CA500

I've had my Diamond Silver 500 cab for 3 months now and I thought I would share my experiences. I know I benefitted from this forum during the 6 month ordering period when I was just lurking and listening to everyone else.

I came over from BMW - 4 BMWs since '97. A 323i, 528i, 540i, 330ci. I got accustomed to the new shapes eventually, but the cheapy interior stopped me cold.

Impressions: Fast and quiet - quietest soft top I know. Roadholding as good as BMW on fast bends etc, but responsiveness (quick changes of direction and steering) is a bit sluggish compared to BMW. Certain (rare) combinations of bumps and corrugations can unsettle the car where BMW stuck to the road. More luxurious feel than BMWs and much nicer ride. More cowl shake than I expected. Interior is far more luxurious than BMW. Steering wheel switches are great for me now - but you need to really practice using them with varying throttle positions to get satisfaction because they kinda have a mind of their own (I miss my BMW stick a little). The doors are really solid and close with a quality feel and sound that is missing from BMW coupes - same story for trunk. Extra 300lb weight of cab over coupe is noticeable. Ergonomics better than BMW (prefer COMAND to i-Drive, better quality LCD screen, cruise control is excellent)

Problems: Horrible engine ticking sound that rises and falls with revs - fixed by new engine mounts. Rear spoiler missing at delivery - one was acquired, painted and fitted by dealer. Creased and rough leather on passenger seat - new leather seat cover on order. Metal-on-metal rattle in soft top is still being diagnosed. Clunk in transmission when cold and coming to a stop on "C" setting.

Summary: I like the car overall and don't regret the change. It is an unusual car - I don't see any around here (perhaps So Cal would be a different story!)
Diamond Silver is beautiful. Initial quality is disappointing but dealer is very helpful and responding to all issues. Overall an impressive fast grand tourer.

I could say more but post is long enough...

freakinfreak

My sister has an 05 CLK500 cab and her car was missing the spoiler and has that engine noise as well. How odd!

RJC

Amazing even the 05's still have the motor mount issue!

Seems like alot of issues for a brand new car especially in its 3rd year of production, I see MB is still not on its best game

bruceclk500

I'm ordering a CLK500 Cab this week. A few Q's....

1. What are the symptons of the motor mount problems you are referring to?

2. I assume that this would be covered under the warranty, if they need replacing?

3. How long after you had your mb did the motor mount problem occur?

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

CA500

I agree, I was surprised by the MB initial quality - my first MB. My 4 BMWs had problems but never this many so soon. If the dealer was not so helpful, I would be seriously

Motor mount issue is a warranty thing, so no worries there. The problem should be noticeable right away, but with all the commotion at delivery I did not notice it until the first cold start the following morning. It is a little worse when cold.

It is a ticking or slapping sound (almost like the tappet noise of old) that rises and falls with revs. It is hard to hear at freeway speeds but ruins the V8 sound on acceleration. I went to the dealer and discussed engine mounts right away because of what I read on this forum. It affects E500s too - even G500s. The dealer had heard it all before but was worried that the engine mount change may not correct the problem (he said others had continued complaining). But all the people on these forums have reported success and it was a success for me.

Good luck - the car gets better and better as you learn how to get the most out of it.

bruceclk500

Thanks for letting me know about the engine mounts.

Glad to hear your dealer has been positively responsive to the early warranty issues. We have an X5 '02 4.4 which had a few goblins but nothing mechanical, but all covered under warranty, like you, my dealer was very responsive. Hate to give up the X5, built like a German tank, even the new X3's do not have the similiar build characteristics (doors are much lighter than the X5s). From your experience, it seems you are very happy with fit, finish and build of your CLK, much like BMW.

Are there any other web sites that you would recommend in addition to this one that provides similar feedback?

Bruce

CA500

For fit/finish I am happier with the MB although the BMW was still good.

There seems to be BMW forums everywhere but this is the most active MB one I can find. You can try Germancarfans.com but I find you only need to check there once a month - it seems fairly quiet on W209.

fietguy

jeez, is that what that sound is?

okay, when i accelerate the car, sometimes i hear like a little tapping sound...

i initially impression was, 'this kinda of sounds wimpy, i thought this V8 was supposed to roar?"

now, in fairness, i can barely hear this tapping sound, and i have good ears...
and in terms of speed, i think this car is very very powerful,

are we talking about the same sound?
how loud is the tapping sound you hear?

CA500

The rate of the ticking increases with RPM. How loud? Loud enough to notice and loud enough to make the sound of the engine just WRONG. Pissed me RIGHT off. You would never think it was engine mounts - it sounds like a noise from inside the engine.

RJC

The modular 3 valve, SOHC engines MB has been producing since 98 have much noisier drivetrains than the previous 4 valve DOHC versions. In addtion, the motor mounts used on certian 2003 MY 500's which are of a newer design BTW, do increase the transmission of the engine's noise into the cabin...get the mounts changed and the noise gets better.