SLK 350, 80k miles - what to look out for if buying?

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WillS66

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I'm looking at a couple of high(ish) mileage auto SLK 350s over the next couple of days - 2005 models with around 80k on the clock and full MB service histories.

With a number of cars there are usually "things" you're supposed to look out or ensure have been replaced at or by certain mileages - like clutches on Boxsters at 50000 miles or cambelts on Alfas at 36000 miles.

Are there equivalent things I should be looking out for in the service history of an SLK 350? Or do any of you have horror stories to share about major items failing/blowing up in high mileage SLKs?

I currently drive an Alfa and have a pretty well developed sense of proportion when it comes to service/repair costs so feel free to throw your worst nightmare inducing warnings at me :)

Many Thanks
 

toby1

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Can't say I've read many horror stories on here about that model. Others will advise
 

Steve@Avantgarde

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Worn balance shafts on the engine are common especially the high milers. The 272 engines suffer with this and its getting more common.

An expensive repair that requires the engine to be removed/stripped/rebuilt.
 

sonic

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My wife has the SLK 200K Auto, 2004 85K. Bought the car a year old & nothing has gone wrong.
I know its a different engine but all the running gear should be the same.
 
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WillS66

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Worn balance shafts on the engine are common especially the high milers. The 272 engines suffer with this and its getting more common. An expensive repair that requires the engine to be removed/stripped/rebuilt.

Any chance you could define "expensive"?

Thanks

WillS
 

Steve@Avantgarde

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Ive have had 3 in this year for this fault, 2 of them were rebuilt at a cost of around £1500 the last one I had ended up having an engine. I stripped it down and found the engine heavily swarfed, it had picked up in every camshaft and scored the heads and rocker covers. I then took off the sump and found the bottom end in the same state. After speaking with a couple of indies, no one said they had seen this before so I dont think its common to have that level of damage.
 
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WillS66

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Ive have had 3 in this year for this fault, 2 of them were rebuilt at a cost of around £1500 the last one I had ended up having an engine.

Thank you very much for this information, always pays to be prepared for the worst!

I've seen it alleged on another forum, benzworld.org, that MB corrected this problem during manufacturing on engines above a certain serial number (272.960.30.468893). Both of the SLK's I'm seeing have serials well above this but it's good to have this pricing info to batter the salespeople over the head with. Of course, the serial number info might be wrong.

WillS
 

Still Learning

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The engine serial number information appears out by 100. This is the text from the Mercedes TSB:

Applicable Models (Not Applicable to Model 164.156, 204 or 216.386): Equipped with M272 Engine Up to Serial No. 2729..30 468993 or M273 Engine Up to Serial No. 2739..30 088611.
The material for the balance shaft sprocket and the timing chain guide wheel (idler) was modified on engines past the serial numbers listed above.
 
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