Merc CLK55 AMG (w209) - owner's experiences?

Verrrrry nice

Eurocharged is selling their E63 for 5 year old poverty-spec Accord money: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E 63 AMG | eBay

Clean, pano roof, vented seats, plus rebuilt engine with updated headstuds too.


You know when I said I wasn't going to be modding the engine in the CLK55?
Yeah well I lied. That lasted less than a month until the Kleemann headers and ECU&TCU tune... and now this.

M113k-level power at the push of a button mwahaahahaahaha
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I'm not a happy camper tonight. MB dealer is saying my 2005 C55 needs a new transmission control unit and backing plate. For $2,600. But wait, it gets worse. The transmission is leaking, which is something MB cars rarely do. So when I ask how did the TCU go bad, they say they don't know, but maybe the leak damaged the unit. Interesting because they serviced the transmission a year and half ago.

BTW, I just paid them $2,700 to do a "B" service, repair a leaking seal in the rear of the transmission, and replace the gas line intake because it was leaking.

BTW1, I paid $14,500 for the car.

BTW2, I have already put at least $6k into the car before this.

****.

 

Sorry to hear. It's the way these German cars are since the 2000s. As much as I love them, I'm afraid to ever jump into owning one. As lease/warranty cars, they're great.

 

Your car has the 722.6 5-speed transmission doesn't it?

Unlike the later 722.9 7-sps that have the TCU mounted right on the transmission yours should be located under the carpet by the passenger seat. Supposedly a leaking conductor plate plug can allow fluid to wick up through the wiring harness directly to the TCU:
Mercedes Transmission Service Repair and Computer Diagnosis serving Rockville, Gaithersburg and Laurel, Columbia Maryland MD

A new "conductor plate" plus all the other stuff you might as well replace while it's out isn't very expensive:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mercedes-722-6-comprehensive-transmission-service-kit

Why not take it to your Mercedes guy in the Woodlands instead of the dealer?
He should be able to just replace the conductor plate, plug and gasket and clean up the wiring and TCU for a hell of a lot less than the dealer (who should certainly know how the TCU can be damaged by a fluid leak).

722.6 transmissions may be slow-witted but they have the reputation of being very robust and reliable.
How many miles on yours?

BTW a "B" service is very basic, shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred bucks even at dealer rates.
https://www.benzshops.com/mercedes-service-b

New transmission output shaft seal ok they probably get 3 hours labor so what's that $450+ $5 bucks for the seal
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pn.aspx?sku=14310162-0239978747&vehicle=2005%20Mercedes%20C55%20AMG%20203.076&brand=Corteco-CFW&utm_source=google&utm_medium=nonpaid&utm_campaign=froogleSKU_Mercedes&gclid=Cj0KCQjw--DLBRCNARIsAFIwR24vAyvm4y7mr2Pu_APD5-kE4PFu0Qu5FGsycJcj4m2t9Bc5zstSR_4aAuDHEALw_wcB

Don't know what the "Gas line intake" is but can't imagine it's worth ~$1800

Owning an aging, complex, powerful car like this out of warranty and not doing the wrenching yourself or at least having a trustworthy independant mechanic is indeed a a recipe for BIG cash outlays.

 

This guy is pretty long winded but his Youtube series on the super-cheap SL55 he recently bought is really good.

He took it to the MB dealer for a full inspection and quote.
Total came to nearly $12k for mechanical items "needing immediate attention" which didn't even include the expensive, fancy suspension:

https://youtu.be/xoKlkxdEHAc?t=1m49s

He's fixed most of the major ones himself (non-functioning folding hardtop, brake-by-wire system counter reset, etc) so far for pennies on the dollar.

 

I went to the dealer because they have the $30k computer versus the $3k the independents have. Now I know why their computer costs $30k.

 

Not even $3000. Or even $300.
This can do just about everything the dealer's fancy computer can:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mercedes-diagnostic-scan-tool-icarsoft-mbii?ads_cmpid=352578559&ads_adid=22978217719&ads_matchtype=&ads_network=g&ads_creative=85228362199&utm_term=&ads_targetid=pla-41477300408&utm_campaign=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&ttv=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnubLBRC_ARIsAASsNNkn2CFviuaXdN3G-j3puOUR6XmrAgC9qkhBNY3la0iB4culUhdIAfEaAlr8EALw_wcB

Another option is this place: Adam's AutoWerks | Auto Repair, Houston, TX
I used to work with the owner.
He was always driving SLs, Bentleys, Range Rovers etc to work and turns out he was repairing them in his garage for this exotic car dealer: Expo Motorcars: Take the ride of your dreams! Bentley | Ferrari | Lamborghini | Mercedes-Benz | Jaguar | Porsche | BMW | Lexus | Land Rover | Maserati | Aston Martin | HUMMER
Now he's got a proper shop, specializing in Mercs everything from hydraulic suspension to folding hardtops to oil changes.

 

I gave up.

 

Sell it?

 

I couldn't get anybody to work on it, and right now, I'm busier than a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest. So I had the dealer take care of it. I'll drive the car two more years. I'd like to take a run at the E63 Eurocharged has on eBay, but if I can't get anybody to talk to me...

 

Everything sorted with the C55?

Yesterday put the CLK55 back on the Dyno. This time with a 50shot of Nitrous pushing ~440hp at the crank.
She loves the 50 so much (should drop 1/4 mile time by at least 1 second, to the mid 12s) I'm tempted to put in 75hp jets, but over 50 they say timing should be advanced and I really don't want to mess with that.

Eurocharged had some other nice machines there as well. The McLaren just got a new exhaust system, and the car before me on the dyno was a new M5 with bigger turbos and exhaust putting down over 600whp.

Only bad part was getting the windshield smashed by a rock on the drive home
$200 deductible to get replaced with OEM glass, UV coated w/ rain sensing wiper cutout.
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Video of my 79yr old Dad's reaction to a full on launch and run under boost up to ~80mph.

https://youtu.be/k9HJGyyraLU?t=30s

Said the only other car he's been in with that kind of acceleration was a 427 Cobra he got a ride in back in the 70's.

This was the 1st time I've hit the NOS in 1st gear. Awesome!

 

Eurocharged sent a graph with all three Dyno curves.

The red (headers&tune) and green (nitrous) lines should be the same up to hitting the N20 at ~3500rpms. They were run at different ambient temps, but the Dynojet should have corrected for that so even the operator can't explain the difference. But it's only ~10hp so probably within the measurement tolerances.

In any event it feels fast as hell, especially under boost.
Purged the 1/2 empty bottle into the garage on Monday to install a pressure gauge, and got it refilled with 10lbs of go-fast juice yesterday.
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