Sold CLK320... save it from the bridge! £199 4 weeks MOT

[Liggle]

Popping my collection thread virginity...

You know the usual story, nervously winning an eBay auction:



Arranged collection for this morning. Leicester to Chester, 1 bus, 3 trains:



Not been on a bus for ages, the driver was really amused with me paying with a £10 note

[cort16]

That looks like a lot of car for 500 groats.

[Liggle]

I’m hoping so!

 

Waiting for my first train to Nuneaton, bizarrely it’s an hour quicker with an extra change!

 

 

Finest breakfast option:

 

 

Mmmm nutrition

[Liggle]

Nuneaton achieved:

 

 

Stafford next

[smellypoo]

Good luck! Those CLKs are lovely cars, the V6 sounds so nice - it's a pity a lot have suffered from rust and neglect, here's hoping yours will be a good buy!

[Liggle]

Skipped Stafford and stayed on til Crewe on the slower train:

 

 

I used to work at an old yard once a week up here, forgot how much railshite they have loitering around:

 

 

Last leg to Chester now

[Liggle]

 

Taxi!

 

 

The photos really flatter it and it needs new fronts and a wiper blade but it drives great so far!

 

 

 

The previous owner would fit right in on here, I’ve recommended the forum! Now to find a wiper blade and fuel...

[rantingYoof]

Reassuring MOT history too for an 18 year old Merc!

 

Only one mention of corrosion as an advisory and it's not come back. Well bought!

 

[Pillock]

That looks like a lot of car for 500 groats.

Looks like a bus.

[Slartibartfast]

Well bought!

[Liggle]

Well I’m home, 130 miles covered on roughly 1/4 tank, if the gauge is accurate I reckon 30mpg ish.

 

Verdict:

 

- It’s soft, in a good wafty way

- Sounds great

- Goes very well

- Very comfy & a great cruiser

 

- Slight hint of wheel wobble

- Tyres not the best

- Cruise doesn’t work above 60 ish

 

I really rather like it!

[sam simmons]

If it is anything like my v6 you will become friendly with your local petrol garage.......

 

I like old sheddy merc`s and that looks a good un

[SiC]

That ain't modern! There are teenagers younger than this, that have their driving licences!

[Fat_Pirate]

NICE, I bet that's lovely and smooth.  Mr Pirate's CLK suffers the harsh 4-pot motor and still rarely sees the other side of 30mpg.  It does go pretty well though.

[0ldCh0d]

If it is anything like my v6 you will become friendly with your local petrol garage.......

 

I like old sheddy merc`s and that looks a good un

 

 

I disagree about the fuel cost of these, I had a 2001 CLK 320 & I thought that it was rather good on the juice considering the engine size....Compared with my previous Audi A4 2.8 Quattro...Now....that liked a drink.

 

Well bought, these are lovely car's, Look after it & it will serve you well. I regretted very much selling my CLK 320...Until I got the CLK 430.

 

Elegance Trim.....More luxurious items as standard, like heated seats & a softer suspension set up than the Avantgarde models.

 

The Mercedes V6 Engine in these are also a very nice, reliable engine, Smoooooooooooth as fuck. Also, they are sublime, effortless cruisers, The comfort is superb on a long run & a mention goes to standard the sound system, Nice clear sound & nice bass, especially when listening to Kings of Leon, Or the Eagles etc.

 

Make sure that you keep the x2 bonnet catches greased...they tend to seize if not lubricated often. Which results in the bonnet only opening at one side when you pull the release handle, bit of a Pain in the Arse when it happens.

[Slartibartfast]

Moved to the main board cos I wouldn't say this was a modern, I'd say this is prime Autoshite chod.

[Liggle]

Make sure that you keep the x2 bonnet catches greased...they tend to seize if not lubricated often. Which results in the bonnet only opening at one side when you pull the release handle, bit of a Pain in the Arse when it happens.

 

Thanks for the tip! 

 

It is an effortless cruiser, I am planning to commute in it this week if I can get some tyres sorted tomorrow. 

 

Moved to the main board cos I wouldn't say this was a modern, I'd say this is prime Autoshite chod.

No problem, thanks. 

[Jams]

if it’s from Chester way it will be a good motor

[RoadworkUK]

Excellent machines, these, with a lovely feeling weight to the controls. Very well bought indeed.

 

Cruise control issue sounds rather odd, you've not got it in speed limiter mode in error? A few of my old customers got caught out by that.

 

Enjoy!

[155V6]

That sums up the whole forum for me.I see a car someone has bought,& what they've paid for it & I think "I'd never even considered one of those,but now I'd really like one".

[Liggle]

Cruise control issue sounds rather odd, you've not got it in speed limiter mode in error? A few of my old customers got caught out by that.

