Merc Mania

Once again Rodney, your advice has offered valuable insight that helps de-mystify complex subject matter in which my knowledge is rudimentary at best.

If it does turn out that a slightly more costly SDS-capable Chinese code reader clone will be essential to get this car running properly, I will not hesitate to procure one when the time comes. With this in mind, I may hold off for now, from ordering the Icarsoft MBII code reader, until the true extent of the car's condition is clear, after it has been looked over on arrival here.

I expect to shell out a fair chunk of change to tidy up the suspension, even if the engine turns out to be salvageable, however, I cannot expect to revive the car if I do not acquire the right test equipment for the electrical and computer module aspects of the job, so once again I thank you kindly sir, for taking a moment to set the facts straight, thereby likely preventing unnecessary expenditure on this upcoming project.

Rudeney

Maybe you will get lucky and the electronics won't need any work.

Merc Mania

Keeping my fingers crossed Rodney. That is the outcome I certainly look forward to.

Audi Junkie

Awesome looking car.

Merc Mania

Took a bit longer than planned to get the car off the auction lot and on a truck headed for the shippers, on account of the brakes being bound fast, which then called for a forklift to get it on the truck for delivery. One can only hope the pristine body on the car was not damaged by the forklift, which I understand lifted the car from the back end, rather than the side, thereby avoiding contact with the body panels.

It will still be about three more weeks before I see it, and even with this news about the brakes, I still feel like a kid on Xmas eve, as I await its arrival.

Yidney

Maybe I missed another thread, but whatever happened with the car?

Merc Mania

This is the question I asked the car shipper recently, after I was handed two consecutive WRONG vessel names, but now, at long last, I do have a final Bill of Lading, that indicates that the ship conveying my beloved CLK is at this very moment high-tailing it north, ahead of the storm, away from Jacksonville Florida, and en-route to its final stops in the ports of Philly, Baltimore, New Jersey and Boston, before at long last, commencing the ten-day Atlantic crossing to The West African seaboard.

It has been one LONG wait, and with this being my first time importing a vehicle, I have been taken aback by the slow-as-molasses pace at which the vehicle is conveyed, via the scenic route as it were, with numerous ports of call punctuating the trip. I paid for this car way back in June, and it sat for much of the time between then and now, at the docks in Galveston Texas, from where it was finally removed with literally one day to spare before that first hurricane hit the Gulf Coast.

All told, I doubt I will ever go through the uncertainty and stress of shipping a car anywhere by sea. I must confess I did believe I had lost this car at one point, but now I am reasonably confident that in less than two weeks, my wait will finally be over, and then the REAL work, of getting this "flood damaged" auction car running, can commence.

Merc Mania

I shoulda stood in bed.


The Horror. The Horror. The horror.
Well, at long last, my 2009 CLK550 project car has arrived in the ports, a couple of hours from here, and will shortly be brought to me here in the sticks.

One thing is for sure, and that is that for as long as I walk this green earth, I will NEVER, EVER make the mistake of attempting to ship a car by sea ANYWHERE.

The CLK550 did have a perfectly straight body on departure from Galveston, but on arrival here in Africa, it looks like the car has been dropped off a moderately high cliff, unto a rock face.

The windscreen is shattered, the hood looks like a rhinoceros sat on it, and the roof is badly deformed, meaning that a front window replacement is NOT likely to go well at all.

I am still debating whether or not to simply demand a full refund from the shipper, to cut my losses and recoup the cost of the car, and the shipping cost, but I will ponder this question a bit longer, before arriving at a decision.

Anyways, I have some deep reflection and pondering ahead of me, as I ruminate over what course of action to take next here.

BenzAMG99

Omg I would defiantly take legal measures. Seems to me that they place a car on top of the poor 550. Very sad and sorry to see something like this happen after all this wait.

