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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170).

2000–2004 · Petrol · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170), real photo of this generation
Cars4u · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 2 of its engines.

  • Air conditioning: incorrect pressure readingClimate control
    Period mentioned
    No year cutoff published; verify platform and A/C.
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only platform 208 (CLK) or 170 (SLK) depending on the row, fitted with A/C or automatic climate control. Behr Hella Service bulletin of 24/07/2007: no engine restriction; check sensor and pressure, without attributing every compressor failure to this cause.

  • 13-pin connector leak on the 722.6 gearboxAutomatic gearbox
    Period mentioned
    1996–2013
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

SLK 200 / 230 Kompressor · SLK 320

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170)
EngineDocumented faults
SLK 200 / 230 KompressorPetrol22 with conditions
SLK 320Petrol22 with conditions

According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Climate control

  • Look out for: Compressor fails to engage or operates intermittently.

    Ask them to check: Compare scan-tool and high-side gauge pressure; replace sensor if difference >2 bar.

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Oil around the electrical connector on the side of the gearbox, harsh shifts or slipping, delayed engagement and limp mode: the car stays in one gear (usually 2nd and reverse after a restart) and the engine light comes on.

    Ask them to check: Read the gearbox control unit codes before switching off if possible (a restart can clear them). Look for oil at the connector and, with it unplugged, on its pins and at the control unit plug. According to the service bulletin, the connector should only be removed with gearbox oil below 50 °C to avoid damaging the conductor plate, and the harness must be routed without tension.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0700P0715P0720

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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