Thank God for people like you CJ… we have a nice little community of R230 owners all across the RUclips globe. I’ve owned my 2003 R230 SL500 here in the UK since 2007/8 & I am still not bored with it… so many things we can do to maintain & fix them because of guys like you. I must admit I did get my heater fixed by my Mercedes specialist, some things I don’t mind spending money on & he owns a 2004 SL55, so knows these beauties inside out. It’s very strange how even today I still have people asking if it’s a new car (it has a private plate). To be honest I do like telling them “no it’s 20 years old & can be a pain in the ass” 😂 Obvious to any car guys that it’s not new, but just shows how well this cars design has aged. Thanks for your videos, I like your style mate 👍
Thank you! I make these videos because I am a HUGE fan of the SL class, and the R230 is my favorite car to drive, even though I have cars that are worth multiples more. I hope I am able to help make other SL owners' lives easier by providing this kind of data. I agree that the design of these cars is timeless, and when mine is cleaned up, people stare at it and don't realize that it's a 20 year old, $10k car. I do feel a sense of pride when I tell people that I fix it myself when it breaks too 🙂Congratulations on your ownership - I've owned mine for over 6 years now, and I still feel in love with it when I drive it.
Hello, thanks for watching 🙂 I lived in Oxford for a little while. I loved the English countryside. I've always wanted to do a UK road-trip in a nice Grand Tourer like the SL.
Hey! I wanted to thank you for this video and the info you provided. I have an' 03 R230 and realized a few weeks ago that the heater wasn't working so I searched around for help and found the part number from a msg board and when it arrived the other day I searched again for installation instructions and found you. It only took me a few hours, the hose clamps were the hardest part for me and I even bought the same clamp pliers you have but they weren't that helpful for me. Once you get one or two clamps off with pliers it's easier to move the part around and to grab a hold of the remaining clamps needle nose pliers. I will add this for others that are going to attack this issue, spend the extra 20-30 bucks for the genuine MB part rather than a generic as I read from other posters that the generic had a short life span. Thanks again!
I'm glad the video helped! I agree - DEFINITELY buy the OEM part - it's not much more expensive, and will likely outlast the aftermarket version. Those hose clamps were an absolute pain to get off, but it feels great once the repair is done and you have the luxury of heat again in your luxury grand tourer ;-)
I took mine out and opened it up and cleaned it and hot air again and cycles back to ac no problem. Didn't buy a part. The hardest part was getting hoses back on with only needle nose. Didnt take out battery or need puller to remove wipers. You bend them and they release at an angle. Thanks for the info.
@TheHitman- Oh yeah, I'm about to get it clay-barred, polished, and put back into daily driver duty while I start working on the Model 3P. It also just developed a slight oil leak 🤔
@lawrencepellegrini2687 No electrical. Pulled the plate under the wipers after taking off the wipers (easy) then took all the hoses off the valve and popped it apart. Cleaned the coolant buildup out and it works like new again.
Damn CJ! I give you a lot of credit for tackling this job. Looks like a strong 7 or even an eight on a scale of 1 to 10 difficulty. Feels great saving all that money though right lol. Sorry about your grill!! 😊
Yeah, I'd give it a 7 for sure. The angles are all wrong for doing this from the top - I think they install this part before the engine goes in or something. I saved money on the repair - and then lost most of my savings by buying the new $300 grill haha. I could have just paid someone to do it for me, but hey, where's the fun in that? At least she's looking fresh now ;-)
You may find a heat gun as a useful tool when removing hoses. I warm the ends of hoses until they become maleable. I also find in certain situations it useful to employ locking hose clamp pliers to prevent fluid loss when replacing part such as thermostats and valves.
These are both great tips, thank you so much for sharing! I'll likely be trying both the heat gun on stuck hose ends and hose clamp pliers in the future.
Your video was great and very helpful. What fuse number did you verify before replacing the heater control valve? I will stand on the passenger's side of the car so that I don't ruin the plastic grill.
I don't remember exactly which ones they were. I believe I checked ALL fuses that related to climate control and/or heating. Here's a good resource for fuse identification for the R230 SL500: benzbits.com/r230/Fuses/. Also, good idea to stand on the side and not lay on the grill like I did!
Mainly because I would not know how to do it that way. The repair method I'm using is from other RUclips videos that I've watched. Would love to hear about a better alternative!
I'm not sure which one you're referring to. There is a pump behind the wheel well, but that's for the windshield sprayer. The part number for the heater control valve that I replace in this video is - 230 SL Heater Control Valve Part #: 2308300084
I haven't had to do this on my 2004 G500, but since the engine is the same, it's very likely that it's the same valve, and may even be in the same location. That said, I would suspect that based on the heater blowing hot air out one side, but not the other, that your heater control valve is likely working as it is allowing warm coolant to heat your cabin air. It sounds like you may be dealing with a stuck blend door or a communication/electronic issue.
I was dancing to the music!! Thanks for sharing your heater control valve replacement process!!!
I'm glad you enjoyed it :-) hopefully it helped
Thank God for people like you CJ… we have a nice little community of R230 owners all across the RUclips globe.
I’ve owned my 2003 R230 SL500 here in the UK since 2007/8 & I am still not bored with it… so many things we can do to maintain & fix them because of guys like you.
I must admit I did get my heater fixed by my Mercedes specialist, some things I don’t mind spending money on & he owns a 2004 SL55, so knows these beauties inside out.
