Brand new SLK owner. Need advice

[BenzChas]

Hello. I just bought a 2007 SLK 280 2 days ago. It has high miles, 120K but I loved the color combination. It drives fine but awful stiff suspension from what I am used to. I could have had a black or gray one with much less miles but I hate those colors. This is my first MB and I may have made a mistake. It has so many additional expensive to repair features/things over a cheap brand. I am looking for a repair shop to deal with. First thing. I want to get an overall inspection.
What are the maintenance services I should get (I must get) for a 100K+ miles SLK? What things expected to go bad?

I am in SW CA. 91941, just east of La Mesa. This shop is the closest to my home: https://mbautogroup.com/
They want $220 for an oil change and $400 for a transmission service. Those seem high. I could do the oil at a Valvoline but I would prefer an "expert" to do the transmission service. What services are OK to do at places like Valvoline or a generic AAA approved shop instead of an MB indie shop? Anyone know of a better place in my area?

I might need new front springs. I just found out they have a reputation for breaking and my front end looks low. What is a typical price for that?
How much is normal for an additional key?

On a side note, I really want a 1968 Firebird convertible but I don't want to spend $50K. I came close to getting one at a reasonable price but those sell within one day.
So I started looking at ads for 2 seat roadsters. I missed out on several good buys because they also sell in a day or two right now.
I drove 2+ hours to LA to buy this.

EDIT: this was moved into the introduction forum. Methinks I am not going to get any answers here.

My new toy:

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome.

 

[Jim2]

Hello. I just bought a 2007 SLK 280 2 days ago. It has high miles, 120K but I loved the color combination. It drives fine but awful stiff suspension from what I am used to. I could have had a black or gray one with much less miles but I hate those colors. This is my first MB and I may have made a mistake. It has so many additional expensive to repair features/things over a cheap brand. I am looking for a repair shop to deal with. First thing. I want to get an overall inspection.
What are the maintenance services I should get (I must get) for a 100K+ miles SLK? What things expected to go bad?

I am in SW CA. 91941, just east of La Mesa. This shop is the closest to my home: https://mbautogroup.com/
They want $220 for an oil change and $400 for a transmission service. Those seem high. I could do the oil at a Valvoline but I would prefer an "expert" to do the transmission service. What services are OK to do at places like Valvoline or a generic AAA approved shop instead of an MB indie shop? Anyone know of a better place in my area?

I might need new front springs. I just found out they have a reputation for breaking and my front end looks low. What is a typical price for that?
How much is normal for an additional key?

On a side note, I really want a 1968 Firebird convertible but I don't want to spend $50K. I came close to getting one at a reasonable price but those sell within one day.
So I started looking at ads for 2 seat roadsters. I missed out on several good buys because they also sell in a day or two right now.
I drove 2+ hours to LA to buy this.

My new toy:

Hello and welcome, heres to a long and happy relationship with your SLK!!!,

 

[A.J.]

Hi and welcome to the forum Chas. Staying on the positive side that is a really nice colour combination

 

[rf065]

EDIT: this was moved into the introduction forum. Methinks I am not going to get any answers here.

This is mainly a UK forum, your unlikely to get much info on prices or anything else in the US on here.
Still a lot of info on here though, so welcome anyway.

 

[BenzChas]

This is mainly a UK forum, your unlikely to get much info on prices or anything else in the US on here.
Still a lot of info on here though, so welcome anyway.

Ah. I did not know that. I shall look for a US one. This site showed up from a search I did about suspension.

 

[AMGeed]

Ah. I did not know that. I shall look for a US one. This site showed up from a search I did about suspension.

MB World is your best bet for some more local info Chas. Good luck.

MBWorld

Mercedez-Benz & AMG discussion forum, news, and rumors for owners and enthusiasts of Mercedes vehicles

mbworld.org

 

[sonic]

Welcome we have had 2 SLK's, the first was on 16" wheels the ride was ideal. The second came on 18" wheels & the suspension was rock hard. We had a second set of 17" winter wheels which much improved the ride.

 

[davidsl500]

Welcome Chas. We may be a mostly UK forum but we'll talk to anyone on here...

 

[BenzChas]

On a side note: I used to visit the UK about once a year for work. I mostly went to the shipyard in Plymouth. Stayed at the hotel on the hoe. I always took time to visit London on the way back home and to see a live play there. I took vacation there a couple of times before going home. I have been from Dover and Lands End to Loch Ness.
But you people in the UK are all heathens. You have not built a new church in 1000 years :O
/Kidding

 

[sausage]

Hi there,
welcome.

First comment, springs break and even on a Porsche they are not too expensive to swap - I think it was less than £200 for both front springs on my 911. The truth is, you bought a car that cost more than a cheap car but you paid a lower (than new) price due to age and miles. The inescapable result of that is that there will be some parts that need changing, don't worry though, the parts are high quality and once changed, will last a very long time.

