Mercedes-Benz CLK (2005 and earlier)

sphinx99 · July 2002

I don't care too much either way, but I know that many people prefer trunks for collision protection and damage protection reasons. The combination of separate rear pillars and a separate trunk tends to withstand somewhat greater loads. Also, hatches have a reputation for poorer durability than trunks - whether this is justified or not, the reputation is there in some circles. Hatches (I think) tend to be noisier because of less sound insulation out back. Lastly, hatches tend to be associated with economy vehicles and therefore, the more upscale you go, the fewer hatches you see. Does anyone expect Mercedes to make the CL500 a hatchback? Why not?

jrct9454 · July 2002

...release date for the '03 Cs is supposed to be the first part of August. Changes on the coupe are most significant in the engine compartment, with the new 1.8 SC engine replacing the iron block 2.3. Both power and torque are down about 3-5%, but fuel mileage is up 7%, and it promises to be smoother and quieter with the balance shafts.

If you are hot for the current car, whatever is on dealer lots now is just about all there will be. The new ones are already arriving at the VPCs.

huntzinger · July 2002

BTW, European roads are full of MB A class and Smart vehicles.

And PT Cruisers, too :-).

I'm just back from 2 weeks in Germany, having had a Mercedes A-140 for ~1400km worth of driving. I do have to say that I'm quite impressed with the car in context of its price, and that despite only having a 1.4 liter motor, it moved out well enough, including the ability to pass the lorries on the Autobahn, and a typical cruising speed of ~140kph outside of congested areas. It was also interesting in that the only vehicles that were really in the "pffft" passing category were the E's, 5's and 911's.

Overall, I'd say that I'd seriously consider an A in the USA, if looking for something in that <20K price range, although I would prefer it to go along with Germany's essentially SUV-free roads.

-hh

jrct9454 · July 2002

...should be here by '05, perhaps as early as the fall of '04. The car we will see is of course the scheduled redesign, but I believe that the key features [two-story design, massive interior vs size of car, FWD] will be the same. They want to work on ride and engines before bringing it to NA - I expect we will get the naturally aspirated 1.8 that is about to appear in the C230 in supercharged form. The basic 1.8 would be fine for a car of the A's weight, even if the new one weighs more, as it inevitably will. As noted above, the current car manages fine with 1.4 and 1.7 liter gas engines, and a particularly nice diesel which we will never see here.

And this platform will be the basis for their run at hybrid and fuel cell drivetrains, which we should see before the decade is out.

tarik · July 2002

...I had an A 170 CDI rental two years ago, and that little thing made me grin ear to ear. Low end torque, acceleration in high gear, and top speed (~185 kph/115 mph acc to its speedo) were more than adequate, considering the engine size. The sucessor is believed to have a lower center of gravity to help keep all wheels on the ground (no more elk-issues...), I wonder how you realize that with the "two story" design?

Tarik

jrct9454 · July 2002

...can be jiggered to get the CG down a couple of inches. And the diesel is the best engine in the line, but not here until the US oil companies stop whining about it and get on with getting the sulfur out of our diesel fuel.

Also, we will get only the long-wheelbase version - there is even the possibility that the LWB will be the standard [and only] car for every market when the A is redesigned - the extra WB also helps stability in sudden avoidance maneuvers.

sphinx99 · July 2002

What is a two-story design?

tarik · July 2002

I was just paraphrasing jrct's definition for the A-Class' design of having an engine which is tilted forward in order to fit its gearbox under the front floor boards. Essentially, it s a somwhat elevated floor height to provide room for items which usually are housed in the engine compartment (i.e. battery). The following pic is smallish, but the best I could find for you:

Tarik

jrct9454 · July 2002

...as well as a lot of other ancillary stuff. It was partly just a clever way of getting a lot of interior room in a small package, and partly a necessity for the fuel cell pieces that they wanted to experiment with.

Unfortunately, the resulting higher CG caused the car to roll when under extreme side-side maneuvers [the moose avoidance test of one of the Scandanavian car mags], and the rest, as they say is history: much scrambling, recalls, lousy publicity. The solution was to lower the ride height, stiffen the ride, and make ESP standard equipment. Those things made it plenty stable enough, but also made the ride marginal for an MB mainline sedan product. The longer wheelbase version was recently introduced, and combined with some interior upgrades, has got the EU press back on the car's side.

