VitaminT

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Well just thought I would vent a bit. Took the my slk55 to the dealer yesterday.

Got a new key ordered under warranty, old one was cracking

My OEM windscreen is not clicking in on the one side. Not sure if they will cover it since I bought it from that MB-Shaefer guy in Germany on ebay.

Rattle under steering column, ordered part to correct issue

Balance all 4 tires, found that what I thought were about 50% life Good Year F1 DS-G3's have camber wear and one is showing cords. Order two tires from tirerack tonight, Michelin PS2's, $500. $60 for the balance at the dealer when the tires get here. $130 for alignment from the benz dealer.

Ordered a tube of that top grease, $50

Horrid plasticy rattles coming from the top/behind driver area, per CLK vert and former SLK owner....normal for an SLK.

Schedule D service coming up in 2700 miles costing probably $1000.

Anyway I am very frustrated right now. Just lots of unexpected costs and not long after I spend what to me was a ton of money for my SLK I am not very happy. I am thinking about parting with it but just don't know what I want to get instead.

As strange as this must seem I miss my crappy little Acura RSX typeS. $30-200 services and 0 rattles in over 4 years.

-1-

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I understand your frustration. Cost of the car plus all the additional maintenance. Your car is the highest mileage SLK that "I'm" aware of. You're possibly encountering some issues that we'll all face later. Not sure about the squeaks and rattles, but I know they drive us all crazy. I hope you get these issues resolved so you can enjoy your SLK. Good luck!

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----------------1-----------------
--------SLK 55 ///AMG---------
THE MON55TER ON THE BLOCK

alroumi

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Rattles are okay and can be fixed easily, these cars were manufactured for perfect autobahn roads. As pothholes and other bad surfaced roads can cause some squeeks and rattles here and there.

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06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG
06 Porsche Cayenne S
07 Jaguar XKR Coupe'

I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

in2dwww

I see what you mean... I think at some point, everyone gets a car that just continues to have problems. You must have one of those "Monday" or "Friday" cars... when it was produced on a day in the factory when the workers couldn't wait to go home, so they bang out the line as quickly as possible.

But you have a Mercedes and it's engineered to the hilt. I've also been to their factory, and a shoddy car is not what they produce. If you want to see crap, go to the BMW plant in South Carolina. That experience makes me wonder why I was even a BMW nut back in the days. Horrible assembly process... made me wonder how the Z4 could cost so much- it was all that labor involved with assembling the car. Then once you own the Z4, watch it's resale value plummet to reality. Just like all Mercedes cars, SLK is built correctly.

I have to admit that my SLK55 is very solid. But after spending some time with it, I suggested to Mercedes that the next SLK includes two important features:

1. Vented seats. On days above 85 degrees f, if I have the top down and drive around the block, the humid air can create some nasty sweat. My E350 and even the C230 loaners have perforated seats. The SLK is solid leather, and it's not pleasant on hot days. This fact alone makes me wonder if I should have forked $68k for a used non-AMG SL instead.

2, Tires... mine are Pirelli P-Zero Nero. They don't convey any confidence. It could be the lousy ice-resistant asphalt out here, but I just don't get the grip I expect. If these damn tires weren't so expensive, I'd get the Michellin P2's. The only resaon why Mercedes put the Pirelli's on the SLK is because of longer treadlife.

Beyond these two points, I'm hapy with the car. It turns heads, sounds lovely, hauls a$$, and has most of what you could want in a roadster.

If I had to make a choice of a replacement, it would be the new C-class... the C63. It will turn heads, haul a$$, and include many techno gadgets from the s-class.

VitaminT

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Well I do ride on some of the crapiest roads I have ever seen. Alabama is probably the worst in the US since unlike GA they won't put up weightstations to control trucks running overloaded.

Anyway I run on some crappy stretches everyday and I guess that jars stuff loose. Just upsets me when strangers ride in my car and their $6k Dodge Intrepid doesn't have as many rattles. I have had people going what is that noise. Now I can just tell them it is normal for convertables.


Thanks for the reply guys. I wouldn't have been upset that bad but what I thought were really decent tires turned out to be needs $500 worth tires. And no $500 isn't a big deal just unforescene (sp?) and a surprise.

FishtailnZ

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Venting is therapeutic! Sorry though to hear you're having so many issues with the car. Hope they're all addressed soon for ya.

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- Bill

Waiting on a 2009 C63 Opal Fire Red/Alpaca Grey

R.I.P. 2006 SLK55 Caspian Blue/Beige
Stock 1/4 mile results: ET 12.72, trap 110.80, 60' 1.80

Some guys they just give up living and start dying little by little, piece by piece. Some guys come home from work and wash up and go racin' in the street... - B. Springsteen

cyberdrakon

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Good luck with your car...when i complained about the rear tires to my tire shop they said, "easy, drive slower, keep off the gas" ::::

$500 isn't too bad for tires. my last car had tires that cost $380 per tire.

bclark

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Common sense suggests the more we spend on a car,
the more problem-free it should be. Not generally the case, I think.
It's the gift that keeps on costing. It's a shame but seems to be
reality. Hard to beat the Japanese. . .