Merc Mania

It sure does look like something whose weight would be measured in tonnes, was tossed atop my car, without a care in the world. I am still seething, but fortunately labor is cheap here, and I ought to be able to find a new hood and windscreen, though how well that windscreen fits on that now buckled roof, remains to be seen.

I have asked the shipper to either refund all my costs, or cough up some cash as compensation for this mindless vandalism, and I hope I won't need to retain an attorney to ensure my polite request is taken seriously. An apology from the moron shipper, no matter how "heartfelt", won't cut it for me, give the scale of damage inflicted on this car whose bodywork was absolutely flawless at the point of departure.

blackduc1

That poor car!!

I am in the shipping business, and i would go after the carrier/freight forwarder with a vengeance!! You have photos from before it shipped and how it arrived, so you have some firm footing to start with. A letter from a lawyer will get their attention, and you are due a full refund! Please tell me you purchased insurance on the cargo, through the freight forwarder? She has a beautiful interior and had such a straight body!!

I shipped a 911 Carrera from California, and it was on an open trailer, lower deck, right in the middle. The Infiniti sedan which was directly above my car had a huge oil leak and one of the securing chains for that car came loose and beat the hell out of my roof and sunroof. I arrived at the designated spot to pick up the car, and I wouldn't let him touch anything until I documented the disaster with pictures. It took forever, but I was reimbursed for the freight, all of the damage and some additional cash for 'loss of use'. I had it repaired, but the sunroof leaked and oil would sometimes appear on the headliner... I sold it, with full disclosure to a guy who turned it into a track car. He had a piece of metal fabricated and welded in where the sunroof was, and he stripped the interior anyway. An experience, not even close to what you are dealing with, that I hope I never have to go through ever again!!

I wish you luck and I hope you can at least break even on the car! Such a shame...

Best,

Rick

Merc Mania

Your response is appreciated, BlackDuc1. I do intend to seek legal redress, since I am in no mood to forgive this level of property damage. The shipping agent was mildly apologetic, so it looks like your advice that I engage an attorney will be the path I take, so as to encourage that gentleman to think beyond the issuance of a bogus apology, and prepare to cough up some money that will cover this damage, which is so extensive that it could NOT have been incurred by "accident".

Yidney

Oh my Lord. You had an uphill climb as it was. I have to wonder what damage was done below the hood. You have the electronics that sit right on top of engine where that biggest divot is, and the intake manifold can only take so much. I'd really be most concerned about the roof though. The smooth dents are no big deal, but it's hard to see how deformed the shape is at the edges. And it looks like maybe the sunroof no longer sits flush at the rear. You are a more adventurous person that I am to even attempt that project now. Good luck if you go forward.

Yidney

On second look, the electronics sit s few inches behind the biggest hood dent.

BenzAMG99

Agreed, the entire front suspension could be damaged as well maybe even the wheels slightly bent. Such a beautiful looking car, what a shame that OP had to wait all this time for a problem to arise like this. I defiently think that the shipper had laid another vehicle on the 550 with another car like this __----__

Merc Mania

And that is precisely what I find so baffling about this damage. The shipper informed me that the car would be exported aboard a RORO (Roll on-Roll off) ship, meaning that there would be NO containers aboard, and no goods piled on top of any of the cars.

Since the brakes were rusty and binding, I was given calm assurance that a larger-than-normal forklift would lift the car from the front or back, to as to preserve the pristine bodywork while loading and offloading the car from the ship. Obviously that assurance turned out to be a tall tale with no foundation in reality, so perhaps a drunken forklift driver, at the point of loading or unloading, dropped the car from a height, or, the car was stuffed in a container with a few tons of scrap metal thrown on top of it, despite all assurances I was served up to the contrary.

