Hello everyone, I'm a new SLK owner having bought an '02 SLK 320 last week and was thrilled because she was running like a top. Last night the car developed a peculiar 'stumbling' or bogging down when stepping on the gas from idle. The engine almost dies and then seems to catch then the car moves on. There is a sensation of lack of power then all of a sudden the power will come on and it will surge forward powerfully. This happens frequently, i.e. stumble, lack of power then surge then weak power then surge again etc. After a few hard runs the CEL came on and I headed home quickly.

As I live a couple of hundred kilometers from the one and only MB dealer in the country I was wondering if any of you gentlemen have any ideas on what is causing the problem before I head to the dealer for what I fear willl be a truly expensive experience.

BTW is there a catalytic converter just before the rear muffler? It seems that the previous owner had removed it because I see 2 sections of pipe welded to where I think the cat should be. There are 2 small canisters just after the exhaust manifold but nothing else but piping to the rear muffler.