Common E55 Problems? How can I tell?

[ECBAOBAO]

ello,

I searched the forums and saw alot of mix reviews for this car. I would like to know some things:

I researched that some common E55 problems are

- supercharger chirp? [this is the pullies?]
- intercooler pump
- alignment
- acceleration jerk
- heatsoaking
- weird blowing sound out of muffler
- maf problem
- ecu shuts off supercharger after hardpulls or sitting in traffic (when does it turn it back on?)

How do I check for these problems?

Exactly how common are these problems? Some people say their 03s never had a problem ever, while some people in 03s or even 05s have tons of problems. How reliable are these cars?

Thanks

[dbarrym]

Originally Posted by ECBAOBAO

ello,

I searched the forums and saw alot of mix reviews for this car. I would like to know some things:

I researched that some common E55 problems are

- supercharger chirp? [this is the pullies?]
- intercooler pump
- alignment
- acceleration jerk
- heatsoaking
- weird blowing sound out of muffler
- maf problem
- ecu shuts off supercharger after hardpulls or sitting in traffic (when does it turn it back on?)

How do I check for these problems?

Exactly how common are these problems? Some people say their 03s never had a problem ever, while some people in 03s or even 05s have tons of problems. How reliable are these cars?

Thanks

A lot of the issues you identify are somewhat related - the heatsoaking and supercharger shutoff are going to be a function of how hard you drive and ambient temps (i.e. high heat environment or bad IC pump), SC chirp and jerking are related (it's the SC clutch - '05+ clutch solved this), etc..

Best bet is to have any E55 you are interested in inspected by a qualified, AMG-experienced technician before you buy.

Good luck in your search -

[ECBAOBAO]

thanks for the reply!

that sounds good, thank you. I do not know any amg specialist, but do I just call around and ask? How much would an inspection be?

do you think i can show you the carfax of the car and see if it is all normal?

thank you!

[dbarrym]

Originally Posted by ECBAOBAO

thanks for the reply!

that sounds good, thank you. I do not know any amg specialist, but do I just call around and ask? How much would an inspection be?

do you think i can show you the carfax of the car and see if it is all normal?

thank you!

Best bet is to ask MB owners in your area for a shop recommendation, or post here and ask. The pre-purchase inspection for my '04 ran $180 at an independent MB shop. Money well spent.

Sure, post the Carfax here and I am sure people will chime in. Keep in mind that Carfax is not a complete listing of all of the work done to a car, only the work that was reported. And most independent shops don't report to Carfax sources.