Living here in Africa, I have grown accustomed to being lied to and defrauded at every turn, so, when the shipper made a suggestion that he buy the car off me, I instantly rejected the idea outright, and at that point began to suspect that this damage may have been inflicted intentionally, as a trick to take the car off me in exchange for a glib promise to pay for it LATER, such that the shipper would carry out a hurried repair job on the car, sell it , pocket ALL the cash, and keep stringing me along with promises to pay, until I would eventually give up, and become resigned to losing not just all my payments on this car, but the car itself. This scenario may sound far-fetched to people residing in the civilized, law-abiding West, but Africa is home to some of the most devious and desperate criminal minds on the planet, and is therefore a place where outlaw ingenuity can take a truly surreal bent.

Of course I am dismayed to learn that the electronics or intake manifold may have been totaled by that massive impact on the hood, but, if this car is ultimately going to be scrapped and parted out, the very least I can do is make sure that the gentleman who perhaps hoped to sell the ruined CLK off as scrap and pocket the last of my money spent on this failed experiment, does not get his wish.

Merc Mania

Open Dashboard Surgery


Roof Deformation


Work Crew Surveying Carnage



Well, after observing the customary period of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the wanton destruction visited on my newly imported 2009 CLK550 as it made its way from Texas to Africa, it is now time to address the urgent matter of getting this car back into some semblance of road-worthiness.

Contrary to the shipper's impression that the brakes of the car were bound due to rust, it turned out that with the key fob stolen at the wharf, there was no way to power up the car to shift the gear selector out of "park", which of course meant that the back wheels were locked. I had previously purchased a Chinese-made CLK key fob replacement, but the instructions were cryptic at best, and I wound up handing the un-programmed key fob to a dodgy looking gentleman who showed up aboard a decrepit motorcycle, with claims that he was well versed in programming key fobs.

When I returned to check up on progress a couple of hours later, I was horrified to see that major open-dashboard surgery was in progress, and there was no turning back. The key meister explained that such dismantling of the dash was an unavoidable procedure needed to remove the ignition cylinder. With the key cylinder and key fob in hand, the guy took off, leaving me wondering if I would ever see those critical components again. Contrary to my pessimistic speculation , the key fixer showed up the following day, and to my amazement, the car came to life. The trunk, tied with string to keep it shut during shipping, closed and clicked shut on command, and the dashboard lit up, whereupon the shift lever freely moved into neutral gear, enabling the car to be pushed the last hundred yards to my lair, where it now sits alongside the other Mercs in my stable.

First order of the day was to survey the engine compartment. The computer module sitting atop the engine, at the intake manifold, was miraculously undamaged by the enormous impact that cratered the hood, so I must again tip my hat to the engineering design teams who crafted this beast in Germany. Some frenzied looting did occur under the hood before I took delivery of the car, and the thieves made off with the cooling fan, but were evidently disturbed before they could relieve the car of its radiator. I have enclosed a closeup picture of an odd looking cooling line located in front of the radiator, that was also evidently severed by the thieves. I would appreciate any help that can be offered in identifying the cooling line and its cylindrical radiator-like heat-dissipating wire mesh sheath, so that I can scour the junkyard for a replacement.

This vehicle was sold at auction as a "Water Damaged, Non Running" vehicle, so the extent of water contamination needed to be ascertained next. Checking the engine oil dipstick, I was greatly relieved to note that the oil was NOT contaminated with water, and the dipstick did not show evidence of the oil level being abnormally high, which would have indicated some water being present in the engine. I haven't had the transmission checked yet, but to be on the safe side before any attempt is made to fire up this car, we will change the engine oil and transmission fluid, along with both filters. Then of course, prior to the first start attempt, all the spark plugs will be removed, and the engine turned over to expel any water that may have been present in the engine cylinders.

Regardless of whether or not the resurrection of this car progresses as smoothly as I now anticipate, I want to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Rodney for his learned advice regarding the most reliable year of manufacture for the CLK. I also want to thank Rodney for his initial mention of the CLK as the model to acquire, back when I first decided to purchase a slightly newer Mercedes than the ones currently parked in my stable. Without those pointers, I would not have even been aware of the design specifics that make the CLK550 absolutely perfect for my requirements.

