Cheap Mercedes-Benz CLK Intercooler

Only the turbocharged diesel variants of the CLK have an intercooler — specifically the CDI-engined models such as those fitted with the 2.7-litre and 3.2-litre V6 CDI engines. The petrol-engined CLKs, which made up the majority of the range including the 200, 240, 320, 430, 500, and AMG V8 models, are naturally aspirated and have no intercooler whatsoever. If you own a petrol CLK and think you need an intercooler, it's worth double-checking what you're actually looking for — you may be thinking of something else entirely, such as a radiator or an air intake component.

These two engines are different units with different engine codes, so the intercooler from a 220 CDI is very unlikely to be a direct swap for the 270 CDI — the sizing and pipe routing can differ between engine families. The most reliable thing you can do is supply your exact engine code (found on your V5C or via a VIN check) when requesting quotes from breakers, as they can then match against a known-good donor vehicle. Never assume intercoolers are interchangeable just because both cars are CDI — confirm with the breaker against your registration before buying.

The W208 ran from 1997 to 2002 and the W209 from 2002 to 2009, and these are entirely different platforms with different engine installations, so a W208 intercooler will not cross over to a W209. Even where similarly named engines were carried across the generation change, the mounting arrangements and charge-pipe routing were revised for the new bodyshell. Confirm the exact engine code from your V5C and let the breaker match parts within the correct generation.

The W209 received a facelift in 2005, and while the core engine codes on the CDI models were broadly carried over, ancillary components including intercooler mounting and pipe connections can change mid-production without a formal model-year break. Because of this, you should confirm with the breaker against your exact registration rather than assuming a pre-facelift and post-facelift unit are interchangeable, even if the engine codes look the same on paper.

Trim level has no bearing on intercooler fitment — Elegance, Avantgarde, and any other trim designation on the CLK are cosmetic and equipment-level distinctions only, and none of them change the engine or its cooling hardware. What matters is the engine code, which will be identical across trim levels for the same engine variant. Give your engine code and registration to the breaker and ignore trim entirely when sourcing this part.

The single most useful piece of information is your engine code, which appears on your V5C logbook or can be obtained from a VIN check — this tells the breaker exactly which unit your car was built with, far more reliably than the badge on the bootlid. You should also be ready to confirm your model year and whether the car is an automatic or manual, as gearbox type can occasionally influence ancillary routing around the engine bay. With that information to hand, a good breaker can match a like-for-like donor vehicle and give you a much more confident answer on fitment.