W211 E320 groaning noise from behind dash

[garystu1965]

Hi,

I've just driven my mates W211 E320. It's an 03 reg and he's had it about a week. There's a strange groaning noise that seems to come from behind the instrument panel every so often. It lasts about 3 seconds and happens when stopped and with foot on the brakes. Sometimes he says the noise happens when he opens the door to get in.

ps it's really strange to drive an E-class after being used to a C270 CDI.

Any ideas ?

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jdrrco]

Hi,

I've just driven my mates W211 E320. It's an 03 reg and he's had it about a week. There's a strange groaning noise that seems to come from behind the instrument panel every so often. It lasts about 3 seconds and happens when stopped and with foot on the brakes. Sometimes he says the noise happens when he opens the door to get in.

ps it's really strange to drive an E-class after being used to a C270 CDI.

Any ideas ?

Cheers,
Gary

It's the Servotronic brake system. Look on here for relevant threads.

 

[marcos]

It's definately the SBC pump for the brakes, they all do it. The reason it does it when you open the door sometimes is so it's all pressurised ready for when you start up

 

[Brian WH]

It's definately the SBC pump for the brakes, they all do it. The reason it does it when you open the door sometimes is so it's all pressurised ready for when you start up

Do you know that is one thing I will miss.

 

[glojo]

Do you know that is one thing I will miss.

We can blame our 'rumbly' tum on the SBC, but guess what!!!

John

 

[ManJ]

Hiya mate, defo the SBC, go to Mercedes and they will replace it free...

 

[DieselE]

Hiya mate, defo the SBC, go to Mercedes and they will replace it free...

Not sure you're right here. If MB think it's excessively noisy there is a mod they carry out to the pipework. Certainly on this forum, I can't recall anyone saying they had a replacement unit.

Despite the noises it makes, SBC is a great braking system.

 

[splang]

I quite like the noise. Does that make me weird?

 

[fuzzer]

I quite like the noise. Does that make me weird?

Not really , its what you do at the weekends that we worry about

 

[glojo]

Hiya mate, defo the SBC, go to Mercedes and they will replace it free...

Nice one. Could you possibly point me towards where you obtained this very interesting information?

John

 

[marcos]

I've got to admit I do miss that noise, sad really

 

[ManJ]

Hello... right, my 03 plate e220 cdi did it and MB Milton Keynes replaced the SBC, and now my E270 cdi (54 plate) does the same and its booked in for a new sbc under warranty too, maybe MB MK have extra SBCs lying around... lol

 

[Satch]

There were some units that got swapped out but in the majority of cases a number of tests and fixes were carried out on the existing equipment. Have you got a white paint blob on top of the black cylinder sticking out of the unit? That signifies at least one part of the recall work has already been done.

The must-do fix is the fitting of a support bracket for the connector to the brake unit.

 

[glojo]

There were some units that got swapped out but in the majority of cases a number of tests and fixes were carried out on the existing equipment. Have you got a white paint blob on top of the black cylinder sticking out of the unit? That signifies at least one part of the recall work has already been done.

The must-do fix is the fitting of a support bracket for the connector to the brake unit.

The pump has indeed been replaced on a number of vehicles. I just find ManJ's posts very funny! Replacing the SBC??? Replacing it with what?

John

 

[ManJ]

well mate, im not sure if it was replaced with a new pump or a recond one, all I know is that it was replaced...

 

[glojo]

well mate, im not sure if it was replaced with a new pump or a recond one, all I know is that it was replaced...

Thanks for the reply, It will undoubtedly be a NEW pump, but NOT the whole SBC system!

Incidentally there have been endless debates about this system, those that love it usually swear by it. The great majority of critics are non users. Having said that the US market was the most vocal in its condemnation even though they never had the full system?

Time moves on and technology advances at an incredible pace. SBC has been replaced by a newer and hopefully better system, I am really pleased that our vehicle has SBC, but if the new system is better then hooray.

Just my ramblings

Regards,
John

 

[SL300-24]

I think that the brakes on the SBC W211 cars are the best that I have ever used, light, reponsive and really stop when needed! :bannana:

 

[aka$h]

I get a vibration when lightly braking sometimes (like a pump coming on), it seems to be from the drivers footwell \front wheel area, ive had the car looked at by george fraser and they have taken brake pads and wheel bearing off and found no fault.
I wonder if this is also a SBC issue. I did call MB a while back and apparently its had all the recalls already, the car is now out of warranty is it worth taking it to MB?

Cheers