prospective 2004 clk 500 buyer! help/advice needed!
07-27-2014, 03:41 PM
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2006 Mercedes Benz R350 4MATIC
prospective 2004 clk 500 buyer! help/advice needed!
Hi guys,
I am loking into buying a 2004 clk 500 with about 94k miles (~151000km) on it. Asking price is 9500 $ canadian. Are there any major issues that I would have to be aware of with this vehicle. I know that it wont have the balance shaft issue as those came with the later engines. However, I know the valeo radiator issue exists in models built up to september 03. I dont know when this car was built, havent got the VIN yet. Is it reasonable to think that there is no radiator problem since the car has 94k miles and has seen 3 different owners in its life? Maybe it was fixed along the line somewhere? Anything else I should ask the owner about/be on the look out for? Oh and with current owner car has never been winter driven and stored indoors.
This would be our family's second Benz. The other is an '06 r350 4matic.
I am loking into buying a 2004 clk 500 with about 94k miles (~151000km) on it. Asking price is 9500 $ canadian. Are there any major issues that I would have to be aware of with this vehicle. I know that it wont have the balance shaft issue as those came with the later engines. However, I know the valeo radiator issue exists in models built up to september 03. I dont know when this car was built, havent got the VIN yet. Is it reasonable to think that there is no radiator problem since the car has 94k miles and has seen 3 different owners in its life? Maybe it was fixed along the line somewhere? Anything else I should ask the owner about/be on the look out for? Oh and with current owner car has never been winter driven and stored indoors.
This would be our family's second Benz. The other is an '06 r350 4matic.
07-27-2014, 05:34 PM
#2
MBworld Guru
You can visually check for the Valeo radiator:
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/sh...42&postcount=3
That's about the worst chronic problem you can expect. The M113 5.0l V8 and the 722.6 transmission are great. Just keep them up to date on maintenance. I suggest changing the transmissions fluid/filter every 40K miles even though it is supposedly "sealed for life". And sometime the valve/head cover seals leak. If they do, it's an easy DIY. Just use genuine MBZ seals as aftermarket seals can be too thin and will leak even worse.
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/sh...42&postcount=3
That's about the worst chronic problem you can expect. The M113 5.0l V8 and the 722.6 transmission are great. Just keep them up to date on maintenance. I suggest changing the transmissions fluid/filter every 40K miles even though it is supposedly "sealed for life". And sometime the valve/head cover seals leak. If they do, it's an easy DIY. Just use genuine MBZ seals as aftermarket seals can be too thin and will leak even worse.
07-27-2014, 07:36 PM
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2006 Mercedes Benz R350 4MATIC
You can visually check for the Valeo radiator:
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/sh...42&postcount=3
That's about the worst chronic problem you can expect. The M113 5.0l V8 and the 722.6 transmission are great. Just keep them up to date on maintenance. I suggest changing the transmissions fluid/filter every 40K miles even though it is supposedly "sealed for life". And sometime the valve/head cover seals leak. If they do, it's an easy DIY. Just use genuine MBZ seals as aftermarket seals can be too thin and will leak even worse.
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/sh...42&postcount=3
That's about the worst chronic problem you can expect. The M113 5.0l V8 and the 722.6 transmission are great. Just keep them up to date on maintenance. I suggest changing the transmissions fluid/filter every 40K miles even though it is supposedly "sealed for life". And sometime the valve/head cover seals leak. If they do, it's an easy DIY. Just use genuine MBZ seals as aftermarket seals can be too thin and will leak even worse.
I just found out the owner had the radiator removed and had an auxiliary cooler installed that is separate from the transmission. How does the car sound now?
07-27-2014, 10:51 PM
#4
MBworld Guru
I wonder why that was done. Usually you only do that for towing, but the CLK doesn't have a tow hook available in the US. Or maybe it was for racing? Or maybe the owner just thought it would help extend its service life.
