Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class 1999 Problems

When most of us think of sports cars the image of a small, light, two-seater high on performance, but with few creature comforts, usually springs to mind. The image is a very British one, which can be explained by the predominance of British sports cars in the 1950s and 1960s when sports cars were a popular mode of transport.Anyone who cared, or dared, to look beyond the British brands, like MG, Austin-Healey or Triumph, would have found many other brands building distinctly different sports cars. Brands like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz were taking quite a different path with their cars, which didn’t fit the familiar British mould.Mercedes in particular was building sports cars on a much grander scale. Where British companies achieved levels of performance by using small mildly tuned engines in lightweight chassis, the Germans typically used bigger, more powerful engines in bigger cars.It was the same when the new wave of sports cars arrived in the late 1990s. The British sports cars were mostly confined to history by then, although MG enjoyed a resurgence and followed the old power-to-weight tradition by building a small light car with a tuned engine.Mazda mostly followed British tradition with the MX5, a small light car with a nimble chassis and a modestly tuned engine, while Mercedes followed its traditional path with the SLK, which was more sophisticated with lots of creature comforts to make the sports car experience a more enjoyable one for those not necessarily hooked on old time sports cars.MODEL WATCHThere was plenty of choice when Mercedes launched the SLK in 1997. Mazda had made sports cars popular once again and by 1997 there was a plethora of models on offer from a number of companies.No matter what your budget you could find a slinky drop top to suit your wants and desires.At $98,500 the SLK slotted into the middle segment of the market. It wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t the most expensive sports car on the market either.Typically Mercedes the SLK came packed with the latest technology. It had a clever steel roof that folded out of sight into the boot when you wanted to soak up the sun, but provided all of the security and comfort of a coupe when raised.It was the best of both worlds and the forerunner of many more models that would follow in the years after the SLK’s arrival.The only downside to the roof was that it slashed the available boot space once it was lowered. It was best to travel lightly if you were touring in an SLK.Chunky was the best word to describe the SLK with its wedge shape and large flanks, but it was attractive whichever way you looked at it.It was a little cramped inside, but it was stylish. The seats were typically ’Benz, flat and broad, which meant most people would fit in them, but they didn’t provide the best of support in the sports car tradition.The trim was a dashing blend of bright colours, leather of course, and there was a touch of nostalgia with the classical instruments and retro alloy touches on the centre console.At first there was just the one engine option available. It was a supercharged 2.3-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder unit that pumped out 142 kW at 5300 revs and 280 Nm at 2500 revs.When stirred into action the SLK230 was capable of accelerating from rest to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.As with the engine there was only one choice when it came to transmissions, and it was a five-speed auto. True, it could be shifted manually when you wanted to up the fun stakes, but it wasn’t in the class of the Porsche Tiptronic, and a long way short of a real manual ’box.Underneath lay independent suspension front and rear, four wheel discs with ABS, traction control and power steering.Inside there was standard air-conditioning, power windows, the roof was powered, remote central locking, immobiliser, and dual airbags.On the road the SLK behaved well. It handled nicely, rode comfortably, braked with assurance, but was geared more to highway driving than spirited driving down a winding country lane.A few months after the initial launch Mercedes offered a slightly cheaper SLK200 model with a 100 kW unblown 2.0-litre engine in place of the supercharged 2.3-litre unit.IN THE SHOPMercedes-Benz cars generally stand the test of time well, and with around 100,000 km on average on the odometer the SLK models are still in their prime when it comes to service.When checking one with the thought of purchase check for a service record because it’s better to buy one that has been cared for by a ’Benz dealer or at least an acknowledged specialist than one that hasn’t been serviced properly.Have it checked by a specialist who knows the make and model.Unlike some other sports cars the SLK is unlikely to be used in motor sport so they’re not normally abused.OWNERS SAYJanice Hyndman has travelled 54,000 km in her SLK230 and loves driving it, particularly on a sunny day when she can lower the roof. She loves the uncluttered, classical style, says it has sufficient power, and the boot is roomy enough for her needs. While she says it’s comfortable for her, her husband finds it a little cramped, particularly in the foot wells. Apart from a window winder motor that required replacing Janice says her SLK has been very reliable.LOOK FOR• Classical styling• great folding steel roof• comfortable ride• secure handling• good performanceTHE BOTTOM LINEGood looking drop top that makes a perfect cruiser on a sunny day.RATING90/100

The Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster was one of the earliest examples of the modern day open-top car. Earlier versions weren't really sports cars; rather, they were open-top tourers. With each new model, the SLK moved more in the direction of genuine sports driving, perhaps not a full-on sports machine, except in AMG variants, but getting mighty close.This was one of the first convertibles in modern times to use a folding hardtop, something that's become almost the norm since Mercedes revived the concept that dates back to the 1930s.A disadvantage of the hardtop that folds is the amount of space it takes from the boot when it's not in use. Mercedes has managed the compromise well, but check for yourself to make sure there is enough room for your specific needs.The second-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster was launched late in 2004. It's larger than the original and followed a styling theme sort of based on the front of a Formula One car.The third generation arrived downunder in September 2011, only a couple of months after its European launch - illustrating the growing importance of Australia to the German head office. This time its styling made it look like a smaller version of the AMG SLS sports roadster. While the Mercedes SLK doesn't have a bonnet that stretches to the outrageous length the SLS's, it certainly does make a statement.The Mercedes-Benz SLK was launched only with four-cylinder engines, many of which were supercharged. Later models followed convention by being turbocharged instead.Servicing and spare parts aren't cheap, nor are they as expensive as you might expectA major revamp of the SLK in July 2000 saw a V6 being offered for the first time. Big-gun V8 models, heavily revised from the original by the AMG division, have stunning acceleration backed up by superb engine sounds.Most Mercedes SLKs use an automatic transmission. A six-speed manual option was offered in Australia only on the SLK200 Kompressor.Mercedes SLK is backed up by strong dealer networks. Servicing and spare parts aren't cheap, nor are they as expensive as you might expect.Insurance is generally moderately priced for a car in this class, but drivers with a poor record may have big slugs added to their premiums. Some companies will charge extra for the AMG variant.Many Mercedes-Benz SLKs are serviced by authorised dealerships and this adds to the value of the car at resale time. Ask to see the service books as proof. Smart owners then keep up the service record to maximise the value of their SLK when they eventually want to move onto another car.Feel and listen for correct operation of the roofLook over the interior for signs of an SLK that's been caught in the rain with its top down: water damage or stains, particularly in the dash top, instrument panel, seats and carpets. Lift the carpets to check for dampness. It's probably best to do this in the presence of the seller as technically you're pulling the car apart.Feel and listen for correct operation of the roof. Hesitation and/or creaks may mean it hasn't been lubricated correctly. Dealers tell us special lubricants are required.Check for signs of crash repairs: ripples in the panels when viewed end on are easy to spot, as are tiny paint spots on unpainted areas such as glass and badges.If crash repairs appear to have been carried out arrange for a full inspection by someone who specialises in upmarket cars.Always call in a Mercedes expert for the final wordThe engine should start promptly and idle steadily the moment it fires up. The four-cylinder units won't be quite as smooth as the sixes, but not that far from them.Check the gauge to make sure the engine warms up quickly.During your road test the engines should answer the throttle almost immediately. The supercharged 'Kompressor' units and the non-turbo engines will have a faster response than the turbo-petrols.After doing your own initial checks always call in a Mercedes expert for the final word.We check the condition of the left front wheel and tyre of any car before looking at anything else. A scratch probably indicates a poor driver. Multiple scratches and dings? Perhaps look elsewhere.

When we think of sports cars, we tend to think of small, light two-seaters high on performance but with few creature comforts.  The image is very British, which can be explained by the dominance of British sports cars in the 1950s and 1960s.  But many other brands, including Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, took a different path. Mercedes in particular was building sports cars on a much grander scale.The British were achieving new levels of performance by using small, mildly tuned engines in lightweight chassis, but the Germans were using bigger, more powerful engines.When a new wave of sports cars arrived in the late '90s, Mazda mostly followed the British tradition with the MX5, but Mercedes took its traditional path with the SLK. It was more sophisticated, with lots of creature comforts to make the experience more enjoyable for those not hooked on old-time sports cars.Model watchAT $98,500 the SLK slotted into the middle of the market. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't the most expensive on the market either.  Typically Mercedes, the SLK was packed with the latest technology. It had a clever steel roof that folded into the boot when you wanted to soak up the sun, but provided all the security and comfort of a coupe when raised.The only downside was that it slashed the available boot space once it was lowered. It was best to travel light if you were touring in an SLK.  Chunky was the best word to describe the SLK with its wedge shape and large flanks, but it was attractive whichever way you looked at it.Inside it was a little cramped, but it was stylish. The seats were typically Benz, flat and broad, which meant most people would fit in them, but they didn't provide the best of support in the sports-car tradition.  The trim was a dashing blend of bright colours, leather of course, and there was a touch of nostalgia with the classical instruments and retro alloy touches on the centre console.At first there was just one engine, a supercharged 2.3-litre double overhead camshaft four-cylinder unit that pumped out 142kW at 5300 revs and 280Nm at 2500 revs.  When stirred into action, the SLK230 was capable of accelerating from rest to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.As with the engine, there was no choice when it came to transmissions – it was a five-speed auto. True, it could be shifted manually when you wanted to up the fun stakes, but it wasn't in the class of the Porsche Tiptronic, and a long way short of a real manual box.Underneath was independent suspension front and rear, four-wheel discs with ABS, traction control and power steering.  Inside there was standard airconditioning, power windows, power roof, remote central locking, immobiliser and dual airbags.On the road the SLK behaved well. It handled nicely, rode comfortably and braked with assurance, but it was geared more to highway cruising rather than spirited driving down a winding country road.A few months after the initial launch, Mercedes offered a slightly cheaper SLK200 model with a 100kW unblown 2.0-litre engine in place of the supercharged 2.3-litre unit.In the shopMERCEDES-BENZ cars generally stand the test of time, and with about 100,000km on average on the odometer, SLK models are still in their prime when it comes to service.  Check for a service record because it's better to buy one that has been cared for by a Benz dealer or at least an acknowledged specialist.Have it checked by a specialist who knows the make and model.  Unlike some other sports cars, the SLK is unlikely to be used in motor sport, so they're not normally abused.Owner's viewJANICE Hyndman has travelled 54,000km in her SLK230 and loves it, particularly on a sunny day when she can lower the roof.  She loves the uncluttered, classical style, says it has sufficient power, and the boot is roomy enough for her needs.She says it's comfortable for her, though her husband finds it a little cramped, particularly in the footwells.  Apart from a window winder motor that needed replacing, Janice says her SLK has been very reliable.Look forCLASSICAL stylingGREAT folding steel roofCOMFORTABLE rideSECURE handlingGOOD performanceRating18/20 Good-looking droptop that makes a perfect cruiser on a sunny day.