Getting Into It
Last week we got to tune a 2003 SL55 AMG with 110,000 miles. First thing that struck us was how solid this car is. For a 15-year-old car we didn’t expect what we found at all. It was awesome to drive with the factory tune and very, very responsive. I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise to us given that the AMG SL55 Kompressor has 493HP @ 6100 RPM and 518 LB-FT @ 2650-4800 RPM. It’s a beast already and it shows but it’s 15 years old! That’s what we kept on saying but the owner wanted the tune regardless. That said, the owner has kept this car in tip-top shape and there wasn’t even a spec of oil anywhere. No error codes. Nothing. It was a joy to drive and he chose Pressertech for his Mercedes tuning specialists.
Mercedes Master Tech Tune
So what could we do for this senior citizen of an automobile? Well, as a Mercedes Tuner and just like every other vehicle, we got stuck right in. After copying the file from the ECU, making a backup of the original and then a copy we went to work. We looked at the original file in our specialized Mercedes Tuner race software and made the changes we needed. These files take a lot of time and patience and a lot of knowhow and skill. This isn’t something that just anyone can do. We understand these cars from the mechanics to the nuances of the ECU. All of our tunes are done by Mercedes Master Tech’s and that ensures that your tune is always within safe limits and we guarantee it after all, we’re Mercedes tuning specialists.
After working on the file we were just about done. We merged the changes back into the copy and reinstalled the ECU. That’s the easy part, the ECU underlying data that links it to your specific car to the ECU is not changed at all. That’s why many long distance customers like the idea of two ECU’s from their Mercedes Tuner. One their stock and one being their tuned file. Both ECU’s become plug and play to your specific vehicle. They won’t work on other cars because that car’s VIN is not coded although if you ever wanted to sell the tuned ECU, we can re-flash with the new owners file for a nominal fee.
Testing Specs
Now the fun part… What will this car feel like now? One turn of the key and we heard the engine roar to life. The engine and exhaust on the SL55 AMG Kompressor makes the exhaust note just beautiful. We belt up and we’re off. First thing we note is how responsive the pedal is. Still wholly controllable but press the gas and the reaction from the car is instant. The car roars through 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the acceleration is easy to see and feel compared to the not so slouchy stock tune. It’s just such a pleasure to drive but we wanted more proof so it was time for the dyno. The result was just what we expected and the car was now producing 548HP @ 6100 RPM; 608 LB-FT @ 2650-4800 RPM. Now that’s really impressive.
All About the Customer
We delivered the Mercedes SL55 AMG the following day to the customer. He immediately took it on a test drive and came back to the shop. We’ve seen it a hundred times, a big smile and a few wow’s thrown in for good measure. He was thrilled with his new ride and so were we. Actually, let him tell you himself, you can read his review at the bottom of our About Us page.
If you want to talk about your tune and Mercedes tuning specialists, give us a call or drop us an email. We’ll be glad to talk to you about how our Performance Perfect Tune can work for your car. Until next time, keep PRESSing!