Super430

Why are these older M113 engines so scary to work on? i have an 01 clk and every shop i went to today just seemed to push me out the door. Everytime i walk into a tunning shop people look at me like i have an S.T.D when i say i want to tune my w08. sad life of a benz owner i guess.

VIPclk320

You are simply going to the wrong places. Working with the mercedes ME(ECU) requires a certain level of knowledge and equipment that many places called tunners don't have. Around me there are 3 places that I can think of that will openly welcome it and do a great job. I'm in Los Angeles so there are many tunners here. Google southbay autohaus in manhattan beach CA, call them and ask for Qais, it's pronanounced Kaais. Tell him Ash referred you an tell him about your setup and I'm sure he will be able to guide you toward the right direction.

Scott Simoncic

If you are using the term "tuning" in regards to the ECU for fuel mapping, etc? Or tuning in general as in Upgrading cams, intake manifold, throttle body, fuel injectors, aftermarket maf, cold air intake, ignition coils, plugs, wires, so on and so forth.. If for the latter, because it's simply just too expensive for most who are purchasing these vehicles at this time. Most people who had the money in 01-02 and wanted performance bought an AMG, and if they wanted more performance, the went to Renntech and paid a ton of money for parts, or bought the CL55 with the supercharger. Renntech is expensive because, well, they're overpriced, and they do not produce a mass-market of parts like the sport compact or muscle car world does. If you look over in the Lexus world, you'll notice the SC guys only tune on the 1JZ and 2JZ inline 6's, not the 1UZ V8's... So, in the end, the answer is, the market isn't there to make it cheap enough to create the market for it. You can get spend a couple grand with Renntech and get 30-40 HP more, but really, that's about it. Or, sell it, and buy an AMG.

jazzmammal

The problem is the V8 is pretty highly engineered already. Everything is tied into everything else. If you're thinking spend $600-$1,000 to tweak the computer chip maybe add a better air filter and a few other things, pick up 25-30hp and everything is good, that ain't happening. There's a gazillion threads here about that already. You spend that kind of money, you get 10-15hp at the most, hardly worth it. The next step up is what Scott just said. Spend 10 grand and get 100hp or more. But for a car that isn't worth that much to begin with, who's going to do that? You could sell it and pick up a nice CLK55 for a difference of much less than 10 grand and the 55 has the hand built AMG engine and is something like 340hp. No aftermarket risk, that engine is factory built and bulletproof plus it has a better tranny and lots of other cool stuff.

That's why nobody wants to talk to you.

Bob