High quality cars come with a down side and that is a higher running cost. That is the world you have bought into and to use an analogy I would rather buy one quality expensive item than several cheap ones over the same period. The costs to me do not seem wildly different - how many cigarette lighters do people go through in a life time? I have one good lighter and it has been with me for decades and will outlast my lifetime providing I have it serviced every now and again at a cost of nearly £300 for the manufacturers to do a service, or I can do it myself with a service kit for very little cost. So, welcome to Mercedes - enjoy the quality, but accept you have to pay a little more for it. Go and listen to that song "Oh Lord Won't You Buy me a Mercedes Benz" and revel in the fact that the 3 star badge has always been one of the most prestigous out there. For years many people considered MB to be second only to Rolls Royce - ok that might be a bit of a stretch.

A 1968 Firebird would likely be a far more expensive car. An old freind bought a 1978 C3 Corvette recently. He did not want a £10,000 one believing it would cost several thousand to get right. He thought that by paying £15,000 he would get one that maybe just needed a little cosmetic tidy up. I tried to set his expectations that he would still be in for £5-10,000 of bills maybe more. He was well aware of the bird cage issues and chassis rail issues that affect these cars and can cost a LOT to fix, but he still fell foul of this hidden problems despite extensive examination of the car before purchase. As far as i know he is in to it now for all of about £25k and a very angry wife.

Moral of that story :You should be infinitely better off in the Merc than the Firebird.

For a straight forward oil change, whether gearbox or engine - this is a part of the car that is designed to be easy to do. I'd even consider my local truck mechanics capable of doing those jobs. However, if there is something wrong inside the gearbox, they would possibly not notice it in the same way a merc specialist might. Id go to the merc specialist for both. The advice is generally build up a good relationship with a local MB specialist that has a good reputation, they get to know you, the car and hopefully you feel like you have a partnership in looking after your P&J.

I like the Barbican area of Plymouth especially for its blues and jazz festival.

Keep us posted, and let us know how you get on.
Mark

 

[peterws1957]

Hi there,
welcome.

First comment, springs break and even on a Porsche they are not too expensive to swap - I think it was less than £200 for both front springs on my 911. The truth is, you bought a car that cost more than a cheap car but you paid a lower (than new) price due to age and miles. The inescapable result of that is that there will be some parts that need changing, don't worry though, the parts are high quality and once changed, will last a very long time.

High quality cars come with a down side and that is a higher running cost. That is the world you have bought into and to use an analogy I would rather buy one quality expensive item than several cheap ones over the same period. The costs to me do not seem wildly different - how many cigarette lighters do people go through in a life time? I have one good lighter and it has been with me for decades and will outlast my lifetime providing I have it serviced every now and again at a cost of nearly £300 for the manufacturers to do a service, or I can do it myself with a service kit for very little cost. So, welcome to Mercedes - enjoy the quality, but accept you have to pay a little more for it. Go and listen to that song "Oh Lord Won't You Buy me a Mercedes Benz" and revel in the fact that the 3 star badge has always been one of the most prestigous out there. For years many people considered MB to be second only to Rolls Royce - ok that might be a bit of a stretch.

A 1968 Firebird would likely be a far more expensive car. An old freind bought a 1978 C3 Corvette recently. He did not want a £10,000 one believing it would cost several thousand to get right. He thought that by paying £15,000 he would get one that maybe just needed a little cosmetic tidy up. I tried to set his expectations that he would still be in for £5-10,000 of bills maybe more. He was well aware of the bird cage issues and chassis rail issues that affect these cars and can cost a LOT to fix, but he still fell foul of this hidden problems despite extensive examination of the car before purchase. As far as i know he is in to it now for all of about £25k and a very angry wife.

Moral of that story :You should be infinitely better off in the Merc than the Firebird.

For a straight forward oil change, whether gearbox or engine - this is a part of the car that is designed to be easy to do. I'd even consider my local truck mechanics capable of doing those jobs. However, if there is something wrong inside the gearbox, they would possibly not notice it in the same way a merc specialist might. Id go to the merc specialist for both. The advice is generally build up a good relationship with a local MB specialist that has a good reputation, they get to know you, the car and hopefully you feel like you have a partnership in looking after your P&J.

I like the Barbican area of Plymouth especially for its blues and jazz festival.

Keep us posted, and let us know how you get on.
Mark

I've had US cars for 40 years and one thing you can say is that parts and servicing for them are a fraction of the cost of MB, even if you live and run them in the UK. I've probably had to spend less than £1k on parts for my '57 Chevy ragtop in the 20 years I've owned it. Wonder what the cost of running an SLK for 20 years would have been? One owner on the official MB forum reckoned that his SL had cost him something over £120k in 15 years including all costs which would be included by an accountant!

