When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
It's been a year since anyone has posted something one way or the other; so I have to assume everyone has either gotten rid of the car or (like me) continue to endure it.Or maybe you got it fixed and moved on. I any event, I've not driven mine very much but have had everything mentioned here either checked and or replaced with the exception of the electronic diverter/smog pump because it definitely is not a screeching noise but a muffled whining noise. In fact, whether it is because I am used to it or not, but I would say it is no worse now than it has ever been in now more than three years. I did run it with the belt off and it made no difference. On the other hand, if I turn up the radio just above what would be considered "normal", I ca't hear it at all. The last "real" expert that saw my car in California (I live in Utah) told me it needs a transmission. That is what the previous "expert" in Salt lake City told me after he talked me into replacing the torque converter and it didn't make any difference. The best explanation to date, however, was when I was told that was the result of Mercedes and Chrysler getting together and not agreeing on what quality really means. I concluded that since the following CL Class has a different transmission than the w215's, maybe they realized the Torqueflite didn't quite match up to the V12's. I think I'll turn up the radio and wait...
I finally got around to having my pulsation dampers replaced and the problem is solved. The issue is that with ruptured pulsation dampers the ABC pump has to work harder to keep the appropriate pressure in the system causing the hum. Not sure if the explanation is correct but my 'hum' is finally gone! And the car rides much better.
No, as I mentioned earlier, I ran the engine with the radiator off and the serpentine belt removed. Bear with me for few minutes because there is much more behind this than most people realize or have ever had to consider. The noise did not change in any way at all. I've had the car for a little over three years, now, it had 32,000 miles when I got it and it is about to cross 45,000 miles. The whine was there when I got the car except I do not remember if it was as bad. I any event, it was there and because I had traveled from UT to NJ to pick it up, given the distance, I purchased the car on the contingency that it was as good as is showed on their Website photos and that the local Mercedes Benz dealer would inspect it and not find something really troubling as I was driving the car back to UT straight away. The dealer that inspected it, turned out to be the one that sold it brand new (Monroney Tag showed $167,000.00+ after two or three thousand dollars in "gas guzzler" taxes) to the previous owner and they made copies of all the maintenance on the car. It had never been in for a "whining noise". The only thing they did other than A and B cupons was replace the ignition coil rail on the driver's side while still under warranty and replaced the front brake pads. When they inspected it for me, I pointed out the whine and they concluded it would need the idler pulley by the alternator replaced; except unfortunately it was on backorder. They assured me it was nowhere near bad enough to fail on the way home, so I had them change the oil (which I paid for) just to be sure even though it didn't quite need it yet. They also replaced a TPS that was defective (The used car dealer I purchased the car from paid for that) and otherwise, they gave the car a clean bill of health. In fact, the Mercedes dealer said that if they had replaced that idler pulley, it would cost $243.00 and the dealer that sold me the car cut me a check for that amount. As they told me, the car drove back to Utah without a hitch and the whining noise stayed as it was--not worse, no better; just the same. I drove the car that Winter and noticed with cold weather the whine was "deeper" but eased back out as the car warmed up. In the Spring, I replaced all the idler pulleys, the tensioner and the serpentine belt figuring it would be the wise thing to do. As previously mentioned, changing those parts made no difference at all as far as the whine was concerned, and the car still ran (as it does today) great. On another car, it would not have bothered me, but I have a friend that drives a 2004, and they are so absolutely quiet it is amazing. I just want mine to be as it should. Even used, it was not an inexpensive car. I finally took it (hesitantly) to the local dealer where they kept it overnight and told me that on some cars, they had not installed a dampener for the ABC pump at the factory and on those cars, the pump could generate some sounds similar to a low drone or whine as the pump vibrated. They then showed me a Mercedes Benz Star bulletin addressing that and told me they could order the dampener and install it for about $470.00. I asked why I was being charged for what was essentially a recall, and I was told that only when the recalls are safety related, are the manufacturers obligated to pay. Otherwise, it is at their discretion and Mercedes did not consider the missing dampener a recall but an "upgrade". I could see myself arguing all day over semantics or which cars left the factory with them and which did not or why, but also realized it would get me nowhere. As a sidebar, about four months ago I spoke with the