Autodealer dream buy: Mercedes-Benz SLK

This week, we’ve decided to drop-the-top right in time with the Mercedes-Benz SLK.

The SLK is quite an iconic car; it makes the convertible Mercedes attainable for the average person – a sort of SL on a budget if you will. With style, great quality, German engineering and prices that make many as cheap as a B-segment hatchback, the SLK is something we’d like to cruise around in this summer. For the purposes of this commentary, we’d like to focus on the second generation SLK, produced from 2004 to 2011.

What to look out for:

• Ensure that the roof operates and sounds healthy. What’s the point of a convertible if the act of converting it is troublesome? The roof requires regular lubrication so listen for the creeks. A poorly maintained roof could mean a damaged operating mechanism and a hefty repair bill;
• Check the interior for damage caused from exposure. Sometimes, owners of convertibles leave the car’s roof down, which can cause damage from the sun and even rainwater damage, so thoroughly inspect the inside of the vehicle;
• Ensure that the car has a service history with Mercedes-Benz agents; often, after the vehicle’s maintenance plan runs out, owners will realise that genuine parts and labour from Mercedes are expensive and will use other workshops and cheaper parts. If the vehicle is looked after by a Mercedes specialist and there’s a paper trail of the parts used, then, by all means, consider the vehicle;
• The V6 motor in the SLK 350 is known to have balancing shaft issues and oil consumption problems, however, this only seems to affect earlier models
• Make sure that the airconditioning doesn’t make a noise as the pulleys are known to be problematic;
• The steering column should be checked along with the operation on the buttons mounted on the steering wheel;
• The engine wiring harness is known to short-out and cause an engine warning light to illuminate;
• The heated seats could be troublesome, so check the operation of these items.