IS IT WORTH FIXING?? HIGH MILEAGE MERCEDES W209 CLK DIESEL!

[@bugle2312]

Nice one Sam. Appreciate the rundown- it is in Spain now after a great 1000km journey. 50 mpg and handling superbly after the work you did. Am I keeping it? You bet I am. Best wishes to all in SPR, see you in March. 😊

[@sprautos]

Have a great trip. 50mpg 🙌🙏

[@wfifa199]

It's 238,000 miles from earth to the moon, so nice one! If you can get the mileage to 476,000, you will have done the equivalent to the moon and back.

[@michaelhynds8035]

It is great to see older cars maintained and still on the road instead of throwing them away.

[@hv54wxt]

Yes I agree, this is being "green"

[@sprautos]

Evening all. Hope everyone is having a good week. Let me know your thoughts on this one. Merch will be back in stock soon! All the best everyone.

[@Arcticwolf-UK]

One of the best channels on KZbin.

[@paulknight1332]

Not one of the best... the best!!!

[@oliverlotus]

It's great to see how positive you are with your employees. I was traumatised during my time in the motor trade by horrible people!

[@Eryrwen]

You answered the question. "He loves it". It was worth it.

[@xmaxbabilo]

Sometimes love hurts..

[@jackdanielsamarreto]

You cannot beat a old car and a quality diesel, some of these old cars are better than the computer filled ones of today.

[@andrewmooreandrewrmoore7615]

Some better? I would say most!

[@davidlewis4399]

@@andrewmooreandrewrmoore7615 Agree most are better than the tech filled shit boxes of today.

[@blackdogchris]

Best mercedes Benz advice and repair channel out there.❤

[@KeithCramerLongfield]

Easily!

[@McElhinney65]

Favourite youtube channel. I have a 2001 Golf 1.9 diesel with 210k on the odometer, just spent £600 to get it through the MOT. Completely solid, great workhorse, 68mpg on a long run.

[@davidlewis4399]

They knew how to build them then awesome cars.

[@aq7705]

You know, doing those little jobs, like undertray screws n clips, gromet under the door, replace bleed nipple goes along way to gaining CUSTOMER LOYALTY. May seem OCD, but big respect! My old merc mechanic was the same and I wouldn't take my car anywhere else. Dealers could learn from these mechanics!! Luvin your work....under supervision byLord Nelson in his sling!!

[@NomadJRG]

Never understood why so many people sell a car when presented with a big bill only to spend more on a newer car. Keeping an old car on the road like this does come with the odd larger bill that can exceed the value of the car but if it gets you another couple of years of motoring then happy days! Great video as always

[@TheMoisesgooner]

The system wants to enslave us with pcp

[@JJonCars]

This was all very familiar 😄 CLK doing its CLK things. Fair play to the owner for keeping it on the road. Bet it's an absolutely brilliant mile muncher with that diesel engine

[@coolcat23]

Plus, it's the bee's knees with it's classy interior design and sleek outer body language. Who wouldn't want to have one of these? :)

[@JJonCars]

@coolcat23 not me, that's for sure 🤣

[@georgedaville4662]

Another great example of why you should keep an old faithful Mercedes Benz. It is great that original parts are still available for these vehicles. It sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider it against main dealer pricing, it is great value, and you know the job has been done right by Sam and his team at SPR Autos. 👍😎

[@toms4097]

I only found your channel after you did the dealer chat podcast. Watched all your videos now. The owner is happy Good job

[@deang4538]

Nice to see an older car having the work put into it. I have a 2007 W203 C180 Sport Edition and absolutely love it, its still low mileage for it's age at 99k. But all the maintenance in this video is what I've had to have done to my car. 4 control arms on the front, drop links, anti-roll bar with bushes, new suspension struts, my car drives like new, all genuine Mercedes parts or same brand as supplied to Mercedes (Brembo for the brakes, Sachs for for shocks etc). I refuse to "upgrade" to a newer car that are plagued with electronic issues which I've seen friends have first hand. My old Merc, just carries on going and going.

[@wookiewookster1214]

Simply one of the best channels in the UK, thanks Sam again for a great episode!

[@sprautos]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@paulaus]

It's a smart looking car so I can see why the owner is attached to it.

[@DontDrinkTheFlavorAid]

It's replacing the hardware for the splash panels that speaks volumes about this shop. This would be the shop i'd want to have work on my stuff.