service manager of a Mercedes Benz dealership in So. California, and he told me that in more than 45 years in the new car business, he has never dealt with a manufacturer as unwilling to show good-will towards either the customer or the dealer than Mercedes Benz. Apparently they are brutal and they will chisel the dealer on at least 90% of all repairs they submit under warranty. As for a customer--and especially if he did not buy the car at that particular dealership where the car is being serviced, if the odometer is one tick of a mile over, forget it...It's out of warranty. Anyhow, I had them order the dampener kit and install it; which they did but the whine was still there--not even a change. They had plenty of apologies but felt they should first do the obvious things. If I wanted to leave it again overnight, they would check it further. I told them I would think about it and decided to drive north about 70 miles to the next closest dealer in Salt Lake City. They had been a dealer well over 45 years and seemed well established. They "put their best V12 wrench on it" and he concluded that the other dealer was close, but had waited too long to install the dampener and as a result, the vibration caused to the pump, had already damaged it and while it certainly needs the "upgraded" dampener, it was too late for the present pump as that was the source of the whine. In other words, yes, it needed the dampener, but because it wasn't replaced sooner, now the ABC pump needed to be replaced. I was told that only then, would I gt rid of the whine. The whole premise on a car like that really started to bother me but found it difficult to argue their conclusion as the whine did come from that general area--or at least by then I certainly thought it was. Now not so much from there as under the bell housing. As you may have surmised, well North of $2,000.00 later I had my car and whine back. I felt as if I had taken well over $2,000.00 and burned them just to see if the color of the flame changed--the car was tied up for nearly five days and nothing had changed in a flash. As with the other dealer, I heard every apology imaginable but before they brought me my car, it had to be paid in full. That was when I decided that unless they could fix it and guarantee it, I would just let it be which was about the time I started this blog. I am not surprised to read such a variety of experiences and I often wonder with some envy, if some (or all) the whines out there that have been fixed were the same as mine. Since my initial post, I've struggled with some medical issues which made the whine inconsequential, but once in remission I decided to start enjoying my car again and it did not take long to realize how annoying that whine is. I even considered replacing the W215 version with the newer W216, except personally, I like the looks of the W215 the very best. And if there is a W215 CL600 out there that looks anything like mine, it is well hidden and not for sale. I say this because I have looked, and what I have seen is downright scary. To the contrary, have lost track of the times people have come up to me offering to purchase my car. Those of you that have a really nice one, know what I mean. Particularly where unlike what seems like 95% of them that are either silver or black with their standard interiors, mine is darker blue metallic with ostrich interior. As you walk around it, and the sun hits the various body angles and shapes, the blue changes hues--never seen anything like it...It really is a stunning combination that added $7,500.00 to the sticker price. I know I am bragging about my car, but those of you that have one as well and enjoy it as I do (Whine and all) know exactly what I mean. In any event, I recently met a fellow on an airplane that in talking to him, not only does he have a car of identical vintage to mine, but also very close to the same number of miles. He also had "whine" problem that in talking seemed as if we were talking about the same car rather than two different ones. Except he shed some light on the entire topic because he purchased the car brand new and remembers exactly when it started to whine, took it to his mechanic in Florida who explained to him why it whined, what caused it to whine and what it would take to fix. And the latter, is replacing the transmission. I've yet to drive my car to Florida to see this mechanic, but while a bit on the absurd side, after the other experiences I've had, it is almost credible. Or at least, credible enough that when it was recommended to me to replace the torque converter while recently on vacation in California (And remembering my friend from the plane as well as a "real possibility" when last inferred by my local dealer, I decided to go for it and sure enough, the whine is still there. He, is also now recommending the transmission as well. Again, it is starting to sound credible but not enough to drop the kind of money that replacing what would otherwise be a perfectly good transmission would entail. And if I were to do that, I would likely have the fellow in Florida do it as I think he is enough of a believer that he might just go for the concept that if that doesn't do it; I don't owe him anything. Other than what it would take to having the car taken to Orlando and back. Not a simple task. Oh, this is the notion behind the whine and the transmission. As I mentioned earlier, the fellow