Had my CLK W209 with M271 engine since 2011. Current mileage is 233,000 miles. I have been changing my oil every 3000 or so miles for last 7 years or so. Change my transmission oil every 3 or so years. Change suspension parts myself every few years. Minor issues and repairs over the years but all resolved (door locck, start motor, alternator etc). Drove all the way to South of France and back 2 months ago, no issues. ABSOLUTELY BEST CAR EVER. Wont be changing this car.
I’ve had my 209 CLK convertible for 11years now, toured UK, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal. The car is now my hobby and I’ve been an active member of the Mercedes club. Great cars and intend to keep mine for years to come.
Excellent video, so good to see a well maintained car. I bought my CLK after watching the SPR buyers guide and consider myself very fortunate to be one of Sam's customers. Just popping out to the car now to check my drain holes 🙂
It's not a permanent thing, I'm sure at some point they will open up to new customers again :) The RUclips channel done so well that it has brought so many eyes on them and lots of new customers so they struggle to meet the needs of their existing ones.
Fantastic video! Dream combo of "JJ on Cars" and "SPR Autos". I hope there will be repeat visits -- hopefully not about any serious or costly repairs -- just to learn more about the CLK and its maintenance. I love when I can be around while people are working on my car, but sadly it is rarely possible. BTW, I think that bill was very reasonable for the amount of hours that were required. I'm sure my (official Mercedes) dealer would have charged more than that.
Thanks mate, and thanks for the interesting comments and good info :) Yeah would have been charged double that for an official Mercedes garage I'm sure!
Thanks to SPR i learn my E-klasse subframe has a lifetime warranty. I have it looked ad and get a new one on warranty. Bless you! For that information! Greetings from the Nederlands
Great work by the guys at SPR. Good info regards using an air hammer to shock seized bolts. Good to see even the experts have to battle with bolts and not just home mechanics. Great video!
26:09 If you get a scanner that supports reading out live data, you can check the angle of the steering wheel as a numerical read out. As long as the steering wheel hasn't been misaligned at some point in time, you'll get a "0" reading from the scanner when it is dead straight. The car relies on knowing the steering wheel angle to some extent for the ESP. A super capable scanner that costs very little, is the Launch Creader Elite 2.0 for Benz. It has a very small display (4") but unless you are doing frequent repairs and analyses, that's not a real limitation. It supports variant coding which means you can configure the car to some extent. For instance, you can add a piece of information to your trip display that shows a prediction how many miles you can still drive with the fuel remaining in the tank. The bit you can add is the actual litres of fuel in the tank, which I find more helpful than the estimate of remaining miles. Another option I personally changed is when the seatbelt warning chime sounds. I configured it so that it only comes on when the engine is running, which means I can fully turn the key to the "ACC" position without being molested by the chime yet, while I'm putting on the seatbelt. All this can be done with simple tapping on options, i.e., there is no need to deal with hex codes, or anything like that.
Really enjoyed watching such a professional and diligent job. I had a CLK 230 Kompressor in the same colour in Bahrain and enjoyed driving it. It suffered some odd issues, largely attributable to the harsh climate (eg the headlining fabric detached itself whilst driving along on the motorway and I ended up trying to drive along with this billowing tent above me). I sold it to an airline pilot who also appreciated it. I note your comment on the suspension and agree there is something quite refined about it - the perfect blend of sportiness and suppleness.Adopting the shouldered wheel bolts was a wise decision - it ensures that the shear force is transmitted across the unthreaded portion, avoiding stress concentrations and providing a greater cross sectional area.
Thanks! 😆 It's interesting to see how different climates affect cars. Here generally the headlining will stay up, and the paint will remain blemish free... but.... rust will kill cars here whereas I guess it doesn't so much in your part of the world. That explains the reasoning behind those bolts, thank you for the information - I'm happy to have gone back to that style :)
Great video JJ! Totally demonstrates the value of using a specialist rather than just any garage, these guys are not playing parts darts trying to identify problems… they’ve probably seen it hundreds of times. If you find a good specialist like these guys (as I’ve done locally) it’s worth the effort to travel a bit further as it can save you time, cost, and inconvenience. Totally agree on the tracking, I thought mine was okay until I had a 4 wheel laser alignment and boy, what a difference!
Shame SPR so far away, however recently found a specialist in Teignmouth Devon whom seems to care about the quality of his work. I wanted to replace my rear brake back plates, hub bearings etc properly. He has done a perfect job.
I Have a 2005 CLK 200K and have had it for over 15 years. Fantastic smooth cruiser & I doubt I'll ever part with it. I've had the issues with blocked drain holes from parking under trees! - Regular oil changes & servicing by the same local MB specialist during my ownership. I learnt from one of your videos this week the dash button for lowering the rear headrests after all these years, thanks!
