tima

Hello all,
I am new to this forum, but I’ve been a loyal Mercedes owner for many years.
Some of the Mercedes I’ve had were: TE, G, E, and 2 CLKs.
I’m loosing respect for the brand because of the following:
1. I tried to check my transmission fluid in my CLK430 and was told by the dealer that I couldn’t do this, and the xmission has LIFETIME fluid and never needs to be changed. I’ve had several Porsches, and built many engines, and know better. So I went to another dealer, and spoke with
one of the techs, and was told that LIFETIME means lifetime of the
transmission which is about 100 to 130 Thousand miles at which time
you’ll replace it at a cost of 6000. dollars. However, if you change your
fluid and filter every 50 to 60 Thousand miles you won’t have a problem.
The CLK430 xmission doesn’t come with a dipstick, and I’m told that soon
they’re going to eliminate engine oil dipstick too. They do have a dealer
tool xmission dipstick which I bought and now check my fluid regularly.
DOES MERCEDES HAVE A SIDE BUSINESS IN TRANSMISSIONS?

2. Also in the CLK (W208) the outside temperature, and clock are failing
they’re seven segment displays and everything else in the cluster is
working fine. I thought that I would replace the two displays (looks like a
loose connection, maybe a wire or a broken land pattern) both dealers
said that you can’t buy the displays, you must buy the complete instrument
cluster at 1200. dollars. I have Five (5) friends with CLKs with this same
exact problem. Where does Mercedes get these clusters from, and it
appears that they have NO QUALITY CONTROL. Any sensible person would
recall these and save all the BAD PRESS it seems to be about 60% of the W208s.
DOES MERCEDES HAVE A SIDE BUSINESS IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS?

3. The COMAND system is great I like the integration, however once the
navigation took me somewhere that I didn’t want to go. I would like to
find some technical documentation for this system. Since I can’t have
TV in the US I’d like to use the TV button for a back-up camera. I also
heard that there are different software loads for COMAND. How do I
tell which one I have, and what features the new load has? What is
COMAND 2.0 and COMAND 2.5

4. What is version coding? Does this mean that if I make a change to the car
the dealer has to identify it to the system for it to work?

5. I’m also told that there are FOUR (4) fiber-optic LANs in this car. Does this
car have to be this complicated? Is there any Technical documentation
on these LANs?

6. If I could meet some techies in the Northern New Jersey/New York area
that would be great.

Thank you for listening, I like the brand but … I’m loosing respect quickly.
I know that this sounds like a cry for help, maybe it is, as I said, I really
like the brand but …
Tim

King320

with regard to number 1, Mercedes is full of BS. I had my 320's transmission fluid changed at 100K and there were no issues. Find a reputable independent shop and take it to them. Also, have them check your transmission bearings, they are famous for coming loose and demolishing the entire transmission.

SeNia_CLK

Hey Tim welcome to the forum. Indeed if you look for the dipstick you wouldn't be able to measure tranny fluid because the dipstick is not there. But since you "have build" engines you should know that the dipstick shouldn't stop you from measuring tranny fluid. I am not sure what the Porsche comment was suppose to mean, I am guessing you were trying to say that they set the standards for quality vehicles? I have performed a tranny flush in my CLK320, and I would assure you that any mechanic who understands what he is doing and has the proper equipment to do so would be able to properly flush your transmission. The key is to make sure to get the right oil. As for the cluster if you search this forum you will find solutions that are much cheaper then buying a complete instrument cluster. A lot of navigation systems take people somewhere were they don't want to go, the system is yet to be perfected, be patient. You could also read the statistics of people driving into walls and highway dividers trying to turn. Use your own judgement since the navy is only of an assistance to an operator. As for the software I would suggest talking to a MB mechanic, they are actually pretty good at explaining things if you ask them specific questions. Which you do. As for the coding I think they have to upgrade your software. About the LANs I am not sure myself, but I am sure fellow forum members will be able to explain it to you. If you arenot happy with your Benz "vehicles" you should consider a Toyota. They are really simple vehicles by design, there is also a cheaper option which is Hyundai. As for me I drive a CLK because I love the vehicle and its performance as long as you maintain it.

MarcusF

Greetings Tima and welcome. One word of warning concerning dealers – all dealers: They specialize in replacing subsystems, not repairing subsystems. Their prices will reflect this.

1) My dealer serviced my transmission for about $325. Others have had it done for less. Per my dealer service advisor, MBUSA is currently recommending fluid changes for the 722.6 transmissions. Regarding transmission dipsticks, there isn't one and yes, Mercedes has recently eliminated oil dipsticks too. If the transmission doesn't leak, you won’t need one. If you want a dipstick, they are available. As for whether Mercedes-Benz has a side business in transmissions, I think the answer is "yes". Since 1959, Mercedes-Benz has built more than eleven million automatic transmissions. In fact additional space was just added to the Stuttgart-Untertürkheim factory to build more transmissions.

2) It's my understanding that there is a company that will fix your instrument cluster. BBA Remanufacturing - www.bba-reman.com . I've never personally used their services. ABout $250 if I remember correctly.

3) Unless someone has upgraded it, I believe you have a COMAND 2.0

4) Depending on the change, yes, a dealer is one way of turning features on. For example; adding factory Xenons on a car that didn't come with the K4 package.

5) Yes, it does. The WIS may be of some help.

6) Unfortunately, this New Yorker currently resides in the southern section of the left coast. But check with MBCA, they may have something cooking in your area.

SeNia - he didn't mean Porsche set the quality standard. With Porsche's current rear main seal design, no one is going to say that.

SeNia_CLK

Well I was trying to be sarcastic