I met on the plane purchased his car new. At 30,000 miles, he had the automatic transmission fluid drained, the system flushed - including the torque converter - the filter replaced and the system refilled with the appropriate Mercedes Benz approved fluid. He did so as part of his regular maintenance. When he picked up the car, there was the whine and not until another factory pre-filled transmission was installed back in the car, did the whine go away. Since them, all he does is have the system checked and if the level is down, he has it topped up. At the time, he had never had to add a drop after around 15,000 miles. It seems that the contention--just like with the 140 Series--is that according to Mercedes Benz, these units are factory sealed and non serviceable. They are not intended to be messed with other than replaced when warranted. It does not matter that you can purchase a pan gasket an oil filter etc. from Mann that is intended to be used for that very purpose on that car. Mann may me a Mercedes Benz supplier, but I'm told that Mercedes Benz does not offer such kit. It also explains why they do not have an automatic transmission dipstick and what looks like the dipstick, is actually a "Factory Tool" intended to add small amounts of lubricant as required with the passing of time. The reason lubricant is available, is mostly because it is the same they use for the power steering and suspension. And if you need some to top up the transmission, it will work for that purpose as well. But only for that purpose and that is why they almost make it impossible for anyone but the dealer to do that. In talking to the dealers, the ones that know about it, will tell you "That is what Mercedes recommends"; think of how much money you are saving. In trying to get a straight answer from Mercedes, they will go as far as saying that the transmission is maintenance-free and the oil does not need to be checked for the life of the car, or something of that nature; or essentially what the owner manuais state. But trying to get a position as to why it is so, or whether changing the fluid can lead to other issues, is impossible. When I purchased my car and the dealer that checked it out for me gave me copies of the maintenance they had done, sure enough, my transmission was flushed, a new filter installed and refilled with a new Mercedes Benz approved oil. What has been your experience? Maybe you now better understand why I might just crank up the radio a bit and feel badly that every single major expense I've ever had with this car, were not necessary. I don't have enough information to take a position on whether the whine and changing the oil are related, nor do I understand what makes a mercedes so good that one need not ever have to change the oil. Or do they no longer build them to last? Or better yet, what do they put in those factory sealed transmissions that Mercedes does not want you to drain it out? A conundrum, eh?
Wow, you have had quite an ordeal. I have owned 4 CL 600's from 2000-2006 and I have one 2004 that I bought used and had nothing but troubles. I spent over 15K in the first 6 months and said screw it and dumped it. I then found a 2006 CL 600 that was a special order in Granite with charcoal interior with every single option and the boutique wheels. It had 20K miles on it and was a one owner car bought from the original owner. They had always serviced the car and I kept it about a year until I bought a new Bentley GT Speed. I loved that MBZ because it wasn't the ordinary black or white or silver but a color no one else had. I still have never seen another. I kept that car 13 months and never put a dime into it except for changing the oil and the neck of the radiator went (as they all do and will). The previous owners always had every single maintance done including flushing of every single fluid, including the transmission the rear axle, the ABC system (ALL fluids). The car was without a single defect even in the glass and headlamps and paint. It was if I had just bought a brand new car and it smelled as such. The car had NO issues except for the radiator neck and I found a factory one on Ebay for 285.00 (new and they charged me 200.00 to put it in). Even the tires were brand new Michelin Super Sports. The car was actually CPO certified but since I didn't go through the dealer I didn't get a warranty. It didn't matter because it never gave me a minutes trouble. Now, I bought the Bentley because it was a Bespoke car in a very special order color and my Aunt gave it to me for only 60K. I sold it for 100K last march when I was able to find a brand new 2014 CL 600 in FULL Designo Charcoal and Designo Cortessa interior. I was looking for one since the minute I sold my CL, because I didn't like the Bentley or how I fit in it. It was basically junk. Beautiful but sloppy junk. The color was amazing (as I love color). Anyway, this CL 600, that I have now is the finest car I have ever owned in my life and I am 48 years old and have owned over 40 cars new and used over my lifetime and still have a large collection of classic older Lincolns. Now, as for your whine, MBZ should have taken a scope and located the noise with the tool that would detect the sound that was being emitted. My thought would have been the pump but since that didn't work my thinking is something to do with the alternator bearing or the actual power steering pump (which