2005 CLK350 - Criticalness of services based on time
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2005 CLK350 - Criticalness of services based on time
Hello Everyone,
I am looking at purchasing a 2005 CLK350 (A209) PRIVATELY (no warranty).
The car has only had two owners and done just over 35,000km since new.
The service book stamps are as follows:
Opinions on take it or walk away?
Cheers Gurus!
I am looking at purchasing a 2005 CLK350 (A209) PRIVATELY (no warranty).
The car has only had two owners and done just over 35,000km since new.
The service book stamps are as follows:
- Mercedes Benz Dealership - 4 March 2009 - 13103km (B Service)
- Mercedes Benz Dealership - 5 April 2012 - 17576km (A Service)
- Mercedes Benz Dealership - 9 October 2015 - 20344km (A Service)
- Mercedes Benz Dealership - 8 December 2021 - 28772km (B Service)
- Mercedes Benz Dealership - 23 November 2023 - 31232km (A Service)
- Mercedes Benz Dealership - 20 January 2025 - 35081km (B Service)
Opinions on take it or walk away?
Cheers Gurus!
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 28
Likes: 5
From: Bay Area, California
2015 S63 AMG Coupe, 2003 CLK500, 1986 TVR 280i
Some things to look into.
Well, I’ve seen a few of these cars and there are some common issues that happen regardless of mileage over time. All rubber parts like breather hoses and perhaps even radiator hoses should be closely inspected. If they are hard and there are any signs of cracking they should be replaced. Same is true with drive belt, control bushings. Inspection of the engine mount is another one (less prone to failure than the M113 engine.)
brake fluid should be replaced if it’s older than 2 years.
finally, I would make sure that the transmission has been serviced periodically. I have seen cars that have sat a long time develop tranny issue far more than cars that have been driven regularly.
sorry if this sounds like a lot. But rubber parts deteriorate over time. Heat cycling does accelerate the deterioration. But, you wait long enough almost all rubber pieces deteriorate without even driving the car. True for tires as well.
These are solid cars. But need periodic maintenance.
Good luck
brake fluid should be replaced if it’s older than 2 years.
finally, I would make sure that the transmission has been serviced periodically. I have seen cars that have sat a long time develop tranny issue far more than cars that have been driven regularly.
sorry if this sounds like a lot. But rubber parts deteriorate over time. Heat cycling does accelerate the deterioration. But, you wait long enough almost all rubber pieces deteriorate without even driving the car. True for tires as well.
These are solid cars. But need periodic maintenance.
Good luck
Last edited by pomchal; Feb 5, 2025 at 03:44 AM.
