boull

Hi,
i am a proud owner of a 2003 CLK 240 (W209).
i just got the car, no owner manual, no booklet for maintenance.. NO NOTHING! Oh cant depend on the FSS also.. no idea if that is true of false (reset by the previous driver or something)

Did my research yet got a couple of questions not having a direct answer to. so u guys.. i would appreciate the help.

1) i need to do an oil change, i read that MB requires 0W-40 Mobil1 Full Synthetic. the requirement for my car is 229.3 or a 229.5? is 0W-40 a must or can i switch to 5w-40 for instance?

2) how to recognize a fleece filter? all i read from a couple of guys is that its whiter than white! (Not Enough that wont help much- how can i make sure i am not being sold a paper filter)

3) Since this is a new car for me (even used) i was also thinking of changing the transmission fluid. some say u need to do it for long lasting and smoother transmission, others say leave it if it does not squeak ur good to go. any recommendations? also the oil used is 85W-90?

4) Any idea concerning the oil change for the steering wheel? Dextron III i heard yet never a clear topic found.

5) Last but not least, Spark Plugs.. No idea. recommendations? Bosch?

Just want to be honest, we dont have MB Dealers here. we have only 1. so u can take a wild guess for the service to be done. and the small mechanics.. if they know how to service a Skoda, and they will tell u its the same as a Merc, would that make u at ease?

all ur suggestions are more than welcome.
(Sorry for the long thread). thanks everyone.

Yidney

Where do you live?

As for oil, best to use what's recommended, but 5W40 won't hurt anything if you can't get 0W40.

As for a fleece filter, I just use MB filters even if I do the change myself. I have no idea what you can get wherever you are, but do you not have a source for MB parts? What do you do if you need something only MB sells, like a trim piece?

I cannot tell you what transmission fluid you need, but I can tell you that putting the wrong fluid in a transmission is a way bigger problem than putting different weight oil in your engine. Do not mess with the transmssion until you are 100% sure you have the right stuff.

boull

I live in Lebanon.
i found Mobil 1 0W-40, the cost of each 1L. = 14$ (+/-) - not cheap at all!

still the questions that remain
1) how much can i run on the Mobil 1? is 6000 Miles enough? lets say i dont want to use FSS.
2)Fleece Filter?
3)do i need to change the transmission fluid? (the shifting is very smooth no issues but to keep safe)
4)Steering wheel?
5) Spark Plugs?

Yidney thanks for the reply.. as for MB parts, i need to go to the dealership to get the stamped OEM parts by MB, other than that many stores tell you that this is the same exact item (and u find - Made in China) and charged not that of a difference...

ahmadk

LEBANON .... my man
I'm from Lebanon too.. but living in the states now
I used to use total 1 0w-40 on my clk320.. and change it every 5000 Kms
why don't you take your car to a good mechanic that you trust and let him change the transmission fluid along with the air filters and spark plugs and all that...
Best of luck

/\
/\
been there

boull

Hey AhmadK..
cool to meet someone from the same home land...
well thinking of doing that.. yet i dont want the mechanic to tell me .. "dont worry we installed this on many CLKs and no one came back complaining... " the dont worry makes me worried alot more !!
will c what to do....

hope ur comin this summer! its hot hot hot! and "wel3ane" hahah

bheng

use 0w40 or 5w40 every 5-8k
get the fleece filter from dealer
tranny fluid every 50k
not sure about steering wheel
and sparks every 100k

good luck

boull

Hey Bheng, thanks... when u say 5-8k you mean Miles or Km?
will do for the fleece filter.
as for tranny, i read that the draining the oil from the transmission is not as easy as it sounds. you need to do a flush, right?
many say that a normal mechanic would try to only drain the oil, and would end up with 3 quartz drained were the rest is still in the tranny. any idea about that?

and what kind of sparks do you use?

Thanks!

ahmadk

yea I know "wel3ane" but sadly I'm not comming.... I'll have to wait till next year ...
I was lucky to know a mechanic that I trust to do all the work on my clk..
anyways... good luck

bheng

5-8k mi.
tranny will be needing a flush, correct. i dont plan on doing that myself although there are DIYs here. i dont trust myself enough to do it. theres a couple threads on that that you can follow up on using the search function.
and i plan to use oem sparks although members are liking the ngk one.

boull

Thanks man the answer gave me some insights... and for sure not going to do the flushing myself! dont even have tools to unscrew anything in the car

boull

what i have learned:
C209 series (2003-2004) i guess:

1) use 0W-40 Mobil 1 as recommended by MB.

2) Do not use (if possible) paper filter since it would disintegrate on the long run.. go for a "fleece Filter"

3) For Mobil 1 Synthetic, you can drive up to 8000 Miles without changing oil.

4) for automatic transmission, take care on how it is done, the fluid should be all drained which is roughly above 7 quartz (maybe 10). so in case ur mechanic tells u he changed ur 3 quartz automatic oil, he had no idea how to perform it properly.!

5) Filters: for the air filter(s), the C209 takes 2, you need to unscrew the top cover of the engine they are directly situated at the end of the tubes when dismounted.

6) the AC filter has 2 filters as well, in case ur AC smells, then you need to change the Charcoal Air filter which is situated under the glove box. In case you need to change the AC filter, it is located as a clipped cover over the battery.

that is it for now...
hope this would help another fellow new comer to MB world with a C209!