Hi everyone, clk 200 elegance problems?!

[pix8paul]

Hi everyone, i'm glad i've found a forum of like minded mercedes owners!!!

Well where do i begin...lol

I have a 1998(R) silver clk200 elegance. I've been the proud owner for nearly 8 months. Unfortunately i've been struck with a few problems, luckly for me they have been covered by warranty....TILL NOW lol
1. My handbrake has failed (snapped?) and i'm unsure if its a repair i'll be able to undertake myself?? I am technically minded tho, can anyone give me an idea of what is involved with the task and possible cost? a mechanic said the carpets might have to come up?
2. I don't know if this is a problem or not ( after reading a few post on other models) but while driving my car at both slow and motorway speeds, very slight movements of the steering wheel causes the car to sway a good bit! is this a possible wear and tear problem or what do you think????
3. Lastly could anyone advise me on how easy it is for someone technically minded to change all 4 brake disks and pads? On average how much should the materials cost for this repair.

Thanks to everyone who's willing to comment, i just don't want my wallet emptied by a dealer while i know i'm capable(I HOPE lol) of maintaining my own merc!

 

[jberks]

Hi.
Handbrake cables should be very simple to do, once you find where its snapped. Never done a merc but it can't be difficult.

I'll leave the suspension to others but I've heard of steering dampers needing changing - fairly minor afaik.

Brake wise - very roughly, a pad set is +/-£60 and similar for disks - get genuine merc parts though - others just aren't as good. So £200 ish for parts I'd expect and maybe 2hrs labour to do - so +£100 at an indie, +£200 at the dealer or a pretty simple afternoon's diy job.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Brakes.
I have always used ECP for brake parts, as they sell OEM parts, bought front and rear discs, with front and rear pads for my C230K for less than £120. It is recommended by MB to replace the caliper mounting bolts, but as to why i,m unsure, the original bolts i believe come impregnated with thread lock, so wether thats the reason or the bolts are stretch bolts i don,t know. If your pad wear light is on don,t forget to buy a new sensor before taking apart.
Expect to take 20-30 minutes per wheel for a competant mechanic.
While you have the wheels off change the brake fluid as this made a lot of difference to mine and only take a few minutes extra at each wheel.

 

[pix8paul]

Thanks for your input guys, much appreciated!!! I've just spent a good few hours lol looking through the forum and found very good advice on the steering problems! could the fact i have 225 x 40 r18's all round,maybe be making my steering a bit sensitive?? what do you think?
I'm going to have a hunt for where the break in my cable is?? As usual the merc garage is busy anyway!!! ARGHHHH lol

If anyone else has input on my post, please comment
Cheers Paul

 

[bigasotonuk]

I would be carefully inspecting the steering drag link assemby, steering damper, and the bearing of the intermediate arm, also may pay to look at the inner bushes of the lower arms and ball joints.
I believe 18" rims were never fitted standard to a CLK, biggest were 17" so undue wear may of occurred due to the rims.

 

[SQ_W211]

GSF provide some really good brand break parts. My CLK230K break disc/pads were £125.

Front breaks are easy enough to change but back breaks are slightly tedious. As explained earlier check the caliper bolt and have a spare one ready just in case.

Do not use any cheap pads as they tend to squeak in summer/heated conditions.

I have same wheels on my CLK but do not have any play in the streering, I am aware that cheap tyres can cause a slight play in the steering.

I would leave the hand brake for a professional mechanic as they will know exactly where to look and what to do.

Good Luck
Good luck

 

[LeoDanger]

GSF car parts

I agree about GSF... I bought Brembo discs, and the OE fitment pads for all four corners from them, and the price was great! I've done the fronts, but it was too dark to do the rears. I figured it'd be the same to do the back, but it's interesting to hear it's a bit tedious. See how I get on this weekend...

I can't recommend enough that people look up "Motor-Manual" as a seller on eBay (no, it's not me, or a mate) for workshop manuals.

 

[edwardtaggart]

I've done about 30,000 miles on my current set of Brembo disks and pads on a 2002 CLK200K (208).

There's a fair bit of a "lip" on the front disks (perhaps 3-5 mm) so I'm thinking of changing them.

What's the common mileage that disks should be expected to last for?
Do vented disks give any discernable braking performance improvements?
Is it always advisable to change all 4 wheels at once?
Should you always change the pads when you replace the disks?
Should I change the brake fluid as well (hasn't been done for 50,000 miles)?

 

[jamesmc]

edwardtaggart asked:

What's the common mileage that disks should be expected to last for?
That's totally dependent on the type of driving conditions and driving style of the owner.

Do vented disks give any discernible braking performance improvements?
I'd suggest in light braking not really, but during heavy braking the vented disks will stay cooler and help prevent them warping and the brakes fading.

Is it always advisable to change all 4 wheels at once?
I generally do change all four but that's me!
Never do just one wheel.
As a minimum front or rear should be changed as complete set
You're more likely to change out the front set before the rear needs it.

Strip off any paint or grease preservative before fitting the discs. Paint, you can wire brush off. Grease will need removing with something like Isopropyl alcohol.

Should you always change the pads when you replace the disks?
Yes!
But, conversely, you can change pads without changing disks.
Generally speaking, expect to change the disks every other time you change the pads. The rear pads will last longer than the front.

Should I change the brake fluid as well (hasn't been done for 50,000 miles)?
I don't always do a 100% change... but read on...
When changing pads, and pushing the piston back in the callipers.
First, I clamp the brake hose above the calliper, open the bleed nipple force the pistons back allowing the (often dirty) calliper oil to bleed out into a jar via a small tube. On topping up I flush a good bit of fluid through that line before tightening sealing it. That alone changes quite a bit of the fluid. Maybe not as professional as some might suggest, but seems to work for me.
Don't simply force the calliper pistons back on an un-clamped hose or it could force crud (muck) back up into the system.. master cylinder and abs unit may suffer!