CLK = nothing but dramas....

[Taff107]

Well, as much as I like this car, the final straw has broken the camels back and it's getting sold.
Yesterday the wife reported that the passenger foot well was sopping wet and blower wasn't working at all. A quick search on the MB forums hinted that a clogged drain at the base of the windscreen could be the reason for it so this morning I dismantled the plastic trim and removed the drain. As stated the drain was blocked with all sorts of crud meaning the water level builds up and pours into the top of the heater blower fan. A ridiculously bad design fault. I then took off the base of the blower housing inside the car and about .5L of crappy water fell out. That would explain the now 'shorted' and knackered fan regulator then.......
put it all back together after drying it out completely and reattached the battery. Got into the drivers seat, turned the key and....nothing. Alight form the vehicle and make my way to the rear of the vehicle to see the boot now closed and no apparent power from the battery. Out comes the emergency key and after 30 mins and a gallon of wd 40, manages to get the key in to the barrel. It doesn't turn. Another 30 mins later, it finally turns, only to go 180 degrees with no apparent effect. No matter how many tries to unlock, the key and barrel just rotates. So now the car is sat there insecure with the windows open due to not being able to get into the boot. I give up with it and plan on getting it recovered to an independent specialist in the morning and get them to open / sort it.
I've had all sorts of dramas with the roof with this vacuum system and now the boot is added to the list. The car is over-engineered in some areas and yet has some really...really bad design faults.
With luck (and a miracle), someone will steal it tonight.....

[shentodj]

Sorry to hear your trails and tribulations.
My wife's 2003 CLK has been far from perfect.
Can you elaborate (or link to) the issue of the blocked drain as her car is suffering lots of condensation while parked.

Regards,
Shentodj

[Taff107]

Basically there is a gutter that all the rain from the screen collects and (if not clogged) drains away. If this does get clogged however, the water level only has to rise about about 3" and then it pours into the car onto the top of the heater blower.

This thread pretty much sums it up and provides instructions on how to get down into it....

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w208-clk-class/155...

(On mine, the drainage flap is on the back, right side as Im looking at the car)

[kev b]

I've come across this design fault on many makes of car, on the Audi A6 the drain is under the battery which has to come out to clear debris, this involves removing the wipers and trim meaning it never gets done until its too late.

Some VW's have their ECU in this space, ensuring a breakdown and a massive bill when the drains get blocked. I am beginning to think this sort of thing is deliberate as it seems inconceivable that manufacturers could not have designed this out by now.

[Neil1b24]

I owned a 50,000 mile 2006 CLK280 Cabriolet for a little over 12 months before moving it on due to stupid faults back in 2012.

- Bulb after bulb blowing for no reason
- Ashtray pivot arm broke leaving it unable to open (very brittle)
- Tyre pressure warning light would come on for no reason then go off
- The roof would stall when folding
- Bubbling on the rear arch after a few months of ownership

My old man swears my mercs despite having had many issues himself. It was my first and last until the quality improves.

I just got the impression the car had been designed with perceived quality in mind, nice interior and a solid door cluck but look behind that corners had been cut. I guess this is common with many cars these days.

Having said that I hear they are starting to get their act together and quality is improving again. Mine might have been a Friday car!