02 Clk55 air filter

[Jons95c36amg]

Ok I checked the air filter for the first time on my Clk55. Removing it was a snap except for the many screws. Now my car has 43xxx miles and it seems its the original filter! It says AMG Mann. Damn it was dirty! I put the new OEM Mann filter. Also I removed the screen on the air box opening going into the MAF. The MAF sensor also has two screens. Didnt touch those. Why so many screens? No wonder it was slowing me down!

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[nick 55]

They regulate air velocity and direction into the Mass Air Flow sensor.

Nick

[Chappy]

If your air filter was neglected, I'd be worried about what other maintenance was overlooked.

Didn't you have a PPI done?

[Jons95c36amg]

Originally Posted by Chappy

If your air filter was neglected, I'd be worried about what other maintenance was overlooked.

Didn't you have a PPI done?

I bought the car when it had 36xxx miles the previous owner changed the oil every 3k miles with mobil 1. The serv manual says the air filter is good for 60k miles in normal conditions All the fluids are fine. What other service is required at 43xxx miles?

[Jons95c36amg]

Since the new filters and the screen. Seems the car spins more (ESP off)when I gun it in 2nd at 45mph

[MarcusF]

Originally Posted by Jons95c36amg

I bought the car when it had 36xxx miles the previous owner changed the oil every 3k miles with mobil 1. The serv manual says the air filter is good for 60k miles in normal conditions All the fluids are fine. What other service is required at 43xxx miles?

A lot of the maintenance is time or mileage. For example, the service manual says the air filters are good for 60K miles or 4 years. They were due two years ago. Aside from the A/B service, these should be done -

• Every 2 years replace the brake fluid
• Every 3 years replace the coolant.
• Every 4 years or 50,000 miles check the condition of the flex discs.
• Every 4 years or 50,000 miles retorque the steering gear bolts.
• Every 4 years or 60,000 miles replace the fuel filter.
• Every 4 years or 60,000 miles replace the air filter elements.
• Every 4 years or 60,000 miles check the condition of the fuel filter nozzle seal in the filler neck.
• Every 5 years or 100,000 miles replace the spark plugs

Everyone I know skips the sterring gear bolts, and that is the EASIEST service there is. It's a 15 minute job. Three minutes if the front wheel is already off.

[Chappy]

Thanks Marcus for the excellent feedback.

[Jons95c36amg]

Originally Posted by MarcusF

A lot of the maintenance is time or mileage. For example, the service manual says the air filters are good for 60K miles or 4 years. They were due two years ago. Aside from the A/B service, these should be done -

• Every 2 years replace the brake fluid
• Every 3 years replace the coolant.
• Every 4 years or 50,000 miles check the condition of the flex discs.
• Every 4 years or 50,000 miles retorque the steering gear bolts.
• Every 4 years or 60,000 miles replace the fuel filter.
• Every 4 years or 60,000 miles replace the air filter elements.
• Every 4 years or 60,000 miles check the condition of the fuel filter nozzle seal in the filler neck.
• Every 5 years or 100,000 miles replace the spark plugs

Everyone I know skips the sterring gear bolts, and that is the EASIEST service there is. It's a 15 minute job. Three minutes if the front wheel is already off.

Things like the filter just sitting doesnt go bad. The car was inspected early this year. Your saying if the car is over 4yrs old and has like 15k all of the above needs to be done? BS. Anyway at 50k I'm doing the tranny oil. The car runs like a champ.

[MarcusF]

Originally Posted by Jons95c36amg

Things like the filter just sitting doesnt go bad. The car was inspected early this year. Your saying if the car is over 4yrs old and has like 15k all of the above needs to be done? BS. Anyway at 50k I'm doing the tranny oil. The car runs like a champ.

Hey man, I’m not looking to argue. I’m just answering the question you asked. If you don’t think the air filter deteriorates, don’t change it. It’s your car, do what you feel best. Maybe it’s my fault you took it all wrong. Perhaps I should have been more explicit and said the mileage and time schedules I posted came from the 2002 service booklet that Mercedes Benz supplied when my car was new. Not a dealer doc, but the factory doc. Check out the docs that Mercedes-Benz shipped with your car. If you don’t have one, the booklet is MB part number P-6515-8084-13. A new one retails for $3.50

As an ex-wrench, and having been an automotive technical writer for a number of magazines over the past 10+ years, "I feel" a little safer doing the maintenance. The fact that I like working on cars is an added bonus. But that’s me. I know guys that HATE working on cars. We’re all a little different.




Regarding the items I listed they're all pretty inexpensive, but there are valid reasons for doing the maintenance:

• The rubber seals on the edge of your air filters may never get old, harden, and stop sealing like they did when they were new, but I’ve personally seen where that was the case. You may want to check out the difference in flexibility between your new and old seals. A pair of Mann Air filters are under $40 and takes me about 20 minutes.
• I’ve personally seen where the low mileage fuel filters were clogged. Ask any motorcycle rider, half filled fuel tanks will result in a sediment filled filter. Maybe yours won’t. A Bosch fuel filter is $35 and takes me about 25 minutes.
• Brake fluid is hygroscopic, and begins absorbing moisture the second the seal on the bottle is broken. Old fluid, which contains a ton of water after a few years may not rot out your brake calipers, master cylinder, or your $1700 ABS pump, but $15’s worth of fluid and an hour’s worth of my time means I don’t have to worry about it.
• Your cooling system may not rust out from old coolant, but other people have experienced different results.
• I’ve personally seen stripped threads in aluminum heads that were caused by trying to remove old sparkplugs. Hopefully yours will be fine, but that’s the reason for the time schedule, to ensure you can safely remove the plugs. This is the most expensive part, and I only paid $7.50 a plug at the dealer service counter.

I hope this helps.

[AMGOODNESS]

damn good advice. i need to look into the time intervals on my car. it only has 30k on the clock but i bet i am getting close to some of the time intervals. thanks

[Jons95c36amg]

Originally Posted by MarcusF

Hey man, I’m not looking to argue. I’m just answering the question you asked. If you don’t think the air filter deteriorates, don’t change it. It’s your car, do what you feel best. Maybe it’s my fault you took it all wrong. Perhaps I should have been more explicit and said the mileage and time schedules I posted came from the 2002 service booklet that Mercedes Benz supplied when my car was new. Not a dealer doc, but the factory doc. Check out the docs that Mercedes-Benz shipped with your car. If you don’t have one, the booklet is MB part number P-6515-8084-13. A new one retails for $3.50

As an ex-wrench, and having been an automotive technical writer for a number of magazines over the past 10+ years, "I feel" a little safer doing the maintenance. The fact that I like working on cars is an added bonus. But that’s me. I know guys that HATE working on cars. We’re all a little different.




Regarding the items I listed they're all pretty inexpensive, but there are valid reasons for doing the maintenance:

• The rubber seals on the edge of your air filters may never get old, harden, and stop sealing like they did when they were new, but I’ve personally seen where that was the case. You may want to check out the difference in flexibility between your new and old seals. A pair of Mann Air filters are under $40 and takes me about 20 minutes.
• I’ve personally seen where the low mileage fuel filters were clogged. Ask any motorcycle rider, half filled fuel tanks will result in a sediment filled filter. Maybe yours won’t. A Bosch fuel filter is $35 and takes me about 25 minutes.
• Brake fluid is hygroscopic, and begins absorbing moisture the second the seal on the bottle is broken. Old fluid, which contains a ton of water after a few years may not rot out your brake calipers, master cylinder, or your $1700 ABS pump, but $15’s worth of fluid and an hour’s worth of my time means I don’t have to worry about it.
• Your cooling system may not rust out from old coolant, but other people have experienced different results.
• I’ve personally seen stripped threads in aluminum heads that were caused by trying to remove old sparkplugs. Hopefully yours will be fine, but that’s the reason for the time schedule, to ensure you can safely remove the plugs. This is the most expensive part, and I only paid $7.50 a plug at the dealer service counter.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the info!