Having never taken a closeup look at a CLK, I was pleasantly surprised to note how compact this car is, despite its having been designed to accommodate such a huge and fearsome engine as the 5.5 liter M273 V8. I look forward to gonzo-launching this car, once the engine has been brought back to life.

Well, that'll be enough rambling from me for now. I will post more pictures after the dented roof has been straightened out for installation of the windshield, and then then of course when, and not if, this car roars to life, in preparation for its new role as my trusty escape module, that will over the coming years keep me several steps ahead of any possible highway pursuers, along the decidedly unfriendly roads of Africa.

Yidney

When I first saw the picture I thought the interior arrived that way. As for your fan, based on the horn bracket being disconnected and other lines being relocated in the original pictures from Texas, my bet is the cooling fan was already gone, and not stolen in Africa.

Merc Mania

I agree with this assessment, Yidney. Looking at the sequence of pictures starting with when the car was in the Copart yard in Texas, the plate that normally sits atop the radiator, unto which the hood latches fit, was already removed long before the ship set sail.

It was a hectic and surreal scene at the wharf on arrival here, though. The brave soul who went to collect the car at the customs yard told me of being swarmed by thieves who were hellbent on pulling off whatever parts they could, right there in front of him, in broad daylight. The task of fending off the roving packs of car part hounds was a real challenge, as my representative charged around the vehicle prying grasping hands off the car, only to have his Android smart phone re-allocated in the process. All told, a good time was had by all, and my only expense arising from that episode will be the replacement cost of the liberated Android phone.

Considering the intensity of that feeding frenzy at the ports, it really is miraculous that more items were not removed before I set eyes on my prize.

megacrazy

Reading through this thread raised my blood pressure a couple of times. I hope you got your money back for what they did to the car. You sure there is no damage to any of the engine components? That hood was dented quite a bit. For future reference there's a button you can press that releases the shifter from park mechanically without the need for a key or power.

Merc Mania

Megacrazy it took some delving into the manual before I spotted that recess inside the cup holder just aft of the gear-shift lever, into which a screwdriver can be inserted to unlock the shift lever. That vital reference was buried deep in the chapter on towing the vehicle, and the technique did come in useful while I awaited the key fob.

Regarding the condition of the engine, the moment of truth will arrive on Monday, after the oil and transmission fluid changes have been completed. I must admit that I will be on the edge of my seat until that moment when the car is fired up for the first time.

Seeing that there was absolutely no evidence of water contamination on the engine oil dipstick was a very encouraging revelation that provides a basis to anticipate that this car may start up with few issues, if any. I find it baffling that the auction house listed this car as water damaged, given that there is no indication at all that it was ever flooded. No moldy smells, not stains on the upholstery, and perfectly dry carpeting, all suggest that there may have indeed been NO water damage at all, in which case I may well have hit the jackpot with this purchase, though I won't do any celebrating just yet.

megacrazy

Yeah sometimes water damage can be minimal. I feel like people label it "water damaged" very quickly without checking if anything is actually "damaged". Good luck though, let us know how it turns out.

Merc Mania

Never Beyond Repair


Auto Body Meister Preparing to Install Windshield


Windshield Lowering Into Place


Junkyard Cooling Fan From the Wrong Car


Trashed Hood Restored to Normalcy
With the bodywork of this long suffering CLK550 now straight enough to hand off to the painter, attention shifted to finding out just how extensive the water damage has been on the mechanical aspects of this car. The engine oil was drained, and as suspected, the first liquid to start pouring out of the drain plug was indeed water, showing that the auction house designation of this car as "water damaged" was an accurate assessment. The oil was drained entirely, and replaced with fresh engine oil, while the oil filter was also replaced.

Next all the spark plugs were removed, and the ignition turned to expel any water that might have been present in the engine cylinders, since the time the car was flooded. The cylinders were bone dry, to my surprise, so the spark plugs, which could also use replacement later, were re-installed for the startup test.