might be the pump for the suspension) not sure. I understand you do not like the W216 as I have always detested the way they looked over the W215. That is until 2011 when they completely revised the body shell and gave it some real technology. Take a look at the 2011-2014 CL 600 they are works of art. I had first refusal on the W217 Edition 1 and turned it down. I wasn't going from a 190K 600 to a 140K 550. Also, the interior (esp. the dash) compared to the S sedan looked like cheap junk. No wood basically except in small spots and just an all around poor design almost cheap feeling. No more ABC suspension, no more opening moonroof, no more door sill edge chrome covering the door latch, no wood on the doors, an ugly steering wheel. The only thing it had going for it was it was a new design and loaded with more gadgets than Inspector Gadget. Also, the brand is now so deluded that you cant tell one model from the other. The last straw was when they finally came back to me with the price, the owner of the dealership wanted an extra 10K over retail. I said shove it and walked out. I drive my 2014 CL 600 with more pride than any car I have ever owned. I have 3/12 years left under warranty and it is the very first time I haven't to take it back to have something defective. I would drive the 11-14 and check it out, you will love the car. There were less than 200, 600's made from 11-14 so finding one will be a challenge. My friend who owns a MBZ dealership went through and NONE have gone through auction since Jan of last year. There is one 13 in Metallic black but not a Designo in SoCal at Keys European. The price is beyond cheap and it only has 4,300 miles on it. I know I will be keeping this car for many years to come and will not be buying another MBZ until they address the starkness of the S Coupe's interior and they aren't doing a 600 but a 65. I would have considered the 65 but I haven't seen if they will be addressing the issue of the interior. I feel the interior should be as fine as the S 600 sedan or finer with wood through out. My CL 600's interior is just as fine as my Bentley (maybe not as much wood but enough to make me happy). Check out ANY 11-14, they aren't ugly like the 07-10. They removed that odd pontoon front fender, integrated the exhaust pipes, sharped the edges front and back, changed the hood and headlamps and went to the LED fog lights and changed the trunk to separate the reverse lamps from the tail lamps. The car is 1000 % more beautiful. Not to mention that the 07-14 were basically bullet proof. You cant tell from the picture but the color has only pink, gold, and green pearl but I couldn't get the colors to show In the light. I even had the lock pic put in so I can watch music videos while driving or change my Navigation without having to pull over or watch a movie on a long trip. Plus all the new safety features. AMAZING!!!!! Even though the new S COUPE is new doesn't mean change is always better. This revision was what the car needed. I just wish it had a little more technology like the new S Class. But you cant have it all. I did however had the ECM retuned to add an additional 125HP and 125 torque. Now it has NO turbo lag whatsoever. It just GOES. I think my new tag is going to read. SEE YA
as far as the tranny causing the vibration after refilling it. maybe they used the wrong tranny fluid. there is fluid for the 5 speed and different fluid for the 7 speed. maybe they drained the torque converter by running the engine and flushing the return line and let the fluid get low. maybe it's a problem with the tranny electronics. possibly it's not tranny related. personally i haven't heard much about problems after a tranny fluid change unless they used the wrong fluid, or flushed the converter inappropriately.
good luck
You know now that I think about it, my 2004 CL 500 that I bought used had a bad valve body and they replaced it and drained it and put in the correct fluid but it didn't whine, it had a sounded more like a small piece of paper in the spoke of a bicycle wheel, that was constant at any speed but really noticeable at idle or park. Just another reason why I sold it. The 04 was NOTHING but trouble for me. Couldn't stand that car. You would have thought I would have stopped buying these cars after that. You know your description could be exactly what it is. My transmission guy said it was the front pump. He said it would have to be rebuilt to stop the noise ( best to just buy a used one with low miles and trade it out). I said I have already spent 15k on this car in 6 months I'm selling it. The guy that sold it to me lied, the car had been repainted many times and none of the body panels matched. I am a VIRGO and perfection is what I expect and I knew a repaint was not an option and to replace the tranny on a car I wasn't in love with was like throwing money into a fire pit. Thankfully I bought that car right and sold it for everything I had in it and didn't lose a thing, just my time and temper. I had a vintage Lincoln fluid changed and from the minute I left the car had the same noise. I thought it would go away but eventually the transmission took a dump. It was quiet before I had them use that flush done. Wish I had just let them drain the pan and leave it at that. I think some trash backed up in the system and the noise drove me crazy until it stopped moving. Had it rebuilt and never heard the noise again.
