valeo radiator question

[peterg1965]

Having trawled through all the old posts on this and various other MB sites, I have learnt a fair bit about the problems with the Valeo manufactured radiator in various cars from about 2001-03? I am in the market for a CLK and my price range puts cars in my budget about this sort of age.

One car in particularly I am keen on is a CLK500, registered Jan 04. I have the VIN and ran it through the Russian site. How do I tell the build date? I understand that anything build after Sep 03 is OK.

VIN
WDB209***********
Plant
67
Model
CLK 500
Chassis
2093752F090837
Engine
113968 30 543094
Transmission
722633 04 735196
Tyres
Primary
CONTINENTAL
Order
0 3 537 65603
Delivery date
31.10.03

 

[Dieselman]

The delivery date is the build date.

 

[peterg1965]

So does thios mean that this CLK is 'in the clear'?

 

[ukcodger]

Dieselman may be right but as far as 'in the clear' goes I would say No, since the car was possibly conjoined before the end of September 2003. Many Mercs are collected which would certainly make delivery and build date the same thing. That does not appear to be the case here since the Reg date is later. So is it not possible that it was at the end of the Valeo line?
Besides, you're so close to that Valeo date that I think you need to do the checks. Can't recall them from memory but a search on here will pull up what to look for on the car.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Dieselman may be right but as far as 'in the clear' goes I would say No, since the car was possibly conjoined before the end of September 2003. Many Mercs are collected which would certainly make delivery and build date the same thing. That does not appear to be the case here since the Reg date is later. So is it not possible that it was at the end of the Valeo line?
Besides, you're so close to that Valeo date that I think you need to do the checks. Can't recall them from memory but a search on here will pull up what to look for on the car.

I don't know if the issue was solved at the same time for a CLK as for an E-class but the date here is the build date (no matter what the Russian site calls it) to which MB documents refer to. If the build date is after the date where no more Valeo radiators (with the issue) were installed, the car would be clear.

The MB database does not tell how long it took for the car to reach a dealer, not to mention the customer, they know when it got ready from the factory.