Update on 2003 CLK320 Cabrio
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2003 CLK320
Update on 2003 CLK320 Cabrio
I bought this car about two weeks ago because I like a challenge. I have owned about every domestic (US) car made and have enjoyed fixing them up to my liking and then passing them along to a new owner. I found this CLK local and the owner made me a deal I couldn't refuse. She told me the car was locked in limp mode and also the top had stopped working. I went to take a look at the car and it was in great shape for being 20 years old (actually 21 being built in Oct 2022). I had no idea what I was getting in to but hey "nothing ventured nothing gained". She even had AAA deliver it to my house.
I first tackled the "limp Mode" problem. I try to approach an issue from the easiest fix to the hardest (most expensive). The codes were P0060 and P0705 so I figured there was a communication error somewhere obviously. The area around the shifter was kinda sticky so I figured I'd dig in and see if something was spilled on the shifter and shorted out the circuit board. After exposing as much of the board as possible without removing the shifter assembly I sprayed what I could see with electrical contact cleaner. I then started the car and attempted to shift it into gear. It shifted just like it was supposed to. I turned the car off and waited several minutes and tried again. This time it didn't shift, locked in park. I sprayed the circuit board again and again started the car and it shifted fine. Time for a new (used) shifter assembly from Ebay. $230.00 later and some cussing getting the shifter out and the new (used) one installed, the car is running and shifting like a new one.
Next Issue was the convertible top. the previous owner had disassembled most of the coverings inside the trunk that cover the top mechanisms. The first thing I noticed was an abundance of hydraulic fluid around the pump area. Upon further close inspection I was able to see that he bulk if not all the fluid leak was coming from the cover latch area. I was able to source a usable new cylinder with some slight modifications and now it's also working fine.
Great little car with only 43K miles on the clock. Looking forward to getting it out on the road.
Until the next issue, and we all know there will be one or several.
AmmoSarg
I first tackled the "limp Mode" problem. I try to approach an issue from the easiest fix to the hardest (most expensive). The codes were P0060 and P0705 so I figured there was a communication error somewhere obviously. The area around the shifter was kinda sticky so I figured I'd dig in and see if something was spilled on the shifter and shorted out the circuit board. After exposing as much of the board as possible without removing the shifter assembly I sprayed what I could see with electrical contact cleaner. I then started the car and attempted to shift it into gear. It shifted just like it was supposed to. I turned the car off and waited several minutes and tried again. This time it didn't shift, locked in park. I sprayed the circuit board again and again started the car and it shifted fine. Time for a new (used) shifter assembly from Ebay. $230.00 later and some cussing getting the shifter out and the new (used) one installed, the car is running and shifting like a new one.
Next Issue was the convertible top. the previous owner had disassembled most of the coverings inside the trunk that cover the top mechanisms. The first thing I noticed was an abundance of hydraulic fluid around the pump area. Upon further close inspection I was able to see that he bulk if not all the fluid leak was coming from the cover latch area. I was able to source a usable new cylinder with some slight modifications and now it's also working fine.
Great little car with only 43K miles on the clock. Looking forward to getting it out on the road.
Until the next issue, and we all know there will be one or several.
AmmoSarg
Last edited by SilverVet; Aug 17, 2023 at 09:43 PM.
