1985-380Sl Turning 85k

[mooney]

The old girl just turned 85k
I am taking her in for service on Tuesday
oil change, wiper blade replacement and all hoses and belts checked. Question, is there anything I should be concerning myself with at this time. The car is running strong and not leaking or burning oil. Anything I should have my Tech check for in the way of preventive maintenance. Thanks
Happy driving.

joe Moon

[dpendarv]

Have the subframe mounts and the other rubber bushings checked....they can wear over time without respect to mileage.

[GeorgeMurphy]

Your car is close to its third 30,000 mile maintenance , so you should do at least the following:

Engine oil and filter change
Transmission fluids and filter
Differential fluid change
Power steering fluid and filter change

Things to do at 90,000 miles:
Repack front wheel bearings
Replace cam shaft oil tube clips and valve cover gaskets.
Inspect and reset the exhaust system


Some of the above are in the Maintenance Booklet that came with your car; some are not. Those items are based on experience with these cars.

[Peter D. Quinn]

Joe:

In addition to what George mentioned, a couple of things to consider. First, I'd also change the hydraulic filter of the self leveling rear suspension, and if it's never been done, siphon out the old fluid & fill with fresh. Also, George didn't mention a fresh set of spark plugs, but I think they're also part of the 30k service.

Next, think about things that wear as a function of years as well as miles, given your car is now 18 years old. Things like:
-- motor mounts
-- transmission mount
-- rear differential mount
-- rubber brake lines
-- fan belts
-- anything else that's made of rubber that you can think of

And, as your car gets close to the 100k mark, think about things like:
-- front steering shock absorber
-- rear nitrogen pressure resovoirs
-- regulator & brush set
-- distributor cap, rotor & ignition wires

None of the things mentioned above are expensive (except the final line), and all are relatively easy DIY'er type jobs. And, by replacing all the rubber mounts and other things mentioned, I think you'll notice a definite improvement in the ride quality.
pdq

[GeorgeMurphy]

Pete - SL does not have hydraulic suspension . . .

[mooney]

Thanks Guys, I am a new member to this forum only 2 months buy I have been a Mb owner for 17 years. I am not mechanically inclined by no means, but I love my cars 85- 380Sl and 95E 320 Cab.and this forum has helped me greatly preserving the safety and the Beauty of my cars. Thanks again.
Happy Driving.

Joe Moon

[Bill Salade]

With the age of your 380 SL I would change all the rubber fuel hoses. I have a 450 SL and it won't start so I had all the fuel hoses replaced, fuel pump, fuel accumulaton, fuel filter were also replaced and the car still won't start so the mechanic wanted to replace the fuel distributor, injecters, cold start valve and the fuel pressure regulator all for a little over $2,000.00, I decided to have the car towed back to the house where I could take the time and check things out. What I found out was a small piece of rubber from the old high pressure fuel hose broke off and blocked fuel delivery to the fuel distributor. The car runs great now. Also brake lines should be replaced every 10 to 15 years as they also start to deteriorate from the inside.

[Peter D. Quinn]

Bill:

Posts like this infuriate me. Not the fact that it came from you, but rather that mechanics claim to be experts, then propose thousands of $$$$ of parts at a problem without even taking the time to see what might be wrong. Any time you hear about someone taking a "shotgun" approach to car repair, run as fast as you can, as if they were holding a loaded shotgun in their hands, because either you or your wallet is going to suffer.

I hope that the shop you were going to wan't a MB dealership, and secondly, I hope you've decided to never go back there again.