[@kennmart1]

There are people in the U.S. who would still buy and sell cars in that shape for $5000 to $8000 U.S. dollars, However they would not put the work into it like you, Thay would literally drive it into the ground with no repairs. Broken springs / shocks leaning to one side, dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree Sad!! All the while you're in there stuff is great to see. Cheers from a fan in Detroit.

[@DavidR_192]

I had the same car / year but with the 270 CDI engine. Loved that engine... sounded amazing. Only 170hp (same as the current 220 CDI base engine) but felt stronger. Mine was a rare CLK270 CDI manual too. Such a fun car.

[@rea2605]

Excellent video. Well worth having the work carried out. Mileage is not an issue if it is serviced and looked after. My 21-years-old W211 E270, which is 1700mls short of 200,000k, is mechanically sound, no rust, no drivability issues, a very economical and comfortable metal box to be in. Like the owner of the W209, why would I want to change mine, when it looks and drives as good today as it did when I bought it S/H 17 years ago?

[@sharpsconsultancy2342]

Great video, my good friend. We appreciate the effort you put into social media whilst at the same time trying to make a living. I hope youtube is good for you as it is for us.

[@matthewleehowarth9954]

Love how quickly your channel is growing and after seeing you on the podcast saying your enjoying it ,keep up the great content

[@sprautos]

Thanks so much!!

[@paulmurray750]

I hate being that person who closes the bonnet for the last time and condemns a car to the crusher as well. Great content. Currently running a 2005 CDI 200, solid motor.

[@davidoldboy5425]

Hate to see only one coil spring changed, I've always replaced any suspension parts as pairs? same with tyres

[@bmwman1981]

You don’t have to change both springs at the same time

[@coolcat23]

Definitely was worth it! The CLK is such a nice car. No B-pillars, seatbelt butlers, classy interior design, it's a lot of fun to drive, etc. I think it has a very elegant timeless design that sets it apart from the modern over-sized abominations with their driver hassling super-safety features. Who wants to turn off a speed warning chime every single time they get into their car? I don't.

[@emmanuila7747]

Just needs some bolt on parts it has done so many miles. And also is very clean inside and outside! Great job and great owner that has this car!

[@bangkokballer4103]

Sam I'm not a Merc fan but I Love your channel .. To watch talent with attention to detail is very rare these days in the automotive space.. And you have both.. I see why you are so busy.. A no bullshit approach with quality work you deserve every success ..

[@sprautos]

Thank you very much

[@7417cd]

Definitely worth it. Keeping a really good car on the road. Great video

[@judgementalTX]

My 55 plate E220cdi is on 232k and is a lovely drive. Had to spend 4k on it after buying for 850. But its decent now. Heated seats, great sound system. 45-50mpg on the motorway. 40 mixed roads.

[@SuperScania1974]

Yeah, I think it was worth it. Let’s face it what can you buy to replace it for 2.5k. Nice job Sam

[@nevermind2534]

Currently spending a few dimes on my 05 clk500 down here in New Zealand. Intend on teaching granddaughter (2y/o) to drive in it. She already wants to play in it every time she here, pressing n turning all the buttons, steering the wheel an climbing all through it 😂

[@JeffPower-dv3zl]

❤😊🎉 great 😊

[@pamed76]

I’m always surprised by the amount of corrosion. I remember that from the time when I lived on the Netherlands. Now I live in Dallas Texas. No corrosion at all. And I mean never. So, chapeau for you and your team to deal with that on a daily basis. I so love your videos! If you ever think of getting an American mb, consider North Texas. Even better than California.

[@24bellers20]

Worth every penny.

[@ozodyssey5528]

Great timing! Will save me from at least 21 minutes of election rubbish on tv. I look forward to the day when I can bring my W211 E240 across the Pennines and get you to look at it.

[@DrDSCT]

Well worth it - compare that with the 1st year depreciation on an electric car. Also this must surely be better for the environment keeping the old Merc going than putting a new car on the road every two or three years.

[@Solidsnake0208]

This guy really is the standard that all independent Mercedes Specialists should be aspiring to. Most people with a car of this age would look at the money spent on this car in this video and think the car is barely worth that so why bother spending the money. The reality is that if you spent the same money on a new car, it would likely need a bunch of work doing. Why not keep a good car on the road?

[@marklawrence2417]

The later W209's are great, I had a lovely 2006 CLK500 5.5 for 6 years & sold with 131000 miles on the clock 3 years ago, its still on the road with more than 150000 miles at his last MOT. Very little spent during my ownership other than servicing & normal consumables. Also ZERO rust! Would love to get that car back...

