# Mercedes 380 sl **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mercedes-benz, sl-class\ **Created:** [January 30, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-380-sl/43502 "2010-01-30T21:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thekoppen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@thekoppen](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thekoppen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-380-sl/43502/1 "2010-01-30T21:03:18Z")
Greetings, In a moment of mkiddle aged angst, I purchased a 1985 380 SL. It is a beautiful car. We won the auction and picked up the car one state away. The car was mis-represented. It idled great when purchased, but would “burble” at speed. Got the high end fixed, but now the idle surges. Sometimes it idles great, sometimes it idles at 2500 rpm. Help. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-380-sl/43502/2 "2010-01-30T21:22:14Z")
Google ‘Mercedes SL forums’, you’ll find lots of folks who use these daily, and may be better able to help. Have you found a good independent Mercedes mechanic? Andy you’ll want to check to make sure yours has the improved timing chains, I understand that was a problem area, but most will have that fix by now. ---
**Author:** ![thekoppen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@thekoppen](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thekoppen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mercedes-380-sl/43502/3 "2010-01-31T01:26:09Z")
Thanks for the quick response. I am hoping for an easy fix before I take it to my mechanic. I’ll google mereceds sl forums. I believe that the timing chain issue ended with the 84 model. But, I better double check. Thanks again.