While im at it might as well post another thread. What is everyone take on Kleeman superchargers? I inquired about the supercharger for my Clk430 and was quoted a $14,300 for the part along with a $1500 dollar installation charge. Thats pretty damn steep so my question is:
Is it worth adding a Kleeman supercharger to a 430 which to my knowledge transfroms it from 275 hp to 430 hp, 295 lb ft torque to 393 lb ft torque, and launches the car from 0-60 in 4.9 secs or to trade it in for a Clk55.

The 430 and the 55 really look identical, the only difference is the engine itself. For me to trade it in i would end up paying a little over 20k as opposed to 16k for the supercharger. On paper a supercharged 430 is faster than a clk55. But is that really the case?

Any insight on this would be appreciated. Thanks

 

Yes, a 430K is definitely faster than a 55. Being that I have a 430, I had to ask myself the same question as you. I decided that for the amount I would have to pay to trade my car in, I could make my car beat a 55 in many ways (speed, handling, and aesthetics). Being that Kleemann Superchargers will not hurt your engine, and an aftermarket extended warranty can be purchased for the same price of a Mercedes warranty, I made the choice to supercharge my car (March 11th).

 

I have a 55. What's the price and performance enhancement if I supercharge it?

 

There are also warranty and insurance considerations. I wish someone from the insurance industry would respond to the scenario postulated in the thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...hlight=Kleeman

 

Some people will always be wondering, what if.......

You will stay in the slow lane the rest of your lifes, go for it, have fun, life is too short for borring cars.
:p

 

Lucas:"In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." O.W.

 

I don't see how you can say there is any issue with insurance.
#1. Anything that you can prove was in your car at the time of an accident is covered (providing you have full coverage).
#2. If you are going 80, 100, 120, or any speed and you hit somebody, it does not matter if you have a supercharged car or a naturally aspirated engine. The point is: you hit someone. I don't think "The supercharger made me do it," will ever be a valid excuse.

As for warranty:
#1. If your car happens to be the first Kleemann modified car to have engine problems in their 15 years of business, and you go to the dealer with the supercharger still in place, your dealer will most likely not cover the problem under warranty. Being that Kleemann has never had any problems, you would probably be able to defeat that due to the Magnusson Moss act, stating that the manufacturer must prove that your modification caused the problem. But why go through the trouble? Just as Kleemann Supercharger can be installed, they can be uninstalled, leaving your engine looking stock.

#2. There are currently 3 aftermarket extended warranty companies that know the Kleemann reputation and offer warranties to cars with their superchargers installed. These warranties are inexpensive (especially when dealing with MB parts), and provide an easy insurance policy in the event something goes wrong.

 

can you tell us who the warranty companies are? how easy would it be to uninstall the kleemann SC if you had to take it back to MB? seems like a lot of trouble to do that if something were to go wrong.

 

Off-hand, I don't know the names of the companies, but I'll look into it. As for it being a lot of work to remove the supercharger. I would assume that it is the same amount of work to remove it as to install it. But the point is, Kleemann Superchargers are reliable, you will probably never have an issue with it. The fact that you can undue it is simply added insurance.

 

Mach430:1. If it is that easy to uninstall, why does the installation cost $2,000.- plus?

2. If the engine develops problems - blows, an MB technician can surely tell that someone did some serious tinkering with it. You can't blow MB off with, "IT IS STOCK!"

3. For free flexible service, required per the MB warranty, does one remove the Kleeman to make sure that warranty is not voided?...and then re-install after the MB service?

4. The drive-train may develop problems because of the huge power increase.

The CLK55 AMG has the tranny from the powerful S600 and a four inch drive shaft to accomodate the extra power. Hence, the power of the Kleeman could damage/destroy componnets which are not part of the engine.

5. If there is Kleemen insurance to cover such possible damage, for a Kleeman converted CLK430 how much is it for 4 yr./50,000 miles? For 6 yr./100,000 miles??