[@jamesdunican1750]

Well said I have the same car But it’s the sport version 220 cdi with 89000 miles Fantastic car

[@sprautos]

Great little engine. Great motorway car

[@johnrob6132]

Another really interesting video. It must be nice for you to read the actual customer`s appreciation of your work in the comments, showing his confidence in you by taking it on 1000km trip to Spain. That`s the ultimate compliment to you. Those young trainees of yours must have the job that any young prospective mechanics dream of.

[@harrywilson4311]

Worth every penny keep it going, this is more environmentally friendly then buying any EV crap

[@keithexum7312]

Awesome job as always! I’ve done a lot of those Prop couplings. I showed them to the customer Explain why I’m changing them. They usually ask me what happens if that breaks? I just tell him it won’t be good.🤣

[@karlmabe1649]

100% worth it. My works new shape sprinters just turning 250 k miles 19 reg

[@apnovi]

Great video. I agree that if you like the car, it's worth the work for that price. The CLK W208 and W209 are lovely motors.

[@paulenglish5232]

Worked with Mercedes commercials for a long time and owned a few cars wouldn’t have any other make, Some of the mileages I see on them vans is unreal. 646 651 engines look after them they will last for ever

[@PeterCox-k1w]

Worthwhile, keep it going, better for the planet and pocket😂

[@jimjam1934]

Def worth keeping these cars going, I would in his shoes. My X5 is 2005 reg with 250k and I wont be changing it anytime soon

[@theCybershot123]

Well done nice content another old car kept on the road safe

[@markjaxx3]

your attention to detail is commendable :)

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

This guy's the opposite of a Cowboy, he's more of an engineer than a mechanic. Honest too

[@milabaigar]

I have a clk 2004 , 206000 kilómetros love , just replaced all discs pads struts belt tensioner water pump most cases not because the need replacing i though while I was under the bonnet just replaced them , all with my own hands 👍👍. Smooth 5 cylinder diesel 4.9 liters 100/kilómetros . Greener than any ev 20 years old now passes all Itv inspections.

[@51madmitch]

Definitely the right thing to do if you are happy driving a quality car, knowing the history of your car is so important, ditch it and spend £10K on another, you could be facing a a big bill in the first year, I know because I worked in the motor trade for 21 years, it happened so often, think I would fit Brembo discs and ATE pads, like Lemforder they make them for Mercedes and a lot cheaper.

[@jamesbarrel9754]

I owned a w208 clk55 back in 2019 and replaced the discs and pads shocks and most of the suspension arms also a full service including the transmission. The parts cost a couple thousand luckily the w208 is easy to work and I could do the work myself otherwise it would of cost more than what i payed for the car.

[@davidcorlett2082]

Been watching you guys for ages and I really appreciate the honesty and technical explanations you do. Keep up the great work.

[@sprautos]

Thanks David, glad your still enjoying them.

[@pauldavies6037]

Great cars certainly worth saving small engine not complicated or money pit like most big engine Mercs

[@tomthepigeon6272]

Well done Sam and Nathan

[@geoffwa3]

Great topic for the video, really informative and insightful. Genuine mechanical parts are so bleedin expensive but after watching this it's worth the extra outlay. They last much longer and designed to be a direct fit 👍🏻

[@marcduthie4327]

Elbows creaking when you tighten bolts. Isn't that the torque wrench built into every good mechanics arm😂. Enjoying your videos. Have a good week. Marc from Australia 🇦🇺

[@JeffPower-dv3zl]

❤😂🎉😊

[@PradoPlacesOz]

Great video. Good to see genuine, honest, good mechanics

[@andrewmooreandrewrmoore7615]

Well worth keeping going. Would be daft to start with another car again and most likely have to do work to it anyway. Zero depreciation counts for a lot.

[@TheGranty1739]

We had a sprinter in with coming up to the 1-million-mile mark, just out of interest we asked the merc dealer who supplied all our parts, if the million miles would show or would it reset to zero, they didn't know and a few weeks later the van was destroyed in an arson attack at the company yard so we will never know.

[@wfifa199]

Noooooo! That's no way for a 1 million miler to end. The van deserved better

[@SpufiMan1]

My 23yr old car value is about £1,500 but worth Much more to me; perfect mechanical condition because I have no qualms spending another £1,500 on whatever it needs on servicing and MoTs. Some years it is 1/10th of that. Much rather spend at these levels, than spend £5k cash plus £4k a year (or more !) every year on PCP payments and still never own the car...

