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05 CLK320 for wife, YAY or NAY details inside

15K views 126 replies 13 participants last post by  Benzyle 
#1 · (Edited)
I have an old 68 Benz and an 88 SEC been on the forums for years

Looked at an 05 CLK320 w 108k on the odo

WDBTK65G35T043400

Car was clean, had a front fender bender in 08 in front for a new bumper, radiator and headlight repair bill was 2700 including 2 hours of uniframe alignment

Car drove really nicely. Idled and pulled smoothly shifted nice

Top went down and up no problem.

Slight shimmy driving through lower speeds with brakes also needing to be done both pads and rotors as shimmy amplified when braking. I'd say it needs alignment and balance along w new brakes

Really looking for advise of what issues this model may inherently have as I've read a few different bits of advise. Some saying 05 is fine and others saying they have balance shaft and trans weak points

Vin included above

Please help! any and all opinions welcome and needed I'm totally new to w209!






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#2 ·
While waiting I found this info referring to VIN



I used a free app to find this engine number associated with the vin - numbers don't include a 272 but do the last 8 indicate it falls later than indicated range?




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#3 ·
The MY2005 CLK320 has an M112 engine and 722.6 5-speed AT - a very good combination that with proper maintenance, is going to last a long time.

The canvas is good for 10 years, anytime after that expect leaks, the seam above the rear window to separate, and some discoloration of the canvas. A new canvas is about $1K, labor close to $2K, and it's not a DIY unless you are crazy enough to tackle it (like me!). The hydraulics may need some attention but if you can DIY, you can replace the cylinders as they fail with rebuilt ones for not too much money (under $800 for all of them at once). The pump motor can also be rebuilt for a few hundred.

I suspect it already needs a new front suspension. At a minimum, new control arms. It's a DIY for under $400 for all four.
 
#4 ·
Appreciate the info. Makes sense this is a 112 so the 3.5 is when it moved to 272 I gather?

Top is in nice shape the car appears to have been garaged and aligns with the sellers description I was impressed with how clean and neat the top was - probably should have taken it through a car wash

Front suspension makes sense and I gather would contribute to the shimmy no doubt

All additional comments I love learning about new Benz models



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#5 ·
Correct - the M272 engine in that car would be a CLK350, and it came out for MY2006, so no worries about the balance shaft issues on that one with the M112 engine. Another positive consideration is that one still has the 722.6 5-speed AT, which is much more reliable than the earlier versions of the 722.9 7-speed AT that was introduced on the V8's in MY2005, and the V6's in MY2006. And you have the My2005 "facelift" with a more clean, modern looking interior. All in all, there are many positive things about this car.

Yes, suspension issues can cause shimmy like warped rotors. The torque struts (sometimes called the "upper control arms") use a fluid-filled bushing at the frame that is usually shot by 60K miles or so. This will allow the hub to wobble and put it out of alignment (poor camber). The shocks and springs (McPherson strut cartridges) usually last longer, except the springs are prone to breaking near the bottom spiral due to rust (like you'd expect with Chicago winters and road salt). if the spring is good, and the shock still checks, I'd leave those alone. The rear suspension can also need attention, but it has less of an effect on handling. Usually you just get some noises from it.

The seam on the top will begin to let go without warning. The adhesive they use just disintegrates. When this happens, if the rest of the top is in good shape (no tears, good, no leaks, etc.) then it can be repaired by detaching the canvas and folding it back to the seam, then re-gluing AND stitching it. Again, this could be a DIY of you are so crazy to tackle it :) but otherwise, a good upholster and top shop should be able to handle that, when it happens.
 
#6 ·
Thanks so much for this info. I am proceeding with the car based on my favorable test drive and confirmation of my questions from you guys

The car felt very tight and solid when driving, with a great intake noise and nice cornering capabilities. It needs new door sill scuff plates I was surprised how warped the metal insert was must have been a cheap material I think - other than that the interior is quite clean for a 12 year old car




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#8 ·
I'll have a click through your posts - like seeing pics of others' projects.

So I'm looking into the upper control arms

Karlyn - $55 per side
http://www.autohausaz.com/pn/2043304311
Genuine MB - $130 per side
Upper Control Arm | Genuine Mercedes-Benz | 203-330-39-11 : Mercedes-Benz Parts - Genuine OEM | MBOEMParts.com

OR
Lemfoerder are $110 (for $20 I'd rather get the MB genuine)

Whats the consensus on these?? - any experience with the Karlyn or other aftermarket cheap options ones or do I stick with Genuine MB on these for a roughly 150 premium?
 