As noted in the posts above, the car is actually kind of a hoot to drive, and the packaging efficiency makes it unique in the MB lineup. But it really never overcame the initial negative press, and thus has never met sales expectations. They have high hopes for the redesign, which should come in '04 for the '05 MY.

chowchow3 · July 2002

I have about 6,000 miles on my c230 so far and I am so glad I bought it. It is functional (used it to move furniture twice, threw in my bike in the truck), great handling (this is my first German car, I am hooked) and unique. The message board is true, there are a lot of dust on the wheels.

The real question now: I just found a 8-10" crack on my windshield, I took it to the dealer. He found a pinhead (literally) size chip and said that's what caused it to crack. Could it be true? If this is really caused by chip, I am out $500 (insurance deductible). The chip is just so small that I can't imagine it could cause such a long crack in a day or so.

What do you guys think?

c230jeff · July 2002

Has anyone performed an ECU chip upgrade on a C230K? Who did you use? Problems? Praises?

I've been thinking of Upsolute, any comments, pro or con?

Warranty woes? (Yes, I know, implicit voiding, but REALLY?)

jrct9454 · July 2002

...can start from any size damage, from a pinhead right up to something the size of a quarter.

huntzinger · July 2002

chowchow3 ...

A windshield crack is usually the result of some sort of stone impact, PLUS residual stresses that were within the windshield since its installation that then causes the tiny flaw to propagate into a big crack.

Currently, my C230 has a rock "ding" in it, and it has not cracked. My Porsche has 2 or 3 of them, as does also my wife's Audi. None of them have propagated cracks.

And I find this typical with German cars I've owned: they've generally been able to take a good rock hit and NOT propagate into a crack.

I'd attribute this to a good windshield design coupled with quality assembly, to prevent the introduction of residual stresses, as I've generally only experienced the problem with American cars we've owned.

I'd suggest going back to the Dealer and asking them to reconsider, suggesting that a windshield that does not have a manufacturing flaw should be able to take a "TINY" rock hit without a catastrophic crack forming.

But I'd suggest a little bit of self-examinination first. First, do you recall any rock hit occurring? (Probably the day of). Next, take a very careful look at the alleged start point, as well as the entire track of the crack and look for any signs of "pulverized" material on the plastic outer coating on the windshield. Rock hits always abrade and tear up the plastic outer coating on the windshield, so if there's no absolutely no pulverizing present anywhere, then it couldn't have been a rock hit. In my experience, any rock hit that's strong enough to cause any real damage will usually leave obvious damage on the windshield's outermost layer (don't forget that the windshield is a multi-layered laminate).

c230jeff ...

Before bothering to perform any performance mod's on your car, I hope you've invested twice as much money in performance driver training for yourself, as this represents a "bigger bang for the buck". Most of us believe that we're great drivers, but the truth is that most of us will benefit far more from a good training course than any modification we can add to our car, down to and including snow tires.

-hh

nyccarguy · July 2002

I totally agree with you that the best modification you can make is to your driving skills. We were actually talking about this on the 3 Series board yesterday.

Remember our friend Jeremy that had a newish (2000 or 2001) Jetta and was looking to upgrade to a c230 Coupe, but has debt and horrible credit? I guess he took our advice in that we told him not to buy a Mercedes, and to rebuild his credit. He ended up buying an Audi TT Coupe and was inquiring on the TT Board about chipping his car. Some people just never learn. They are also the ones who are always asking...why me?

wallace11 · July 2002

Trying to decide whether this upgrade is worthwhile or not. I live on a country road with a fairly steep, twisty drive (with a few bumps and holes). 2000 BMW 328 makes it up fine with RWD, though the traction does kick in on the uphill.

I test-drove the car with 17" rims and liked the handling, but the car I will likely purchase is currently equipped with 16" rims and 205 tires. Dealer says he can easily swap them out if I want them.

Thanks for your input.

c230jeff · July 2002

I do agree with and appreciate your adice, HH, as I'm in my late thirties, I've been driving over 20 years, and have had many cars, both RWD and FWD.

I also recall 400hp+ Chevy's with horrible suspensions and no intrinsic safety features.

I love my C230K, and for today's cars, for that price range, you do get a tremendous "kick in the pants" and a safe one at that. However, I do feel the Kompressor could EASILY do with the additional 30-40HP and ft-lbs torque touted by the chip vendors, and I was hoping to get some feedback from any of those who may have done such a mod.

That said, I solidly agree those doing 50mph in the fast lane, those applying eyeliner on the beltway, and those leaning so far back as to be in the back seat pose among the greatest threats the rest of us face on the roadways today.

