Under the valve covers, 2005 Mercedes SL600

[Astro14]

Around here MB charges $200 - $225 per hour. So $1600 - 1800 for labor only. What do they charge for 24 plugs? Why is is it so hard and so long to change plugs? Coils have to come out, what else is removed?

Coils aren’t visible in the picture. Air boxes. Intercoolers. Then some wiring. Six bolts hold each coil. But each coil is pretty big, and barely fits. Then there is the labor on 24 plugs. Then you have to vacuum fill the intercooler system.

One coil.

The $1,800 quote is 12 years old. You’d have to call them and see what they quote now.

 

[Astro14]

Very clean engine for sure. I could not imagine owning a car with those expenses though. Good thing you know your parts guy.

He gives me a break on the price. He will order parts for me over the phone, and collect when I pick them up (this isn’t typically done, but again, he knows me).

And the showroom has complimentary fresh-brewed coffee.

After seeing him twice in a week, and ordering some pricey parts, I told him, “Hey, Bill, you know I just come by for the free parts and $800 coffee!”

 

[TheLastWord]

Coils aren’t visible in the picture. Air boxes. Intercoolers. Then some wiring. Six bolts hold each coil. But each coil is pretty big, and barely fits. Then there is the labor on 24 plugs. Then you have to vacuum fill the intercooler system.

One coil.

View attachment 128357
The $1,800 quote is 12 years old. You’d have to call them and see what they quote now.

German over-engineering. No wonder they lost WWII. But have they learned anything since?

Sherman tank track replacement vs Panzer track- Google it.

 

[Astro14]

German over-engineering. No wonder they lost WWII. But have they learned anything since?

Sherman tank track replacement vs Panzer track- Google it.

Simple maintenance vs. performance. Stuffing a twin turbo V-12 into a coupe wasn’t easy. The resulting car is awesome. Sure, it’s over-engineered, but it is incredible to drive.

 

[BHopkins]

I love the R230 SL roadsters. IMHO, they are better looking than some of the newer SL platforms.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I also use M1 0W-40, and follow the Mercedes recommended 10k oil change interval, on my E350. There is a little seepage around the valve covers, but I have not felt inclined to take on the task. But peaking through the oil fill, the engine looks spotless inside. Your experience inspires me.

At the current rate that I put miles on my E350, it will be another 3 years before the spark plugs are due again. But your project inspires me. Perhaps I will add replacing the valve cover gaskets to the upcoming 90k service.

 

[wwillson]

At the current rate that I put miles on my E350, it will be another 3 years before the spark plugs are due again. But your project inspires me. Perhaps I will add replacing the valve cover gaskets to the upcoming 90k service.

And provide lots of pictures?

 

[BHopkins]

And provide lots of pictures?

This is BITOG. It seems almost like an obligation to take pictures any time valve covers are pulled.

 

[OVERKILL]

Looks brand new. But is there a lot of scoring on the cam lobes?

Those are just the "tracks" from the rollers, perfectly normal and typically smoother than the virgin lobe surface.

 

[Astro14]

That thing isn't getting driven enough. The guy should take it out on the Virginia Beach Expressway and do a few high speed runs over to the beach

The car‘s owner is the lovely Mrs. Astro. She’s not really a lead foot. In fact, she only drives the SL about once a week, since she commutes on lousy roads in heavy traffic, and prefers to have her 2002 Volvo V70XC for that set of conditions. She also uses the XC for taking the dogs places, or Costco runs, neither of which would be good tasks for the SL. Her XC has a rebuilt suspension, upgraded (larger rotors) brakes, and runs perfectly with nearly 290,000 miles on it.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

German over-engineering. No wonder they lost WWII. But have they learned anything since?

Sherman tank track replacement vs Panzer track- Google it.

@Astro14 drives a road-going version of the V-2 rocket that ultimately took us to the moon

I’m sure the SL600 can give it a run for it’s money. If not going vertical and for about 5 seconds

Mr. Von Braun.. though I do not know if he worked at Mercedes-Benz AG lol

 

[Ursatdx]

You would be surprised how many people without any money drive Mercedes.

Lease deals, and cheap used prices, coupled with a desire to look like they have money, puts a lot of people in MBs when they couldn’t really afford a Toyota.

It‘s commonplace to see young sailors driving $60K cars. On $25,000/year.

I‘m on a first name basis with the parts guys at my local MB dealer, having owned the S600 for 12 years, and buying parts for a 1975 450SL restoration, and now having the SL600.

They tell me stories about people crying over the cost of parts.

When the payment has already stretched your budget, an $800 part can break you. People don’t research what it costs to own a high performance German car before they buy it.

Kind of how an $1,800 spark plug change caught my buddy by surprise. He could manage it, but chose not to. He sold me the S600 and leased a new 5 series BMW. He already owns a 911. He has means, but that spark plug change caught him by surprise.

I service a bunch of "pre-owned" MBs. It's a hoot to see a clean one with shiny new wheels driving with the windows down
and its 95 degrees out.

 

[BHopkins]

I service a bunch of "pre-owned" MBs. It's a hoot to see a clean one with shiny new wheels driving with the windows down
and its 95 degrees out.

