ml270/w163 whooshing noise from engine

[winterman]

Hi all looking for some help my ml has started making a whooshing noise recently when revving then stops when you get to 2500revs it quiets down,have read that it might be a split hose have checked as best i can couldnt find anything was told it could be the intercooler pipe choked with gunk took it off and it was so cleaned it as best that i could but no difference , what i did notice is the round sensor on the left hand side when you open the bonnet up if you take one of the rubber hoses off that go into the small filter beside it vacum hoses the noise stops ,there is no loss of power , the kick down still works fine and the turbo seems to be kicking in around 3000revs as normal it just had an oil and filter change about 2 weeks before this started dont know if that has anything to do with it but better to let you know , any thoughts and help much appreciated ,thanks.

 

[gtvlusso]

Cracked/hole in inlet manifold is most likely - prepare yourself for the bill.....

As you look at the engine front on - look to the right side. You will see fuel system/filter and fuel cooler, under that is a black plastic manifold. Have a look with a torch underneath the manifold for signs of oil dripping down the side of the engine block.

If this is the case (oil down side of engine) then, you need to replace the manifold (£300 + for the part) + the actuaotr motor that sits under the manifold (this may actually be working, but may have oil in it which will stop it working later on (£100 +). Removing the manifold and doing all the work is about a days labour from a garage - be prepared for a £600 + bill. get the EGR cleaned at the same time!

There is some conjecture around removing the swirl flaps and motor in the manifold and blocking up the holes. However, I don't think a garage will do this for you as it would defeat any warranty on parts or work for a modification.

Whooshing is a known issue with manifold being broken......

Sorry fella, have a good old rummage with a torch and come back on here.

 

[winterman]

ok will have a look ,will it do any harm driving it whilst this is need ing fixed?? thanks for the reply

 

[jaymanek]

most likely a split hose, sometimes you actually have to remove them to see the split.. other than that it could be the intercooler itself.

 

[winterman]

any pointers on which hoses ??thanks for the the reply

 

[MYML270]

Recently had the same symptoms.

Replaced manifold, oil seperator and fixed the EGR, kept old manifold and modified it in case of need for the future.

The indie garage charged me five hours labor to remove and replace the manifold.

KenM

 

[winterman]

HI myml270 how much did this cost you m8 if you dont mind me asking and what do you mean by moding the manifold ??? cheers for the reply

 

[MYML270]

Winterman,

First, I should point out that I am in Australia. Where anything with a MB badge is priced for the ultra rich.

Example, new manifold $1,200Aud (778GDP), the dealer, there is only one here in Hobart, Tasmania who does not want to work on cars any older than five years.

For this reason I purchased a "copy" manifold from MBS Denmark, $360Aud including delivery. The indie that does my work charged me five hours labour at $70 per hour, total cost including extras, gaskets, etc $820.

I then took the old manifold home, removed the swirl valves and soaked it in a bin of cleaning material for twenty four hours. Pressure washed it and then using a Dremel proceeded to clean the hard carbon out from it.

After all this, I drilled out the swirl valve shaft holes to suit tapping a 16mm thread into them. The bolts I fitted where one inch, 16mm machined down to the exact length needed so as not to protrude into the inlet passage. These where then epoxied into place and having been predrilled, wired to prevent them undoing. (although the epoxy should prevent this) The epoxy was also used to stop any leakage.

The copy manifold had to be filed at each end to fit. Not a big problem, but one that anyone should be aware of.

The cost and time to clean and modify the old manifold would be equal to the cost of the copy manifold.

Incidentally, the local stealership, quoted $2,500 to do the job.

The difference this has made to the vehicle is unbelievable. It is soooo quiet now.

KenM

 

[dokalj]

Glad to hear you have had it sorted.

What sort of mileage has your ML covered, if you don't mind me asking?

I think my manifold will need to be done in the not so distant future.

dokalj

 

[MYML270]

Glad to hear you have had it sorted.

What sort of mileage has your ML covered, if you don't mind me asking?

I think my manifold will need to be done in the not so distant future.

dokalj

Our Ml has covered 320,000km (about 200,000miles).