19:50 You should get a curtain wire (plastic covered steel spring) or a "anti-clogging" wire from plumbing supplies to keep your drains free. Some people use a "fish tape". It just needs to be the right mix of flexibility to adapt to the bends of the drains and stiffness to allow you to get through the pipes and push muck out of the way. Unfortunately, Sam did not address the drain on the right hand side (assuming driving direction). There is no drain pipe starting from the cowl under the windshield, but there is a drain somewhere under the front SAM unit or brake fluid reservoir. Not quite sure, as I have only learned about it recently and haven't located it yet on my CLK. This one is probably best accessed from below (needs removal of the wheel arch cover) but is important to keep free as otherwise the front SAM unit can be in danger of becoming drowned. At least that's my understanding from having watched some videos on the subject.
Good idea 👍 From what I remember we (he lol) made sure all drain holes were clear - might not have ended up on the vid, or it was already clear, not sure. Nowadays the car isn't parked under a tree, so hopefully they won't be clogging up like they did.
@@JJonCars Unless your car is parked in a garage, I think you should be looking after those drain holes, i.e., I believe they require regular maintenance. Not very frequently, but from time to time I think it makes sense to check what nature has been donating into those drain pipes.
Propper job ,nice ,frindly and strait forward mechanics. Liked to see all these paying attention to detail like greasing bolts , cleaning rotors ect. Price is also reasonable. I do this kind of work by myself in my garage ,but i have to confess that i am not able to do the allignment by myself.
The front AR bolts soak them in a 50% ATF and 50% acetone mix from the top where they protrude through the alloy sub-frame a few days in advance (obviously difficult for a garage business) and ease them back and forward a few times. Has worked for me several times.
I recently stumbled onto your channel and I really love it! In a span of a little bit over one week i watched most of your videos. Keep up the great work JJ cheers
Yeah id be happy enough with that. A grand. Missus boight a 30k Audi. Repayments of 550 a month. Wish she bought a 5- 10k car and spent 2k fixing it up, gettin it perfect etc. Much more rewarding keepin older cars on the road n doing a bit of DIY.
I have a 2001 w203 3.2 petrol and have done all these jobs myself on my driveway without any airtools. Changed the springs for Eibach ones as the OEM are crap and keep breaking exactly where yours did and had no further problems. Crazy not to change the arms as pairs as if one goes the other follows and then you have to get full alignment again.
Both specialists I've been to thus far haven't recommended changing them as pairs, so I've just taken their advice. The track rod end and lower arm were done on the other side around 7,000 miles ago, so I'd say it was worth it. Front alignment is £35 or so. I suspect that one issue with my car is that because it's low mileage, at 18 years old, most of the parts have never been off. So they are putting up quite the fight, hence air tools and blow torch etc. Well done to you for doing those on your driveway - there's no chance of me doing that.
Ha, I'd meant to go back and sort the green screen mess out on that bit, but forgot 😂 I'm sure there's some suspension related joke in this about leaf springs or something
Good to see you happy with the work done on the CLK. My CLK55 spent some time at SPR earlier this year getting her back on the road after seven years off. I cannot fault Sam and Co, ive done about 600 miles since and she makes me smile (only 36600 miles now🤣🤣) Watch the videos x2 SPRAUTOS RUclips.
I had the lower arm and track rod end done on one side about a year ago, the other side has lasted another 7,000 miles - so I'm fine with just going with one side at a time. Fingers crossed that upper arm lasts a bit longer :)
Nice work . I have found that bad upper thrust front control arms will affect steering response , making it require adjustment through corners . Severe jarring over bumps or dips in the road can be due to a bad strut rubber mount.
JJ , a fantastic video. You have given me some ideas for my 07 clk cabriolet . And generally, good things to think about to keep these fantastic cars on the road past 10-15-20 yrs in age . Good maintenance .
In mine I had to get lower front arms replaced, timing chain, transmission mount, cam solenoids, rear oxygen sensor, thermostat and V-Belt, I also have smaller supercharger pulley(62 mm steel), god It makes a lot of difference in power and torque curve.
Great video! This year i had done a 4000km roadtrip to france with my w209 clk320 petrol and it’s such a good comfy car! The only thing i noticed is that it handles more like a boat then my w208 clk did so i will have a look at it asap. Thanks for sharing all this content!
Thank you! Some of the 320s do have quite a soft setup, the sports suspension and big wheels on mine can be a bit jarring. Worth a checkover to see if anything needs replacing though 👍
@@JJonCars Thanks for sharing this info about the soft set up! i’d like to share that i got rid of my w208clk cause it was at the time i had it for me a very boring and slow car since i had the 2 liter NA. And also the fact that there was not much aftermarket support and it was my first car. i’ve had the car for 5 years without a single problem i bought it with 200k kilometers and traded it in with roughly 375k kilometers. during the time of sale i was a panel beat for 3 years and got into hondas and been tinkering around with them for about 4-5 years and eventually got sick of constantly having to work on a never ending story. The reason i got to the w209 was that at my 3rd attempt of getting an MOT for my last honda i saw a guy driving in for MOT with a full option w209 and the side windows down. I had a little chat with the guy about the car and i was sold! 1-2 years went by and then i found your channel getting me all passionate again about the w209. Without your content i wouldn’t have done that final step of actually purchasing one and i’m still very happy with the car and it’s a 320 the engine i’ve been drooling over the past decade. sorry for the long story i just had to share it
Soy de Argentina y cuanto me voy a dormir en vez de pensar en mujeres pienso en un hermoso mercedes benz, supe vender uno qué me dejaron para la venta y gracias a dios pude venderlo, era un w210 320 primera generación, ojalá la vida me premie con uno! Saludos
I was going to SPR before they even had the reception area… really talented people who service every car like their own. Great stuff on their RUclips channel now too. Even without the discount it sounds like you got a fair deal. The benefits of the other work might not be apparent while driving around town but maybe it’ll make all the difference if you ever need to push it round some bends.
You're an OG customer :) Since I filmed that part at the end, I've been driving it more and it really does feel better. Once I knew it needed fixing, I'd been driving like miss Daisy, but now it's sorted I have had a good blast round the Peak District since and it's been marvellous!
@@JJonCars I’d value your opinion on something off topic. Forget the mechanical aspect, but what do you think of the A124 cabrio as it stands today? Does it look like a classic yet or just an old shape of a CLK / E coupe that’s had its day? Is it an old man’s car, a doctor’s wife’s car, a hairdresser’s car… what does it portray? I’m on the verge of swapping my C207 E class for one and feel in a quandary!
@@Millennial_Manc Well, my opinion might not align with your average person (who could think its any of those things you mentioned). But personally I think it looks great, to me it implies a bit of 'old money' vibe - a car you drive if you could easily afford something brand new but you choose to drive the old convertible tank because that's what you want. I would always just say if you like it, then that's what matters! I'd definitely drive one, and I think it is looking like a classic - you just don't see cars like that on the road any more. Some people seem to get why I drive an 'old' Mercedes (2006 counts as ancient for most people these days lol), and others don't. But I like the car so I'm happy :)
My C209 cope sports CDI 09 86000 miles The best Mercedes ever AND back to SAM my god does he know he’s stuff O yes He only fits the best parts Or nothing Top man 👍👍
My wife has r171 slk 2009 just had gearbox service she loves it makes her smile every time she drives it to me that’s priceless old school Mercedes no I pad dash shit 😁
Great video , but when you think your paying 20% vat tax to guv for maintaining your car after paying road tax petrol tax kinda think they taking the urine! 😂
A most interesting video, although to be fair, I've also probably seen Edd China do similar work many times over. I suppose for yourself, you'll have been checking around, seeing what else needs attention - for example, at 14:05 there looks like a scrape and some previous repair on the lower edge of the bumper. It's always good to find not only a specialist but a local specialist and to hear they're not taking on any new customers - well, I won't be buying a Merc now! 🙂
Yeah you get a great look at the car! Mostly I'm just looking at all the crusty bits (it's all suspension really no structural or body panels), and thinking I need some underseal on them. That scrape I'm aware of... might have been me parking late at night in a hotel car park that happened to have a rock at the edge of the parking bay. The previous repair is my dodgy effort to sort it out 😂
Interesting on the brake flush that there was no mention of cycling the ABS pump ….. which is something I always try to do. Is this not part of the procedure?
Would you not tighten the inner bottom wishbone bolt with the suspension under compression to reduce the tension on the rubber brush and extend its life? BTW really enjoy your content.
What engine does a clk200 have? I've never seen a 200 over here on the other side of the pond. Older Mercedes always ride like a new car when you renew suspension parts.
Great video! Funnily enough Ive got a CLK which is makes a creaking noise over going over bumps. Has anyone experienced this? Its passed its MOT with no advisories and they said can't see anything obviously wrong with the suspension. recently It has had the front and rear arms fixed. Do you think this could be the break coils ?
Tbh with you, I thought it could be the rear coils, but mine does still make a creaking noise from the rear when going over speed bumps. Most of the time I can't hear it. If you do find out let me know and vice versa 😄
Why not change the other upper suspension arm too? Seems like missed opportunity. So close to changing it now, if you have to do it soon you’ll also need to redo the alignment.
It's possible it could fail soon, but it could keep going for many miles. Will find out if it was a mistake to ignore it! There was only so much time in the day, and RUclips doesn't pay me enough 😆
Hello, Why your car is rusty under? I've got a clk 320 2004 model. 10 years in Tokyo, 5 in Okinawa (so humid and salty weather) and 5 years in Hokkaido now ( 5 month a year in deep snow ans salt every day) and absolutely no rust everywhere. What's happened to your car? Please let me know if you can! Thanks!
Hi. It's very common for cars to look like this underneath in the UK, or often even worse (it's a very common killer of cars, often before the engine dies). We have salty winter roads and a wet maritime climate with a lot of rain. Cars imported here from Japan always have less rust on them, I've always been told its because they don't salt the roads in Japan - but then you're saying they do...
Hi from sunny Neasden. Is it possible to damage my Clk240 2004? I don't really want to buy one but it is the only way to get fault diagnosis. I bought a 2004 CLK. I shouldn't have bought it but I drove it for a test and I was sold. I only paid a grand.,and the engine and gearbox are sweet. The guy must have turned the code off because nothing flashed up until the next day. BAS SRS ESP ABS all came up the next day. Seat belt restraint issue. No rear windscreen trim
Hello. I am not the mechanic in this video, but one thing I do know is that a bad/old battery can cause a lot of weird electrical issues on the CLK. So worth checking and replacing if necessary, will at least rule that out.
You can check out his channel for more videos on the CLK. There was one issue with the instrument cluster once and the gearbox electronic plug. Nothing major so far, IIRC. There is a video dedicated to the running costs accumulated so far. I have a CLK as well and it has been very reliable and is a ton of fun to drive. The rear wheel drive makes more of a positive difference then I ever thought it would, the steering is nice and precise (pretty weighty), and the supercharger makes the engine feel a lot bigger than it is. After my first test drive of a CLK, I couldn't wipe the smile of my face for quite a while and it still feels special to drive it even after I've had it for a while now. Your mileage may very, of course. If you are looking for tons of torque, one of the bigger engines would be advisable.
Note that JJ's car does not have the latest evolution of the M271 engine; later ones had a bit more horse power. He also has a video on the CLK 500 with a V8 engine.
@@coolcat23 I bought a 500 two years ago, had a real good look round it then test drove it. As soon as I gave it the beans I said i'll take it.. Bit thirsty at times but its more smiles per gallon that counts
Yes brov, hope you're all good....have had 2,C.L.K 's....one was a rag top....when there good, they are awesome, when there bad, they are super ugly.....switched out now u know, (audi).....no fookin drama's.....
The drain tubes are a poor design because they get narrower as they go down..the best way to clear them is to use a vacuum cleaner with nozzle applied at the top of the drains.
Those were all easy jobs, don't know why you couldn't have done it yourself ?? On the bill, parts were £219 !! Does £900 labour not make you think different ? I have a 2008 clk and have done all those jobs on my driveway!
You are fortunate to have a driveway (+ sympathetic neighbours?) - not to mention the skills and TIME to tackle such jobs yourself - but I get the impression that JJ feels saferin cars maintained by trained mechanics. My experience of DIY motoring is that these jobs take a huge amount of time, specialist tools + know-how, and although you might save yourself a few quid, the grazed knuckles, dirty fingernails and ‘iffy’ safety just ain’t worth it 🙁
People who are happy with their CLK, I feel sorry for them. They have no idea what a real Mercedes is. It is the worst Mercedes ever made. We bought one new a long time ago, after having driven a C124. The Mercedes feeling had suddenly disappeared, the hood much too low, engine noise terrible and the feeling of sitting in a small car. It was nicer to drive in our other car, a Nissan 200SX. It turned out afterwards that the managers had taken over the company and everything had to be cheaper, but not the sales prices. Now we have a C124 again, which has perfect build quality and an interior of a quality that you can only find in a Rolls Royce these days..
![Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 | Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) [5] vs. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) [2] | F](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EIjZybhsWqA/mqdefault.jpg)
Enjoyed this one, great to have you back in the garage. Glad to hear the car is driving better than ever. 🍻
Had my CLK W209 with M271 engine since 2011. Current mileage is 233,000 miles. I have been changing my oil every 3000 or so miles for last 7 years or so. Change my transmission oil every 3 or so years. Change suspension parts myself every few years. Minor issues and repairs over the years but all resolved (door locck, start motor, alternator etc). Drove all the way to South of France and back 2 months ago, no issues. ABSOLUTELY BEST CAR EVER. Wont be changing this car.
Nice to know it can do the miles. Has the car ever had timing chain issues or has staying on top of oil changes avoided that?
@@JJonCars Ive had no timing chain issues whatsoever. Only had to change leaking rocker cover gasket and cam shaft magnets.
@@trivadpt That's good. My car also had the camshaft magnet issue
The 271 only has chain issues when people follow MB's ridiculously long oil changes intervals. Same with any engine to be honest.
@@BigHumz155 too right.
I’ve had my 209 CLK convertible for 11years now, toured UK, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal. The car is now my hobby and I’ve been an active member of the Mercedes club. Great cars and intend to keep mine for years to come.
Excellent video, so good to see a well maintained car. I bought my CLK after watching the SPR buyers guide and consider myself very fortunate to be one of Sam's customers. Just popping out to the car now to check my drain holes 🙂
JJ , you are so lucky to have SPR work on your car. I’m absolutely gutted I can’t become a customer.
It's not a permanent thing, I'm sure at some point they will open up to new customers again :) The RUclips channel done so well that it has brought so many eyes on them and lots of new customers so they struggle to meet the needs of their existing ones.
@@JJonCars13:59
Fantastic video! Dream combo of "JJ on Cars" and "SPR Autos". I hope there will be repeat visits -- hopefully not about any serious or costly repairs -- just to learn more about the CLK and its maintenance. I love when I can be around while people are working on my car, but sadly it is rarely possible. BTW, I think that bill was very reasonable for the amount of hours that were required. I'm sure my (official Mercedes) dealer would have charged more than that.
Thanks mate, and thanks for the interesting comments and good info :) Yeah would have been charged double that for an official Mercedes garage I'm sure!
Thanks to SPR i learn my E-klasse subframe has a lifetime warranty. I have it looked ad and get a new one on warranty. Bless you! For that information! Greetings from the Nederlands
Brilliant! It's amazing that they are doing that isn't it, I wonder how long it will last.
