CLK 350 ( Think Its Scrap!)

[voguev8]

My new purchased 55 plate CLK, drives ok but noticed no CEL, so took for plug in check today.
Lots of codes, some serious, the mechanic said he was surprised it even ran, and was not worth repairing.

Hear we go
1/0060 incorrect exhaust cam adjustment
2/0527 intake manifold flaps/tumble flap incorrect position
3/0856 component y110 three disc thermostat valve jammed open
4/c1550 esp/sps/bas ecu n47 defective
5/c1036 steering column module n80
6/c1172 steering angle sensor n49 internal fault
7/b1123 fault in can communication scm (mrm)

So as you can see not pretty. Is it worth saving?

 

[markjay]

6/c1172 steering angle sensor n49 internal fault

That's around £150 second-hand of eBay plus half-hour labour.

 

[grober]

Was Mercedes own Star diagnostic system used to diagnose the faults? Not saying the diagnosis is wrong but remember fault codes can be stored/accumulated over a period of time. Usual procedure is to cancel them all run the car for a bit more and see which ones come back?

 

[voguev8]

No was not Star, but a Snap On unit, garage said it was a high end unit and used different keys to read different parts of the check, it also needed the chassis number

 

[merc85]

The codes could do with resetting then go for a drive and see what returns

 

[brucemillar]

Turn the steering lock to lock six times. That may clear your steering, BAS etc. This error happens if the battery is disconnected at any point.

 

[Auto-mobile]

As already suggested, erase faults and run car again, you said already no warning light was on.

The only serious one in the list if they came back is incorrect exhaust cam.

 

[anderoo]

I have a C350 with the same engine, so can sympathise - however, don't despair just yet. I would strongly recommend getting it to a decent independent mercedes specialist (plenty of recommendations on here) and get them to do some proper diagnosis with STAR. Some of those might turn out to be nothing, and others might look serious now but actually aren't too bad (e.g. 'incorrect exhaust cam adjustment' could be several things).

I'd think twice about clearing the codes before taking it for diagnosis, I've done that before and been politely told off as the cheaper scanners like mine can also mess around with certain adaptations, which then need to be reset with STAR.

On the balance shaft issue, this does seem to be the weak part in our engines, but if/when it does need replacing, it's a one-off fix. It's acquired almost mythical status now as the worst thing that can ever happen to a car, but really there are plenty of other things that can and do go wrong with cars that cost this much and more to fix. Yes, it is expensive (I've been quoted between £2,400 - £3,000 from specialists and £4,000 from mercedes when I last checked) but the cars themselves are really quite amazingly cheap to buy, so I think of it as a possible second installment and hide some money away just in case As someone above or in the other topic said, some cars in the range never develop the problem.

From your other topic it seems like the CEL is not working?

 

[Mr Filipov]

My new purchased 55 plate CLK, drives ok but noticed no CEL, so took for plug in check today.
Lots of codes, some serious, the mechanic said he was surprised it even ran, and was not worth repairing.

Hear we go
1/0060 incorrect exhaust cam adjustment
2/0527 intake manifold flaps/tumble flap incorrect position
3/0856 component y110 three disc thermostat valve jammed open
4/c1550 esp/sps/bas ecu n47 defective
5/c1036 steering column module n80
6/c1172 steering angle sensor n49 internal fault
7/b1123 fault in can communication scm (mrm)

So as you can see not pretty. Is it worth saving?

How much did you pay for it? And how much have you got set aside? Those will be the deciding questions. If the balance shaft is fubar, then there is a big bill ahead. I recon whoever had the car previous knew about it and turned off the CEL. Try and return the car if you've not had it long. It is not fit for purpouse.

 

[PobodY]

Aren't these codes associated with the mixture flaps (or whatever they're called) on the inlet manifold, rather than the balance shaft.

Probably just needs a little piece of snapped plastic replacing if that's the case.

 

[anderoo]

The intake manifold error could potentially be fixed with the repair kit if it's still a live code. There was a topic on here fairly recently about that. This does seem a pretty common issue on these engines (I'm expecting to have to deal with it at some point too) but again seems to be a one-off fix.

I've also had to replace the thermostat on mine, it wasn't that expensive. I'd consider that a normal wear and tear item.

It's the incorrect exhaust cam adjustment code that could potentially be the balance shaft, but it could be other things too. It might just need a new solenoid/magnet, which would be a very cheap fix. I've had this too, and again would consider it normal wear and tear for this engine. Just googled that code and found this: The engine management light on my Mercedes SLK280 is on all the time

It's possible the previous owner saw that code, freaked out thinking it was the balance shaft, disabled the CEL, and sold it on.

But you still really need to get it to a competent indie for a proper check over.

EDIT I would take the advice from a non-specialist garage with a large pinch of salt (e.g. 'surprised it even ran'). The nearest specialist is an hour's drive from me and it is a bit of a faff getting there and back, but my local general garages just don't know how to work on my car. The difference when dealing with people who really do know these cars is night and day.