clkfrk

What can I have done to my car that won't void my warranty?

I am purchasing an '03 CLK320 and would like to add a little "zest" to my acceleration.....any ideas or suggestions?

KWiK

step up to the V8, then there is no warranty concerns.

Tezta

There is no official answer to whether or not an engine mod will void the warranty. Some dealers DO warrant cars that have been modified by certain Tuners. Example: Fletcher Jones Motorcars warrants any work done to a mercedes if the work was done by BRABUS at their showroom in Newport Beach, CA. So what i would do is ask your service advisor about what he/she thinks. I too would like to put a kompressor in my car if i am certain that i can get service from my dealer without them trying to blame things on my mods.

If you were to go with an engine mod, there is nothing close to a KLEEMAN kompressor for your 320. At 9K you get 330hp. Brabus makes a little performance kit called the B9 which includes, an exhaust, cam shafts, valve springs. That kit goes for 5K plus 860 for installation and you only get 239hp.

clkfrk

TeZta -

Thanks for the note. I have seen Brabus and Kleeman shops in SoCal -- are they here in the midwest?

Tezta

There is only one BRABUS showroom in the U.S. and thats in SoCal. Installation is very important when it comes to engine mods, I honestly dont know any shops ohio. Kleemann is located in Colorado, and they have some shops in the east coast. As for BRABUS I would contact them and ask. BRABUS contact form

steve s

Magnusson-Moss act ...

allows u to make mods to ur car and maintain warranty, so long as the dealer and/or car manufacturer cannot prove that what u did lead to the failure of the item in concern.

so simple things like air filters, ecu changes (more for turbo/superchargers) are normally alright. but of course, if u slap on a kompressor/supercharger onto ur 320, i doubt mb would warranty the engine...more likely, u'd get a separate warranty from the installer/seller of the kompressor

steve s

at 9k for kleeman's supercharger, i can't imagine a 430 would cost 9k more...clk320 msrp starts at 43k, clk 430 msrp starts at 50k...and u get a nice sounding v8 instead of a whiny v6. kleeman and brabus are both excellent tuners, not to take anything away from them.

Tezta

Even if MB did not warrant the engine after a supercharger install, how many problems with the engine have MB owners had? I read that a lot of MB owners have electrical problems, squeaks, rattles. The only prob i had with my SLK was the roof noise, and my door handles came off .

Air Marshall Eldritch

What increase does the Kleeman supercharger give to the 430? Same 320hp or correspondingly more?

Also, what would a supercharger do to an engine not really designed for it? I recall looking at the engine of C230 Kompressor a few years ago, and the engine block seemed to be noticeable beefier to handle the load.

Tezta

For a 430 engine you get 440hp opposed to stock 276.

Fanatic

Steve is right. If you want more power without risking your warranty, the most cost effective solution is trade in your current for a 430 or even a clk55. Once you've maxed out the avaliable engine options from MB is when I would turn to Kleenman for some extra oohmmp. :p

ciscobigot

Tezta,
Do you know what the Brabus B9 S Performace Kit consists of? Brabus' spec says it gives the CLK320 243hp. Thanks!

Tezta

Cisco,

The B9 kit gives the CLK 233hp, it consists of, camshafts, valve springs, and an exhaust system. According to the website they don't have a B9 S kit

steve s

volvo has a unique engine, inline-5 cylinder transversely mounted. the n/a engine is 2.4L...the turbo engien is 2.3L...all that because volvo engineers wanted more metal between the cylinders for more and better heat dissipation as the turbo generates more heat...

Rusboy

Well if Brabus can have it, why Kleeman can't do it. In my opinion it will be a big step ahead to find a dealer who won't refuse to repair my car under the warranty if i will have a kleeman supercharger. I currently own a e430 and im very interested to get a s/c. The only concern is that im afraid that my warranty will be canceled and im gonna get some major problems.

ItsJ2

It seems warranty issue is what gives most people a 2nd thought when deciding to go with a Kleenman SC, if they can offer some type of protection (even thou not a single car has failed with the SC installed), they can probably sell maybe 20-30 units easy in a short time just to members reading this forum .......