Great work by the guys at SPR. Good info regards using an air hammer to shock seized bolts. Good to see even the experts have to battle with bolts and not just home mechanics. Great video!
Yeah definitely - I'd have had exactly 0% chance of getting those bolts off 😆
Great Video as always, very useful and informative, I have W209 320cdi.
I've asked Santa this year for a SPR service and inspection 🤞
26:09 If you get a scanner that supports reading out live data, you can check the angle of the steering wheel as a numerical read out. As long as the steering wheel hasn't been misaligned at some point in time, you'll get a "0" reading from the scanner when it is dead straight. The car relies on knowing the steering wheel angle to some extent for the ESP. A super capable scanner that costs very little, is the Launch Creader Elite 2.0 for Benz. It has a very small display (4") but unless you are doing frequent repairs and analyses, that's not a real limitation. It supports variant coding which means you can configure the car to some extent. For instance, you can add a piece of information to your trip display that shows a prediction how many miles you can still drive with the fuel remaining in the tank. The bit you can add is the actual litres of fuel in the tank, which I find more helpful than the estimate of remaining miles. Another option I personally changed is when the seatbelt warning chime sounds. I configured it so that it only comes on when the engine is running, which means I can fully turn the key to the "ACC" position without being molested by the chime yet, while I'm putting on the seatbelt. All this can be done with simple tapping on options, i.e., there is no need to deal with hex codes, or anything like that.
Really enjoyed watching such a professional and diligent job. I had a CLK 230 Kompressor in the same colour in Bahrain and enjoyed driving it. It suffered some odd issues, largely attributable to the harsh climate (eg the headlining fabric detached itself whilst driving along on the motorway and I ended up trying to drive along with this billowing tent above me). I sold it to an airline pilot who also appreciated it. I note your comment on the suspension and agree there is something quite refined about it - the perfect blend of sportiness and suppleness.Adopting the shouldered wheel bolts was a wise decision - it ensures that the shear force is transmitted across the unthreaded portion, avoiding stress concentrations and providing a greater cross sectional area.
Thanks!
😆 It's interesting to see how different climates affect cars. Here generally the headlining will stay up, and the paint will remain blemish free... but.... rust will kill cars here whereas I guess it doesn't so much in your part of the world.
That explains the reasoning behind those bolts, thank you for the information - I'm happy to have gone back to that style :)
Great video JJ! Totally demonstrates the value of using a specialist rather than just any garage, these guys are not playing parts darts trying to identify problems… they’ve probably seen it hundreds of times. If you find a good specialist like these guys (as I’ve done locally) it’s worth the effort to travel a bit further as it can save you time, cost, and inconvenience. Totally agree on the tracking, I thought mine was okay until I had a 4 wheel laser alignment and boy, what a difference!
Shame SPR so far away, however recently found a specialist in Teignmouth Devon whom seems to care about the quality of his work. I wanted to replace my rear brake back plates, hub bearings etc properly. He has done a perfect job.
There are definitely other honest and quality specialists out there :)
I Have a 2005 CLK 200K and have had it for over 15 years. Fantastic smooth cruiser & I doubt I'll ever part with it. I've had the issues with blocked drain holes from parking under trees! - Regular oil changes & servicing by the same local MB specialist during my ownership. I learnt from one of your videos this week the dash button for lowering the rear headrests after all these years, thanks!
Brilliant. Glad to have helped!
How did you manage to unplug that hole? My car has this on one drain hole. Parking under trees is annoying but almost inevitable where i live
19:50 You should get a curtain wire (plastic covered steel spring) or a "anti-clogging" wire from plumbing supplies to keep your drains free. Some people use a "fish tape". It just needs to be the right mix of flexibility to adapt to the bends of the drains and stiffness to allow you to get through the pipes and push muck out of the way. Unfortunately, Sam did not address the drain on the right hand side (assuming driving direction). There is no drain pipe starting from the cowl under the windshield, but there is a drain somewhere under the front SAM unit or brake fluid reservoir. Not quite sure, as I have only learned about it recently and haven't located it yet on my CLK. This one is probably best accessed from below (needs removal of the wheel arch cover) but is important to keep free as otherwise the front SAM unit can be in danger of becoming drowned. At least that's my understanding from having watched some videos on the subject.
As it was caused by parking under a tree, it may have only affected the near side. After all, that’s where the water pissed from on the ramp.
Good idea 👍 From what I remember we (he lol) made sure all drain holes were clear - might not have ended up on the vid, or it was already clear, not sure. Nowadays the car isn't parked under a tree, so hopefully they won't be clogging up like they did.
@@JJonCars Unless your car is parked in a garage, I think you should be looking after those drain holes, i.e., I believe they require regular maintenance. Not very frequently, but from time to time I think it makes sense to check what nature has been donating into those drain pipes.
Propper job ,nice ,frindly and strait forward mechanics.
Liked to see all these paying attention to detail like greasing bolts , cleaning rotors ect.
Price is also reasonable.
I do this kind of work by myself in my garage ,but i have to confess that i am not able to do the allignment by myself.
