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  #1  
Old 03-25-2015, 07:34 PM
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GLK 250 - What to look out for.

My wife is considering trading her '11 335d for a '13 GLK 250 Bluetec. She's looking for something with more utility (more golden retriever friendly) than her 3 series. I don't know much about the 2.1L engine and I didn't find much after doing a search. I want to know if there are any problems/pleasures that people have encountered with this model and year. Your feedback, as always, is greatly appreciated.

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  #2  
Old 03-25-2015, 08:11 PM
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I am not a SUV fan but I maintain a couple GLK350s (gasoline) and I think they are good vehicles. I have no experience with the four cylinder diesel (other than the 616) so I can't say anything one way or the other. Can't see where it would be much to it though.
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  #3  
Old 03-25-2015, 09:35 PM
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It's too early to know how good these cars will be. I'll be interested in the GLK and E250 once they depreciate enough. What concerns me is the mechanical complications of the engine and the ad Blu system. If you run low on the ad blu juice, it will give you a warning of a certain number of starts before it shuts down. All this stuff does is help with emissions, to have it disable the car is just moronic. Owners have reported malfunctions with the system thinking its empty when it's not.

The engine bares no resemblance to what you would find in a tractor like previous generations. 2 turbos, 2 balance shafts (smooth idle but known to fail and require engine tear-down), and some very fancy injectors. Who know how well they will hold up considering the extremely high 29,000 PSI this engine needs to get the high performance out of a little 4 banger.

For reference, 617 pressure spec is around 2000 PSI. 617s still run OK at 25% less of that or more as they age. Doubt that's possible on this engine.

The other big drawback is this ad blu tank goes where the spare tire would. This means run flat tires. Another huge let down for me.

I really like the GLKs because of the dash. If you Oldtimers haven't looked, google a 2014 GLK dash board. It's a throwback to a W123.
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  #4  
Old 03-25-2015, 11:40 PM
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If that's the vehicle you're interested in - I'd get it before someone else does. No hesitation here buying one, or the E250/E250 4-matic sedan. One of those will likely my next MB diesel vehicle for my daily-driver.
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  #5  
Old 03-26-2015, 03:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerH860 View Post
It's too early to know how good these cars will be. I'll be interested in the GLK and E250 once they depreciate enough. What concerns me is the mechanical complications of the engine and the ad Blu system. If you run low on the ad blu juice, it will give you a warning of a certain number of starts before it shuts down. All this stuff does is help with emissions, to have it disable the car is just moronic.... Owners have reported malfunctions with the system thinking its empty when it's not.

The engine bares no resemblance to what you would find in a tractor like previous generations. 2 turbos, 2 balance shafts (smooth idle but known to fail and require engine tear-down), and some very fancy injectors. Who know how well they will hold up considering the extremely high 29,000 PSI this engine needs to get the high performance out of a little 4 banger.....
The OM651 has been around since 2008 IIRC, that's not exactly an eternity but its closing in on a decade now and I'd guess there are more than a few higher mile examples out there. I've heard of some early issues (like 2009-2010) with the delphi piezo injectors, lots of recalls and I think Mercedes actually went back to the earlier magnetic solenoid injector system used on the earlier CDI's for a few years. The balance shaft issue you speak of was confined to the early production M272/M273 balance shafts wasn't it? I haven't heard of any issues with balance shafts in the OM651 engines. BTW the balance shafts on the OM651 are very cleverly engineered, just like the rest of the engine IMHO.

I have also heard of the faulty ad-blue warning level issues but as I recall that was resolved with a software update, haven't heard anything recently about that issue. I do agree that having the system shut down when the ad-blue is depleted is a bit extreme but I'm guessing the EPA mandated that one, in the real world its not that big an issue since the ad-blue tank has enough capacity to last 14-18K miles in normal service. You just top-up the ad-blue tank at every oil change and you'll never get close to facing the issue of a mandated engine shut-down. Our GLK250 has been consuming 5-6 gallons of ad-blue at 10K oil change intervals. You can but ad-blue for $2-3 a gallon at any truck stop, AutoZone or NAPA.

The spare tire thing is kind of a pain but its not a deal breaker for me, heck most of the newer MB's have a space-saver spare that's only good for 100 miles at 50MPH anyway.

The OM651 is an astounding motor, it exactly matches the 3.2 liter OM648 in horsepower and torque with only 2.1 liters of displacement. It's also as smooth as the OM648, more economical and has less turbo lag.