 

[Blobcat]

I've had US cars for 40 years and one thing you can say is that parts and servicing for them are a fraction of the cost of MB, even if you live and run them in the UK. I've probably had to spend less than £1k on parts for my '57 Chevy ragtop in the 20 years I've owned it. Wonder what the cost of running an SLK for 20 years would have been? One owner on the official MB forum reckoned that his SL had cost him something over £120k in 15 years including all costs which would be included by an accountant!

SL and SLK are light years apart in running cost - which is one of the main reasons I daily an SLK instead of an SL

 

[Blobcat]

Hi there,
welcome.

First comment, springs break and even on a Porsche they are not too expensive to swap - I think it was less than £200 for both front springs on my 911. The truth is, you bought a car that cost more than a cheap car but you paid a lower (than new) price due to age and miles. The inescapable result of that is that there will be some parts that need changing, don't worry though, the parts are high quality and once changed, will last a very long time.

High quality cars come with a down side and that is a higher running cost. That is the world you have bought into and to use an analogy I would rather buy one quality expensive item than several cheap ones over the same period. The costs to me do not seem wildly different - how many cigarette lighters do people go through in a life time? I have one good lighter and it has been with me for decades and will outlast my lifetime providing I have it serviced every now and again at a cost of nearly £300 for the manufacturers to do a service, or I can do it myself with a service kit for very little cost. So, welcome to Mercedes - enjoy the quality, but accept you have to pay a little more for it. Go and listen to that song "Oh Lord Won't You Buy me a Mercedes Benz" and revel in the fact that the 3 star badge has always been one of the most prestigous out there. For years many people considered MB to be second only to Rolls Royce - ok that might be a bit of a stretch.

A 1968 Firebird would likely be a far more expensive car. An old freind bought a 1978 C3 Corvette recently. He did not want a £10,000 one believing it would cost several thousand to get right. He thought that by paying £15,000 he would get one that maybe just needed a little cosmetic tidy up. I tried to set his expectations that he would still be in for £5-10,000 of bills maybe more. He was well aware of the bird cage issues and chassis rail issues that affect these cars and can cost a LOT to fix, but he still fell foul of this hidden problems despite extensive examination of the car before purchase. As far as i know he is in to it now for all of about £25k and a very angry wife.

Moral of that story :You should be infinitely better off in the Merc than the Firebird.

For a straight forward oil change, whether gearbox or engine - this is a part of the car that is designed to be easy to do. I'd even consider my local truck mechanics capable of doing those jobs. However, if there is something wrong inside the gearbox, they would possibly not notice it in the same way a merc specialist might. Id go to the merc specialist for both. The advice is generally build up a good relationship with a local MB specialist that has a good reputation, they get to know you, the car and hopefully you feel like you have a partnership in looking after your P&J.

I like the Barbican area of Plymouth especially for its blues and jazz festival.

Keep us posted, and let us know how you get on.
Mark

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.

Terry Pratchett - Men at arms

 

[Jim2]

On a side note: I used to visit the UK about once a year for work. I mostly went to the shipyard in Plymouth. Stayed at the hotel on the hoe. I always took time to visit London on the way back home and to see a live play there. I took vacation there a couple of times before going home. I have been from Dover and Lands End to Loch Ness.
But you people in the UK are all heathens. You have not built a new church in 1000 years :O
/Kidding

No need to build new churches....the ones that we built 1'000 years ago, were built up last

 

[sausage]

One owner on the official MB forum reckoned that his SL had cost him something over £120k in 15 years including all costs which would be included by an accountant!

Entirely believable as far as I can tell. I spent about £50k over 10 years on maintaining a 911 (3.6L 997.1) supposedly the cheapest 911 to run. I am having a little moment here as I try to understand my SL might cost me more But it's OK, those costs do not come all at once Phew.


Love the wiley responses so far in this thread and as soon as I read the word Vimes I knew where that was going Quality response there Blobcat.

 

[00slk]

Hello and welcome
I spent a short period in a job in Anaheim, my cousin she lives in Laguna Hills.
I lived on Louisville KY for a while and have some good friends in Tennesse and Southern Kentucy, though my friend in Louisville won't go down there........Sad really.

 

[BenzChas]

Hi there,
welcome.

Yes. I know these things. In my head. But my heart is a cheap bastard and hates spending money. It took a couple of years to finally take the plunge to buy a roadster fun car. I have to talk myself into the $50 boots every time. It will be painful to put the ~1-2K into the maintenance items. But then I should be set for a while unless something goes bad. And I will feel better that something important was not neglected. I am the 4th owner. And I really will not put many miles on it.

 

[Jim2]

Yes. I know these things. In my head. But my heart is a cheap bastard and hates spending money. It took a couple of years to finally take the plunge to buy a roadster fun car. I have to talk myself into the $50 boots every time. It will be painful to put the ~1-2K into the maintenance items. But then I should be set for a while unless something goes bad. And I will feel better that something important was not neglected. I am the 4th owner. And I really will not put many miles on it.

If you are the 5th owner, then most of the "Normal" failure items may well have been rectified by now Do you have any service history for it?