The front AR bolts soak them in a 50% ATF and 50% acetone mix from the top where they protrude through the alloy sub-frame a few days in advance (obviously difficult for a garage business) and ease them back and forward a few times. Has worked for me several times.
Nice guy. I wish I had a Merc specialist like this near me. I'd be happy to trust him with my W204 Coupe.
I recently stumbled onto your channel and I really love it! In a span of a little bit over one week i watched most of your videos. Keep up the great work JJ cheers
Ah that's brilliant, thanks for watching! 😊 Cheers
Yeah id be happy enough with that. A grand. Missus boight a 30k Audi. Repayments of 550 a month. Wish she bought a 5- 10k car and spent 2k fixing it up, gettin it perfect etc. Much more rewarding keepin older cars on the road n doing a bit of DIY.
I have a 2001 w203 3.2 petrol and have done all these jobs myself on my driveway without any airtools. Changed the springs for Eibach ones as the OEM are crap and keep breaking exactly where yours did and had no further problems. Crazy not to change the arms as pairs as if one goes the other follows and then you have to get full alignment again.
Both specialists I've been to thus far haven't recommended changing them as pairs, so I've just taken their advice. The track rod end and lower arm were done on the other side around 7,000 miles ago, so I'd say it was worth it. Front alignment is £35 or so.
I suspect that one issue with my car is that because it's low mileage, at 18 years old, most of the parts have never been off. So they are putting up quite the fight, hence air tools and blow torch etc. Well done to you for doing those on your driveway - there's no chance of me doing that.
What a great video. Class workmanship too.
Thanks! :)
Great work by SPR as always, no more pot hole enhancement for you 😁
That's not too bad for all that work!
Nice
12:50 Production value! 14:52 Promising start to a career as a mechanic. :)
Ha, I'd meant to go back and sort the green screen mess out on that bit, but forgot 😂
I'm sure there's some suspension related joke in this about leaf springs or something
Good to see you happy with the work done on the CLK. My CLK55 spent some time at SPR earlier this year getting her back on the road after seven years off. I cannot fault Sam and Co, ive done about 600 miles since and she makes me smile (only 36600 miles now🤣🤣) Watch the videos x2 SPRAUTOS RUclips.
I remember their video on your car :)
Great to see a professional at work.
I love the attention to detail.
Springs/suspension when i needed them on my clk 500 I always had both sides done. If ones old enough to be knackered the other can't be far behind
I had the lower arm and track rod end done on one side about a year ago, the other side has lasted another 7,000 miles - so I'm fine with just going with one side at a time. Fingers crossed that upper arm lasts a bit longer :)
Really interesting and entertaining video. Thank you!
You're welcome, thanks for watching :)
Really satisfying video. Love the attention to detail.
Thanks!
Nice work . I have found that bad upper thrust front control arms will affect steering response , making it require adjustment through corners .
Severe jarring over bumps or dips in the road can be due to a bad strut rubber mount.
JJ , a fantastic video. You have given me some ideas for my 07 clk cabriolet . And generally, good things to think about to keep these fantastic cars on the road past 10-15-20 yrs in age . Good maintenance .
Thanks Dave!
In mine I had to get lower front arms replaced, timing chain, transmission mount, cam solenoids, rear oxygen sensor, thermostat and V-Belt, I also have smaller supercharger pulley(62 mm steel), god It makes a lot of difference in power and torque curve.
Really enjoyed this. Any chance of a video on the contour seats and air pump and issues.
Cheers! Not sure what content I could make with those seats, though they are really cool :)
Great video! This year i had done a 4000km roadtrip to france with my w209 clk320 petrol and it’s such a good comfy car! The only thing i noticed is that it handles more like a boat then my w208 clk did so i will have a look at it asap. Thanks for sharing all this content!
Thank you! Some of the 320s do have quite a soft setup, the sports suspension and big wheels on mine can be a bit jarring. Worth a checkover to see if anything needs replacing though 👍
@@JJonCars Thanks for sharing this info about the soft set up! i’d like to share that i got rid of my w208clk cause it was at the time i had it for me a very boring and slow car since i had the 2 liter NA. And also the fact that there was not much aftermarket support and it was my first car. i’ve had the car for 5 years without a single problem i bought it with 200k kilometers and traded it in with roughly 375k kilometers. during the time of sale i was a panel beat for 3 years and got into hondas and been tinkering around with them for about 4-5 years and eventually got sick of constantly having to work on a never ending story. The reason i got to the w209 was that at my 3rd attempt of getting an MOT for my last honda i saw a guy driving in for MOT with a full option w209 and the side windows down. I had a little chat with the guy about the car and i was sold! 1-2 years went by and then i found your channel getting me all passionate again about the w209. Without your content i wouldn’t have done that final step of actually purchasing one and i’m still very happy with the car and it’s a 320 the engine i’ve been drooling over the past decade. sorry for the long story i just had to share it
If only SPR had room for more customers I would be there as it’s very local for my Merc
Hello, exellent video but, before securing lower arm, you should lift the wheel hub to normal riding level and then secure polt.
Suspension arms should be torqued at ride height.