I've logged many miles in OM616 engine cars and it's hard to believe how much progress has been made over the last 30-40 years.
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  #6  
Old 03-26-2015, 07:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimFreeh View Post
The OM651 has been around since 2008 IIRC, that's not exactly an eternity but its closing in on a decade now and I'd guess there are more than a few higher mile examples out there. I've heard of some early issues (like 2009-2010) with the delphi piezo injectors, lots of recalls and I think Mercedes actually went back to the earlier magnetic solenoid injector system used on the earlier CDI's for a few years. The balance shaft issue you speak of was confined to the early production M272/M273 balance shafts wasn't it? I haven't heard of any issues with balance shafts in the OM651 engines. BTW the balance shafts on the OM651 are very cleverly engineered, just like the rest of the engine IMHO.
Right on!

22K miles in mine, rolling strong with absolutely no issues of any form. I got a space saver spare to cover the run flat situation and unfortunately had to use it. Hit avalanche debris on road in dark early morning in Yellowstone and ruined a tire. Runflat tires to me are the only negative. 36mpg @ higher speeds (under 90mph,) is a big plus. 32mpg in short hauls around home, still better than my 601 engine, with a whole lot more power.
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  #7  
Old 03-26-2015, 07:26 PM
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Keep in mind that almost any new/newish MB is going to be nearly flawless for tens of thousands of miles - then the floodgates of expense in repair out-of-warranty starts. My '99 E300 bought new was a joy for a few years with no issues either, before it started costing big repair dollars. Of course the warranty had long expired on it by then. These are not cheap vehicles to keep on-the-road, other than their fuel economy, and even that doesn't get entirely mitigated by their unavoidable repair expenses as they age. What the OP described sounds to me like a creampuff used model with a full-warranty included in the sale.

However, it should be noted that in our family's experience in buying new MB diesels over the decades, virtually nothing goes wrong with them in the first 100K miles if you put those miles on it within the first couple three years. In fact, we had no issues putting 175K +/- miles on our '60s 220D and our '70s 240Ds. However, those miles were put on them in their first 3-5 years of ownership.

Last edited by Skid Row Joe; 03-26-2015 at 07:48 PM.
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  #8  
Old 03-26-2015, 08:07 PM
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We have a 2014 GLK250. Only done about 11k miles. No complaints so far as quality is concerned. But then friends who bought Subarus and Hyundais haven't had problems either. It was the diesel that sold us. The GLk has a nice feel on the road, which the others don't.

I agree with SRJ that any modern car and especially more complex ones can be expensive once they age. We have several older benzes and although mechanically super reliable, there are sometimes potentially expensive things that only DIY saves us from being in poorhouse! We bought an extended warranty (7yrs) with our GLK as well as 4 yrs of dealer maintenance. After or even before that, we will no doubt trade.

Next time, we will probably lease.
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  #9  
Old 03-28-2015, 12:12 AM
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Thanks for all the replies. I suspect if we get the one we've been looking at, we'll keep it for awhile. My '98 E300 is at 321,xxx and is a daily driver. Love that car - most of the time.

Hope to have pictures to share tomorrow.
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  #10  
Old 03-29-2015, 10:13 AM
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From what I understand, the 335D will have more issues then the OM651 GLK250. Think headgasket and other related problems, but I have not done any research just hints here and there and not much resale once out of warranty for the BMW. The GLK will generally be easier to service more space to access components.
There is special oil for those 4 cylinder diesel MB229.52 now, I have not found this printed on any consumer jug of oil, probably dealer only for a bit yet.
I took one out for a test drive when they were released, so nice to drive on rough roads and plenty of power for what it is, wish all of them had the 4 cyl instead of the 3.0 V6. Unfortunately they didn't want to offer anything for my R320 on trade or it would have been an easy sale. Everything is complex these days so don't worry too much about it, run the best diesel fuel you can (research, you want 50 cetane and a busy place with lots of volume, avoid anything over 5% bio diesel).
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  #11  
Old 03-29-2015, 10:52 AM
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I am pretty sure Mobil 1 ESP meets 229.52.
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  #12  
Old 03-29-2015, 12:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by engatwork View Post
I am pretty sure Mobil 1 ESP meets 229.52.
Only the newest ESP Formula X 0W-30 meets 229.52

https://mobiloil.com/~/media/amer/us/pvl/files/pdfs/mobil-1-oil-product-specs-guide.ashx
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  #13  
Old 03-29-2015, 01:47 PM
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Originally Posted by engatwork View Post
I am pretty sure Mobil 1 ESP meets 229.52.
I think Mobil discontinued it...

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