6. Again, I wish a rep from the insurance industry - State Farm or Allstate - would address the implications as postulated in this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...hlight=Kleeman

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by karl k
Mach430:
1. If it is that easy to uninstall, why does the installation cost $2,000.- plus?

I am not aware of any Kleemann supercharger costing $2,000+ to install. Install is derived from a set amount of labor hours, in which it does take a full day plus of labor.

2. If the engine develops problems - blows, an MB technician can surely tell that someone did some serious tinkering with it. You
can't blow MB off with, "IT IS STOCK!"

The Kleemann supercharger does not go into the engine. It is a bolt-on component that replaces the intake manifold, which rests on top of the engine.

3. For free flexible service, required per the MB warranty, does one remove the Kleeman to make sure that warranty is not voided?...and then re-install after the MB service?

As I've mentioned before, Merecedes does not note any aftermarket presence in the car unless they believe it to be causing a problem. The Kleemann supercharger is enitrely non-evasive, leaving the engine fully servicable under the scheduled services A and B.

4. The drive-train may develop problems because of the huge power increase.

The CLK55 AMG has the tranny from the powerful S600 and a four inch drive shaft to accomodate the extra power. Hence, the power of the Kleeman could damage/destroy componnets which are not part of the engine.

Again, as I've mentioned before, the Mercedes drivetrain is built to handle 620lb-ft torque, far more than any product Kleemann currently offers. If it were considered a problem, it would be included in the supercharger package.

5. If there is Kleemen insurance to cover such possible damage, for a Kleeman converted CLK430 how much is it for 4 yr./50,000 miles? for 6 yr./100,000

I believe it is $1,700 to extend to the full 100,000 mile warranty. This covers bumper to bumper. The warranty is not provided by Kleemann directly, but by aftermarket warranty companies who have been providing warranties for properly modified cars for years.

6. Again, I wish a rep from the insurance industry - State Farm or Allstate - would address the implications as postulated in this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...hlight=Kleeman

Karl, maybe you should rethink your question from another perspective. If you hit somebody going 80 or 180 in a Porsche 996 GT2 are you more liable than if you hit them in your CLK55? After all, the Porsche is much faster.

 

Mach430,
Can you name some of these aftermarket insurance companies?

 

sorry, i saw your previous post after i posted this one. but, where did you get $1700 from?

 

Mach430Ben, here is another perspective re my example.

The absence of an insurance co. spokesperson's comment(s) is deafening.

1. Perhaps there is an attorney that could comment on the potential liability involving a) accident with fatality, b) exeeding speed limit and reckless driving, c) having a Kleeman on a CLK430 = 500HP.

Certainly, this ROCKET CLK is not being looked upon in the eyes of the law in the same way that a LAWNMOVER Honda Civic and the CLK defendant might be treated a "little" differently.

Perhaps moderator/attorney DREW could comment re potential disadvantages driving a rocket CLK on public streets.

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...hlight=Kleeman

2. a) How many times has Kleeman been a defendant and sued?

b) How many cases were settled out of court?

 

Karl K

Why don't you just drive you standard car untill you are bored
to death.

A person like you will never spend the cash, you will rather kill
the poor sales man with " WHAT IF ":o :o :o .

Try a car with a KLEEMANN compressor, and you will know what
the people who did experience one are talking about.

It seems like all the people which never layed their eys on a KLEEMANN modified MB, are the ones asking most questions.

And by the way, a 430 gives 430 HP, a 500 gives 500 HP and the 55 550 HP.

 

KLEEMANN has never been a defendant or sued, therefore zero cases settled out of court.

Do you really think we are the first company to offer high HP cars to the public? What about RUF, TechArt and a host of others? I suppose its a major miracle that a tuning company can even do business in the land of the lawsuit.

 

Karl,

From a legal and insurance standpoint (I am in the auto biz as well as having a law degree) I can answer these questions.

I am not really sure why you think this is an insurance question? If you crash at 180 with a Honda civic with a 500HP twin-turbo or a Ferrari F50, you crash at 180. There is no difference from an insurance standpoint. A crash going at 180 on a public road will be a reckless driving charge regardless of whether the Kleemann is installed or if you are driving a bone stock car.

