W204 Clunking/Knocking noise on Suspension

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Damaino

New Member
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Jul 20, 2015
Messages
17
Location
London
Car
Mercedes W204 C200K AMG Sport
Hey Guys,

Maybe someone can give some insight on the problem im having.

Bought a W204 C200 09 plate, car drives beautifully besides a clunking/knocking noise when i go over a speed bump or rough patches of road.

Had the car at the workshop, checked the suspension and was told theres some play in the Anti Roll bar links, had that replaced and noise still there, then checked again and was told the Lower control arms have slight play as well - changed that too and noise is still there(but slightly less):fail

Now ive been told its the shcoks as this is a common problem on the W204 models - the shocks tend to "rattle" with age.

Could the shocks be causing this noise? for me it sounds like the shocks as its coming from both sides, when we press the fenders to apply pressure we cant hear anything.

Thanks
 
Assuming you have had the ARB links and the lower control arms changed at the front Maybe its the torque arms- they are a known weak spot on the w203 and w204
pic01.jpg

Mercedes-Benz W204 Torque Strut and Bearing Replacement - (2008-2014) C250, C300, C350 | Pelican Parts DIY Maintenance Article
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w204/303710-torque-arm-bearings-popping-again.html

If these are the "lowercontrol arms" you referred to already then ignore this suggestion---[terminology can be misleading and I may have misunderstood ]
 
Thanks Grober, i havent had the torque arms replaced as you mentioned. There doesnt seem to be any play on them compared to the lower control arm. Im not sure if this is the next step as it really sounds as if its coming from the shock mounting area.

@StarDelta had the drop links replaced that was the first point of call but no luck.
 
There are strut mounts or "bearings" as they are sometimes referred to, that mount the top of the strut to the inner wing. They can go bad. Not sure if they can be replaced except by removing the entire strut??
 
The Guy i bought the car from is offering to replace the front shocks, do you think it will be worthwhile to replace these bearings when replacing the shocks?
 
The Sachs bearings come in around £35 each. I hesitate to advocate this because so far you have replaced quite a few suspension components without solving your problem. If the struts are to be replaced its certainly an opportunity to replace the strut mounts at the same time.
 
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Thanks grober, Will it be best to replace this section of the mounting?

friction-bearing-suspension-strut-support-mounting-febi-19924-1.jpg


or the entire mounting?
LSM-500x500-product_popup.jpg


Cause i can only find the first image mounting on ECP
 
Without knowing which part, if any, of that top mount "assembly" is faulty its difficult to say. There's possibly a small bearing in there also and its not always clear from adverts whether this is included in any part. Normal practice would be to remove the strut and examine the top mounting for damage- sorry I can give a more definitive answer.
 
Id put money on it being the shock absorbers causing the issue. We do loads of them.
 
Without knowing which part, if any, of that top mount "assembly" is faulty its difficult to say. There's possibly a small bearing in there also and its not always clear from adverts whether this is included in any part. Normal practice would be to remove the strut and examine the top mounting for damage- sorry I can give a more definitive answer.

No Probs Grober, appreciate the help you given!
 
had the same problem on mine. change upper and lower suspension arms. problem no longer exists.

around 1 hour per side. i'm not a mechanic.
 
Id put money on it being the shock absorbers causing the issue. We do loads of them.


I had a clunk on my 2009 W204 and it was the shock absorber.



Here's a service bulletin on suspension noise that pointed me in the right direction:


Front Strut / Shock Tower: By Symptom
Technical Service Bulletin # LI32-25_P-048381
Date: 091208
Suspension - Front Axle Dull Thumping Noise On Bumps
NOISES FROM VICINITY OF FRONT AXLE ON UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE
Topic number
LI32.25-P-048381
Version
1
Design group
32.25 Shock absorbers/damper struts/spring struts
Date
12-08-2009
Validity
Model 204 without code 483 (Vehicle dynamics package), without AMG; Model 204.0## #A 185017 up to * 195993 with head bearing
Reason for change
Topic extended to FA shock absorber / torsion bar linkage. / Supersedes DTB P-B-32.25/67
Reason for block
Complaint:
Dull thumping noises or metallic rattling from vicinity of front axle on slightly uneven road surface and/or repaired road surface.
Note:
Noises occur in lower speed range (20...approx. 70km/h).
Cause:
Several causes are possible:
1. Head bearings on front axle suspension struts are too stiff (Shore hardness).
Note:
Noises from the head bearing occur on more uneven surfaces and sound relatively dull.
This cause affects only a small, limited production batch! Pay attention to the VIN restriction for head bearings (EPC: "Bearing, suspension strut to
body") in Validity section! On vehicles outside the restriction range, the head bearing is not the cause of the noise and may therefore not be replaced.
2. Shock absorber
Note:
Noises from the shock absorber are audible on slightly uneven surfaces and sound rather more metallic.
3. Torsion bar linkage
Note:
Noises caused by a torsion bar linkage only occur in a very small number of cases on this model series.
 
Thanks 190, im having the shocks replaced in the next week or 2, ill post the outcome!
 
Watching with interest. My 2009 W204 C250. with 96000 miles does the same. Passed MOT no problem. Very irritating.
 
Watching with interest. My 2009 W204 C250. with 96000 miles does the same. Passed MOT no problem. Very irritating.

Same scenario with me. They could find no play anywhere in the suspension so it would pass an MOT and did. I was trying to get mine fixed under warranty which was hard work when repeated inspections found nothing worn. I only got them to replace the shock by providing the service bulletin. What you need and I could have done with is someone like BlackC55 who knows from experience that the shocks can fail.

I don't know the reason they fail but they are not simple shocks. There is some internal mechanism that changes the damping rate and may be that causes the problem.
 
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Same scenario with me. They could find no play anywhere in the suspension so it would pass an MOT and did. I was trying to get mine fixed under warranty which was hard work when repeated inspections found nothing worn. I only got them to replace the shock by providing the service bulletin. What you need and I could have done with is someone like BlackC55 who knows from experience that the shocks can fail.

I don't know the reason they fail but they are not simple shocks. There is some internal mechanism that changes the damping rate and may be that causes the problem.

Did you replace the top mounting bearing as well?
 

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