Overall I really like my GLK, but there are ongoing nuisances that I wonder about. Does everyone deal with them? Are they in my head, or something that should be looked at/repaired? For the DIY crowd, what have you done to remedy these issues? Please feel free to add to this list. I tend to obsess about certain things and really want to resolve some of these irritants!

1. The transmission makes a "clunking" sound and shifts hard from P to D or R when on even a slight incline, even with Ebrake engaged and my foot on the break. Normal?

2. Even with the Ebrake depressed as far as it will go, if on an incline, the car rolls a little bit when taking my foot off the brake. I've never had a car roll when the Ebrake is engaged all the way. The GLK can also be driven with the Ebrake engaged. You get an alert on the dash, but it seems strange to be able to pull out of a parking space with the Ebrake engaged.

3. The light sensor for the interior buttons (AC, radio, ECO button, etc) doesn't seem very effective. When I drive home from work, it is too dark inside the GLK to see those buttons unless they are illuminated. However, there seems to be enough light outside to prevent the sensor from illuminating those buttons. It is a major irritation, and I am tempted to locate the sensor and cover it so those buttons are always on.

4. The recirculation feature for the climate control system shuts off randomly. For example, I will be behind a car spewing out nasty exhaust and will click that button to minimize the fumes from coming into my car. Great, right? Except a few minutes later I will notice that it goes back to normal and is no longer recirculating, even though I never pressed the button. I want to control this. If I feel like letting it run in recirculation mode for 20 minutes, I should be able to. It's not like there will be a moisture problem, as I live in Denver.

5. Anyone else lose your wallet, credit cards, phones, glasses, etc in the black hole that is the space between the driver seat and the center console? it's extremely difficult to dig anything dropped in there out. Remedies?

6. Anyone know the front/rear split for the AWD system? I slid around in snow much more easily than I expected to when I drove in those conditions for the first time. this leads me to believe we have something more along the lines of a 70% rear, 30% front system. My Subaru never slipped in snow. Sure, I'm using the all season Continentals and could improve by switching to winter tires, but I never had to do that in my Subaru with the 50/50 split. I was counting on the GLK to be as good as the Subaru in snow/ice on all season tires.

 

4: I think ( but don't know) that the recirculation is designed to stay on for a while only, to always provide fresh air to cabin . If it could stay on for too long, in theory (atleast) you might eventually start feeling dizzy and tired due to lack of fresh air and oxygen in cabin.

5: http://www.buydropstop.com

6: I couldn't find much on 4-matic system from US-pages, but from European pages found info that the GLKs there, have a split of 45% front and 55% back. I presume they do use the same gearbox on GLKs all over the world ?

 

1) not normal... should be smooth... visit dealer, may have a software update.
2) Parking brake pads/cable are not adjusted properly... should be able to just about lock up! Possible causes... someone drove with the parking brake on, ignoring the dash! Needs to be adjusted or replaced.
6) Do yourself a favor.. Use your 'no-season' tires only for the summer. Purchase some Blizzacks w/17" alloys (Tirerack.com) for the winter and be confident/assured of good traction! I have a very steep hill for a driveway at the cottage. (2 wheel drives wouldn't think of trying it out, they park at the top!) The GLK will climb it (+ drive down) every time with complete control, even on sheet ice! You've driven a Subie, and expect the same... give the GLK what it needs, and you'll thank me later! LOL!

 

I do agree with Koenig1 on tyres, all seasons are a compromise, actually they are not good in summer or winter ! They are not really good summertyres, nor are they great winterones.

Proper wintertyres make all the difference. The compound is totally different for summer temperatures and winter colds.

 

I'm with you on #3. I'm on a 204 chassis too and it's frustrating to not be able to see the radio controls until the car lets you. In my old car you should adjust the day/night senor sensitivity and if the headlights were on, the interior lights were on. This car seems to have two sensors - one for exterior lights and one for interior lights. Hate it. But I deal....no choice.

 

5. Raise the seat as much as possible; this will give you more clearance to retrieve dropped items.

FWIW, my wife's Infiniti G37 coupe is much worse...

 

^^^This times 1,000^^^ (from a W212 E-350)


WTF was MB thinking? There is zero benefit to this... ZERO!

 

Never seen this before... thanks!

 

1. not normal, you can f up your tranny.
2. not normal, sounds like your parking brake needs to be adjusted, which may resolve issue 1. Always engage parking brake first, then put in park. On steep incline, I even shift in N, let the brake pedal out so car can settle with just parking brake on and then I put it in Park.
3. I never look at them, just know where they are (eyes on the road).
4. Didn't know that, never really use it. I it make sense for it to turn itself off
5. Yes, pretty annoying but the same on most cars.
6. 45/55 F/R split. You are running pretty low profile tires and in snow tire is everything. I'm quite pleased that AWD system can get me through any pile of snow on 20 inch low profile performance tires.

 

I have no idea what you guys are talking about, must be on newer benzes.
I never had issue seeing buttons on 2010. I never really use anything other than the *** and screen controls, tho.

 

I picked up a stick of foam pipe insulation from Home Depot. It's a 3 foot foam tube that's split lengthwise. I cut it into a 18 inch (or so) piece and stuffed it down between the seat and the console. It's soft enough not to scratch and just "sticky" enough to move with the seat. I found the size for 1/2" pipe was perfect but compare it to 3/4" for your purposes.

It saves a lot of vacuuming and fishing out of the seat rails the pens and french fries that seem attracted to the slot.