4motion

hi. my name is Eli and I'm from Israel. I drive a 2006 C200 CDI with 200K miles. the car is great and very reliable, Except of one small thing that bothers me.

when the gear is about to shift up, just in the fraction of the time in which it happens, there is a noise "tr,tr,tr,tr". the noise is like someone is hitting with a screwdriver on a shallow plastic box very fast. it happens only when i accelerate more strongly, but when the acceleration is measured, the gears change smoothly. the computer did not show any fault.

the funny thing is that my father is a Mercedes mechanic, and he says that there's nothing wrong with the car, and that the noise is normal, but that just bothers me because it doesn't sound like something normal. my father also said that it's because of bad diesel fuel (Maybe mixed up with water or just dirty) but after refueling on several stations the noise didn't disappear.

can you help me please to figure out what's causing this noise?

thanks a lot,
Eli.

Glyn M Ruck

Are you absolutely sure that your fluid level is correct?

laneshift

It sounds like esp doing its thing to me..

You say only when you accelerate hard? Are you driving on sand and the wheels are slipping?

4motion

first of all, thanks for the response.

glyn, the fluid leves is fine. i also replaced the transmission oil.

laneshift, i think you have a point and i tell you why. i have a problem with a ESP sensor which is located in the steering wheel. the ESP is working perfectly and the cruise control. the sensor is some kind of wheel position sensor if i got it right from my father (i've already ordered a new one). you think that there is a connection between the sensor and the noise?
also, when i said accelerate storngly, i didn't mean very strongly. i'm talking about half way of the pedal. i've never abused this car and the previos owner took real good car of the car.

thanks again for your help.

Glyn M Ruck

That is the steering angle sensor. What is wrong with it? Turn steering from lock to lock 5 times to reset it. The only way the ESP can make a noise is if you trigger it.

Post a clip of the noise.

What is the condition of the rear engine/transmission mounting?

4motion

i don't know what's wrong with it, all i know that it's broken there's a message on the screen "ESP fault, visit workshop".

i tried already to make a clip but the sound is not heard clearly. it looks like the sound is coming from somwhere underneath the car between the front two seats (try tapping with bac of a pan over a plastic surface very quickly). again, when i accelerate relatively slowly, the gears shift up smoothly without the noise, but when i accelerate a bit strongly, the noise is heard. when a gear comes to its peak and about to change, just as it shifts up, you can hear it.


i'll try to make another clip later. hope it will be better.

laneshift

Your steering angle sensor, as Glyn said, can be reset by turning your wheel lock to lock 5 times, and then restarting the car. It sounds to me like slight wheel slippage..

4motion

let me see if i got you right. on the screen it says "ESP fault, visit workshop". does it mean that the sensor is broken, or he just need to be reseted (by doing what glyn said)?

cpbeasley

The sensor you wish to replace in the steering wheel is unrelated and not the problem at all. they were suggesting if you wish to fix this totally unrelated sensor, simply perform the action they describe. it is called the steering angle sensor and has nothing to do with your ESP.

4motion

i just tried it, and it didn't work. i turned the steering wheel 5 times, restarted the car, but the error is still there.

cpbeasley

yes because the ESP error is completely UNRELATED to the steering angle sensor!!
You confuse the steering angle sensor for the ESP.
You said you bought a sensor for the steering wheel - the only sensor in the steering wheel is the steering angle sensor. this has nothing to do with ESP!!

4motion

where can i find the sensor catalog number? here in israel it costs almost 700$. maybee i can order one from us or europe and it will be cheaper. i ordered one here, but it's not in stock yet, and if i'll find one cheaper i'll cancel my order.

cpbeasley

Which sensor are you talking about?

Im about to give up

4motion

steering angle sensor. the computer said that it's failed. i was told that he is connected somehow to esp, and that's why the error appears on the screen.

cpbeasley

youre going to pay $700 for a sensor that is "somehow" connected to ESP?

someone chime in here. does the SAS have anything to do with ESP? Bc if it does, it would make no sense to me why.

Glyn M Ruck

The steering angle sensor AKA "turn rate sensor" directly feeds the ESP module along with the yaw rate sensor. It's the only way the ESP knows which way the steering wheels are pointed.

A failed steering angle sensor can trigger an "ESP not available" fault. Replace if it was picked up by a Star DAS & does not respond to a reset.

I doubt that the SAS has anything to do with the noise being reported. If it is not low fluid causing aeration in the transmission & farting noises then it could be something mechanical touching under load & torque which is why I recommended checking the rear transmission mount. If the engine & transmission can move together beyond design parameters you can end up with something touching a heat shield or similar under the car & I would get it on a hoist & check the mount & look for bright shiney marks on components that would show something touching & vibrating.

4motion

my father has a 2001 220CDI Avantgarde, and few months ago he heard a noise coming from under the car, somewhere in the middle of the car. he fount out that it was the heat shield. i remember the noise, it wasn't that loud and fast as i have in my car.

cpbeasley

learn something new everyday from Glyn.

4motion

i've found the problem. it appears that the 1st and 3rd injectors are malfunctioning. on neutral, the comp. indicates that there's an error on the 1st inj. , and on high rpm there's a problem with the 3rd one. that's why i hear the noise - on high rpm when the gear changes, the 3rd inj. is not providing enough diesel.

now i need to find me some new inj.
a new one costs here (israel) about 2.5K shekel, ahich are about 700$ (a piece!!). is it possible to order them from Ebay or some other place for much reasonable price?

tnx.

Glyn M Ruck

OK - get your injection system sorted. Diesel parts are generally not available in the US at low US pricing because the diesel models are not sold there. You should try to buy direct from Bosch instead of via the MB network.

4motion

the difference in price between bosch injectors and original MB injectors is not so big, that's why i prefer original MB inj. where can i find MB parts serial numbers?

Unit2

Have you checked the prop couplings for wear. the rubber joints at the gearbox and diff drive flanges???

Glyn M Ruck

The injectors are all Bosch.

Please tell me your exact engine designation & I will look up the injector part numbers.

Your car has an OM 611 engine - yes? 75 Kw version? This engine came in different forms.

I need the full number OM 611. XXX.XXX

4motion

90KW version. OM 611.203.007.

apparently they are all bosch, so why there's a difference between original and bosch's inj? they not the same?

Javvy

+1 .....glyn is the guru.........period