Cheers,

Jeff

tommyp13 · July 2002

I know that some people have gotten the Upsolute chip. It basically advances your timing. I saw the install on someone's c230. One problem: our ecus are crimped together (like a frozen lasagna), and even with a crimping tool, it's hard to make it look like it's not been tampered with, if you're concerned about the warranty and making it look stock to the service dept. Though they really won't know that it's been done, unless they drive the car and know what a stock c230 feels like.

GIAC is also supposed to be developing a chip as well, and don't forget all of the pulleys that have been developed that increase hp as well. Choose wisely, young Skywalker.

c230jeff · July 2002

Thanks for your feedback, Tommy, I also posed this question in a forum at MBNZ,

http://forums.mbnz.org/forums/W203/list.asp

Some comments there as well.

It seems to me Wetterauer has a nice design allowing for easily returning the chip to the stock setup, but their chip is four times the cost of the Upsolute chip. Sometimes maybe you do get what you pay for?

Your point about the crimping is well taken, that is definitely to be weighed.

I hope to get more comments, opinion, and most assuredly some chiding, on the subject, including more info re pulleys, and any other reasonably cost-effective mods.

Thanks again to all,

Jeff

huntzinger · July 2002

...I do feel the Kompressor could EASILY do with the additional 30-40HP and ft-lbs torque touted by the chip vendors, and I was hoping to get some feedback from any of those who may have done such a mod.

Personally, I'd look to change the supercharger's amount of compression by a pulley wheel change as being the likely easier and definitely more effective way towards more power; you should be able to find a lot of historical information on enthusiasts which had done this on the old VW G60 Corrado, if info on the C230K engine isn't forthcoming. IMO, this would be more effective than a chip change.

In terms of how much the C-Coupe specifically would benefit from more power, I've done some experimental driving in the rain with the Traction Control turned off, and I found that the car has a greater propensity for rear wheel spin than I would have otherwise suspected.

I hope it doesn't end up reminding me of that old '68 Caprice with the HP 327: plenty of power up front, and an all-too-light rear end :-)

-hh

nyccarguy · July 2002

Have you taken your C to the track or do you just run the 911?

huntzinger · July 2002

Have you taken your C to the track or do you just run the 911?

I'd like to, but unfortunately, I've not gotten out to the track yet at all this season. And at the rate that my weekends are getting booked up with other commitments, I'm afraid that I'm not going to get out at all this season. In looking towards next season, I know that I'm going to have to drop for a new helmet (Snell-2000 rating). So if anyone's interested in a Snell-90 rated helmet in excellent condition, please let me know.

-hh

jrct9454 · July 2002

The MBSpy site has reposted the info on the new engine, and made it much easier to understand via a new comparison table. Bottom line: the new engine makes 192 DIN vs 197 DIN hp [subtract a couple of horses for SAE]; 0-62 mph times go up by 1/10th [ 0.1 ] of a second; fuel consumption drops by 7-8%; overall operation should be smoother and quieter.

And from MBWorld, a dealer insider says that C230 prices for the '03 model year will be flat, and C240 and C320 prices are down $600 and $1700 respectively, but the latter has to be taken in the context of some std equipment being made optional...e.g. the 6spd manual will become standard on the 320. Deliveries on '03s should begin next month.

nyccarguy · July 2002

A 6 speed on the C320...now we're gettin' somewhere;)

timjack · July 2002

Anyone have trouble with the 2 sending units for the gas gauge? My gauge went from reserve with 40 miles left to 0 and empty on the gauge within a couple of feet of driving. Both sending units were changed, the gauge read 1/2 and I ran out of gas three days later with the gauge moving down 1/4. It's going back tomorrow (7/22) to see if they can get it right this time.

jrct9454 · July 2002

...are an extremely common problem right now, not only with MB, but with all the German makes. They're all buying from the same source which continues to have problems with some of the additives in North American gasoline.

timjack · July 2002

I just picked up my C-230 coupe after having my 2nd set of sending units replaced. jrct9454, you're right. One of the technicians told me the sending units are designed to work on gas in Europe. I don't want to know the difference in gas but wonder how many others have had this problem.

whotheman · July 2002

What a SLED! LOL!! LOL!!!

huntzinger · July 2002

Looks like someone is playing a prank with Chris's Edmunds Account :-)

The Lexus SC430 was selected because it's listed as the "dream car" in our troll's profile. All info is from Edmunds reviews, (namely, here and here):