BTW, what's with the windshield getting so pitted? Anyone else notice?

MDLSLK55

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Damnit, everyone keeps talking about these "Monday" cars...my current build date is a Monday!! Is this what I have to look forward to??

cyberdrakon

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hard to beat the japanese at making econo boxes, or hard to beat the japanese at making fake luxury cars? (yes, we have had a lexus).

Corkscrew

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How many miles on your SLK? When does Service D kick in?

in2dwww

I've been told that this is common mit German cars. The windows have a "soft" composition to them so that when they are hit with an object, the glass absorbs the impact while it deflects. On most other cars, the glass is harder. On the "hard" glass, an object is more likely to cause starbursts and hairline fractures, forcing you to replace the glass. This somehow makes life easier on the Autobahn, so I don't question it.

I leave my window on the "slightly dirty" side (just like my women) so that I don't have to stare at itty bitty imperfections the whole time.

cyberdrakon

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Yup, that's what i've found with my last several benzes (and heard about from BMWs). You can buy a solution that you drop into the chips and heat up with a lighter, it will fill it in and smooth it out. I haven't seen it locally lately, but i know it's out there.

mtiede

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I guess it depends on the roads you drive on and the miles on your car, but I don't have any rattles yet. (has it been 2 years already? :-0 ) So I don't think it is typical of the SLK convertible.

You just need to find the rattles and get them fixed. Or maybe turn the radio up louder

I noticed the flecks in the windshield in my SLK 320. That was the most pitted windshield of any car I have ever owned. I think I am already seeing some pits on the new SLK.

VitaminT

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41xxx miles. I am guessing it is going to hit about 45k. I have 2700 miles or so till schedule D.

Oh well tires got shipped out today. Saving about $100 buy getting them through TireRack vs the dealer. I would have probably gone the dealer route but he said he was getting Michelin Pilot Sports and didn't seem to think that they were going to be the PS2's. Anyway maybe I will get my ride back Monday or Tuesday. If I can get some of the vibration and road noise down I think my car will be much more enjoyable. I will go digging for me some rattles after that.

Part of the problems on the rattles is I cannot pin point them while driving. I mean there is only one that is really bad and it is an off and on thing sometimes. So it may be that the dealer didn't hear it at all. I can't really fault the MB dealer because my service advisor is awsome.

MDLSLK55

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My crossfire, which we all know is the R170 in disguise, also has the most pitted windshield I have ever seen. It's ridiculous...

VitaminT

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Update:

Took the tires in to the dealer yesterday morning early. They weren't able to get to it yesterday so I figured it would be today.

Well I call them about 4:30 this afternoon as I would have to leave work at 5:00 to go get it. He informs me that they had problems dismounting my old tires and scratched up one of the BBS wheels. Had it on the alignment machine when I called.

Anyway they are going to have the wheel fixed/refinished I guess, but said it will be Tuesday before I can get my car. Said to just keep the loaner I have. Oh well I was pretty upset originally but then figured at least they didn't try to put it on the car and hope I didn't notice. Originally the C230 was nice but I am wanting my own car now pretty bad. Been over a week since I was able to feel the power of an AMG. Two weeks once I get the car.

The saga continues. I am looking at getting the rain sensor fitted on my car though. So maybe in the end I will have those trick auto wipers as no variable intermitant wipers gets two thumbs down.

VitaminT

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Got my car back today. To my surspise all my issues seem to be fixed. No rattles to speak off other than the norma panels shifting and such. Road noise is much better, got a new key and got to keep the old one too, awsome. Um 30ml of top grease for $50us, pricey but it works wonders.

Anyway I missed it so much. Guess it is easy to forget how nice the 55 is until you drive a "normal car" (c230 sport) for two weeks.

Only thing I see is that tonight the mirrors seemed to dim before it got dark but will see more tomorrow. It is like they are dimmed all the time.

The other thing is it doesn't seem my cluster + - R buttons are working. They had to pull the cluster to fix a rattle under the column and I guess they didn't get hooked back up. Is this something that is hard to get to Dan?

Didn't get the rain sensor fitted this time but I may order it online and put it in myself and then just get it coded at my next service.

DansSlk

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Yeah! finally back in the beast.

Glad it sorted for you now mate.

With your mirrors check the sensors on the center rear view are OK front and back, also compare between drive and reverse since the mirrors return to normal when reverse is selected.

If the buttons on the cluster are broken you will most likely need a new cluster, its a tight fit and sometimes none too smart techs will get a little too physical with it and bust the thing since its wafer thin and has exposed electrics.

How much does it annoy you not having them? If you do get it replaced try and get them to fit an 07 cause it looks nicer.

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mtiede

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Interesting. Same thing for my SLK 320. Very pitted. If I had kept the car a couple of more years, I think I would have had to replace the windshield.