Hi everyone, thanks for your insights (2014CL600, that's quite a stunner you have there!, congratulations!). Please keep inn mind that the car ran without the belt on and subsequently anything up front that is driven by it whether the ABC pump, alternator or a pulley, none were turning and the whine was still there. I obviously couldn't run it long, but long enough to satisfy myself that it was nothing there and the transmission became more of a point of interest. It is interesting about the oil. I was not aware that the two transmissions used different oil but on the other hand, you would think the dealer would know something that basic.I'll have to go through the maintenance records and see if that is a possibility. Because when I had the car inspected for pre-purchase, I was told it was a pulley (And that pulley was definitely past its prime, this is why I replaced them all and also was honestly surprised that it made no difference. I was aware of the problems with the earlier W215 which is why I wanted a production end model and while I would have preferred a 2006, the way the 2005 was equipped and its history, for me was a no brainer. An I remember when driving my w140 CL600, thinking that MB could not come up with something better until I saw the w215 body style and it was love at first sight. I just think they are sunning and as equipped as this one is, it was as close to Nirvana having it. While the best part of my day is driving back and forth to the office - and I LOVE my job - I have yet to see anything within a reasonable price range that could provide me with the satisfaction that this car has-- whine and all. But when I drive one that doesn't whine and it is so quiet you can hear a mouse pee on cotton, my personality is such that the car has to be as perfect as intended. I'm not saying that there is some conspiracy going on, but where did Mercedes ever come up with the notion that you never need to do anything to the transmission unless they figure someone will sell the car ad buy another before even having to worry about it. I am an engineer by way of professional training, and I can't come up with a justification for them to assert their transmissions will never need any maintenance. The heat, hydraulic pressures and particularly on a car that fast, that heavy and capable of delivering the torque it does, have to put strain on myriads of parts that I am not aware of any lubricant - synthetic or otherwise - that would be able to withstand the operational requirements of that car forever. It's nothing but a marketing ploy that people that don't know any better or don't want to know, buy hook line an sinker. I will look into the difference between the two types of oil but I do know that what they charged me for each liter of the stuff, was not anywhere close to the type F or Dextron I can buy at 7/11. I'll keep everyone posted. Thank you for your insights; they really have been helpful. Cheers!
I just found a 2003 CL 600 with 40K miles in Capri Blue w/ ash with the AMG body cladding. Its like new and for the price I cant pass it up. Thank you for your complement on my 14. The more I think about it, I don't think it is your fluid. You might be able to have them go back and re-flush the system and replace the fluid again. Maybe some debris is caught in the system. The noise I was trying to think of was not a whine but a buzz. Like I said my transmission guy said it was the front pump. It drove me nuts. I hated that 04 the 05-06 were right on the money. I wish this 03 was an 06 but I think I cant go wrong. Keep us posted.
Thanks, 2014CL600, that does sound like a real deal and if I recall, the 03's had turbos, is that not so? I will try the trans flush again as you suggest which is inexpensive to try. My concern is that unlike the fellow that told me about it that issue, the whine was there when I purchased the car and the dealer that inspected it for me prior to buying it, told me it was a pulley that unfortunately at the time, they did not have in stock and took their word ford for it. It wasn't until after I replaced all the pulleys tensioner bearing, idler pulleys and the belt, that I realized the whine was there. However, I can see why they thought that particular idler was the problem as it was noisy. Except the whine muffled it. It wasn't until I ran the engine with the belt off, that I knew the problem had nothing to do with anything that was belt driven. I am leaning on the "sealed for life" malarkey only after I saw from the service records that the transmission fluid and filter was replaced at around 30K miles that it occurred to me that there might be a relationship. But I really can't say because in reviewing all the repair orders (That being serviced always by a dealer, coincided with Mercedes Benz' records), even on subsequent tickets, there was never any mention of a whine or a complaint of an unusual noise. That is what frustrates me most. I am really festidiuous about things like that and I always want to know where I am even if I end up replacing something prematurely that I am not certain it has been done. Do keep me posted on your 2003. I'm always sceptical about running into deals like that, which is why when I bought mine, I made sure it was contingent on having the car inspected by a dealer and was more than willing to pay for the inspection just so I could decide what was going to be checked or not. I don't know about you, but I also have to see maintenance records. And for sure make certain it hasn't been crashed, has a tainted title or worse, it wasn't in New Orleans during Katrina. You sound like you know what you are doing, but unless you are paying top dollar irrespective of the year, I would really be careful. I thought I was and here I am with a whine I can't even get anyone to tell me what it is short of replacing the transmission (and even then, I don't even know if that is it). Oh, and pics would be great! I'll attach one of mine before I had the rims chromed. I've been meaning to take a good set of photos as you have with your 07, but have never gotten around to it. And now it is snowing here in Utah which makes it difficult to keep a dark car looking clean . But I'll take some soon and post them. You will see why I love it so much! Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how the transmission flush works out. Take care!
What can I say? It doesn't get much better than this.
