oldsteel
Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2016
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 6
- Location
- Witney, UK
- Your Mercedes
- E-class 220D Cab, 2018
have a CLK 200, 2008 vintage, with a serious problem. Now all of a sudden everyone is telling me - Oh yes, CLK 200, timing chain, yes that a Merc known problem! But is it? Here's the story ...
My wife has a CLK 200 convertible, Jan 2008, bought two and half years ago with 40k on the clock from a Merc dealer in Ireland, one owner from new. We love the car - it drives very well and she loves it. Now it is up at 70k miles.
It developed a rough idle last week and check light on, but ran OK at speed. I have a good mechanic next door, he ran off the code which said 'misfire on cylinder 1,2,3,4'. He removed the plugs to take a look, cleaned them up and replaced, fired up the engine at which point it locked up. He called in a Merc specialist who immediately said - we need to look at the timing chain. Sure enough, the top two cogs were badly worn, enough to allow the chain to slip. He said the hydraulic tensioner can take up so much slack, gets to the end of its travel and then the chain will eventually slip. Now, they also pointed to a lot of debris around the head, and suggested that earlier in its life the engine had been poorly maintained, either by the use of bad oil or left with oil very low for a long period. Needless to say since I have had the car it has been perfectly maintained with synthetic oil etc. at the designated service intervals. No real external signs of engine wear except high oil consumption, but mechanics said don't worry these engines have high consumption.
Now I am looking at a re-manufactured (NOT recon) engine. I would appreciate recommendations, I am going to Crewe Engines initially. But now I am hearing the stories - CLK 200 timing chain - oh yes that's a Mercedes design fault. Looking for a used engine - no-one will supply one because of the 'timing chain problem'. How come this is not common knowledge? If I had known in advance I would steered clear of the CLK 200. I had already been advised to look at chain replacement at around 85K, but at €1500 you wouldn't want to do it early. I guess I am just unlucky, but still ****ed off that if this is a bad engine that it is not flagged up in more places.
Interested in your comments - this will cost me dear and likely put me off Mercs for life.
My wife has a CLK 200 convertible, Jan 2008, bought two and half years ago with 40k on the clock from a Merc dealer in Ireland, one owner from new. We love the car - it drives very well and she loves it. Now it is up at 70k miles.
It developed a rough idle last week and check light on, but ran OK at speed. I have a good mechanic next door, he ran off the code which said 'misfire on cylinder 1,2,3,4'. He removed the plugs to take a look, cleaned them up and replaced, fired up the engine at which point it locked up. He called in a Merc specialist who immediately said - we need to look at the timing chain. Sure enough, the top two cogs were badly worn, enough to allow the chain to slip. He said the hydraulic tensioner can take up so much slack, gets to the end of its travel and then the chain will eventually slip. Now, they also pointed to a lot of debris around the head, and suggested that earlier in its life the engine had been poorly maintained, either by the use of bad oil or left with oil very low for a long period. Needless to say since I have had the car it has been perfectly maintained with synthetic oil etc. at the designated service intervals. No real external signs of engine wear except high oil consumption, but mechanics said don't worry these engines have high consumption.
Now I am looking at a re-manufactured (NOT recon) engine. I would appreciate recommendations, I am going to Crewe Engines initially. But now I am hearing the stories - CLK 200 timing chain - oh yes that's a Mercedes design fault. Looking for a used engine - no-one will supply one because of the 'timing chain problem'. How come this is not common knowledge? If I had known in advance I would steered clear of the CLK 200. I had already been advised to look at chain replacement at around 85K, but at €1500 you wouldn't want to do it early. I guess I am just unlucky, but still ****ed off that if this is a bad engine that it is not flagged up in more places.
Interested in your comments - this will cost me dear and likely put me off Mercs for life.