I was a bit worried about whether water had entered the transmission, since a reliable source for the right transmission fluid specified for this car has not yet been found. The transmission drain plug was removed very briefly to let out some fluid, but as luck would have it, no water was present in the transmission sump. The transmission fluid was a dirty rust color, meaning it is overdue for replacement as well, but, for the purposes of testing the car, I decided to go ahead with the startup test of the engine, for the first time.

When the cooling fan was removed by auction lot scavengers in the Texas lot where this car stood for way too long, the cooling line for the power steering was broken, allowing all the power steering fluid to drain away. Filling up the power steering reservoir with some fluid whose suitability I still doubt, the car was the pushed back off the pit, so that the steering wheel could be turned back and forth a few dozen times to expel as much air from the system as possible.

With most of the air expelled from the power steering reservoir after some vigorous turning of the steering wheel back and forth with the engine off, I finally decided to go for broke and fire up this car.

This CLK550, after just one brief turn of the key, started right up, as I proceeded to dance about like a right looney, enormously relieved that the nightmare scenario of needing a replacement M273 engine due to major water damage, would not materialize. The engine ran a tad rough at first, but with the spark plugs so obviously well past their replacement date, a rough idle was to be expected. After a few minutes. the new oil circulated in the idling engine, and the ticking sound that was quite audible at first, gave way to a subdued purr, as the motor's innards luxuriated in the flow of new engine oil.

Next, I engaged the reverse gear, and the car rolled back under its own power for the first time in maybe a year or more of gathering dust. Shifted into drive, and the car moved forward with no hesitation from the transmission, despite its being in such dire need of a fluid and filter change.

The only irreparable damage seen thus far has been the sunroof, which was badly damaged at the ports, and had to be sealed shut permanently with silicone. I won't miss the sunroof much, since I can't recall owning a car that had one in the past, so in the grand scheme of things, losing the ability to open this one is no great loss in my view.

There may yet be some hidden electrical gremlins waiting to emerge later on, because the odometer and other engine readouts are blank, but I won't really be able to tell just yet, whether there will also be any major issues with the transmission. For now, while I await the delivery of the correct power steering fluid, transmission fluid and transmission filter, I will resist the temptation to take this car for a road test, given the poor state of its transmission fluid, and the local unavailability of the transmission fluid here. All the same, given all the systems that could have been ruined by flooding, this car seems to have fared quite well, at least from a mechanical standpoint.

I'll probably post one or two final updates on this car later on, and while I await the delivery of the last few items needed to complete the full service of the car. Now I will probably go ahead and call in the painter, to replace this fire-engine red paint scheme with my favorite car color of gun-metal grayish blue. I will drive a car of any color at all, provided that the color is gun-metal gray/blue, to paraphrase the response of Henry Ford, when he was asked whether the Model T Ford would be available in any other color besides the standard black.

Once again I want to express my gratitude to the highly knowledgeable writers that frequent this forum, for setting me on the right path to buying the car of my dreams, and for offering such valuable information on repairs and maintenance. I will no doubt be back with yet more technical questions as I begin to drive this fine chariot, but at least I do promise to check the archives carefully, before seeking the expert opinions that are so generously offered here.

xsever

Thanks a lot for the update and very very happy to see the car alive again with less damage than expected.

I'm interested to learn though what you did with the shipping company etc....

Yidney

I'd be interested in some shots of the hood. Never thought you would save that. As for the PS fluid, you don't want to use the wrong kind. The correct fluid is mineral based, and is light green. Pentosin is the brand. Regular PS fluid for a Chevy will eat the seals. You should totally flush the system. As for tranny fluid, you don't say how many miles you have, or I have forgotten. It is supposed to be changed at 39k miles. But even then the fluid looks as you describe. It does not stay bright red for long. Also know that when you change it, your car has a separate drain plug in the torque converter, so you don't need to do any fancy flush procedure that wastes fluid.