Mercedes GLK class is a series of compact crossovers from the Mercedes Benz concern. Produced from 2008 to 2015. In the 12th year, the model underwent a serious restyling, and in the 15th year it was replaced by the new Mercedes GLC model.

Basic maintenance of the GLK is carried out every 15 thousand km (petrol internal combustion engine) / 10 thousand km. (diesel internal combustion engine) or once a year, whichever comes first.

Basic GLK maintenance includes changing the engine oil and oil filter, as well as replacing the air and cabin filters + a comprehensive check of the vehicle's condition. But on the plus side, every time you service the GLK, you must request the ASSYST PLUS system service code from the car. After decoding in the specialized Mercedes Benz software, you can understand the necessary list of additional work - the on-board system of the Mercedes GLK, based on the control algorithms embedded in it, itself knows which vehicle system needs to be given attention during the next GLK service - be it replacing brake fluid or antifreeze, automatic transmission oils and much more.

Mercedes GLK is a modern and technically complex car; attention to GLK maintenance should begin right from the first maintenance. Then this wonderful crossover will delight you with trouble-free operation for many years and will significantly save your budget on breakdowns.

If you have a need for GLK service, just call us and we will make an appointment for you at the nearest time convenient for you.

Owners of SUVs designed for 7 seats should remember that good operation of the vehicle also requires mandatory maintenance of the Mercedes GLK class. We diagnose and repair similar brands of cars, and we can also repair any broken part with a new one, using only original spare parts.

Professional maintenance of Mercedes GLK class

At the Vilgud technical center, the Mercedes GLK class is serviced only by qualified, experienced professionals who know about the technical characteristics and structural features of such a car model. Our specialists install and replace parts using the most modern technologies, which, in turn, contributes to the long-term operation of the vehicle.

Entrust the maintenance of your Mercedes GLK class to professionals

Our technical center specialists can effortlessly clear a clogged fuel system, flush it, change the oil, adjust lighting and wheel alignment, as well as repair the engine and other important parts in the car. In addition, we give a six-month warranty on the service of Mercedes GLK class.

Mercedes GLK class service

Our car service is carried out efficiently and at a high level. Our service workers adapt to each client and can schedule the most convenient diagnostic time and individual service procedure for the Mercedes GLK class.

20.12.2016

Mercedes GLK is the smallest crossover of the Mercedes-Benz company, which, moreover, has an atypical appearance for this brand. Most skeptics considered it too square on the outside and rustic on the inside, however, this did not in any way affect the car’s popularity and sales volumes. Despite its small age, cars of this brand are increasingly found on the secondary market, this fact makes one very much doubt the reliability and practicality of the Mercedes GLK. But what exactly makes owners part with their cars so quickly, and what surprises a used GLK can bring, we’ll now try to figure it out.

A little history:

The Mercedes GLK concept was first presented to the public in early 2008 at the Detroit auto show. The debut of the production model took place at the Beijing Motor Show in April of the same year; outwardly, the car was practically no different from the concept. In terms of body type, the Mercedes GLK is a crossover, based on the Mercedes-Benz S204 C-Class station wagon. When developing the appearance of the new product, the “” model, which has been produced since 2006, was taken as a basis. The technical features are borrowed from the C-Class, for example the 4 Matic all-wheel drive system without a locking differential, the alternative of which is the rear-wheel drive model. This model is offered in two modifications, one of which is designed for off-road enthusiasts: in this case, the car has increased ground clearance, 17-inch wheels and a special package of options. In 2012, a restyled version of the car was presented at the New York Auto Show. The new product received a retouched exterior and interior, as well as modernized engines.

Weaknesses of a used Mercedes GLK

Mercedes GLK is equipped with the following power units – petrol 2.0 (184, 211 hp), 3.0 (231 hp), 3.5 (272, 306 hp); diesel 2.1 (143, 170 and 204 hp), 3.0 (224, 265 hp). As operating experience has shown, the most unsuccessful engine in terms of reliability was the base 2.0 power unit. So, in particular, on cars even with low mileage, many owners began to be bothered by a knocking sound from under the hood when starting a cold engine. The cause of this knock is a defective camshaft, or rather, its not entirely correct location. Therefore, before purchasing, be sure to check whether this problem was fixed under warranty. Also, the cause of extraneous noise when starting the engine can be a stretched timing chain.

One of the most common shortcomings of 3.0 gasoline engines is burnout of the intake manifold flaps. The complexity of this problem is that the flaps are an integral part of the intake manifold, and you cannot buy them separately, therefore, the entire manifold has to be replaced. Signals about the presence of this problem will be: floating speed, weak dynamic performance of the engine. If the dampers begin to burn out, you must urgently contact a service center, otherwise, over time, they will come off and get into the engine, which will lead to expensive repairs. Also, after 100,000 km, the timing chain stretches and the intermediate gears of the balancing shaft wear out.

