failure of the oil seals to the wiring looms

[merccabfan]

I am thinking of buying a 3.0 CLK280 Sport Cabriolet 7G-Tronic 2dr and would appreciate some guidance please on the signs of 'failure of the oil seals to the wiring looms from the top of the cam cover and to the autobox which is electrically operated'. The car in question has had an oil leak from the gearbox gasket, that was changed and a gearbox service was carried out. Is that likely to be the same issue or something else?

 

[Petrol Pete]

Hello and welcome .

What you write is a bit confusing. The TCU plug on the bottom of the gearbox and the cam covers on the engine are about as far away from each other as it is possible to be on a car.

If there was a leak on the gearbox sump gasket it would/should have been sorted during the service as a new gasket is used. I am not 100% sure about the TCU plug on the 7G tronic box but a slight oil weep on the TCU plug on the 722.6 5G allows oil to wick up via the harness and get as far as the nearby plug which 'shorts' out the plug and causes gear shifting problems . This is a cheap and easy fix when the gearbox is being serviced.

I think these are two separate issues and it would appear that the gearbox one is sorted . Some engines have plastic gearbox sumps which can distort as well as plastic 'rocker' covers . I am not sure if your potential purchase has these , someone will be along soon to help.

Do you by any chance have the VIN number for this car ? If you post it here you will be able to see a copy of the full build details of the car.

 

[merccabfan]

Thanks Pete, apologies for confusion, as you can tell I don't know the 1st thing about mechanicals. I am interested in a car currently for sale and (because it is over a 100 miles from me) researched the cars on Honest John https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/mercedes-benz/clk-w209-2002/good, which is where I read about the problem. (When I questioned HJ they told me to ask on a forum). By way of reassurance the dealer told me that the leaking gasket had been fixed etc. I am reassured by your suggestion that any gear shifting problems can be addressed during service. I had asked the dealer for details of Vin, still waiting. I will go look at the car on Sunday if its still for sale and get the vin so I can do the research you suggest.

 

[merccabfan]

Sorry if you didn't seem my reply at 11.32 yesterday Pete, I am very grateful and impressed by your helpful response. All the best.

 

[DSM10000]

The gearboxes on these cars are generally reliable and especially so if correctly serviced with a full transmission fluid change.

Most gearbox issues are down to solenoid issues but a new electronics pack is not particularly expensive and many components can be changed individually.


The main issue with the later V6engines on this model are premature wear on the balance shaft.

If you have a look on the Forum by using the search facility you can find the relevant information or look here :

Mercedes Benz balance shaft engine issues. How to check by VIN. M272/273 – MB Medic

www.mercedesmedic.com

 

[merccabfan]

Much appreciated, I've now got the engine number and checked it. The number is higher than those affected by the problem so I'll be undertaking the journey to hopefully buy the car tomorrow. Thanks again everyone.

 

[slade1]

Like most forums you only hear bad news. The M272 motor can have balancer shaft problems, what percentage actually fail?
My 2005 CLK has the M272 motor and is whisper quiet on start up and running and is on frequent short trips.
If the balancer shaft does start to fail I believe the EML comes on. I think it's around 2000£ to fix at indie.
Buying any second hand car is a gamble, for me I never buy new a new car let somebody else take the residual knock.

 

[merccabfan]

True, I've leased the last three but for various reasons can't keep doing that. The price range I'm looking at is easily covered by the down payment on a lease and leaves me £740 a month to cover repairs. It's a no brainer.