John 99CLK430

Guys I need some help, I really don't know what to do at this point, I've had this car for well over a year now I put the average year miles on it and now I'm getting to the point where I don't want to rack up any more miles, it's already cracked 120k+ miles and running strong still, now I'm at a point where if I should sell it and get a brand new car or keep it and do something with it later, at this point I need a economical car, this is far from a economical car although the gas it gets is still remarkable and respectable after the years of miles it accumulated.

I just don't want anything major happening then ending up paying for it big time, really I don't even have the money to pay Mercedes service at all to tell the truth so I am damn lucky that no big repairs has been done to this car where it'd cost me a arm and leg. I'm running on a thin wallet, I mean I know later on in life when I make more money and have time and all that, I'd get a Mercedes again and just fix it up, problem is I am too attached to this car, it runs like no other CLK430 I've seen on the road and for a stock vehicle this car freaks me out because it runs like a beast...the car has been really good to me and I love this car, but at 120k+ miles it's a bit of a situation...

Unless somebody knows a mechanic that can hook me up with really phat deals on service and just fixing minor problems that wont cost in the 4-digits then I might consider keeping the car, to give an idea I don't even have the money for new tires ATM but right now I'm like on a very thin border line of selling it

Any help, responses, PMs whatever works for you guys is appreciated, I just felt like I needed to get this off my chest and let my fellow CLK ridahs know whats going down right now.

crsh2

Godluck on your decision.I had a 1996 C280 had 150K and run like a champ but i sold it to get a new car thinking it might start to break down.
I Then bought the 06 IS250 and sold it again after 1yr of ownership, it was no comparison to my C-class.
I said to myself i need to purchase a more ECONOMICAL car because i travel 70miles a day!But my stupid pride of owning luxury car, I went against my decision and purchase a 2000 Clk320 and this car has been a NIGHTMARE!!I have spent 4k plus in 4 months
I'm not talking smack about the clk, I just think my luck just ran out.
This car is like a gorgeous looking girl but with a F*ckup attitude....
In the mean time a yr and a half later the owner of my c class calls me and ask where he can get a replacement bulb for HID Thats the only thing he needed to replace on the my old c-class the car now has 165k and he said still ran like a champ!

Moral of the story...? If you need an economical car then get it and don't get sidetrack because of pride.

I'm trading my car soon just waiting for the right moment.

Anybody interested in buying my wheels 19' Madrus $1,400 2months new



Goodluck

SoCalw11w123

you guys are funny.l...

repairs are the least of my worry....

Josh K

My car is supercharged with 115k+ miles and runs fine. The only thing that's gone wrong recently is the vacuum pump for the central locks. I've had the car for 7+ years I expect things to go wrong from time to time.

Whodat

John, everybody here is in a different situation. Some can drop $30-50K into their rides. Others can barely drop $30 bucks! Whenever I feel like you do....I take a spin *LOL*.
I will say that I have a *****load of OTHER responsibilities that I refuse to let a MB get in the way of. So my car, although well loved, is on the back burner for many of the things I want to do to it. My bumper has been cracked for a long time. I bought a new one but haven't had time to test fit it yet (want to do that before getting it painted). However, if you're having a hard time scraping up the benjis to get new tires, that sounds like trouble. Also, I have a second car (...it's a freakin minivan OK!? Don't ya'll grill me too much! *LOL*) and that makes life easier for me. If the Benz breaks down to the point of undriveablitilty, it shall stay parked until I can get to it and still be rolling (in the van).
I feel your pain. But again, if you're having trouble ($) getting tires, it could be time. There ARE worse things in life.

SoCalCLK

You should look up an independent Benz repair shop and see how their pricing is for repairs.

i take mine to the dealership, and so far it is just the "A" or "B" service and the occasional brake pads, which is not too expensive.

You might want to sell it and just lease a new car that is totally under warranty. Other than belts, and transmission, what are the most expensive repairs that need to be done??

John 99CLK430

Thanks for the responses, I do take a spin all the time when I'm not in the mood but I think my time of fun with the car is almost coming to an end...I don't know if this is 100% right now, but as time goes by I'll fill you guys in, the thing that will rape me will be cost of repairs if that time comes...

Nothing, that's the problem, I've had this car for a year and it's been good to me all the way and the car runs like brand new!! Just finding the right people for Maintenance and all that, I really don't like taking my car to the dealership either because I already know what kind of problems occur and that'd just be worse for me...I honestly don't trust dealerships after reading soooo much about them and their reputations so it'd be really tough finding that one honest dealership that actually does good work... All I've gone in for is just an oil change thus far...

So we'll just wait and see how this turns out, I might keep the car or it might have to go...

The Jury

Christ who does.....

It's just a car. It's just an engine. It's just 4 wheels. The only thing you can't do with the Mercedes is reset the computer or pull codes. It has to go to Mercedes for that (Don't kid youreself thinking the autozone tool made it go away, it's still in the ECU).

