mercc250

My 2013 c250 turbo charged sports sedan is making some uncomfortable noise, seems like turbo sound but then it is weird.


To diagnose this I made some attempts:


1. Rev up slowly under 1250 rpm. The sound isn't there but since the pull up speed is too low I have to press on the gas and there comes the noise.
2. Rev up as I should normally, the sound comes and stays till the car gains a decent speed. It does fade when the engine shifts the gear.
3. It dampens a little / vanishes when I have the climate control on. This doesn't happen all the time.
4. After a run of say 20 miles at a stretch it goes off at times.


This doesn't seem like an engine rattle as per mbworld user inputs engine rattle generally sounds like a striking metal ball in a tin. It does sound like flapping or the traditional sound which kids make for a car "bhtttrrrrrr".


I have just bought this car off market so not much aware of the sounds and cant recollect whether it had this sound during test drives or not. Also I got it inspected from a garage before purchasing and it came off clean.


Any guidance shall be appreciated.

Plutoe

you gotta have two people---one on the gas and the other with his\her\lgbt\ ear under the hood\and or under the lift to locate the area on the sound----you on the gas and girlfriend on the shifter ain't going to get it!!

michail71

I currently have an issue somewhere in my belt system that makes a loud whine from 1,000-2,500 RPM. It's probably a tensioner as I traced it to the front of the engine. I could see someone thinking it was a turbo sound.

You should be under warranty so take it in to a dealer.

mercc250

Plutoe,


Thanks for the recommendation. It seems like the sound doesn't occur when the car is parked. I have revd up with P and N and it doesn't make that sound. It's only when I'm driving at slow speed or stalled and I rev up.

mercc250

Michail71,


Thanks for the inputs. Mine is not a whine though its sort of rumbling. I'm having a tough time describing the sound.
Quick question - Does the turbo make any sound when we rev up the c250 at low speeds? Just confirming if it exists in other c250 as well and I might be worried without a cause.

michail71

Turbos don't usually do too much unless under load. In any car I've seen with a boost gauge they won't build boost in neutral. So that could be the case for what you described. Either that or other transmission/drivetrain issue.

Turbos are rather tough things. They usually have to be pushed really hard with non stock setting for a long time or oil starved to develop problems. Usually a wastegate or diverter valve will go first.

With most car it only takes a loose bolt on something to create odd sounds like this. These cars are so solidly built I wouldn't know where to begin.

But if you are under factory warranty the service department will take care of you.

WhiteonBlack

I have heard a strange noise, like a whistle or something, from my engine bay couple weeks ago but it has only happened once so I didnt think too much about it. Considering I have the BMS intake and a cat-back straight pipe I thought it was my mods. If you find out the actual problem and what the dealer fixed please post what it is!

Funkwagen

If you could get a recording of the sound that'd be helpful. I had a weird noise coming from my engine on acceleration for a bit and it turned out to be a guide pulley with a failing bearing. It wasn't loud, but it was noticeable at low rpm w/ acceleration. Replacing it made it disappear. I don't have the 1.8 turbo engine, but just a thought that it might be worth inspecting any of the pulleys to make sure they're all fine

mercc250

Thanks to everyone for their replies on my concern.


I managed to get a clip of the idle + low rev drive which might make you hear the sound.


Attached to this reply is the same.

Funkwagen

Well, that's not at all similar to the sound I was hearing.. so it's less likely to be the guide pulley!

mercc250

I'm really not sure if this does sound like an issue. I'm totally new to the Mercedes engine.

But the sound of a Mercedes should be like luxury not like umm a mustang or a decent 2.5 revving up.

The turbo might change the sound that's the only lost piece I'm tracing here.

WhiteonBlack

It sounded pretty normal to me actually. Not quite sure what the noise was supposed to be. Mine sounded almost like a bird chirping I finally remembered. It was pretty weird, but again only happened once

mercc250

Hey ffreyonn,

Didn't really understand your input.

michail71

My turbo isn't making any turbo sounds that I notice. I'm rather familiar with what an un-muffled turbo sounds like too. Manufacturers are so good at sound proofing these things people actually go through effort to make them louder.

I have't been able to listen to your clip yet. Do you have an aftermarket air intake installed?

Most noise I get is a slight exhaust growl along with the belt tensioner problem I'm scheduled to get fixed. I can't wait to get the tensioner problem fixed as it's driving me crazy.

mercc250

Nope I didn't get anything installed on the car and doesn't seem like there has been a mod to it in the past as well.


The slight exhaust growl sounds more like it but not aware of the tensioner, can get it checked though. Things look pretty okay under the hood while on idle.


Let me know your thoughts whenever you get a chance to listen to the clip.

michail71

Here is what my tensioner or perhaps pulley issue sounds like.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=video%2cmp4

mercc250

Michail71 I do hear the sound of your pulley trouble. Does it sound bad inside the car as well while you drive?


Well on another note I noticed something yesterday. I had weight in the car's boot and then the sound increased as if the car was under stress. Well it was under more stress because of the weight.


