and off we go 40 mile round trip first drive in 4 years or so suns out and it's running lovely.
15 miles in and she cuts out and won't restart. Get out and DISASTER oil raining out.
Get it recover to the garage one new crank sensor later and were up and running but that oil leak.
Undertrays off and it a corroded hose on the gearbox oil cooler. Which snaps off the cooler union.
So now she's stranded at the garage in till I can get a new hose and dad. 😣
Roof down and off we go 40 mile round trip first drive in 4 years or so suns out and it's running lovely.
15 miles in and she cuts out and won't restart. Get out and DISASTER oil raining out.
Get it recover to the garage one new crank sensor later and were up and running but that oil leak.
Undertrays off and it a corroded hose on the gearbox oil cooler. Which snaps off the cooler union.
So now she's stranded at the garage in till I can get a new hose and dad. 😣
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