W203 220CDI - Sounds like a tractor (Video Included)

[digitaltennis]

Sounded like this for a while. But since I haven't had any engine problems, I've never bothered to find out what could be causing the loud noise. I service the car regularly. Also shouldn't the dipstick (28 seconds) have a cap on?


Here is a link to the 1 minute video of the engine.

PIC_0001.AVI - YouTube

Any help/advice would be great

 

[sspeed]

God almighty that really does sound rough..
I havent a clue other than to ask if its actually got engine oil in it ?

 

[Dieselman]

That sounds unhealthy and either an injector dribbling or a mechanical fault.
Use an engine stethoscope to prod around the engine to see if there are any untoward noises.
The gearbox dip tube should have a cap on it.

 

[Dieselman]

God almighty that really does sound rough..
I havent a clue other than to ask if its actually got engine oil in it ?

Forget oil, check to see if all the pistons are still inside the block...

 

[digitaltennis]

Thanks for the replies! Checked the oil on the dash. Reading ok. The air filter housing is moving a lot. Someone suggested the rubber mounting might be broken?

I'll try get a cap for the gear box tube.

 

[Colin_b]

Thanks for the replies! Checked the oil on the dash. Reading ok. The air filter housing is moving a lot. Someone suggested the rubber mounting might be broken?

I'll try get a cap for the gear box tube.

I'd check that and the inlet manifold. Something looks more than a bit wobbly there!

 

[digitaltennis]

Just taken another short video, and as you can hear, when I push down with my hands on the air filter housing. One of the noises disappear!

PIC_0002.AVI - YouTube

 

[st4]

Just taken another short video, and as you can hear, when I push down with my hands on the air filter housing. One of the noises disappear!

PIC_0002.AVI - YouTube

You can see the housing vibrate away?

Thats not right...

 

[digitaltennis]

That's true the noise disappears but the housing still vibrates. Something more serious than the rubber mounting. I suppose though it can't hurt to replace them?

 

[brucemillar]

This sounds remarkably like my C240 V6 Petrol. It gave up the ghost. Starts and runs but sound like yours with or without the airbox off. Mine is going into WrightTec shortly for further diagnosis. However a stethescope revealed that the tapping does not appear internal to the engine. Suspects so far are a blown Cat and manifold.

 

[digitaltennis]

Brucemillar- you are the bringer of good news!

I do a lot of mileage in the car, and as I said *touches wood* the car still drives fine. Over the last 100,000 miles I have only had issues with suspension at service intervals.

I'm not sure whether just to keep wracking up the mileage or try to address the noise (which could be a can of worms!).

Michael

 

[Colin_b]

Brucemillar- you are the bringer of good news!

I do a lot of mileage in the car, and as I said *touches wood* the car still drives fine. Over the last 100,000 miles I have only had issues with suspension at service intervals.

I'm not sure whether just to keep wracking up the mileage or try to address the noise (which could be a can of worms!).

Michael

I'd check something isn't loose/undone/detached before much more driving. That looks and sounds unhealthy.

 

[brucemillar]

Brucemillar- you are the bringer of good news!

I do a lot of mileage in the car, and as I said *touches wood* the car still drives fine. Over the last 100,000 miles I have only had issues with suspension at service intervals.

I'm not sure whether just to keep wracking up the mileage or try to address the noise (which could be a can of worms!).

Michael

Michael

I would get it checked ASAP. Mine has been off the road since it conked out. There is no guarantee that the cat is the issue with mine (or yours). However another member on here also had similar symptoms and has was the cat. I had merc tech go over mine with a stethescope (mine also shows no errors) and he believes that it could be a blocked exhaust due to the a cat breaking up. That would cause considerable back pressure on the the manifold etc.

I hope to get mine into WrightTec in the next couple of weeks.

Please let us know what your problem is.
Good luck..

 

[digitaltennis]

I will get it booked into a Mercedes specialist next week. In the mean time, I have no alternative but to carry on driving the vehicle. The car has done 20k since March (when the air filter was last changed).

 

[carat 3.6]

Looks like the air filter housing brackets have come loose, take the plastic cover of the top of the engine and it should be easy to see the problem.

Where abouts are you?

 

[digitaltennis]

I'm based in Warwickshire. I'll make sure I order rubber mounting on Monday from Mercedes. I am a novice with car repairs, but hopefully I should manage to change the rubber mounting and the air filter!

 

[carat 3.6]

It's a shame I'm not closer, or I'd have a look for you.

 

[digitaltennis]

Just a quick update. Rubber was broken on the mountings around the bolts (the donut shaped rubber bits inside the air filter housing) and the rubber mounting clips were also stretched. So after I have replaced these that should be one problem gone!

Now onto the next noise!

 

[jaymanek]

To me the sound is not coherent with an actual engine issue but more as if something is catching the Main Fan or something in that region.