Mine is a 14 CL 600 the one I am looking at is an 03 and it is the same engine as my 14 but with a different engine management system. The car has had a lot of problems so the car fax shows, a new transmission just back in Feb. under the extended warranty. CarFax shows it to be a really nice car but has had a lot of trouble since it was sold, first shot out was at 5K and sold at 8K and has had many owners. Kinda makes me wonder but its only 8 hours away and I can fly up and check it out to go over it, which I plan on doing. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon. These cars as much as I love them aren't in demand. Now the picture above is from 2000-2002 this isn't your car is it?
Hello everyone, since I started this, let me tell you where I stand years later. At first, I was told it was the ABC pump and not being the wiser, I had it replaced which as everyone now knows, made no difference. I took it back, and I was told the noise was the result of the vibration damper not being installed in my specific car and MB recommended (Which means the owner of the car pays for it) that the CL600s should all be equipped with it. Why I was not told before they replaced the ABC pump or while they replaced it since it is supposedly intended to absorb any possible vibration emanating from the pump, is a good question, but obviously moot. I then did the pump relay thing with no changes and finally replaced all the pulleys belt, tensioner bearing etc. again with no success. I then removed the belt and ran the motor as long as I was able without causing further damage and the noise was still there and it makes no difference whether it is in park, neutral or drive. I was then told there was a service bulletin where it stated that if the exhaust was not supported properly, it would make such noise--again, up to 2000 RPM as it is then drowned by engine noise. I had the exhaust re-suspended and "to be sure", I was told, they replaced the rear transmission mount. That also proved to not make any difference. I took it to a "Mercedes V12 Expert" and as I described the problem, he immediately told me he had "seen it a hundred times" and it was the hydraulic hose referred here often. He then told me that to fix it properly, he had to pull the transmission and possibly the engine at which time -- again to be sure --he would replace all the mounts. Because he"felt for me" as I had been battling this for so long, he would do the work at a good price and keep it under $8,000.00 (I must really look dumber than I am). Last week, the infamous high pressure hydraulic hose, burst and I took it back to the original dealer where they quoted me about a grand for the hose as it supposedly runs the length of the car to feed the shock absorbers and $800.00 in labor. It is being fixed right now and they assured me the hose would be installed properly and more than likely, the noise would also be gone when finished. Stay tuned...
thanks for the update. hope this finally solves your problem. any goodwill from the dealer for the unneeded pump installation? maybe the service manager will help you out.
Unfortunately if the noise was still there even with all pulleys off and abc pump not spinning I don't think the new abc hose will solve it
This does sound like a transmission noise . Now it's possible to get a good used transmission from a car being parted out for as little as $500 and have an independent shop install it for about $300 (I did this to my s430) . If you can drive /listen to the donor car before its removed even better . When I had my used transmission put in I also inherited the noise described above as a piece of paper clicking the wheel spoke. I just live with it as I'm not a perfectionist
No news yet, the car is not done and it won't be until tomorrow, Friday July 17.
The service writer told me the mechanic mentioned "he knows" that the new hose when installed properly will take care of the whine even though as suggested, if the whine is there with the serpentine belt off, the hose is not pressurized.
Unless the whine is not the result of the hose being pressurized and improperly secured; but rather creating a harmonic vibration. In that case, whether the hose is pressurized or not, would not make any difference.
In fact, I have tried steering the car while stationary; fully to the right and left repeatedly and it makes no difference to the pitch or noise level. I would suppose that in steering the wheels back and forth, there would be some change if not necessarily in the pressure if properly regulated as I presume in a car like that it would be, but certainly in the volume of hydraulic fluid moving through the hose.
I think as I mentioned before, while it is extremely hard to say "my whine" is like "your whine" because after 2000 RPMs, any whine that is not outrageous, will disappear as it is drowned by the engine noise, there seems to be be so many different things that have or not have resolved "the whine" that if it turned out to be a muffler bearing--which would be fine with me if the whine went away and they didn't charge me anything to replace it--I still contend that for such a vehicle to have so many whine issues as it seems to have; and that as owners, we are at the mercy of a dealer that however well-intentioned, claims to not ever having experienced the problem before, to me is not that far fetched
Any way I look at it, there weren't zillions of V12 cars built in the 215 class, and a whine is such an open wide term that anything could be the cause. What I do feel, however, is that Daimler-Benz knows exactly what my seemingly impossible source of the whine is, but find it hard to tell someone that paid over $165,000.00 for one of their cars--that being German, they are naturally perfect--that they vehicle does have a problem with whining issues irrespective of the source. As a consequence, out op pride if nothing else, they won't even let the dealers know; so all they can tell you is that they have never seen it before. Especially in my case, where I know for a fact that in my entire county of over a million people, only three V12 W215 cars are registered.