#16 ·
To me, it still is, for two reasons. One, I want to try to keep as much of my money as I can here in my country, funding my local economy. Second, the quality of Chinese manufacturing is still not as high as I want, and I am willing to pay a reasonable premium for better products. I know that most of my home electronics are Chinese, but I generally draw the line on my cars. I have been accused of being a bit hypocritical in my "But American" campaign, since i prefer German cars, but MBZ does have a factory here 40 miles form my house and pumps A LOT of money into my local economy. And I do have Jeep. :)
 
#19 ·
In actual same car use, Lemfoerder and Moog have good quality ball joints and bushings, most other brands are cheaper to buy, but they will not last as long, so it is a question of labor costs or DIY more often, and the alignment costs after. In the long run the good parts are not as expensive looking at the entire picture.
 
#21 ·
Same car, same driver, bad michigan roads, complete new Lemfoerder upper strut, bushing leaking @ 56,784 miles, replaced bushing, bushing leaking @ 49,562. Replaced with
Moog upper strut, bushing leaked @ 59,129 miles, replaced bushing last month, currently trying to wear it out.

When did moog start manufacturing in china?
 
#22 ·
Not sure when Moog went Chinese - probably in the lat 80's/90's when "everyone else" did. As for those bushings, if you get 60K out of them, you're doing good (OE, OEM, or Chinese).
 
#23 ·
You are right some Moog parts are made in China, also in Boaz, Alabama, St.Louis, Missouri, Germany and 13 other countries. I checked with a parts guy and he had 2
tie rod ends with same part number on his shelf, 1 was made in Spain, the other in Germany. I have mostly used Moog (I get a discount) for our family cars for over 40 years
if available for the vehicle. Most always been satisfied. The Lemfoerder parts are top quality also and worth the extra cost compared to bargain parts. Thanks for the info.
 
#24 ·


Here's two more pics of the car

I'll buff out the headlights straight away and other than that the cars in great shape I was really impressed with the body it's been well looked after

Pick up should be in the coming week


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#29 ·
If you are looking to modernize the car you can always do Xeon headlamps or projectors as well. Car looks to be in really great shape.
 
#25 ·
Congrats on the car! I drive an '05 CLK 320 and very happy with it. If you stay on top of the wear and tear maintenance, it'll last you long. Mine has 100k miles on it.

Since you're going to buff out the headlights, I suggest changing the front grille to the new updated one. It's black, has one less fin, and makes the car look sportier. That's the grille that comes on the V8s.

W209 03-06 CLK-CLASS CL 3Fins BLACK GRILLE for MERCEDES | eBay
 
#26 ·
Looks same number of fins just black right as mine has 3 fins currently.

Does look good



Picked up the car Saturday w my buddy

Love it drives so well don't you all find the body strength is amazing, very quiet, fast enough and a pleasure on the freeway

The civic on the right is my wife's old car we will sell that now. 100k miles and amazing she. Ought it brand new but it lived outside in Cali until she brought it to Chicago last year when she moved. If anyone wants a reliable daily let me know




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#28 ·
2005 CLK320 is the last year for the M112 Engine. Very solid and reliable. Enough get up and go for when you need it (221bhp). 2005 being the last year means everything is worked out and you get a post face lift car. Make sure the top works correctly during a PPI otherwise it will be a big repair bill. Congrats end enjoy it!
 
#33 ·
Yes I made sure to check the top operation on the test drive a few times and it worked great with no odd noises or hiccups.

Impressed with the richness and quality of the top it honestly looked the same condition as the top I saw yesterday at the Benz dealer on the new s65 v12 convertible


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#34 ·



Here's some pictures of my w111 coupe I had a 4 door version but replaced it with this one last year , the body lines on the coupe have always done it for m

This was my 4 door I owned it for 6 years and it had air suspension allowing you to adjust the right height at anytime with the touch of a single button




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#37 ·


New brakes and filters and fluids topped up
Buffed headlight and replaced vacuum lines on egr (one was cracked)
Now to reset check engine light - possible or do I need a scan tool? Or will it auto reset after some driving and what I believe to be issue corrected (I know the code was egr code had it scanned)


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#38 ·
The MIL will extinguish after 5-10 engine start/drive/stop cycles as long as the malfunction is no longer occurring. If you want to make sure, a generic OBDII scanner should be able to tell you if the error is "CURRENT" or "STORED" and also reset it. Note that if you reset it, your "readiness" indicators are also cleared, so if your state requires a clean OBDII scan for missions inspection, this can be an issue until you drive in enough varied conditions to clear those.
 
#39 ·
Might still have issue with egr valve the car has gone into LIMP mode twice now since the vacuum line fix. Going 2mph car is unresponsive just enough to get to the side of the road to restart the car then it's fine.

Had 10 cycles so far and light still lit

MB tech friend has proper scan tool can get that hooked up tomorrow night to see what else it says

Perhaps the valve itself is bad and needs to be replaced...


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#40 ·
Had the computer scanned by the Benz tech friend he cleared the egr code so will see if that comes back and limp mode was happening due to an accelerator pedal fault - he suggested a new pedal as one of the sensors is bad in relation to kickdown


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