[@jimmyjt16]

Of course it’s worth doing. That trusty steed has got to 230000 miles probably with little issues. Where would the owner find a better and more reliable car £2500? He wouldn’t! Plus it’s paid your wages. These old cars need to be kept on the road. It does my head in when garages tell owners repairs are economical, they don’t look at the bigger picture. Well done for repairing it.

[@brianmansfield666]

Great video. Need an SPR in London…😊

[@wfifa199]

I would use it if there was

[@brimans3092]

​@@wfifa199is there anyone in Greater London area like SPR that anyone could recommend?

[@michaelmccann4706]

If the owner loves the car it's worth it.

[@steveclement9815]

Another great video Sam. I would agree that it's worth doing the repairs, if you like the car why not. Keep up the good work.

[@derfel72]

Sustainability.

[@MidnightDUB]

Loved my CLK 270CDI to death. The only serious issue and the reason Ive sold it - rust. Now Im owning E250CDI, but I want to switch to either 207 E coupe or back to really nice 209 CLK. Theres just something about the coupe, perfectly sized, fun in the summer, technically simple and easy to work on!

[@wernerdanler2742]

Diesels in autos are rare beasts over here across the pond now days. Is that a four cylinder 2.0 or 2.5 litre? Turbo or not? My 85 300d had 280,000 miles on it when I traded it off and it ran like a top. It burned no oil. If you service them properly, these diesels will run forever. Have a good rest of the week.

[@agrubera75]

Another great video from SPR, makes my day better every time.

[@Judith-c6r]

If as an owner you like the car and have the cash to keep it on the road, worth every penny as you will never find a satisfactory replacement for the cost of the repair. These CLKs are one of the best comfortable, safest, reliable cars. The CLK 209 has really good corrosion protection.

[@victorgrasscourt3382]

I had a CLK cabriolet. 2001 Avantgarde. Bought it when it was four years old. I kept it 16 years and spent as much in servicing and repairs as I paid for it. Probably was in better condition when I sold it than when I bought it. The question is when is a car uneconomic to keep going? To buy a new Mercedes cabriolet is huge money. However Mercedes parts are very expensive if you are running an older car. Plus Mercedes dealerships no longer even have the diagnosis equipment for older cars like my CLK, so you are forced to go to independent garages. Yet my Mercedes’ had a thirty year guarantee! The other problem was that Mercedes of the era of my CLK were more prone to rusting than Fords or Citroens. Wheel arches, sills etc. I would only own another Mercedes if I knew a good independent specialist such as SPR, as Mercedes hourly rates are ridiculous.

[@xmaxbabilo]

I now have nightmares of paula calling me and telling me my car on fire. No more cali packs back on the stardawg 😂😂

[@silkdestroyer]

Another interesting vid, (I have a 2002 CLK 320, with a slightly lower mileage of 65K.) This one appears to be in pretty good nick and still looks good. Nice to hear that the owner clearly loves it and hopefully it has many years service still ahead of it.

[@paulbennett274]

There's an old adage about knowing the price of something but not its worth! Value to anyone is subjective and older, serviceable vehicles at the bottom of their depreciation curve often represent much greater value than their notional worth for the reasons Sam articulated. For the last couple of years I've owned a C230 Wagon with just over 90,000 miles on it and it passed both its MOTs without any major expenditure other than the usual annual servicing. Yes, I'm aware of the potential failings of the early V6 M272 engine but I understand from my local MB indie that the balance shaft has already been done which just leaves the intake plenum etc. and the usual rear seals, 'Drip Pan', oil cooler gasket etc. as potential issues other than the usual wear components. I can also confirm the quality of the original MB exhaust as mine still looks like it came out of the factory last month! Although I now only drive around 5000 miles a year I have it serviced annually irrespective of the computerised service recommendation and expect it to outlive me! At the first MOT in my ownership the MOT inspector queried how long I'd owned the car as he said that it was the cleanest, nearly 20-year old car he'd seen in his 40-years as an MOT tester! Oh, and despite its age it is still stuffed full of computers; you really need to go back to the mid 1980s to avoid them as that was when Bosch first designed the CAN system that is still largely prevalent today!! Still one of the best Mercedes channels available on KZbin and only wish that I lived locally to SPR, keep up the quality information Sam please, it's much appreciated.

[@Millennial_Manc]

Great video - inspiring that you said you root for high mileage cars to go on. 💯 What’s the highest mileage car on your books or that you’ve ever worked on?

[@Orwellian-One]

As long as it has NO corrosion, keep fixing it.

