Test drive Mercedes Benz SL-class R231 since 2012

$16000

Dear for a used car? It is unlikely, given that as many as 140 thousand dollars they pay for the same, only the new Mercedes W129 class.
 
Are you ready to part with $ 1517 thousand. For the pleasure of chase with the wind under the bottomless blue sky, as well as for a good dose of a cocktail of powerful positive emotions and adrenaline? Then we recommend taking a closer look at W129.
He was born in the second half of 1989, becoming a successor to the exclusive series of SL, leading its pedigree from the mid-50s. He competed with the famous Jaguar XJS Sonvertible on the Cote d'Azur, in the southern states, in Italy and in Germany itself. Until 1993, it was called 300SL, 300SL-24 and 500SL, was equipped with two types of in-line six with indices 103, 104 and V-shaped eight with index 119. For the period from 1989 to 1993, a little more than 78 thousand copies of all modifications were produced. Since 1993, it has existed as SL280, 320, 500 and 600 with new versions of the engines. It is made exclusively on individual orders.
   
 
The roof is going ?? Given the type of machine, let's start the examination with the most specific part of the convertible is a cloth folding top. In W129, it is fully automatic, with an electro -hydraulic drive. Management is tied to one whole with an active security system and a protective arc, which is shot from the backs of the seats in 1/30 second.
The tent fabric itself suffers from inaccurate operation primarily, it should be carefully studied. Over time, sealing of the seams may be disturbed, which is checked elementary enough to pour them with ordinary water. A leak, if found, is eliminated on the Mercedes service. No problem. Just a small occasion for bargaining with the seller.
Another thing is if the awning is raised and does not add up. If, in addition, the security arc is recorded in a combat position, then everything is much more serious here. Since the whole complex, including eirbegs, is blocked. And much more expensive. It is clear that a convertible with a roof that does not travel is the same nonsense as the person with whom she is going. Only the price of the search and elimination of a malfunction can go off for $ 2000 for this type of work of a fixed number of norms.
The cause of trouble may be the touch of the car position relative to the horizon. They are located in extremely died in our conditions in the place, namely, on the rear lower levers of the pendant, the comments are overly. The replacement will result in an amount approaching $ 1000. There may be other reasons: the main pump pump ($ 450 + about $ 100 for work) or the executive cylinder ($ 310 + $ 50 for work). So, if the awning is fixed in the raised position, not a single control lamp flashes an occasion to either seriously bargain, or at all to complete the acquaintance with this car and look for another. If everything works well, it makes sense to check whether the arc sensors work normally: to accelerate well and brake sharply. When their adjustment is broken, at the time of stopping, the arc can shoot.
It may turn out that the problem of the non -working mechanism of the tent in pollution of the fixation sensors on the frame glass frame and in the niche, where the folded awning is laid. These sensors are something like end switches and are cheap.
As for the opinion about the absence of a hardtop, or a hard roof, as a sign of the criminal past convertible, the first W129 Technical Director of the Center for Almo Autodorum in Moscow, Mr. Roland Schneider, the former owner of a similar car, believes that such a statement is unlawful. Until 1993, the hard top was not even an accessory, and its acquisition completely and completely depended on the will of the customer.
And the car is driving. Of course, W129 is Mercedes special and even exclusive, made much more carefully than ordinary serial models. However, far from always in Russia, he travels on good roads.
Our hypothetical 500SL for $ 16 thousand arrived from Germany not yesterday. And all ran, at the request of the seller, 150 thousand km. The inspection is best combined with a small test drive. When the ignition is turned on, absolutely all control lamps on the dashboard should glow. If some does not burn to eat a reason for suspicion that it is disabled. And since it means that there is a malfunction that makes it burn constantly. It is better to check the engine when it has not yet been warmed up, it should be launched easily, work smoothly, not publish any extraneous noise: an 8-cylinder V-shaped engine of the 119 model, which was equipped with 500SL, if equipped with a catalyst, has a special blowing pump, Which during heating adds fresh air to the catalyst. If, during the launch or immediately after starting, clicks are heard and crackle, this may mean that the coupling of this pump or the pump itself is ready to fie soon. Either prepare $ 255 for a coupling or another $ 900 for the pump itself, or bargain. Pay attention to the P-shaped gasket on the engine near the ignition distributor is a traditional place of oil. And a cleanly washed motor and a very fresh anticorus on the block can signal the presence of other leaks. 10 minutes at idle, and all the most noticeable will come out by itself. The normal oil consumption in the 119th engine is about 1000 km.
And the bones knock. The completely independent W129 suspension is structurally similar to the one that was on W124, namely, on version 500E. One of its features adjustable road clearance. Simply put, shock absorbers with pumping. The malfunctions of this system will be pulled out of the budget $ 450 and $ 365 for the front and rear shock absorbers (almost half cheaper without tenderness), $ 1000 per tap tap of the pumping system, $ 2500 per control unit. The preliminary check can be carried out as follows: fully load the car. At the same time, she should, as it were, sit down, and then rise. The distance from the edge of the rim of the wheel to the edge of the wing arch should be approximately 44.5 cm. And the exact state and performance of the system and, accordingly, the amount will be able to be determined only on the Mercedes branded service center. The equipping of the machine with a pumping system is determined by the presence of a button on the central console with the inscription ADS.
In principle, W129 suspension diseases in Russia are similar to those suffering from 124th. Silent blocks of the front levers (a fractional knock on small bumps of $ 120 per side), front lower ball supports (creak in corners, dull attacks of $ 50 per side), bushings of front stabilizers (deaf knock on $ 50 per set). If a deaf knock is heard from behind, then most likely this is a silent block of the hub $ 55 per side.
The key to health. Regarding the test of the rest of the automatic checkpoint, the state of the body, the methodology is no different from other machines. But we remind you that the W129, even the 79-year-old is not some kind of tin for $ 35 thousand, and therefore, having determined the presence of pain points, further examination is best carried out with the help of specialists. And most importantly: be sure to check on all available databases, and even better to contact the official dealer center and VIN find out what units should be, body color, upholstery, equipment, etc., up to which in which The country was delivered this specific copy. And then, most likely, there will be no problems.
 
Text Andrey Timofeev, photo Alexey Ilyin, drawing Vladimir Belov

 

Source: "Autopilot"