SC430 Slalom (mph): 62.9

C230K Slalom (mph): 64.2

  SC430 1/4 mile: 15.1 @ 95.0 mph

  C230K 1/4 mile: 15.8 @ 87.8 mph

  (considering it has 108HP less, not bad)

SC430 Braking Rating: Excellent (121')

C230K Braking Rating: Excellent (124')

SC430 Handling Rating: Average

C230K Handling Rating: Excellent

SC430 Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 80

C230K Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 77

SC430 Price as Tested: $61,590

C230K Price as Tested: $26,235

-hh

nyccarguy · July 2002

for the 1/4 mile times you forgot to mention the car has 4 less cylinders too;)

Other than that, excellent post as usual my friend!

huntzinger · July 2002

BTW, take a look at the 0-30mph times - they were identical.

-hh

nyccarguy · July 2002

Maybe you could offer some insight over on the BMW 3 series board. One of the posters said that BMW needs to bump up the horsepower on the 325i to at least 200 because Camrys & Accords have 200hp and the Nissan Altima has 240hp:)

It is a topic that is right up your alley.

Thanks!

whotheman · July 2002

You should work for Pontiac, and compare Bonnevilles to A6's!

MB new slogan: Pandering for cheap sales. Like no other!

huntzinger · July 2002

Maybe you could offer some insight over on the BMW 3 series board. One of the posters said that BMW needs to bump up the horsepower on the 325i to at least 200 because Camrys & Accords have 200hp and the Nissan Altima has 240hp:)

IMO, they're probably right: BMW will need the ponies boost in order to maintain parity in the eyes of the consumer (informed & uninformed). The same has happened over time with Porsche, too (a coworker's new minivan has more HP than my old 911).

In general, the problem lies with those consumers who are prone to oversimplify comparisons to the easily tangible things, such as 0-60 times, etc, often because they're driving hacks.

What they are missing are the harder elements that we can call semi-intangibles. Examples include that feeling that the car is carved out of single block of steel (something that GM has never been able to do on any product, IMO). Others are the vehicle's overall balance and elements of design elegance and finesse.

When it comes to my posted performance times, they really don't mean all that much because they're the simplest form of comparison on a highly complicated machine. It doesn't help things that any idiot can drop a big motor into a car (and many idiots have done just that), but the real art (and technical challenge) is to integrate its constituent pieces smoothly and in a well balanced fashion. These elements rarely, if ever, show up in "McMagazine Road Test", and its why some people simply don't get it when it comes to fundamental differences in various marquees, which is why some comparisons are doomed to be "Apples to Oranges" not even worthy of comment.

Which is pretty much why I glanced over the C230's spec's, said "good enough" and then took it for a test drive to get a handle on its subjective feel. FWIW, it wasn't until (several years ago) that I took a BMW 318ti for a second test drive - - with a passenger - - that I fully recognized that its square motor that seemed okay with the car empty really lacked enough torque for practical purposes. Perhaps with the C230 selling here in the USA now, BMW will reconsider bringing back in the 3er Compact ... and Audi will more seriously consider importing the A3 & S3. Saw all of these in Germany earlier this month and they all look to be sharp cars (that would also be in this quality & price segment).

-hh

paul_p · July 2002

Great post!

! couldn't agree more. There's more to life than 0 to 60 times - although that can give an indication of a car's potential to fit the bill overall.

I went through several US automaker's vehicles before driving a C220 in 1995. The car did indeed feel as if it were carved from a "single block of steel," and I decided not to look back. When I do, nothing else compares. The "good old days" were fine, but I'm glad I'm around today! :-)

- Paul

huntzinger · July 2002

I went through several US automaker's vehicles before driving a C220 in 1995.

I did a literature search (ie, Edmunds) last year, before finally getting the C230K. Since I wanted a sporty yet still practical hatchback, the search was pretty quick - ie, there simply were no US contenders. The last time that we literally did "a day on the ground" going to all of the local dealerships to eyeball products was in 1990.

The car did indeed feel as if it were carved from a "single block of steel,"

Agreed. I can recall having a virtually brand new (4000 miles) Dodge Neon in 1995, and finding in very short order that it had significantly more irritating squeaks and rattles than my (at that time, 11 years old & 100+K miles) VW Scirocco. Absolutely eye-opening.

