C43 engine noise

[Wolfie-C43]

Hello all!
Hope you guys can help, i have just picked up a '99 C43 thats done about 114k.
I am overjoyed with the car and he performance is fantastic, i cant belive (its not butter) how fast the thing is!
I am so used to raw fast cars, the sort that you know your doing 110mph!!
Anyways..
I am used to your typical american V8 and how noisy they can be and was rather surprised that this one is a tad on the loud side..i am puting this down to the fact that the engine needs a oil change, the oil is very black. the last service was done at 90k.
but is this normal for this engine?
or have i bought a nail?
many thanks!!

 

[gazzz]

24k miles without an oil change or service won't have done it any favours

 

[Howard]

Shouldn't be noisy when ticking over , it does get noisy when you give it the beans though.

Might be a bit noisier if someone has taken out the centre silencer and put a straight through pipe in ( common mod ) ...

We are talking about exhaust noise and not mechanical noise are we ?

 

[Wolfie-C43]

mechanical noise, the four cats are still where they should be....but not for long if i have my way!
just been out to check the oil level and it was a tad low
i am thinking it may just be a noisy waterpump as it seems to be near the front near the right bank (standing at the front looking at the engine)
or maybe i am just being paranoid!

 

[DogWagen]

I have heard that the timing chain on M113 engines does tend to wear/get a bit noisy at higher mileages but is still a strong old beast. I'd give the engine a flush and oil change and see how it goes. My C43 has 135K and it's pretty quiet so don't get put off with higher mileages

 

[Gridlock]

Mine's got very little mechanical engine noise at idle - certainly nothing like a timing chain. Has done 144K.

The exhaust, however

Get some fresh Mobil1 in there and get the tranny fluid done at the same time.

 

[Gridlock]

Oh, and welcome, and get some pics up

 

[Wolfie-C43]

Oh, and welcome, and get some pics up

i will do as soon as i can...even though the bodywork is a rather unloved, some nasty lacquer peeling on the bonnet, really the whole car needs a respray.
Got her booked in at a Merc garage for a "B" service (just for the stamps really, other wise i would do it myself) but i think i will get a tranny flush done too.
Speaking of transmissions, i had the tracking done today and there was a lovely coating of some special anti-rust coating on the drivers side suspension....but on closer inseption it turned out to be oil from the trans cooler....
then on the way back home the car started making the strangest knoking -banging noise, with some squeling thrown in, it seems to be only when its hot and the engine is moving under load, i am guessing engine mounts? i did notice what appears to be a crack on the section of downpipe just below the cat for the right bank...****....
the oddest thing about his noise is i have not heard it before and it only seems to started after the tracking had been done...we did have to mess around with this bracket (i belive it stops the two pipes from knocking against each other) so maybe something was disturbed then...
what says the great minds of the forum?

 

[BlackC55]

Check the crank pulley.... Ask Gridlock for the pics.

 

[Wolfie-C43]

Check the crank pulley.... Ask Gridlock for the pics.

i have had a quick look at the pulley before i got the car, and as i understand, if i cant see any of the rubber creeping out from the edges, then it is ok, but i will get underneath the car tomorrow and have a better look.
As i cant use the PM system yet.....Mr Gridlock can i see the pics please?
[EDIT] Found a pic of his wobbly pulley!!]

 

[Gridlock]

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/82263-very-expensive-failure-my-v8-cnc-machine.html

I think I managed to get away with it, I don't have a leak there any more, but yes - check it

 

[DRBC43AMG]

My 99' has just over 203'000km on the clock and the engine makes no special noise, but purrs like a big cat and can scratch a tad if provoked

 

[Wolfie-C43]

well..there are some good new, some bad news and some very confusing news...
the good news is that the pulley is fine and the engine is not going to go bang (touchwood)
The bad news is that the Trans-Cooler is leaking....****e...i did notice thats its a tube type water exchanger, i was expecting a stacked fin type...anyways it not a "massive" leak, but it still dripping out.
Any prices on this? cant quite see where the leak is without taking the bumper off.
and the confusing news the strange knocking and squeling noise that i reported only seems to happen when the engine is very hot (as in driving the car like it supposed to be driven), did 40 miles and speeds no more then 65 last night and did not really hear anything.
It seems to be when the engine is really hope and the the car hit a pot hole or a rough patch in the road then the noise starts up (or if you rock the engine from side to side) but as soon as the engine starts to cool down the noise goes!!
So it has to be something that is expanding with the heat and then banging against something else.
But i will be damned if i can see where the problem is!!

 

[DogWagen]

Wolfie - had the same Transmission cooler problem a few weeks ago and did a DIY Fix. Look up http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/84345-w202-c43-amg-front-end-leak.html for more info. If you are lucky, it will be the supply/return pipes. If not, it's the cooler - Alloy and steel don't mix well. Part Nos and prices are on the post. You can check it out without removing the bumper (jack up and remove lower front shield) but for ease, It's worth the 15-mins or so to take the whole thing off.

Mike