It is like the ABC pump vibration damper kit that in the eyes of Mercedes, while they suggest you install one, they do so only because they can charge you for it when the later cars all came with them from the factory. To me, it comes down to ethics, but I guess I'm too old fashion as ethics in a word most younger generations know about because it is a required course for getting an MBA. In other words, ethics have become a business matter rather than a moral one.
Stay tuned some more...
P.S BTW, those of you that are fans of Wayne Carini's TV show Chasing Classic Cars, there is an episode where he came to Utah to look at some cars I told him about and my CL600 has had its 5 minutes of fame.
i have had an issue or two where the dealership said they have never seen that before. i think they sometimes say that to cover their ****, or charge for unnecessary labor and parts. i guess sometimes it true though. good luck.
Well, I got the car back and the whine is gone. I guess at least in my case, it was the hydraulic hose and it actually burst right where it had been rubbing against what I suppose is the bell housing or somewhere nearby. That also explains why the hose failed which to me was a concern. I like to know if at all possible why something failed as it is not always as clear as wear and tear as it is with other items.
That hose is quite long and nearly runs the length of the car; so, there were plenty of places where if improperly mounted, could cause problems. Since it is impossible to see underneath the car without removing all the undercar covers, it would have been impossible for me to see any problem areas.
I do, however, wonder why that was not checked when the ABC pump that was supposed to be the problem, and it wasn't; was replaced; or the vibration damper for the pump that was missing, which also did not solve the problem.
In any case, the service manager did give my bill a haircut and I am fine because at least the problem, or should I say, the whine that my car made, is gone. Whether that would be the case in every instance of a whine, I can't say, But most definitely that is one place to look if not that obvious as a bad belt or pulley that can easily be checked with a stethoscope.
I had the same hum/vibration issue with my CL500. I took it to my local indi to check and ended up with a new water pump, new crankshaft pulley, and belt tensioner and a BLOODY HUM/VIBRATION!! a little further internet search found the attached document. Another trip to the indi with said document, new Pulsation damper fitted and BLISS. No hum/vibration and a suspension that feels a lot tighter/firmer. Lesson-don't give anybody your car and ask them to investigate "a strange sound" http://workshop-manuals.com/mercedes...buzzing_noise/
do you have the part number of the hydraulik hose. i have the same problem with a whining noise at 2000 rpm.
THX a lot
Sorry for just replying. I have the file with all my repair bills at the office. I am sure it is listed on the work order. However, I would check for an equivalent as my vehicle has the 12 cylinder twin-turbo engine and I don't know it it would also apply to the 500 series.
I would think that if you told the parts manager if is the "long high-pressure hydraulic hose that goes from the ABC pump and runs the length of the car" to feed the shocks, they can't really miss it on their parts diagram.
It is true that both cars are based on the W215 chassis, but what I don't know is maybe the hose's outlets that branch out to the different parts of the car, would be in the same place and also be the same size. It does have steel reinforced rubber sections as well as solid steel tube sections. They may also be in different places.
Most important, however, is that I've had the car looked at for nearly three years by several dealers and independent shops, and not one of them pointed to the hose as being a problem even though Mercedes had a technical bulletin on that very thing.
Remember that my hose finally wore through and strayed the hydraulic oil out before it became evident that it had been rubbing against what I was told was the "transmission area" and since it was always secure, it was impossible to see unless someone specifically was looking for that very problem.
In fact, when the mechanic told me the new hose would fix the whine, I was very skeptical by then and didn't believe it until I drove out of the dealership lot. Also, I got sticker shock when I saw they charged me nearly $1,200.00 just for the hose and a pretty chunk for freight because of the shape of the box it was in. Honestly, I was at a point where if it had not burst, I would have not replaced it no matter who told me it was the problem. Particularly when no one in the entire dealership had ever had to replace that hose but once, and that was the guy that replaced mine.
When you consider how many Mercedes models use or used that system, it just seemed too far fetched. But it fixed it...
12-18-2014, 09:41 AM
. But I'll take some soon and post them. You will see why I love it so much! Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how the transmission flush works out. Take care!
