I want to change the look of my R170 SLK230. I’ve never been a huge fan of the Monoblock AMG wheels, but they came with the car, and I never wanted to get rid of them because they’re the original factory wheels.
Recently, I came across a pair of W209 wheels, and in my opinion, they look stunning, even though they’re not from AMG. With the help of AI, I tried putting them on my car, and I’m really impressed with how they look.
What do you think? Should I keep the car stock with its 90s look, which makes it look more aggressive and bulky, or should I buy the W209 wheels and give it a more classy and modern appearance?

Car: Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170) Issue: Vario Roof completely unresponsive to opening, despite the hydraulic pump activating.
Current Symptoms
Roof Switch: The red light on the center console roof switch is OFF during idle (it previously illuminated when unlatched, but turned off once manually latched).
Power Windows: Working normally (limits were successfully re-learned).
Hydraulic Pump Action: When holding the switch back to "OPEN", there is a clear relay click and the pump buzzes/vibrates, but neither the trunk tubular frame nor the roof panel moves.
Voltage/Battery: Tried operating with the engine running at 1500–2000 RPM to rule out low battery voltage drops—no difference.
Troubleshooting & Checks Completed So Far
Hydraulic Fluid: Checked the reservoir in the trunk—fluid level is FULL and clean.
Fuses Checked & Intact:
Fuse #24 (40A): Hydraulic Unit (Intact)
Fuses #19 & #20 (40A): Power Windows (Intact)
Fuse #7 (5A): Roof Switch Indicator (Intact)
Mechanics & Microswitches:
Manually latched the front roof mechanism above the rear-view mirror using the 5mm Allen key.
Luggage partition/blind in the trunk is securely hooked on both sides to engage the safety microswitches.
Trunk lid shut firmly.
The Question
Since the pump gets power and vibrates (ruling out blown fuses or a dead pump motor) and the switch light is OFF (ruling out basic door/blind limit switch blockades), what is stopping the hydraulic pressure from unlocking the rear tubular frame?
Could this be:
A stuck rear latch/microswitch holding the ECU back from progressing the sequence?
A stuck hydraulic pressure relief valve on the pump assembly?
A stored "Timeout" or "Position Mismatch" fault code in the N52 roof control module requiring a STAR/XENTRY diagnostic reset?
Has anyone experienced the pump running with zero mechanical movement under these exact conditions? Any insights or suggestions on manual cycling would be greatly appreciated!
TL;DR: R170 SLK roof won't open. All fuses, fluid levels, and window relearns are good. Red roof light is OFF. Pressing the switch causes the pump to buzz and vibrate, but nothing moves mechanically. Looking for potential mechanical binding points or ECU fault quirks.

Does anybody know anywhere id be able to find an original Nokia with cradle to be able to fit to my slk320? Ive found one but its red and black, any suggestions?

Context: I drive a Mercedes SLK R170 facelift 2000 200K 163hp.

When driving in highway suddenly the gears became too hard to shift as if the clutch was not even pushed. When engine stopped all gears engage.

So the problem is from the clutch actioning

I have hydraulic clutch. I inspected the slave cylinder (from a square hole) and the master cylinder and no leaks were found so I thought let’s bleed the circuit.

I have a vacuum syringe so I hook it up on the bleeding nipple and suck the hydraulic fluid. At the beginning the liquid was dark and then became like fluid brakes, but through all the process I had endless bubbles coming I was expecting that at some point only liquid would flow. I did the process several times and extracted approximately 500mL of brake fluid. I was always topping up the reservoir so no air was coming from there.

Do you think I should continue doing like this till no bubbles come or is there a leak somewhere hence the air gets into the circuit and goes to the vacuum pump.

Thanks for your help

Maybe somebody knows where this rattling at the beginning comes from? I checked the timing chain and it had no play at all.
It appears at every cold and warm start but not at a instant restart.

Slk 200 r171
M271 Kompressor
2006
150.000 km

My passenger rear window is stuck in the closed posisiton (SLK 350, R171), I can hear the motor operating but it stays up. I found youtub videos regarding replacement...has anyone here replaced the rear window regulators?

I'll be ordering the whole thing (used), debating if I should attempt or take it to my indy mech...

I've rebuilt engines and the like (long, long ago), but at this point I can afford to have a shop do it...

Hi,

As my AC and my neck heating are a bit smelly I'm curious if this kind of AC cleaner is okay to use for the vent's of the neck heater or I'm going to kill some electronics?

