I've currently got 190k on mine, how many more to go? I'm not expecting a diesel-like lifetime, but what should I expect before it is done?

Rust is really the only unfixable problem. And, if you think about it, the only thing that is different on a diesel is the engine, everything else is the same. Other than the engine you might hit interstellar mileage.

Some issues could be:

Look up " 722.6 K2 bearing " , the trans has a needle beading between the front and rear shafts that fails at high miles. At some point the bearing was upgraded, not sure what year. It might be worth a preemptive repair as when the bearing fails it is shaft and gear time.

The ignition coils ( 2 ) are probably going to fail / should have failed at this point.

The fuel pump is getting to the end of service life. Service life for this part is measured in running hours and not miles. Last year I took apart the "locked up from car sitting 2 years" fuel pump on my 97 C280 / 162,000 miles. The commutator was warn to the point it didn't have many miles left to go. Did the same with a 97 E320 / 200,000 ish , and saw the same amount of wear.

Lower ball joints, boots crack and let water in causing them to seize / break.

Crankshaft sensor failure.

It's quite interesting to see predictions of parts failure mileage. Various parts fail at different mileages, even the exact same model vehicles.

The poster mentioned a transmission bearing, but what if the car has a manual transmission? Even it has an automatic, why would the part fail on two different vehicles at the same mileage?

I have an SLK with the same engine. There is no reason that with proper care and maintenance it can't go hundreds of thousands of miles. The only thing that you need to see to that is not part of the factory maintenance schedule is the supercharger oil. Don't use anything besides the oil specified by Eaton which is the same whether supplied by MB, GM or Ford. Change it every 100,000 miles. All it involves is oil that bathes the supercharger gears. To drain it properly, you are best served by removing the supercharger and pouring it out. It's not a big deal to remove.

Hope this helps.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

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The engine is wonderful. Still pulls like a diesel off the line, the trans has never been serviced and still shifts well. Electronic/electrical components in these cars are the week point. Fuel pump relays, k2 relay assembly, fuel pressure sensors in the tank, can bus components. But this kind of stuff was weak on the old cars as well. Bosch is how the Germans spell Lucas.

The body rust is annoying, but the underside is rust free. Wierd. I'd love to find out how critters get in, had a little excitement with a black snake this fall. The stupid single wiper system may have sounded like a good idea at the time. But, I'm beginning to feel I understand the car, in the same way I do the old diesels. This motor in the SLK must be a hoot.

Yes, I bought a 2001 C240, six speed manual new in October of 2000. One of the very first off the boat. The car was wonderful to drive, but was plagued with electrical gremlins. I dumped it at 60,000 miles. It was a tragedy. The V6 made it go like a rocket.

Yes the manual SLK pulls hard. I have a 2006 V8 Mustang GT five speed manual. The mustang would probably beat the SLK in a drag race, but the SLK feels so much more torquey, that it makes it much more fun to drive.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

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I tend to "life" parts to prevent unforseen breakdowns, this is something you should be familiar with through the "air" portion of your screen name. . . There is a bell curve where a few parts fail at low time , most fail at some mid point and a few go nearly forever.

The choice is to have the car down on a schedule to head off likely failures or wait for things to break leaving you stranded. My 40 years in and around the car business tells me to fix things before they break.



The 2000 C class W202 was never offered as a manual in the US.

In some cases MTBF is dictated by how the car is driven ( trans bearing ). In other cases ( fuel pump ) there is an absolute upper limit to pump life that lack of filter changes will only reduce.

There is also the decision to change a low cost part to prevent damage to high cost parts, the trans bearing is an example of this.

The fuel pump is an example of a "leave you stranded part" that gives little / no warning before failure. Change this type of part and your stuck on the side of the road events will be minimal.

Facing downward, the under the rocker panels just behind the front wheels , just ahead of the rear wheels, there are 1" holes for sunroof drains. They were missing on my 97 C280. These should be plugged with a angled rubber cap. Also have a look under the spare tire and pull the trunk mat / plastic covering just behind the rear seat.

I don't see how anyone could compare Lucas with Bosch. Have you ever had anything with Lucas components? I have and many others and have always found Bosch to outlast other brands by a lot.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

My experience as well. Not everything Bosch is perfect, but its tough to make such a comparison.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

The supercharged engine is a delight, but with that level of miles and without further information about maintenance history, I'd have to warn you that the supercharger doesn't have an infinite life. When it goes, it's easily a $1200 used part plus install charges.

So you agree that Bosch is high quality but still want to call it bad?

What brand would you consider better than Bosch?

As for your C240 , not everything in the car is going to be Bosch.

I have never changed the tranny fluid or the supercharger oil. The PS pump is getting a little noisey. I've got spare crank and cam position sensors, which is probably why they haven't failed yet. Did have a MAF sensor go at about 90K miles. Rear door locks just stopped working.

I've had Fords and never had the electrical issues I have with Benzes. Most of the time they are just annoying things, like window or seat switches. Sometimes they stop the car dead like fuel pump relays or that stupid relay assembly under the hood. I am also surprised how the dealer is unable to diagnose failures. When the stupid fuel tank pressure sensors went a I had to tell them what the problem was.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather drive my MBs than anything else, and every brand has their issues. But, I am often surprised at the stuff that they could have done better.

Are power seat switches made by Bosch? ...window switches? Often these are problems of lack of use and can be cleaned and re-used.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

MTI is correct about the supercharger. It is indeed the achilles heel.

Even though MB does not call for an oil change on the SC, if you will drain the oil and replace it with the correct fluid every hundred thousand miles you can often get much longer service. About a year ago, a good used replacement could be had for $700 or $800. Installation is relatively quick and easy.

As Tom said, most MB rocker switches are very serviceable, and like he said, I am not sure that Bosch makes them.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

BTW, my approach to repair and maintenance of my airplane is DRASTICALLY different to that I have ever taken with a road vehicle. With a few exceptions such as steering and brakes, a car will have a much tougher time of killing you.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution