benz1100

I've narrowed my search to a 2006 clk 350 and will have it inspected by my mechanic Monday. What are the typical challenges I can expect from 37K miles onwards? I'm no stranger to MB, only this model.
Extended MB warranty is good for another two years.
Thoughts on changing the oil myself and resetting the onboard computer?
Accessories: anything you wished you had added earlier?
Is anyone running mid-grade fuel in the 350? If so, any challenges?
all ideas and experiences are very welcome.
Thanks, Ross

Yidney

Changing the oil is no harder on this car than any other. There's a drain plug and a filter. As long as you follow the steps correctly you can reset the service interval. I've done mine while still under warranty with no complaints from the MB dealer. Not sure how much it saves you in $ because even a DYI is nearly $100 with filter. I just like knowing I did it and I can clean all the old crud off the splash pan and and everything.

benz1100

any comment on using mid grade fuel versus premium?
Oil change on a motorcycle is a bit pricey also!

Mka77

Have 45k on mine with no issues whatsoever. I have never tried running anything other that premium. It's not that much more.

bheng

oil changes cost me no more than 70 each time. and i do it about 5-7k mi intervals. resetting onboard computer is easy as long as you follow the directions. some members on here use a mityvac. sucks the oil from the top. you dont need to get under your car whatsoever. dealer oil change is about 150 or so.

acessories. i bout the car at around 16.5k mi on the odo. i started doing modifications at around 50k. i wish i did them earlier. audio is always nice upgrade. suspension is a plus as well. i think if i had done those two a lot earlier, id have more of a blast than i already had with the car.

mid-grade fuel: its only abour 10 cents more per gallon or so. over a fill up, its only an extra 2 or so bucks for piece of mind.

mis3

I tried mid-grade fuel one time during my drive from Toronto to Montreal (530 km). As usual, I set the cruise control at 120 kmh, I noticed that the gas consumption increased with lower grade fuels.

I repeated this experiment 3 times and the results were consistent.

Mka77

Answered your own question.

homepukes

I've had my 2000 E320 since new and have only changed the oil when directed to by the service indicator. So I'd check the oil level and change the oil when recommended by the indicator. I've never had any engine problems. Are you going to have it inspected by a MB dealer? If so have them pull the maintenance history. Check DTB S-B-03.30/08j, these cars have a history of engine problems. Make sure the engine serial number doesn't fall into this range. If it does I would pass. If you have problems later on you are looking at a $5k plus repair as the engine has to come out of the car.

As far as mid grade fuel that is what I used in my E320. I noticed when I use low grade it knocks when I shut the car off. It runs fine with mid grade. I haven't tested the CLK550 yet.

cfh25

I bought a 2006 CLK 350 with less than 55k miles on it and encountered the dreaded balance shaft issue. The gear on the balance shaft strips prematurely, and will eventually cause your timing chain to skip and the engine to become inoperable. The repair can cost more than $5000, because the engine must be removed to replace the balance shaft. Mercedes issued a technical bulletin about this, but not a recall. I was able to get Mercedes to pay for the parts, and the dealer to give me a 10% discount, but other owners have had different luck. Apparently, Mercedes picked a poor source for their balance shaft and idler gears (M272/M273 engines, I believe). I have had electrical issues with my car as well, including the amplifier (Harman/Kardon) and the car alarm horn. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS VEHICLE, it seems like the quality is lacking. Just my two cents...

archony

I bought my 2006 CLK new in 2005 and have about 55K miles on it now. It has been reasonably reliable with only minor issues although I have had to get 4 wheels un-bent so far --I guess you need to tippy-toe around Los Angeles or the potholes will get you.

Since my engine is in the affected range of the balance shaft gear issue, I am not so excited about driving it any more and it spends a lot of time parked in the garage under a car cover. I can get it fixed if it comes up but if I were you I would definitely make sure not to buy a car with the engine in that range. There is a thread on this forum on how to look up the engine number.

benz1100

you all are the best. Thank you. I appreciate all the info. I'm now thinking E350 between 06-08. Very impressed with it - i.e. drove both the 4 matic and rear drive. on a long stretch, I reset the mileage computer and was at 29.8 mpg at 55-65 mph when I had to turn the car in . Beats my c280!

thanks for the tips on the engine for the clk. see separate post. My front passenger seat won't move, and I can't find a fuse/relay for it.

pcardoza

I got my '06 350 CAB in Sept 2008, with 21,000mi on it. It was a CPO car and that was my saving grace. The car is a sweet ride, with gobs of power for a 6 and terrific handling. BUT.... It has never made a complete service interval without needing an unscheduled trip to the shop. While none of the issues have been major, they sure would have added up. I now have 107,000mi on it and have been just waiting for something to happen since 100,000, when the CPO warranty expired. There have been numerous electrical issues, check engine lights at least 7 times. The car actually "lost" it's cold weather programming once and would barely run in cold weather until being reprogrammed.

Every small pot hole seems to bend the OEM wheels, which quickly made me sorry I didn't take the wheel insurance. I can only say that the dealer warned me and I blew him off...

I obviously put a lot of milage on the car, so there are some consmetic issues showing up. The center console is peeling where I rest my arm, there's a paint bubble on the plastic front bumper corner.

My 2nd set of aftermarket wheens are now showing signs of being bent. There is a whining noise under the hood, which sounds like a bearing. Water pump or alternator maybe? I'm scheduled for service in 1500mi so I'll find out soon enough.

When I bought the car, I vowed to keep it until at least 200,000mi, but if the service history is any indication, I doubt I'll be willing to sink enough cash into it to make it that long.

You'd like to think that a car which carried an original sticker price of $58,000 would be more reliable than this....... It's been a love/hate relationship, to say the least.

Mka77

Nice overview.

You have put a fair amount of miles on the car with no signs of a balance shaft issue. That in itself is reassuring that it is not inherent to every vehicle.

Good luck with the next 100k.

benz1100

here's what a 350 owner has to say about the morning whine:
Listen in the morning at start up for a whining noise. it is the oil Pump because very few mechanics change the front of the trans oil, there are two oil plug for the transmission. Mercedes will replace the oil pump even the vehicle is out of warranty because they know there is a problem . 06 and 07 E350 .

I appreciate the info. glad we can pool our ideas and experiences..certainly beats trying to do this as 20+ years ago...

pcardoza

Talk about bad karma!!!!!!! Just a couple of days after posting above, my check engine light somes on..... Diagnosis? Balance Shaft needs replacing. After some discussion with my dealer, M-B has offered to pick up 75% of the cost. Still a big bill to suck up......... disappointing.

mikata

Sorry to hear that! How much will it end up costing you?

Mka77

How many miles are on the car?

Mka77

My bad, should have looked above. 107K

pcardoza

My contribution will be ~~$1500. It will probably be ready to pick up tomorrow........

mis3

How do I find more info on this balance shaft issue?

My car is a 2004 CLK320, not sure if my car is affected.

Mka77

Here's the thread I started;

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...must-read.html