Other than that, it's all nut's and bolts. There is nothing intimidating about a Mercedes. You use the same socket set to change the plugs in this car as you do to change them in a '78 Ford LTD. The exhaust bolts up with 12mm nuts just like in a Toyota Corolla, Chevy Malibu, or anything else. Point being it's all just mechanics. There is no magic spell to chant before you yank the O2 sensor off the header and plug a new one in, or before you pop the vanity shield off the engine to remove the MAF.

You can source parts in over 100 different locations on the internet for the car, some up to 50% off, and have a TRUSTED mechanic slap it on if you are not mechanically inclined (personally I do all my work).

The one thing about it being German is that it is all very well layed out in it's design so if you know the proper procedure for removing an item it comes off easier than most other cars.

You have a perfectly good car that has never given you any trouble and you are worring about nothing. What you should be worried about is that fear eating at you inside until you get rid of it and get into something that does have problems. This car is perfect........ how many problems will the car have that you replace it with?????

notguilty

Still having the same problem which existed before I replaced these items except the cold start is better and the car runs smoother. Just replaced all three and the battery in the last week. Feels like fuel not getting to motor during hot start. Does the computer have to readjust? Thanks

Jim

sonnyhoang

hm according to your profile, you're located in CA and if you dont mind the drive to San Jose, CA, i can refer you to a shop that specializes in servicing European cars only. The guy was my service advisor @ Beshoff Mercedes Benz, and decided to expand his business by opening a shop with one of the mercedes mechanics. All in all, i've trusted this guy while being at the dealership and now i've been with him for years(and referred all my family members and they all own BMW's and Benz's) to him and everyone loves it. He's very knowledgable when it comes to our cars because hes been at MBz for years. Its called Star Auto in San Jose CA and the owners name is Joe. Google the shop and give him a call to get an estimate for services and call MB n ask for their quote. You'll see a huge difference and he still orders all his parts through MBz(only at a discounted rate for us). Goodluck bro, our cars are beasts, the only reason why im selling mine is because i need a bigger car.

benzis

Hey John,

I'm in socal as well. I have been going to my mechanic for over 20 yrs now. He specializes in BMW's and MBZ's, but I've taken my lexus' there as well with no problems. He's awesome at finding what is "needed" and what parts/fixes can "wait".

Call over to Gregory or Alex at Coastline Imports in Santa Ana. He's really good on pricing and can get you great discounts. (714)973-2935. They are off of grand and first st.

His service is awesome, and they are incredibly fast at all the services. Rarely have I ever had to leave it overnight.

Best of luck.

toymr2trd

shoot me a pm man. I have my buddy that works on exotics now but used to work for Mercedes. he currently has my clk in his hands and is the ONLY person I would trust to touch my car. Let's put it this way my car was down for 2 years because I couldn't find him. I took it to mercedes to find out why my ESP unit was leaking. They said it'll cost 2k to repair. I finally got in touch with him after 2 years and low and behold he's doing it for WAYyyyyyy less and has all the connections to Mercedes. Outside of him I'll do the work but yeah.... if you're in the socal area he's the guy I'll recommend 100%.... plus you get to see his kick *** shop... heehee

notguilty

FWIW, I am in South Carolina. But the driving continues to improve, but the hot start just will not.

Is there a way to get the computer to adjust to these new parts? Is that the issue?

Replacing these items caused a nagging lifter tick (also appearing after engine was hot) to disappear. This is by far, the best benefit as I was quoted all kinds of $ to fix that.

So, how do I get the car to start correctly when hot? Cold crank is fine.

Jim

MarcusF

Jim, this is commonly referred to as jacking a thread. You'd get much better reponses if you started a new thread asking for help. In a new thread, some of the responses may be along the line of "where did you get the CPS, because if it was Ebay and/or not Bosch, you may have bought a substandard (as in leave you stranded) model", or "if you think it's fuel, check the pressure at the rail", or "how old is the fuel filter?". Lastly, if when you changed the battery, the ECU lost power (there are ways to swap a battery without the ECU losing power), the ECU will make a number of adjustments. AFAIK none of the adjustments impact the vehicle's ability to start when hot.

Mercee

the only problem I hear is that you're worrying My '99 320 just turned 152k and I drive it every day without much worry. the little plastic parts on the car break every now and again but i believe these engines will turn 200k easily if you let 'em. GL in your decision, don't let your worry get the best of ya

eddie_b

Everyone know the original post is from 4 years ago?

sonnyhoang

lol i didnt even pay attention, just saw the last post before mine was recent so i chimed in to help.

John 99CLK430

Haha holy revival of the old threads! I think I made this thread when I was fresh off the boat.. I am kinda embarrassed I created this.

But in all seriousness, it's good to see some familiar faces like Marcus.
I haven't been on in a minute but I still have the car.. running strong at 140k. Service light is on but already done my oil change.

Thank you guys for the replies, I haven't been around for awhile and lost all my contacts with some guys I took my car in for service, now I got some new ones to hit up!

Oh and I replaced that stupid CPS not too long ago maybe early 2011.. Damn that little hex bolt whatever size that thing is!! Gave me hell!!