Apart from the usual "black death" it has been a very reliable vehicle. I simply love it, hence I repaired it, rather than trade it in.

Plus, second hand with that mileage on it, it would be worth little. (About $15,000Aud)

Also repaced the RHS engine mounting the week after, with the vehicle now so quiet and smooth, it showed up any slight problem.

KenM

 

[dokalj]

Our Ml has covered 320,000km (about 200,000miles).

Apart from the usual "black death" it has been a very reliable vehicle. I simply love it, hence I repaired it, rather than trade it in.

Plus, second hand with that mileage on it, it would be worth little. (About $15,000Aud)

Also repaced the RHS engine mounting the week after, with the vehicle now so quiet and smooth, it showed up any slight problem.

KenM

200k, mine is about half of that. Hopefully mine will last until then, although I know no car is the same and you may have been very lucky with yours. I will keep the engine mounting in mind, thanks for the update.

dokalj

 

[winterman]

ok so got a bit of time today took the torch and had a good look at the car took the plastic covers off the engine got the misses to the rev it up while i listened found the noise to be coming from the left handside of the engine when standing at the front of the car not the right handside where the manifold is if i was asked it sounded if it was coming from the turbo region although you can still hear the turbo kicking in above the whooshing noise could it be a split pipe going into the turbo ?? although i couldnt feel or see anything .Did look at the right hand side of the engine and i do have oil coming down the engine block from under the inlet manifold but ther aint no noise ??,Does anybody have any thoughts on it ie what hoses are round about the turbo that could be causing this noise because other than the noise the car is running well a small bit of black smoke but nothing to worry about thanks in advance

 

[gtvlusso]

Left side?!?!

Well - the air filter is there, easily removed and cleaned! The oil separator sits on top of the engine there too....Could be Turbo hoses, but you would probably notice a power loss.

Does the car sound 'lazy' or 'wet' - kinda squishy sounding?

Oil down the right hand engine block is not great - IMHO I would get that sorted out. Probably manifold knackered - not cheap.

In other topics, my manifold went at 92,000 miles. However, my local indie says he has one that has done 180,000 without a problem - luck of the draw I guess!

 

[winterman]

thanks for the reply , have checked the air filter its ok was checked when i did oil change about 3-4 weeks ago,a think a will ckeck oil separator and turbo hose next will need to strip them of and have a good look but with no loss of power it must be a slight tear or rip , will check and post back , thanks again

 

[BlackC55]

Have a look at the plastic turbo intake pipe. They do fracture sometimes.

 

[winterman]

today i stripped the air intake pipe from the car,from the turbo back off the car couldnt see anything but when i had the pipe of it exposes the turbo fan i gave the shaft of the turbo a little wiggle back and forward was ok but up and down there was some play in it maybe 1mm max 2mm is this normal or could this be a sign of wear in the bearings and would this wear cause the noise whirring or whooshing depending on how you describe it? thanks in advance.the car has nearly 90k on the clock but whether this is genuine or not who knows i got it and it read 65k and we have had it 2years now.

 

[gtvlusso]

If the Turbo compressor blades look good, then I think the 1mm to 2mm should be okay - I think it is a standard Garrett unit, maybe a call to a Turbo specialist is in order. I too have about 90k on the clock and I don't seem to have a whooshing - I have a whine as the Turbo winds up, but that's about it and seems quite normal when compared to other TD cars.

 

[winterman]

ah ,finely gave up and admit defete and take it to my kiwi mechanic he is old school but very reasonable priced rates and he does a proper job without giving you any flannel ,will let you know how i get on

 

[winterman]

well finely found out what the noise is worn turbo nothing more nothing less everything is working right ,garage next to the one i took it into has a mechanic who knows a shed load about 4x4s and there turbos so he came in had a look and a listen to it and came up with the diagnosis,said it could last for years yet just one of those things,the oil leak coming from around the plastic manifold area is just very slight ,the mechanic said unless its really bothering me just to leave it unless it gets worse,so that is the end of my tale until next time ,thanks for all the suggestions and help much appreciated as always