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Hi guys,
New to Mbworld so appologies if this question has been asked before or I'm posting in the wrong place!
I'm looking to buy my 1st ever Merc soon and I'm tossing up between a 2006 CLK 500 MY07 (I think it's called a 550 in the states?) or a 2005 CLK 500 MY06. Km's (miles) are about the same but the MY07 is $7k more.
I'm leaning towards the MY07 just for the engine even though I'm not too keen on the colour and the wood grain dash (elegance)! Just concerned that 1 model may have more problems than the other.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated?
There is a huge difference in performance between the earlier 5.0l and the newer 5.5l in the 550. I would go for the 550 anyday. Search balance shaft issue. This is the main potential problem with that engine.
Thanks for the advice. =) That's exactly what I was thinking. Everything being checked out OK by my mechanic I will purchase the 550 on the weekend! Very pumped to join the Merc family!!! =)
I will look into the balance shaft issue.
Cheers...
2009 SL550 Roadster Diamond White, 2008 CLK550 Coupe Obsidian Black
make sure to check for idle gear issue. some of those m273 engines were affected. you can post the VIN on the thread they have going here
you can feel a world of different between the m113 500 engine and the m273 500 (550) engine. it's not just the extra 80 horses, but dual overhead cam (vs single) and 4 valves per cylinder (vs 3) make for some impressive top end power where the 500 starts to fall of (we have an 02 cl500 as well)
The only thing the 350z has is better handling. Everything else is much better in the CLK, I still occasionally miss the 350z on a winding mountain road but the CLK is much more fun the rest of the time.
So I've had a change of mind. I went to see the 550 last night and it's condition was really poor, especially for a car that has only done 65,000 kms. Therefore I'm switching my interest to the 500 which I saw a few days ago and it's in much better condition. This also means that I'll have 7 grand change to spend on mods to this complete stock 500. What are the best mods to start with? I'm wanting to end up with a Black Series kit (prob Serena), kleemann supercharged Clk500, but over a bit of time! I'm thinking of starting with the quad exhaust and some coil overs but I'm new to this so any suggestions will definitely be taken on board!!
You definitely want to first get rid of the muffler- it's very restrictive and once you remove it and straight pipe it, it'll sound like it should. I have a muffler/resonator delete with an X-pipe to straight pipes. Videos are in my description. If it weren't for smog tests in SoCal, I'd go secondary decatted. Quads are a must on any V8 W209.
Suspension wise, coilovers are the top of the line. What type do you want to get? The only ones I would consider (for the 500) are KW V1 and Bilstein PSS9 coilovers. Fellow member Kevwood has probably every mod you could do to the CLK500 and he doesn't have coilovers and he tracks his car. He has H&R springs with Koni shocks/struts. I'm going to install Eibach springs with Bilstein sport shocks/struts (H&R drops 1.4" F and 1.3" R and Eibach drops 1.2" all around). You should also get sway bars. The two most popular are the CLK Black Series sway bars and H&R sway bars. H&R's are thicker than the BS, but the BS sways allow the quad pipes to pass through without angling the passenger exhaust pipe. Either way, they're an upgrade over stock. Any other questions, feel free to ask!
I wasn't sure on the type of coil overs to get but I will keep the 2 types you suggested in mind. Again fantastic advice!
I'm having the car checked out mechanically on the weekend so as long as everything is good I'll be able to get the mods underway! I'll keep you posted on the progress & if I need some more tips, which I definitely will!! =)
Cheers...
Yeah that is the correct VIN. It's a Obsidian Black 2005 CLK500. Registered in NSW Australia. Perhaps Australian Vin's don't show up for some reason. I have done a Rev's check on the car which is a search to see if the car has any encumbrances or repairable write offs etc and it recognised the VIN OK? I have attached a photo of part of the report as I cannot attach the whole report because its a PDF..
It says it is a 2006 Model Year, but was sold in 2005. If the VIN and the inspection is alright, I don't see why you shouldn't buy it. Good luck! Make sure you post pictures!
2009 SL550 Roadster Diamond White, 2008 CLK550 Coupe Obsidian Black
No need to worry about balance shaft on m113 500 engine. Ya 7 grand is a big big big chunk of change. Definitely lot of money to spend on your tastes for the car
WDB2093752F171503 is a valid VIN for a CLK500. Delivery date was 6/24/2005. Like others have said, there are no engine worries on the M113 5.0 liter V8. However, it will have an early build 722.9 transmission and those tend to be more trouble prone. If it hasn't already, it will likely need new turbine speed sensors and a conductor plate. Also, a less likely but possible problem is main fluid pump failure. Just keep an eye out for any "limp mode" events.
I would caution against the earlier 500 and supercharging. A lot of money and effort to result in less reliability and future problems. The engine management and fuel supply solutions with these kits leaves a lot to be desired. I have done similar projects on other cars and despite turning out well it still wasn't worth the effort when I could have just bought a faster car (sometimes for less money overall) and have everything work perfectly from day 1. Just my opinion anyway, I would hold out for a better 550. All the best either way.
I would caution against the earlier 500 and supercharging. A lot of money and effort to result in less reliability and future problems. The engine management and fuel supply solutions with these kits leaves a lot to be desired. I have done similar projects on other cars and despite turning out well it still wasn't worth the effort when I could have just bought a faster car (sometimes for less money overall) and have everything work perfectly from day 1. Just my opinion anyway, I would hold out for a better 550. All the best either way.
I would agree. If you enjoy doing this sort of work yourself and get satisfaction from tinkering and tuning, then go for it. But if you are going to have it done buy a shop, my advice is to spend the money on a more powerful car. For the price of buying and paying to modify a CLK500, you could probably get a CLK63.
11-25-2014, 02:55 PM
I'm thinking of starting with the quad exhaust and some coil overs but I'm new to this so any suggestions will definitely be taken on board!!