The 3.5 engine is perhaps one of the most reliable among gasoline engines, but due to the high transport tax, this power unit is not very popular among car enthusiasts. One of the disadvantages of this unit is the fragility of the chain tensioner and gas distribution sprockets; their service life, on average, is 80-100 km. A signal about the need for urgent replacement will be a diesel rumble and a metallic ringing when starting a cold engine.

Mercedes GLK diesel engines are quite reliable and rarely present unpleasant surprises to their owners, especially on cars of the first years of production, but only if high-quality fuels and lubricants are used. If the previous owner fueled the car with low-quality diesel fuel, then soon you need to be ready to change the fuel injectors and injection pump. Due to the accumulation of carbon deposits, the servomotor of the exhaust manifold flaps may fail. Also, some owners note failures in the electronic engine control. On cars with mileage over 100,000 km, problems with the pump may occur (leakage, play, or even whistling during operation). On a 3.0 engine with a mileage of more than 150,000 km, you may encounter destruction of the exhaust manifold and subsequent destruction of the turbine.

Transmission

The Mercedes GLK was supplied to the CIS market with a six- and seven-speed automatic transmission (Jetronic). Most of these aftermarket vehicles are offered with all-wheel drive, but rear-wheel drive vehicles are also available. The reliability of the transmission directly depends on the power of the installed engine and driving style, and the higher the engine power, the shorter the service life of the gearbox. It is very important to inspect the box, transfer case and gearbox for oil leaks before purchasing. If, during slow acceleration or deceleration, you feel that the automatic transmission is pushing at least a little, then it is better to refuse to purchase this copy. Most often, the reason for this behavior of the box is a failed electronic board of the automatic transmission control unit. Also, this may occur due to wear of the valve body and torque converter.

With careful operation, the box will last, on average, 200-250 thousand km. In order to extend the service life of the transmission, service technicians recommend changing the oil in the box every 60-80 thousand km. The all-wheel drive system cannot be called very gentle, but, nevertheless, one must not forget that this is a crossover, not a full-fledged SUV, and it is not designed for serious loads. One common problem with a 4Matic 4WD transmission is the driveshaft hanger bearing, which is located in the engine crankcase. During operation, dirt gets onto the bearing from under the wheels, which provokes the formation of corrosion. As a result, the bearing jams and rotates. To avoid serious consequences, many mechanics recommend changing the bearing along with the oil.

Reliability of used Mercedes GLK suspension

This model is equipped with a fully independent suspension: MacPherson strut at the front and mono-link at the rear. Mercedes-Benz has always been famous for its well-tuned suspension and the GLK is no exception; the car has excellent performance characteristics. Unfortunately, it’s hard to call the suspension of this car “indestructible”, since the chassis, like for a crossover, is very delicate and does not like driving on broken roads. And, if the previous owner liked to stir up dirt, a major overhaul of the chassis won’t take long.

Traditionally, for modern cars, stabilizer struts most often need to be replaced, about once every 30-40 thousand km. The silent blocks of levers do not last much longer, on average 50-60 thousand km. The service life of shock absorbers, levers, ball joints, wheel bearings and support bearings does not exceed 100,000 km. The service life of the brake system directly depends on driving style; on average, the front brake pads have to be changed every 35-45 thousand km, the rear ones - 40-50 thousand km. Before restyling, the car was equipped with a hydraulic power steering, after - an electric one, as operating experience has shown, most often bothers the owners of a rack with a hydromechanical power steering (rack bushing wear, power steering fluid leakage).

Salon

As befits Mercedes-Benz cars, most of the interior finishing materials of the Mercedes GLK are of fairly good quality. But, despite this, on many copies the leather upholstery of the seats quickly rubbed and cracked, fortunately, the manufacturer changed everything under warranty. The interior heater motor is located before the filter, which, as a result, leads to rapid contamination and premature failure. An unpleasant whistle during operation of the ventilation system will serve as a signal that the motor needs to be replaced quickly. Quite often, owners complain about the failure of the rear and side parking sensors. Also, there are comments on the reliability of the electric tailgate drive.

Result:

One of the main advantages of the Mercedes GLK is that this car is often owned by girls, and they are known to be more careful on the road and more meticulous about the care and maintenance of the car. As a rule, the owners of this brand of car are wealthy people, which means that the car has only been well serviced, therefore, on the secondary market you often come across cars in perfect condition, you just need to look hard. To avoid serious problems and costly repairs, try to avoid cars with the most powerful engines.

If you are the owner of this car model, please describe the problems that you encountered while using the car. Perhaps your review will help the readers of our site when choosing a car.

Best regards, editor AutoAvenue