It’s very strange how even today I still have people asking if it’s a new car (it has a private plate).
To be honest I do like telling them “no it’s 20 years old & can be a pain in the ass” 😂
Obvious to any car guys that it’s not new, but just shows how well this cars design has aged.
Thanks for your videos, I like your style mate 👍
Thank you! I make these videos because I am a HUGE fan of the SL class, and the R230 is my favorite car to drive, even though I have cars that are worth multiples more. I hope I am able to help make other SL owners' lives easier by providing this kind of data. I agree that the design of these cars is timeless, and when mine is cleaned up, people stare at it and don't realize that it's a 20 year old, $10k car. I do feel a sense of pride when I tell people that I fix it myself when it breaks too 🙂Congratulations on your ownership - I've owned mine for over 6 years now, and I still feel in love with it when I drive it.
Loving the SL500 content! Hello from the UK btw!
Hello, thanks for watching 🙂 I lived in Oxford for a little while. I loved the English countryside. I've always wanted to do a UK road-trip in a nice Grand Tourer like the SL.
Hey! I wanted to thank you for this video and the info you provided. I have an' 03 R230 and realized a few weeks ago that the heater wasn't working so I searched around for help and found the part number from a msg board and when it arrived the other day I searched again for installation instructions and found you. It only took me a few hours, the hose clamps were the hardest part for me and I even bought the same clamp pliers you have but they weren't that helpful for me. Once you get one or two clamps off with pliers it's easier to move the part around and to grab a hold of the remaining clamps needle nose pliers.
I will add this for others that are going to attack this issue, spend the extra 20-30 bucks for the genuine MB part rather than a generic as I read from other posters that the generic had a short life span.
Thanks again!
I'm glad the video helped! I agree - DEFINITELY buy the OEM part - it's not much more expensive, and will likely outlast the aftermarket version. Those hose clamps were an absolute pain to get off, but it feels great once the repair is done and you have the luxury of heat again in your luxury grand tourer ;-)
I took mine out and opened it up and cleaned it and hot air again and cycles back to ac no problem. Didn't buy a part. The hardest part was getting hoses back on with only needle nose. Didnt take out battery or need puller to remove wipers. You bend them and they release at an angle. Thanks for the info.
Hi, about to remove my heater control valve, by "cleaning it out" did you get involved with electrical portion or just clearing rubber tubing ? thanks
Good to know about the wipers, thank you.
@rollingstocks 10-4 you still enjoying the car?
@TheHitman- Oh yeah, I'm about to get it clay-barred, polished, and put back into daily driver duty while I start working on the Model 3P. It also just developed a slight oil leak 🤔
@lawrencepellegrini2687 No electrical. Pulled the plate under the wipers after taking off the wipers (easy) then took all the hoses off the valve and popped it apart. Cleaned the coolant buildup out and it works like new again.
Damn CJ! I give you a lot of credit for tackling this job. Looks like a strong 7 or even an eight on a scale of 1 to 10 difficulty. Feels great saving all that money though right lol. Sorry about your grill!! 😊
Yeah, I'd give it a 7 for sure. The angles are all wrong for doing this from the top - I think they install this part before the engine goes in or something. I saved money on the repair - and then lost most of my savings by buying the new $300 grill haha. I could have just paid someone to do it for me, but hey, where's the fun in that? At least she's looking fresh now ;-)
@@rollingstocks Awesome! I put a new blacked out grill on mine with the Chrome star and it looks sweet.
Nice job 😀
You may find a heat gun as a useful tool when removing hoses. I warm the ends of hoses until they become maleable. I also find in certain situations it useful to employ locking hose clamp pliers to prevent fluid loss when replacing part such as thermostats and valves.
These are both great tips, thank you so much for sharing! I'll likely be trying both the heat gun on stuck hose ends and hose clamp pliers in the future.
Excellent video, great job!
Thank you, I'd feel better about it if I hadn't destroyed a $300 part in the process, haha!
Your video was great and very helpful. What fuse number did you verify before replacing the heater control valve? I will stand on the passenger's side of the car so that I don't ruin the plastic grill.
I don't remember exactly which ones they were. I believe I checked ALL fuses that related to climate control and/or heating. Here's a good resource for fuse identification for the R230 SL500: benzbits.com/r230/Fuses/. Also, good idea to stand on the side and not lay on the grill like I did!
Why not remove the sheet metal between the engine and the pump for easy access?
Mainly because I would not know how to do it that way. The repair method I'm using is from other RUclips videos that I've watched. Would love to hear about a better alternative!
What is the p/n for the wheel well valve/pump?? Did the main one at the firewall and no dice 😔
I'm not sure which one you're referring to. There is a pump behind the wheel well, but that's for the windshield sprayer. The part number for the heater control valve that I replace in this video is - 230 SL Heater Control Valve Part #: 2308300084
Maybe this will work on my g500, the drive side doesn’t blow hot air but the passenger side does
I haven't had to do this on my 2004 G500, but since the engine is the same, it's very likely that it's the same valve, and may even be in the same location. That said, I would suspect that based on the heater blowing hot air out one side, but not the other, that your heater control valve is likely working as it is allowing warm coolant to heat your cabin air. It sounds like you may be dealing with a stuck blend door or a communication/electronic issue.
@@rollingstockselectrical was my first guess, next time I take it to the mechanic I’ll have him check the blend door
Adter market looks better is stronger and about 200 bucks