Soy de Argentina y cuanto me voy a dormir en vez de pensar en mujeres pienso en un hermoso mercedes benz, supe vender uno qué me dejaron para la venta y gracias a dios pude venderlo, era un w210 320 primera generación, ojalá la vida me premie con uno! Saludos
😂 I admire your dedication to Mercedes-Benz
I was going to SPR before they even had the reception area… really talented people who service every car like their own. Great stuff on their RUclips channel now too.
Even without the discount it sounds like you got a fair deal. The benefits of the other work might not be apparent while driving around town but maybe it’ll make all the difference if you ever need to push it round some bends.
You're an OG customer :)
Since I filmed that part at the end, I've been driving it more and it really does feel better. Once I knew it needed fixing, I'd been driving like miss Daisy, but now it's sorted I have had a good blast round the Peak District since and it's been marvellous!
@@JJonCars nah I’m about 12 years off being an OG customer. Might be totally wrong but I think SPR slightly pre-dates Sam being there!
@@Millennial_Manc Yes you're right it does. I think it's been around since the mid-90's
@@JJonCars I’d value your opinion on something off topic. Forget the mechanical aspect, but what do you think of the A124 cabrio as it stands today? Does it look like a classic yet or just an old shape of a CLK / E coupe that’s had its day? Is it an old man’s
car, a doctor’s wife’s car, a hairdresser’s car… what does it portray? I’m on the verge of swapping my C207 E class for one and feel in a quandary!
@@Millennial_Manc Well, my opinion might not align with your average person (who could think its any of those things you mentioned). But personally I think it looks great, to me it implies a bit of 'old money' vibe - a car you drive if you could easily afford something brand new but you choose to drive the old convertible tank because that's what you want. I would always just say if you like it, then that's what matters! I'd definitely drive one, and I think it is looking like a classic - you just don't see cars like that on the road any more.
Some people seem to get why I drive an 'old' Mercedes (2006 counts as ancient for most people these days lol), and others don't. But I like the car so I'm happy :)
My C209 cope sports CDI
09 86000 miles
The best Mercedes ever
AND back to SAM my god does he know he’s stuff
O yes
He only fits the best parts
Or nothing
Top man 👍👍
Never watched JJ before , but i'm guessing the high peak autos mention - that they are brothers as they could voice swap each other?
Not brothers, both from Manchester area :)
you seems like edward norton
pipe blockage cleaner works wonders on drains
Great work really enjoyed this, please wear safety glasses
My wife has r171 slk 2009 just had gearbox service she loves it makes her smile every time she drives it to me that’s priceless old school Mercedes no I pad dash shit 😁
Oh god yeah, the glued on iPads lol
Great video , but when you think your paying 20% vat tax to guv for maintaining your car after paying road tax petrol tax kinda think they taking the urine! 😂
What a pathetic comment??? Its a car channel. Find another rock to crawl under mate.
Lol yep can't argue there
A most interesting video, although to be fair, I've also probably seen Edd China do similar work many times over. I suppose for yourself, you'll have been checking around, seeing what else needs attention - for example, at 14:05 there looks like a scrape and some previous repair on the lower edge of the bumper. It's always good to find not only a specialist but a local specialist and to hear they're not taking on any new customers - well, I won't be buying a Merc now! 🙂
Yeah you get a great look at the car! Mostly I'm just looking at all the crusty bits (it's all suspension really no structural or body panels), and thinking I need some underseal on them. That scrape I'm aware of... might have been me parking late at night in a hotel car park that happened to have a rock at the edge of the parking bay. The previous repair is my dodgy effort to sort it out 😂
What we spend maintaining these cars is as you said commensurate with the original purchase cost when new.
Interesting on the brake flush that there was no mention of cycling the ABS pump ….. which is something I always try to do. Is this not part of the procedure?
Not necessary unless fluid has been drained.
great video to see how they fix various things, its really nice when you get your car fixed by a proper expert, not like Halfrauds!
ABSOLUTE BARGAIN!! And job well done...quality work! Thanks for sharing.
Well looked after there mate.
Would you not tighten the inner bottom wishbone bolt with the suspension under compression to reduce the tension on the rubber brush and extend its life? BTW really enjoy your content.
Northern Ireland registered. Have you thought about an induction removal tool?
It's an English car with an NI plate I put on it :)
What's one of them, then?
How do you feel and know the correct torque?
What engine does a clk200 have?
I've never seen a 200 over here on the other side of the pond.
Older Mercedes always ride like a new car when you renew suspension parts.
It's the 1.8 Kompressor (supercharger) engine (known by the nerds as the M271 engine). I imagine the Americas prefer bigger engines!
Great video! Funnily enough Ive got a CLK which is makes a creaking noise over going over bumps. Has anyone experienced this? Its passed its MOT with no advisories and they said can't see anything obviously wrong with the suspension. recently It has had the front and rear arms fixed. Do you think this could be the break coils ?
Tbh with you, I thought it could be the rear coils, but mine does still make a creaking noise from the rear when going over speed bumps. Most of the time I can't hear it. If you do find out let me know and vice versa 😄
@@JJonCars thanks for the response , ofc will do! 😊
Im surprised when the offside suspension arms were done, they were not done as a pair on the nearside
Why not change the other upper suspension arm too? Seems like missed opportunity. So close to changing it now, if you have to do it soon you’ll also need to redo the alignment.
