My unit is running just fine. Of course I do take care of it. I run Pirelli's on the front and Michelin's on the rear. I had new plugs installed at 55K, and the Mercedes dealer just did a 60K service of flushing coolant, flushing brakes, new fluid in transmission and rear differential. And thanks to whomever it was that mentioned strange things happen electrically if battery needs replacing. Strange things were happening but new battery took care of the problem.
Thanks for all the great information on this site.
most appreciate

 

Good to hear from a happy owner. Why different brand tires?

 

I have different brand tires as at the time I needed replacements Pirelli's were not available in 18" & 19". So I went with the Michelin's on the rear for stability and Pirelli's on front for steering. Just kind of change things up a bit.
best Regards