[@TJSTR]

It’s worth it if they’re hanging onto the car for a bit. One of the things I love about buying a slightly older car is doing some jobs to make it better…some myself and others left to the pros. It might not always make financial sense 😂.

[@964tractorboy]

Always "better the devil you know". Chop it in for a new car and chances are you still have work to do to get where you were with the old car. With my luck I would anyway. Great video!

[@keithexum7312]

Thanks!

[@sprautos]

Thank you 🙏 Hope your package arrived safely 😉

[@keithexum7312]

@@sprautos It did. Thank you so very much!! Can't wait for it to get cool in Florida so I can wear it!

[@sergiuioan6180]

Great video! I always watch your videos, especially when you work on clk's, i'm also an mechanic engineer.

[@danielmccarthy1982]

I do like a nice CLK...a stylish comfortable pillarless coupe, still looking good at twenty years old. Great to see another one being looked after properly!

[@sprautos]

Well said. A great looking car

[@xampart]

customer is happy. i'm happy...well so am i.

[@FactTV-rj6sh]

Keep these quality cars going they have style and we need to save them, superb job as usual , great videos..

[@Leo555ZZZ]

Good point about the door window regulator lower nut being loose ..I have found the same thing on a few CLK's.

[@coolcat23]

I'm surprised it can apparently be tightened without removing the door card. Is there sufficient access behind the rubber sealing at the bottom?

[@Leo555ZZZ]

@@coolcat23 Yes . It is easy . Just prise out the rubber seal , then use a socket on an extension straight up to the nut ...I think it is a 12mm.

[@coolcat23]

@@Leo555ZZZ Thanks!

[@cyclist2906]

the alternative is buying something else cheap and then having to fix the exact same problems... sensible to repair i think

[@milabaigar]

I have a clk 270 cdi I have a oil leak I think from oil cooler have posted a video on this , love ya videos keep ‘em coming 👍

[@amber300c]

Just wondering if the spring should have been replaced in pairs? 👍

[@frankirvine316]

Good one Sam✅ As you say what can by for 3 grand and fully serviced correctly Cheers Frank🥝

[@essentialmtb8683]

Just brought myself CLK 280 08. Full service history and only on 66k can’t lie I found really hard finding a decent one paid just £3.1k in the end

[@Parknest]

My own W204 C200 is of similar mileage and it most likely has that the CLK has the same OM646 engine as well. I've got a B3 service due. After passing the last MoT, one of the advisories was wear on the inside edge of the left rear tyre which meant a 4-wheel alignment had to be done. I eneded up getting my local Kwik Fit to do the job. They had no problems with the bolts due to the rear subframe replacement done less than 2 years prior by a local dealer under warranty.

[@michaelhynds8035]

That car would be a super paint correction project.

[@SDav21]

Everything from Mercedes from this era is worth it to save. We have a 2004 W203 C220 cdi. It's bulletproof apart from some small electrical things like this thing in the steering wheel causing it to say ESP not available. The part is expensive and so too the labour and there's no way around that. But it has 380,000 kms now and everything is original and always serviced regularly. The interior still looks excellent after 20 years which you can't say the same for the new C Classes from the W205 and W206. I've seen 3 year old 205s that looked awful because of the poor quality of the interior materials and most 206s tech doesn't work and has worse plastic than even the 205. Our 203 220 cdi rides smooth and even though the diesel engine is very agricultural, it's still okay. Would've liked the 7 speed with it to get the revs lower at highway speeds but the 5 speed is smooth. Smoother than the 7g tronic in my 2014 E350 Bluetec.

[@richards-garage]

Great video and a really good question. Love a 209. Used to have a A209 280 Sport with the 3.0l V6. Lovely car but got rid of it for a W212 with the M157. Would love a W209 even a 220 as a work horse.

[@garymalcolmson]

I had a 04 clk 240 a great car l would buy another one

[@wallidan392]

Bad economics this is. The owner could have picked one up with much less than half the mileage for about half the service cost. Great video I must say and this guy knows his mercs

[@wfifa199]

How well it has been maintained is more important than it's mileage

[@smusyk2859]

Amazing content, discovered it recently & very informative.

[@briansmith2570]

No doubt, In this case it was absolutely worth the cost of repair. My only question is why only one spring replaced and not the pair? From your description of the less than spirited performance, it makes me think that this is a modern version of the W123 240D.

[@d4dek130]

Great video mate ,just found your channel and subscribed 👍🏼

[@sprautos]

Welcome aboard!

[@martynm.449]

Love a good SPR episode.