Again, what does this have to do with a Kleemann? If the crash is the drivers fault, then it is the drivers fault - PERIOD. The law is very black and white on this. You do not need an insurance pro's words - you can use my legal ones. The law does not look to see what modifications you have done to your car. If the investigators do believe that you were driving an illegally modified car, that is different. However, nothing that anyone here will be doing to their vehicles falls into that category.

Am I missing your point? Please explain to me why you think this has anything to do with insurance?

As for:

It doesn't. Installation is $1500 for a 430 and $1800 for a 55.

I agree, however, the law clearly states that MB must prove that any modification caused the failure or problem for them to deny covering the part and labor.

What would be the reason for this?

Again, the law clearly states that MB must prove that any modification caused the failure or problem for them to deny covering the part and labor.

That is a very good question that Mach430 will answer for you.

Again, I ask why? There are ZERO insurance issues here. Some companies will cover mods, some won't. You will need to notify in writing the company to find out if they will. I know state farm and USAA do from personal experience.

Yes, I think I have. But again:

a - if it is the drivers fault, it is the drivers fault - PERIOD. Regardless of the modifications to the car.

b - same as a.

c - no impact - PERIOD. The law would not allow for this as it would be prejudicing the wealthy who can afford more powerful and expensive cars if it were to bias against high HP cars. Do you think that in a Ferrari you are more guilty then in a Toyota?

Nope! Same treatment - that is one of the foundational premises of our legal structure in the US.

never.

no cases to settle.

Again, why would they be sued. I can tell you from a legal perspective and that of someone who owns an aftermarket company, there are not many legal issues here. I understand where you are coming from, but you are a bit off-base. There are not liability issues unless they are product liability based on a failure of a part.

I have tried to be very thorough in this response. Please let me know if I missed anything.

Thanks

Brad

 

Questions to all,

did you not of your free will choose to install any of your HP enhancing modifications?

If so, why would you sue the company that sold it to you - it was your decision to buy it, yes?

And you knew that with more HP, your car would - in the most probable case - accelerate quicker and go faster, yes?

Ultimately, you are then responsible for your actions, yes?

 

Does Kleemann have a website ?? how much is the total cost on a 430 parts + labor ??

 

http://www.kleemannusa.com

 

I think what people are concerned about is not the kleeman going to fault but the actual mercedes engine. Lets say the the engine has something wrong with it, nothing due to the fact that the kleeman was installed, Mercedes will right away blaim it on the kleeman and they will not warranty it.

 

how much does it cost on a 430 CLK ??

can i leave everything else stock ?? wheels , suspension etc ??

thanks,

 

It is not necessary to upgrade wheels, suspension, brakes, etc when supercharging the 430. However, you may find that with the added speed, you would also appreciate the additional benefits that those upgrades can produce. As many already know, I recommend the Kleemann Suspension on all applicable Mercedes, supercharged or not. I will be supercharging my 430 next Monday. Since you're also from Southern CA, I'd be happy to take you for a demonstration ride in it. Shoot me an email when you get a chance at ben@evosport.com.

 

AolHoward,

Since it seems tht no one else wants to answer your question,

The CLK430 Compressor kit is $14,350. Installation is $1500. You will find the same pricing at every dealer. Obviously we are a dealer, and there are a few others around, although not many. Kleemann is very restrictive with it's dealer network so that they can guarantee quality to the consumer.

If there is anything else you would like to know, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks

Brad

 

Kleemann is an excellent product, I read numerous info on Kleemann and have never found an issue raised by anybody on Kleemann quality. Karl K is a retired government worker from what I hear and not a happy kemper. It really ticks Karl off to know that Kleemann can turn just about any Benzo into a rocket. There Karl was with his CLK55--- the retired king of the world and suddenly Kleemann shows up in US and turns Karls world upside down. The numbers on the Kleemann horse power make Karl want to vomitttt, so what?