Slk 230 - Weird Fan Noise???

[TaZmAn]

I have just bought a 98R UK spec SLK 230... (love it to bits...)

HOWEVER...

There is a weird noise coming from only the front drivers side (sounds like a fan) which is always audible - ONLY when the engine is switched on. It is really annoying me as it noticable being only on one side of the car...

Switching off the audio system, and ALL fans makes no difference, but makes the problem much more noticable... I don't understand what the hell is making the noise... It sounds like air must be coming from the dashboard, but there is NO air???? It is quite hard to localise the sound...

It appears to be coming from behind the light switch, but is quite faint...

What is it? Is it normal? If not normal, is it expensive to fix?

Cheers...

 

[High-Lo]

I have just bought a 98R UK spec SLK 230... (love it to bits...)

HOWEVER...

There is a weird noise coming from only the front drivers side (sounds like a fan) which is always audible - ONLY when the engine is switched on. It is really annoying me as it noticable being only on one side of the car...

Switching off the audio system, and ALL fans makes no difference, but makes the problem much more noticable... I don't understand what the hell is making the noise... It sounds like air must be coming from the dashboard, but there is NO air???? It is quite hard to localise the sound...

It appears to be coming from behind the light switch, but is quite faint...

What is it? Is it normal? If not normal, is it expensive to fix?

Cheers...

Thats so strange cos I get the same on my C-Class. It sounds almost as if the audio volume is up high on the drivers side speaker. I tried turning the stereo off too but it made no difference. Anybody else noticed this?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

On my w202 the sunroof lights have a fan behind them which I can hear sometimes, of course the SLK doesnt have a sunroof, but maybe its somthing along thoses lines?

 

[Will]

Following on from what KillerHERTZ was saying, the 'hissing' noise that can be sometimes heard from around the interior dome light (just in front of where the sunroof is/would be on a W202), is to do with the climate control system. From what I understand, it is a small fan that draws in a 'sample' of interior air to assess the temperature, and then decides on what temperature/fan speed to use to bring the cabin up to the chosen temperature that has been selected by the user.

As has already been said, you may well have a different set-up, but if you can find a similar device, this could well be the cause of the sound that you are hearing!

BTW, I know how irritating these things can be trace!

Good Luck,

Will

 

[Steve_Perry]

Could it be a leak from the car's vacuum system?

S.

 

[Howard]

I believe that Will has hit the nail on the head, my father has an old 300te as a runaround, and there is a faint whirring/hissing sound all the time, having had it checked out, it is as Will says the thing that samples the air for the air con, on the estate the noise comes from behind the passenger side air vent.

Dad being the skinflint he is has elected to live with it rather than replace it

 

[Plodd]

I have a 98(S) SLK 230 and can't say i've ever heard anything like this.

I will check tomorrow.