I need to replace the driver’s side headlight

ANSWER : Good question…generally, the decision rule when it comes to car parts, is "test, diagnose, measure and confirm" before you needlessly spend money replacing a part that might very well be perfectly good. That advice though does NOT apply to wear-out items such as spark plugs and the like. There, the rule is obviously throw away the part(s) automatically after "x" number of miles. Although it is possible to test the passenger side control arm, and verify its condition, you know it already has 180,000 miles on it. That is a lot of miles, it probably is worn, and so it would not be "unreasonable" to just simply replace it, particularly when you consider that the vehicle will have to be aligned after the driver side arm is replaced (it’s impossible to PROPERLY align a car with worn parts). So, hyper-technically, although you do have the option of inspecting the passenger side arm to see if it is still serviceable, I probably would replace it. Additionally, and getting back to the issue of the necessity of a good post-repair alignment, while you are doing this work you have to evaluate the condition of the other suspension parts, such as the tie rod ends, bushings and so forth. Any wear in the front suspension, in excess of what is allowed and specified in the Factory Service Manual will make it quite literally impossible to align the car to preferred factory specs. If you desire, a certified mechanic from YourMechanic can both replace the control arms and during that procedure inspect the rest of the suspension for you to see if there are any other issues that need to be addressed.

ANSWER : Hello. Ironically, I happen to have a 2000 CLK 430 as well and I experienced an almost identical scenario as you did. I had a fog light out on my vehicle, thinking it was a bulb I went ahead and replaced the light bulb but once I replaced it it still did not fix the issue. Upon further inspection of my vehicle I found that the some of the insulation around the wiring leading to the fog light was brittle and causing wires to be exposed. I taped the wires with some electrical tape because Mercedes-Benz has a very sensitive electrical system and if a wire is exposed it will cause resistance. If the electrical system senses too much resistance it will cut power off to that component to help protect other electrical parts. I suggest to have a technician such as one from YourMechanic inspect the wiring of your fog light that is out, check the fog light fuse in the side fuse compartment, and also check the clearance light bulb. The clearance light bulb is a small bulb located under the fog light and is integrated into the fog light circuit. If the clearance light is out it will interrupt the fog lights power. On my vehicle it was a clearance light being out and the damaged wiring to the fog light causing my fog light to be inoperative. You are able to find a technician and schedule an appointment to evaluate your vehicle here https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fog-or-driving-lights-are-not-working-inspection

ANSWER : Hey there. To be completely honest my friend, you might need to go back to the basics and purchase a detailed wiring schematic for this vehicle to determine where the electrical fault exists. Quite often when an electrical fault like this exists, the best solution is to trace every connection to see where the fault is triggered. Most of the time, it’s an exposed wire or ground issue that causes the circuit from the switch to the lights to fail. If you need help here, one of our professional mechanics can come to your location and complete an electrical problems inspection.

ANSWER : Hi there. These door issues are common on this vehicle. Most of the time the main issue is the master door lock switch on the driver door. It sounds like you already replaced that. As for the sliding door problem, most of the time, this is a failure within the door module or it can be a connection issue.

I typically take the door apart and check the connections on the module and inside of the door just to make sure that there is nothing apparent in there. If the connections and the wiring are fine, then I use a scan tool to check the module to see what the inputs and outputs are doing. If you need to have this looked at, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your door problem and recommend a repair.

ANSWER : Replacing the system drier is absolutely essential. If the system has been open to the atmosphere (due to the leak in the condenser), the desiccant in the drier has been fully saturated with moisture. As far as the expansion valve, replacement is not normally implicated in a leak repair, in your case a leak in the condenser. To justify replacing the expansion valve, there would have to have been a diagnostic performed which proved a fault. If no diagnostic was performed, and there is no evidence of a fault, then it is pointless to replace the valve. But, again, drier replacement is absolutely essential. To add the drier to your order, you can simply add a note to the mechanic in your order and/or add it as a service (you will see a link that you can click on to "add services" or write in specific services). If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : When a single headlight fails, it’s best to replace both sides at the same time, something a mechanic from YourMechanic would be more than happy to do. They can test each component individually to find the culprit.

ANSWER : Hello – the CV joint or axle boot is available separately from a variety of sources. What your mechanic may be saying however, is that given your mileage, it would be best to replace the whole axle assembly for reliability reasons. Replacing the CV boot requires considerable labor as well, and your best repair $ may be to go ahead and replace the whole axle assembly. I would recommend a CV axle replacement by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : From what you’ve described, the damage was most likely caused from hitting a pot hole. If the damage was from a pot hole on the right side, in some cases it’s possible for the force to transfer over and damage the left side as well. If you’d like a second opinion on this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can come to your home to diagnose your car’s suspension system and confirm these suspicions.