I can totally relate. My first Mercedes was a 2007 SL550. In the summer I would drive with the top down, windows up and a/c on. In the fall and spring, I could be comfortable at highway speeds, in temperatures down to 50°f with a jacket, top down and heater turned up to HI.

I miss my SL550 more than any other car I have had. What a fun car to drive.

 

[TheLastWord]

I can totally relate. My first Mercedes was a 2007 SL550. In the summer I would drive with the top down, windows up and a/c on. In the fall and spring, I could be comfortable at highway speeds, in temperatures down to 50°f with a jacket, top down and heater turned up to HI.

I miss my SL550 more than any other car I have had. What a fun car to drive.

Based on Astro 14's and Ursatdx posts, I think he meant they couldn't afford to fix the AC. See that all the time in SoCal summer heat with MB.

 

[TheLastWord]

So back to the original subject and pics, specifically the leaking VC gasket. Having done numerous gasket replacements on all types of engines, I recommend using a small bead of RTV at the junction (if present) of the head VC surface and any protrusion as Astro 14 pics shows. Some cars like Honda go to great lengths with excellent service manuals to explain this, others ignore it completely. What does MB say? It appears that's where it leaked(?). A small bead at the junction only, following carefully the set up and cure time indicated. No protrusion, no RTV, unless manufacturer sometimes recommends like around bolt holes, etc.

Edit: Just reread the OP. Don't say IF you replaced the gaskets. Did you?

 

[aquariuscsm]

While changing the sparkplugs on my wife’s roadster, I discovered a minor valve cover leak.

Mercedes books about 8 hours* for a sparkplug change on the car, which has the M275 V-12 engine with 2 plugs per cylinder. Yes, that’s a total of 24 iridium plugs. since the coils have to come out to get the valve covers off, better to clean up the leak while doing the plugs.

The car was dealer serviced. 10,000 mile intervals. Mobil 1 0W40 as far as I can tell. But it was many years between each change. 52,000 total miles. Here’s how it looked.

Passenger side:

View attachment 128297

Driver side:

View attachment 128298

I used new insulator boots for each plug, and reused the coils, which are notorious for short lives. I’m hoping that the new plugs keep those coils happy.

I‘m pleased with how the engine looks. I took a look down each cylinder with my scope. Cylinder walls look perfect. Tiny bit of carbon above the ring travel. Tried to take pictures of them as well, but I clearly didn’t remember the scope directions.

The engine as it sits with the beauty covers off and all the parts in place.

View attachment 128299
*A lot of intake and other parts have to come off to get the coils out. Each coil is about two feet long, and fires 12 plugs.

Holy cow that engine is clean!

 

[aquariuscsm]

I can totally relate. My first Mercedes was a 2007 SL550. In the summer I would drive with the top down, windows up and a/c on. In the fall and spring, I could be comfortable at highway speeds, in temperatures down to 50°f with a jacket, top down and heater turned up to HI.

I miss my SL550 more than any other car I have had. What a fun car to drive.

Haha I did that all the time too with my 1st Nissan Z with t-tops (1986 300ZX turbo). In the middle of the winter I'd have the tops off, heater on full blast, bundled up in a coat, gloves, and beanie!

 

[Revving2Redline]

So you're *saying* that MB charges roughly $1500 to change sparkplugs??

I would argue that if the person can buy and afford the vehicle that the cost to maintain it shouldn't even be a issue.

 

[Astro14]

I would argue that if the person can buy and afford the vehicle that the cost to maintain it shouldn't even be a issue.

I would argue very differently.

You can find a used S600, like mine, for about $15,000. All day long. That’s in financial reach of a lot of people.

But a person with that as their budget probably can’t afford an ABC repair, or a set of coils for the V-12, or even a good set of ZR rated tires for it. Hoopties abound in the 10+ year old Mercedes cars for sale. Cars whose owners couldn’t handle the maintenance.

Neglected money pits that will break their foolish owners.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Got passed today by a SL600 V12 and it was beautiful. Not a MB afacionado, but some of their models/makes are just gorgeous. We've owned a Porsche in our family but I think the Mercedes are more of a comfortable drive over long distances.

 

[Astro14]

So back to the original subject and pics, specifically the leaking VC gasket. Having done numerous gasket replacements on all types of engines, I recommend using a small bead of RTV at the junction (if present) of the head VC surface and any protrusion as Astro 14 pics shows. Some cars like Honda go to great lengths with excellent service manuals to explain this, others ignore it completely. What does MB say? It appears that's where it leaked(?). A small bead at the junction only, following carefully the set up and cure time indicated. No protrusion, no RTV, unless manufacturer sometimes recommends like around bolt holes, etc.

Edit: Just reread the OP. Don't say IF you replaced the gaskets. Did you?

Toyota was very careful to require that RTV in the junction. I get what you’re saying.

I replaced the gaskets on this engine. They weren’t leaking at the corner, it was more under the cover by the plugs. Further, Mercedes is quite specific on all of their service procedures. Using WIS, nothing was said about RTV.

Also, I’ve done the gaskets on the S600, same engine, no RTV, and 30,000 miles later, no leaks.