It's possible it could fail soon, but it could keep going for many miles. Will find out if it was a mistake to ignore it! There was only so much time in the day, and RUclips doesn't pay me enough 😆
@@JJonCars Understood, can’t do everything M539 style :)
I didn't know Mark E Smith was a mechanic.
Hello, Why your car is rusty under? I've got a clk 320 2004 model. 10 years in Tokyo, 5 in Okinawa (so humid and salty weather) and 5 years in Hokkaido now ( 5 month a year in deep snow ans salt every day) and absolutely no rust everywhere. What's happened to your car? Please let me know if you can! Thanks!
Hi. It's very common for cars to look like this underneath in the UK, or often even worse (it's a very common killer of cars, often before the engine dies). We have salty winter roads and a wet maritime climate with a lot of rain. Cars imported here from Japan always have less rust on them, I've always been told its because they don't salt the roads in Japan - but then you're saying they do...
Steel braided brake hose no good?
Tbh, I have no idea. They'd probably be better, but more expensive. I'm happy with OEM parts :)
Under thebimpression those front tie rods just had an ordinarybrubber bush like the bottom arm
Hi from sunny Neasden. Is it possible to damage my Clk240 2004? I don't really want to buy one but it is the only way to get fault diagnosis. I bought a 2004 CLK. I shouldn't have bought it but I drove it for a test and I was sold. I only paid a grand.,and the engine and gearbox are sweet. The guy must have turned the code off because nothing flashed up until the next day. BAS SRS ESP ABS all came up the next day. Seat belt restraint issue. No rear windscreen trim
Hello. I am not the mechanic in this video, but one thing I do know is that a bad/old battery can cause a lot of weird electrical issues on the CLK. So worth checking and replacing if necessary, will at least rule that out.
Why not use copper slip grease on bolts
Overall have you had much issue with this car then? generally reliable? Are they fun to drive?
You can check out his channel for more videos on the CLK. There was one issue with the instrument cluster once and the gearbox electronic plug. Nothing major so far, IIRC. There is a video dedicated to the running costs accumulated so far. I have a CLK as well and it has been very reliable and is a ton of fun to drive. The rear wheel drive makes more of a positive difference then I ever thought it would, the steering is nice and precise (pretty weighty), and the supercharger makes the engine feel a lot bigger than it is. After my first test drive of a CLK, I couldn't wipe the smile of my face for quite a while and it still feels special to drive it even after I've had it for a while now. Your mileage may very, of course. If you are looking for tons of torque, one of the bigger engines would be advisable.
"3 year report of costs": ruclips.net/video/8xp2trRdgWA/видео.html
"Is it fun to drive?": ruclips.net/video/w71GM6TWBY0/видео.html
Note that JJ's car does not have the latest evolution of the M271 engine; later ones had a bit more horse power. He also has a video on the CLK 500 with a V8 engine.
@@coolcat23 I bought a 500 two years ago, had a real good look round it then test drove it. As soon as I gave it the beans I said i'll take it.. Bit thirsty at times but its more smiles per gallon that counts
Yes brov, hope you're all good....have had 2,C.L.K 's....one was a rag top....when there good, they are awesome, when there bad, they are super ugly.....switched out now u know, (audi).....no fookin drama's.....
Prettiest modern car
Why no safety glasses?
The drain tubes are a poor design because they get narrower as they go down..the best way to clear them is to use a vacuum cleaner with nozzle applied at the top of the drains.
Dude yu can do most of that yourself...bit of a learning curve but aint too hard.
Ok front ball joints/suspension arms are a bit hard 😂
best car Ive owned was a CLK
Mercedes or nothing 👌🏼
Not too bad then
nobody wears overalls these days
Review a volvo 240
I would love to. It was my family car when I was a child so it would mean a lot to me to review one
Those were all easy jobs, don't know why you couldn't have done it yourself ??
On the bill, parts were £219 !!
Does £900 labour not make you think different ?
I have a 2008 clk and have done all those jobs on my driveway!
You are fortunate to have a driveway (+ sympathetic neighbours?) - not to mention the skills and TIME to tackle such jobs yourself - but I get the impression that JJ feels saferin cars maintained by trained mechanics. My experience of DIY motoring is that these jobs take a huge amount of time, specialist tools + know-how, and although you might save yourself a few quid, the grazed knuckles, dirty fingernails and ‘iffy’ safety just ain’t worth it 🙁
Good for you mate 👍 I don't have the time, space, skills, tools etc etc
People who are happy with their CLK, I feel sorry for them. They have no idea what a real Mercedes is. It is the worst Mercedes ever made. We bought one new a long time ago, after having driven a C124. The Mercedes feeling had suddenly disappeared, the hood much too low, engine noise terrible and the feeling of sitting in a small car. It was nicer to drive in our other car, a Nissan 200SX. It turned out afterwards that the managers had taken over the company and everything had to be cheaper, but not the sales prices. Now we have a C124 again, which has perfect build quality and an interior of a quality that you can only find in a Rolls Royce these days..