To try something I switched to the S mode and there was a huge difference in the noise. It reduced to the normal uncomfortable rather than the disturbing strained one.


I reverted back to E to drive further and it didn't increase again.


I have read somewhere that the S mode is the preferred one for the c250 but is that really true? What impact does it have on my gas usage or my engine if I just drive on the S mode?

michail71

OMG, yes, lol. It is bad inside the car. The wine drowns out the engine and exhaust sound below 2500 RPM. It's driving me crazy and getting an appointment at the dealer is proving to be difficult. They have me rescheduled for the 11th as they want to give me a loaner car.

On top of that I have two wheels out of round on the right side of the car, which the selling dealer is scheduled to fix. So this is one noisy and rough riding Benz.

I think your driving habits would have more impact on fuel than E and S modes. I recall reading somewhere the differences would be minimal. Some people prefer E mode. I find it a little unpredictable when starting from a stop. Especially if going uphill. I've also had a few occasions where I felt like the car wasn't moving only to suddenly burst forward when my throttle request becomes more urgent.

diamondsilver

I have this exact problem, and also with my aunt's car, both are 2013 c250 sports.

First time i brought mine to the dealership they gave me the usual can't duplicate problem excuse, but I kinda get them, it was one day before thanksgiving so people were in their lazy and holiday mode.

I plan to bring it back early next year, hopefully something easy to fix and under warranty.

michail71

I finally got a listen to that and it's the exact same problem I have. Listen to my clip again. Mine was recorded from the outside.

My dealership's service department took a quick look/listen to it and agreed it was not normal. Unfortunately, I have to wait until the 11th to get it fixed since they want to give me a loaner car.

The sound originates from the front right side of the engine. Kind of by the radiator fan.

Best guess now is a pulley on tensioner. I'll update once the dealer fixes the problem.

mercc250

Okay mine also comes from the right side it seems when I drive and hear it.

So that means I need to take mine to the service shop as well. Just purchased it and now this.

Considering this is a Pre Owned car not certified does that mean I am in trouble for any warranty claims? It's a previously leased vehicle which was put on sale and I bought it from a dealer.

Should I try to drive any other c250 as well? Probably a newer one to listen and catch up with the difference in the sound mine makes and the actual sound there should be.

michail71

Just make an appointment at a Mercedes dealership. You should still be within factory warranty if this had been a lease vehicle. Once there there and you're in the system they can tell you service history and all that stuff too. They may give you a 2016 C300 as a loaner if they expect to keep the car overnight.

Seems a few of us with 2013 C250s are getting this problem.

If you haven't I would take the car to a independent shop for inspection. In addition to this sound issue I found out mine had a damaged front bumper (curb pull common on all non-suv MBs), two bent rims and a bent strut.

Never ever trust a dealerships "used car inspection and reconditioning process". They make it a sales point and it's always B.S.

mercc250

Okay I would surely make an appointment with them.


Another thing I just got my title and license plates. The title plates had my dealer as the previous owner. Does that make me the third owner? I called the dealer and had asked them before the purchase, I was supposed to be the second owner. Their reply now, our ownership doesn't count.


Why I am asking this is for Mercedes manufacturer's warranty I read somewhere that it is only valid till the second owner?


and regarding your pre purchase inspection I took the car to a garage and paid them to check it. They gave a full report stating its fine. I never park over the curb, the front bumpers are too darn low.

michail71

I finally have my appointment today with the dealer to get this fixed. I should have the car back by Wednesday or Thursday. I think it's gotten a little worse the past couple weeks.

I'll mention there are reports of a few other 2013 C250s doing the same thing. Hopefully it doesn't go bad again.

The mechanic at an indy shop I visited noticed as I was pulling in their driveway. Right away he said it sounds like I have a bad pulley.

mercc250

Probably this is a coincidence, I received my reply from the dealer today. I had turned in the vehicle end of last week. He made his guy work on it and following were his inputs:


1. He listened to the whistle sound which we are stating as the whine and according to him its just the turbo sound at low speeds.


2. He drove the car around and did not find any of the noises which might alert him.


3. He drove another c250 to find the differences in the sounds which I have in my vehicle during the drive and other c250s. He couldn't find any difference.

I have requested him to arrange a meet with the specialist and to arrange the other car as well so that I can also hear the sounds and assure myself if the engine is made to sound like that.


Let me know what your dealer says today.


P.S.: They gave me a GLE350 SUV as a loaner on the first day. I couldn't bear the sound of the car at low accelerations. It was new 2016 just 1800 miles on it and it made a constant "woot" kind of noise from the rear at low speeds. I switched it for a 2016 c300 and yes I do hear the grunt and the whistle which we are observing in our cars but its dampened and doesn't disturb the drive but the engine noise is quite decent to be heard when at a halt. No wonder MB is not checking the sounds of its engine, I travel with my colleague in a Nissan Pathfinder and wow the car sounds smooth.