2003 CLK320 Cabriolet W208 body question
 

Hey everyone!
I just bought an '03 CLK320 Cabriolet. It rolled 100k when I test drove it. It has a Pioneer App Radio in it & all the bose speakers sound odd. I have the bose system in my '03 Chevy duramax & it's crisp and clean. :nix: The App Radio is very "tinny" I've tried to adjust it & the speaker in the middle of the back seat doesn't work. other problems are:
1. Drivers seat won't tilt forward when I raise the latch
2. Passenger seat won't slide forward on the button at the door (all the others work)
3. The S.O.S. button cover keeps falling down
4. The digital squares in the dash on the lower corners don't work properly
5. Head lights are badly hazed
6. Cab top whistles on the drivers side( is there an adjustment? )
7. Heater blows very weak (cabin air filter I think)
8. Drivers seat is coming apart at the stitching by the tilt release.

Over all it is in really good shape, especially considering I pretty much stole it. Imagine a RWD convertible in snow country during the winter. Thus I got an awesome deal. The top is perfect, it's not beat up, just basic wear here & there considering it has 100k on it. :D

So does anyone have ideas on how to fix these minor things? I know normally the W208 is an '02 style, but from what research I've done the 03' cab stayed on another year. So do I search 03' or 02' parts for it? Any help would be much appreciated.

The parts will be the same for 00-03 208 cabs. The seat is an easy fix just use the search function and read through many many posts about your same problems. Good luck with everything. They have projector lights for the front for pretty cheap and it really updates the look of the car.. Unless you want to stay oem headlights. I think the sylvania headlight restoration kit is the best on the market IMO.

Congrats on the purchase.

Radio
Many people install an aftermarket head unit into a factory Bose system and connect the new head unit's high level speaker outputs to the Bose amp. Others connect the HU's preamp outputs to the Bose amp. In either case, it will work, but it won't sound "right". Unbalanced audio interconnections are typically used in consumer electronics. The Bose amp is designed to use a balanced connection. That can be corrected with an adapter. Many of us have used PAC's OEM-2. Mine cost $15, but it's currently out of production. The PAC's OEM4 is its replacement. Other companies make similar converters,

#2
You may want to check the fuses, but its probably the seat motor. Specifically the center motor, part number 2088200842. They cost $170 retail and Internet dealers charge about $130. It takes about 20-30 minutes to swap and there are threads on it.

#4 Instrument Cluster
The "digital squares" can be fixed. The pixels fail because the ribbon cable that connects the two outer LCDs to the instrument cluster’s circuit board has come loose. The loose connection is typically at the LCD. You can buy replacement ribbons on e-bay for about $20. Just search on "Mercedes Instrument cluster pixel ribbon" and you'll find them. This isn't the simplest of fixes. In my case, I fixed the temperature side and disconnected the clock/gear selector. I would like to replace the clock/gear selector display with a compass.

#5
The headlamps can be polished.

#7
If it’s not the cabin filter it may be the blower regulator.

Someone else will have to help you with the other stuff.

Thank you! I'm still looking for info for the seats & top
Adjustment. I did find some info on the ribbons & the cabin air filter. I found a ton of discussion on the radio so I'll see if I can find a good installer to fix it. Is there a thread that shows how to remove the dash cluster & replace?

There's not much adjustment on the top. Tighten all the latch points and take off the inner liner and tighten up all the joints. Make sure there's no debris in any of the sealing points.

Ok I'm bumping this up. I've searched high and low on the site & I dunno where to find the repair for the seat release. I've seen a thread that mentions that the seat is supposed to slide forward automatically when you tilt it. Is this true? Mine is the cabriolet, so I'm not sure if it's different or not? My right (pass) seat motor is out so even though it tilts nothing slides. It's supposed to be nasty weather this weekend so I'll park the car in the shop & was hoping for some direction so I could work on it.

No they should slide forward with the forward tilt latch.

Pretty sure you have to take the back off the seats and check wiring and motors -- can't search since I'm on my phone.

whistle noise from top
 

Most likely the window adjustment is off causing an air leak, use a dollar bill to check tightness between seal and glass window pitch adjustment is off, it can b adjusted from bottom side of door thru access holes the panel does not need to be removed, hope this helps.

seat release. under the handle,the cable may have come out of their socket. Very small rectangle hole to get to it. I fixed mine when reupholstery was done. had to remove foam ,around hole,drill out rivets,hook upcables,install new bolts and finish upholstery

Your soft top is not adjustible. Windows are.
Just like Marcus said, $20 multimeter is your best friend in diagnosing seat motors. Try resyncing your seats before mucking in.