Since then, I've used the rental car as an easy way to monitor how well the manufacturers are doing. It helps that they come with some mileage, because that means that if a car's going get dashboard rattles and squeaks, they'll usually be already present, if it was a US model. For non-domestic rentals, I had a nice, quiet Toyota Echo last fall, and the Mercedes A-Class rental car I drove earlier this month in Germany didn't have a single rattle or squeak anywhere. Go figure.

-hh

scscars · August 2002

A question for timjack (#1127)who said and jrct9454 (#1126) who said

Is there a specific part of the US where MB owners are having the problem? In Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, fuel distributors are required to use gasohol in order to meet EPA clean air standards instead of MTBE which is used elsewhere, particularly the east and west coasts. Do these sending units react negatively to gasohol or MTBE or both? Living in metro Chicago, should I be looking for this problem to emerge as I'm now on my second month with an '02 C230K, or cross my fingers and hope that European gas is somewhat similar to the blend that they sell in Chicago? I'd appreciate anyone's informed thoughts on this. Thanks much.

paul_p · August 2002

Cool - I am totally with you on the rental car concept. I rented and drove an A-Class in London last spring (Easy Rent-a-car in Chelsea, by far the best deal) and it was a solid unit. Little, but spacious. Only strange thing was right hand drive - though the order of the pedals stays the same, and key is still on the right of the column. Also rented a Peugeot 306 (not my choice) from Avis at Heathrow on the trip and it was, imho, very sloppy all around.

I was pleasantly surprised to find automatic temperature climate control in the A-Class - though blower speed and direction were manual. Same as in my y2k C230 except that is dual-zoned.

Didn't run it very fast because I was paranoid about the speed cameras on the M4 and M25. The 5-speed was nice, tight, and fun to drive! It seemed to hold its own on our trip to the English channel and back - a couple of hours each way.

I think it averaged in the high 30's MPG highway, and at $4.60 per gallon that was a good thing! I would definitely consider buying one in the US, should I ever have a small family.

- Paul

huntzinger · August 2002

I was pleasantly surprised to find automatic temperature climate control in the A-Class - though blower speed and direction were manual. Same as in my y2k C230 except that is dual-zoned.

I don't recall messing around with the climate control settings, so it probably was fairly automatic.

What I do recall was seeing a CD player in the dashboard as STD equipment on the A140. Just piqued me a bit about how MB didn't do at least this for the "twice the price" C230K in the US Market, but instead was expecting us to drop nearly a grand for a glovebox changer.

- - - -

In regards to right-hand drives, all of the ones I've ever driven always had the "standard" pedal layout. Biggest difference I've noticed was that the stalks for the turn signals & windshield wipers are transposed. Its always fun to pull up to an intersection, try to signal to turn left and turn your wipers on instead!

-hh

jrct9454 · August 2002

I have heard that it is some substance in North American fuel supplies that is the alleged culprit, but to be honest, I don't know WHICH additive, component, or compound is the guilty party. I don't think they know either, which is why the same faulty parts keep getting replaced over and over.

My point was: go to the Japanese, who appear to be having no problems, and source the part from one of their suppliers [Denso or Nippon Electric or whomever], instead of insisting that Siemens or Bosch or whomever solve the problem quickly. It's pretty clear they are clueless, so why keep beating the horse?

Here in CA, we too are going to be treated to the dreaded Ethanol mix down the road a couple of years, notwithstanding the fact that the oil companies have proven they can make a better clear air blend without EITHER alcohol or MTBE...thank you very much, Midwest farm lobby.

scscars · August 2002

To jcrt9454:

I could not agree with you more. Mercedes could source the fuel sending units out from the Japanese, even from Chrysler or Mitsubishi and still solve the problem. Having lived with gasohol fuels for the last 7 years or so, I can definetly tell you that corn should be used for syrup or whiskey, but not for motor fuel.

Thanks to the "corn lobby" on Capitol Hill, and the state legislatures of the midwest, my cars have gotten lower fuel mileage than with non-gasohol blends, and gas prices are a lot higher than in other parts of the country. Prices here in Illinois are even higher than California at times, due to gasohol and other mysterious additives needed to meet EPA mandates.

jpnwdc · August 2002

I drove the new C230 last week. I need to replace my Saab 9-3SE which is coming off lease in a few months.

I love the looks of the C230. When I saw the black on black leather coupe, I thought "I can definitely see myself in this!"

However, after a test drive, I was disappointed. The acceleration, handling, and braking were fine. I liked the new engine and thought it had a pleasing sound. What left me cold was the level of Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) of this car. It even had a weird accoustical effect that was very displeasing to the ears. It's hard to describe, almost like the effect you might get on an older car with the sunroof open. However, the sunroof was closed in the C230.