There’s a ‘LIM’ light on in limiter mode so it’s not that, it’s weird how it works below 60 ish. At 70 I can feel it accelerate very briefly then cuts out if I click resume so it seems sensor related?

[Wingz123]

Lovely car.....the thought of buying one of these keeps entering my mind and I have to shake it off really rather quickly as I have no more room or time for another car! LOL but in my time have had many W210 E Class' (the same front end as your CLK) and loved all of them. Was rust in the end that got the better of them but drove fantastically and so much room for a guy of my height (6ft 6) 

 

Re the bonnet hindges/catches......I will also pipe up and agree with this as nearly all of the E-Class' I had did this too. You'd go to pull the bonnet lever and it would only release on one side. So you'd find yourself asking a mate/wife/whatever to push down on the side that didn't pop up whilst you pull the lever from inside the car!

 

All fun and games though! Superb vehicles!! Well bought that man!

[mercrocker]

And a textbook collection thread too! (dismal public transport, gut-rot breakfast, rail chod) 

[skattrd]

Nice one mate, even if it is a tad scruffy, it's a nice way to try an auto. A lot of people get a weedy thing with no power then say autos are crap, that engine/box combo should be nice and wafty.

I do feel partly responsible for you buying this, as I've said you need to try an auto for a while.

 

Whilst I might feel slightly responsible for this purchase, in no way do I feel guilty.

[0ldCh0d]

There’s a ‘LIM’ light on in limiter mode so it’s not that, it’s weird how it works below 60 ish. At 70 I can feel it accelerate very briefly then cuts out if I click resume so it seems sensor related?

 

If the yellow LIM light is on (Usually on the stalk itself, small yellow circle light), that means the speed limiter has been set. To turn it off, just push the end of the cruise control stalk in & the Yellow LIM light should go out.

 

I personally think that the cruise control set up on all Mercedes of this age is excellent, & is very easy to use, unlike others where you need to hold a button down, then press another button to activate it. 

 

R.E the bonnet catches, I was going to mention that the W210 E Class suffers the same issue.

 

Remember also, the W208 CLK (The Model that you have Liggle) is NOT based on the W210 E Class (Alot of people think that it is), However, it is actually based on the W202 C Class. & although the the front end looks the same as an E Class, they are NOT interchangeable, So, if you ever need to replace say for instance a headlight or front wing, do not get an E Class one as it wont fit, despite looking very similar.

 

Also, boring point of interest. The Elegance models have factory green tinted glass & wood coloured wood trim as standard.

 

The Avantgarde models have factory blue tinted glass & black birdseye maple wood trim as standard.

 

Sorry to bore you here, but I am a proper three pointed star licker.....Infact here is a picture of my CLK 430. Mine is an Avantgarde, with factory fitted AMG kit.

 

Edit to add, the foot parking brake is another superb thing once you get used to it...infact it is so good, that when you get in to another car with a conventional handbrake, you find yourself feeling about for the foot parking brake & the release handle! I did that quite abit...lol.

[Jim Bell]

That does look saucey. What a flippin bargain.

[Liggle]

Whilst I might feel slightly responsible for this purchase, in no way do I feel guilty.

I’d certainly say you helped persuade me!

 

But yeah first auto, hopefully a good place to start

[alfetta]

Had a few old Mercs, over the years. I was quite tempted by one of these once but then my cunt chav neighbour bought an 03 model, so think I'll be giving them a miss...lol

[Liggle]

So I've had this for a few weeks now, and have naturally found a few issues. 

 

Tyres - the fronts were borderline illegal so planned to replace those, rears were date stamped from 1999 and 2001 and after wasting hours of my life trying to locate decent, matching part worns I've had 4x new Falken tyres fitted today which has transformed the way it drives. Its also fixed the cruise control! It works at all speeds now. 

 

Brakes - OSF caliper sticking, I've been down the route of stripping and cleaning with sticking calipers before for it to return a few days later so I've ordered a new caliper which was a very reasonable £66 after the surchage for returning the old one, fitting this tomorrow. 

Fuel leak - when brimming the tank its dripping out of the filler neck

 

Still love driving it though, very relaxing on my commute (when the caliper isn't sticking) 

[Liggle]

Well... by the time I'd commuted home on my lovely new tyres the engine sounds like its running dry of oil at the top end, fun and games. 

The noise is exactly like this vid:

 

From my quick research so far it sounds like it could be:

- Anti-purge valve (although sounds too metallic)
- Cam oil tubes which lubricate the valvetrain

 

Things I've tried & noticed:

- Checked oil, level is fine and oil quite clean

- It was only happening at 1200-1800rpm but now does it at all revs

- It did do this on Sunday but was fine once warmed up, now its bad at all temperatures

Anyone on here got any experience with the M112 V6 engines? Its now in the naughty corner until I can find some time to fix it. Suggestions are welcome!