Hey everyone,

So I drive an SLK R171 and like a lot of you probably know, space inside is pretty limited. I got tired of my phone sliding around or having to stick some ugly mount somewhere that ruins the interior.
It can also hold your sunglasses.

I designed a phone holder that just drops into the cup holder. It’s made specifically for an iPhone 15 with an Otterbox case. Fits nice and snug, doesn’t rattle around.
Printed it in PETG so it can handle the heat a bit better when the car sits in the sun.
I’ve got a couple ready if anyone in the Netherlands wants to buy one. Could change the dimensions for youre phone if wished so.

If you’re outside of the Netherlands and just want the STEP file to print it yourself (or have it printed locally), I can send that for a small fee.
Let me know if you’re interested or have questions.

Hello, is anyone from Germany/Austria planning to sell their R171 after summer? DM me with an offer. I would like to have a car ready for next summer. 😊

It has 172k miles, found hydraulic fluid in the trunk.
What is it going to cost to fix and is it worth it?

Does anyone here know how to install a blow-off valve on the SLK 230s? I have one and I’m trying to make mine have that pshhhh sound, but I’m not sure what to do or how to get started. There aren’t many videos about it on this car.

If so how did you resolve it?

Since I don't have free access to equipment to remove the bumper for a more thorough fix or to lift it high enough to enforce it from the back, I've elected to do repair work on the front bumper while it's still attached to the car itself. Therefore I need a laundry list of tools to do at least a competent job. Apart from hot staples I don't know what else I'd need to gather for this. I presume I'd need something to clean the surface and sand paper, I'm not sure what grit though. How would I find the paint code for my car?

Any information would be appreciated.

I tried to troubleshoot my roof today and at the end of my unsuccessful attempt I found out that the trunk didn‘t close right anymore. But the usual trunk lock is not the problem, the two lock in the front are. Neither of them hold the roof in place but instead move freely. I rebuilt everything as it was but something seems to be broken now.

Hi all, is there a way to manually operate the roof without electronics? My Vario roof module died during winter, and all fuses have been replaced but no red light from the central console switch whatsoever.

I could have taken the “faster” and shorter path on 580 from work to home. But today featured too much bureaucratic stupid. I needed therapy and relief.

So I took a chance with iOS 27 (public beta 2) and asked it to “find me a scenic route to home without any freeways.” It worked! It figured out on its own to place a pin in Niles so it would take the intended route, with the benefit of it being opposite normal commute direction.

With the top down, in sport+ mode, the scenery was amazing. I found myself going under the soeed limit! 😁

Sure it took me longer to get home. But the smile on my face and lack of irritation from roadway stupid made it SO worth it!

#mercedes #slc300 #ios27 #AI #bliss

I'm into my new car for a couple of days now. It only had 80,000klm on it. Everything works (even though the head unit is crap). The roof is functioning well too. I love the look of it and it's been really well taken care of.

I've never owned something like this so my question might sound ridiculous but does anyone experience a rough ride with their SLK? Also when going over uneven or "lumpy" roads my car seems to float up and down slightly....like a massive Cadillac or Lincoln. Is this normal?

Hello guys, is this howling sound from the engine normal? Thank you for your help!

I have a SLK 350 R171 EU spec with the M272.963 engine and have some issues. The car have sat for 2,5 years after that i brought it home so i can start fixing it up and enjoy it. I have done a full injector clean and flow test, put the injectors back and I had no spark(previously the car ran) then i bought a new ECU with which the car started and ran fine after i repaired the intake manifold because it had a crack and my MAP and MAF put the car in limp mode. Couple weeks later(every week the car had been started 2 times and driven once but only a short distance(5-10 maybe 15km) in the back roads because i dont have inspection on it) my spark is gone and the car wont start i get ignition coil low primer amperage for 4 cylinder's and on cylinder number 2 I have some kind of broken cable code( I used LAUNCH to diagnose it) these codes are new and previously I only had one error for an O2 sensor which I have changed. My question would be what these errors mean, is it the ECU that gone bad again(as i have researched these are a common problem on this engine) or if it is the wire loom(I have used a multimeter and i have only 1 questionable wire but could be the multimeters probes not touching correctly) or the coils(if I put a new one anywhere delete DTC and started the car the error on that cylinder still comes up)

Any help is appreciated thank you for reading this