Anyone else notice this? Does Mercedes have a design flaw with this car?

huntzinger · August 2002

Did it have the 17" wheels option?

Reason I ask is that it seems that MB might have done a bit more than an "exhaust tip change" with this options package - - there's now four C230's where I work, and two have 16's and two have 17's. The exhaust note on both the 17's is a lot louder, rougher & raspier than on both the 16's.

But the note is definitely exhaust, nothing at all like the popping you can get from an open sunroof.

-hh

testdrive08 · August 2002

I have that same experienced test driving the 2.3L engine. The noise level was loud and I was not impressed with it. But I went to another dealer and test drove the same 2.3L 230 kompressor and it was quieter than the one before. So my guess, there is something wrong with the first car that I test drove. I am still debating myself if I should get this 230 kompressor?

verozahl · August 2002

What tomcat is saying is that Realness is gender-independent. Whoa. There goes a whole section of gender studies right there. You just put hundreds of academics out of work. Maybe thousands!

petercrase · August 2002

My C230 that is 6 months old and has about 8300 miles on it died inexplicably while driving on I-80 near Fairfield CA on Sunday. I was in heavy, slow traffic, with my foot off the accelerator, going about 25mph. When I started to accelerate slowly with traffic, nothing happened, the engine had stopped running! I put on the emergency flasher, and tried to restart the engine, it turned over several times, but didn't start. I put on my turn signal and started to coast over to the right, got off the highway and onto the truck exit lane for the weigh station. I tried to restart the car again, this time it fired up and I was able to rejoin traffic. I had plenty of gasoline and no malfunction message came up on the dash readout. I estimate it was off for 20 to 30 seconds. I drove another 100 miles that day with no reoccurence of any engine problem. The dealer said to bring it in to see if a fault code can be found. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Mine is a white exterior grey interior 2002 Kompressor Coupe, 6 speed with no C7 option. The only options I have are the Bose stereo and the 6 CD changer in the glovebox. Thanks for any input.
Peter

jrct9454 · August 2002

...both in Edmunds and MBWorld, the discussion forums have lots of examples of this kind of failure. It seems to have something to do with the electronic throttle/drivetrain computer software. Even Autoweek has had this happen with their long-term C320 wagon [more than once, apparently].

farfegnugen · August 2002

It's not that common. Usually it's caused by a keychain that is too heavy. If this is the case, the key will lose contact with the driver authorisation system and it won't let you restart or will cause the car to shutdown. Don't put more than a couple of keys on it to be on the safe side.

jrct9454 · August 2002

...the sudden stalling, with inability to immediately restart, but restarting eventually, has absolutely nothing to do with the key not being seated properly in the hole. You can disagree if you wish, but I have been following these discussions on three separate websites, and there is a known problem with the engine management software that is causing these sudden power-loss symptoms.

I do urge people not to put a lot of junk on the master key; for our cars, I never USE the master key in the ignition, only the other one [assuming they still give you the other one - we got one with our '98 MB]. The master is kept separate and used only to open and close the car and secure the alarm. I got in this habit long before any problems like this were known...

petercrase · August 2002

My key has nothing attached to it. I have it seperated from my key ring because it is so bulky,
so there is no possibility that's the problem. The key is very secure in the dash inlet.
I don't have a master key that I'm aware of. We were given two keys with the car, and they are identical. They both have a mechanical key inserted into the body of the electronic key that has the eyelet for attaching to the ring. If you give your car to a valet, you detach the electronic key from the metal mechanical key, leaving the mehanical key on the ring. The mechanical key can be used to lock the glove box.
JRCT9454, do you know how this engine going off problem can be diagnosed or repeated by the dealer? Does any fault code show up?
Thanks
Peter

jrct9454 · August 2002

No, I don't know any of the details, only the substance of the rumors and general scuttlebutt. I gather from the frustration level of those who have had your problem that it is NOT being captured by the on-board diagnostic trap, so naturally the "high-tech technicians" at the dealerships tend to throw up their hands. There are also a lot of negative vibes about the fuel systems in these cars [that ground has been covered here and at MBWorld], with fuel sending units, pumps, etc being replaced, but the symptoms there have more to do with wildly inaccurate gauge readings than fuel starvation per se. I don't know what to tell you - except that every time I get close to buying one of these cars, another problem crops up and I pull back.

Mercedes-Benz CLK (2005 and earlier)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles