C-Class (W204) 2008 - 2014: C180K, C200K, C230, C280, C300, C350, C200CDI, C220CDI, C320CDI

2013 c250 uncomfortable sound at low acceleration

Old Jan 11, 2016 | 08:15 PM
  #26  
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Here is another test to see if it is the turbo. Try downshifting while coasting. If you hear the sound just the same it's not the turbo. Turbos will only build boost with fuel as it's exhaust gases driving the turbo charger.
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Old Jan 15, 2016 | 05:01 PM
  #27  
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Mercedes c250 2013
So I get a call from the dealer last week and he said the service expert has checked each and every bit in the car and didn't find anything wrong with the car.
I had highlighted the Pulley tensioner and the pulleys from my end itself to assist.
They said everything is fine and the service expert had driven my car and found all the sounds and noises are normal and that is how a c250 should sound. He also drove another c250 and compared the sounds and my car sounded exactly like the other one.
On my insisting I got an appointment with the service expert to make him sit with me and drive around so that I can state my pain and / or if it is possible for them to make me sit in the other c250 to hear the sounds myself.
He scheduled it for me.
So I go to the showroom and made the service expert sit with me and made him hear everything. Darn the car sounded less weird with him inside (they always do that when there is a mechanic around). He said this is all normal, the c250s sound like that. I wasn't convinced.
Then I insisted on the other piece of the deal to sit inside a c250 and hear.
The Dealer held that piece and made me sit in a CPO 2014 c250 18k miles done and I rode with the service expert.
It was all the same. The grunt the whine everything. It got better when the car got warmer which happens with my car too, Warmer the Better.
All I was left was take my car back as I had no more cards to play. I am not that comfortable but yes I am trying to live with the sounds and ignore them.
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Old Jan 15, 2016 | 05:15 PM
  #28  
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Hmm, my tensioner was bad and the dealer replaced it. They took me for a ride in it but had to keep the car. It does still have a slight whine but nothing like before. I'd say it sounds 25% of what it had. They said they have been seeing the tensioner issue in some C250s.

I have one of the 2.0 turbos in my loaner. It's one of the loudest OEM turbos I've heard. It makes a groaning sound. I actually prefer it to the whine.
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Old Jan 15, 2016 | 06:15 PM
  #29  
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Mercedes c250 2013
Originally Posted by michail71
Hmm, my tensioner was bad and the dealer replaced it. They took me for a ride in it but had to keep the car. It does still have a slight whine but nothing like before. I'd say it sounds 25% of what it had. They said they have been seeing the tensioner issue in some C250s.

I have one of the 2.0 turbos in my loaner. It's one of the loudest OEM turbos I've heard. It makes a groaning sound. I actually prefer it to the whine.

Okay, I still have the light knock knock...and faster when I accelerate from the halt. But I did hear the same in the other c250 I road in. Did you ever or do hear the sound?
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Old Jan 15, 2016 | 08:43 PM
  #30  
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I'm not sure if I have that. I still have the GLA loaner. I can't wait to get my car back. I'm really starting to hate the GLA. It's taking days to diagnose and fix the navigation system.
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Old Jan 17, 2016 | 01:34 AM
  #31  
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from the sound I hear on your clip sounds normal to me, sounds like the transmission hum which will resonate through out the car. when you made the sound clip where you in 1st the whole time?
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Old Feb 1, 2016 | 01:56 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by c204coupe
from the sound I hear on your clip sounds normal to me, sounds like the transmission hum which will resonate through out the car. when you made the sound clip where you in 1st the whole time?
well I think this occurs only when the car tries to gain speed for that particular gear, like uphill / halt -> speed. . As I you might have read, I checked with another c250 in the sale lot at the dealer. He did me a favor by making me ride in one of the 2014s which were half on mileage as mine and it made exactly the same noise.


I am pretty convinced with the service expert telling me that it is the mechanical fuel pump which makes that noise in the c250s. But really a Mercedes fuel pump makes such noises? I don't have any other way to check if my car is bad on something as they checked everything there inside the hood and its all fine.
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Old Feb 3, 2016 | 04:51 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by c204coupe
from the sound I hear on your clip sounds normal to me, sounds like the transmission hum which will resonate through out the car. when you made the sound clip where you in 1st the whole time?
No, this one it engine RPM related. At least for me it was.

My car has been at the dealer for a month now (for another issue). I briefly drove it after they fixed the tensioner but the wine is still there to a slight extent. I haven't been able to gauge the improvement too much yet but it's just nowhere as bad. I think the noise issue is just related to the serpentine belt system.
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Old Feb 4, 2016 | 08:30 PM
  #34  
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My '08 c200 makes the same RPM related sound, but only When the air conditioner is on. I had my air-conditioner re-gassed at the dealer, the noise subsided a bit.
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Old Feb 4, 2016 | 11:40 PM
  #35  
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I think I should get my car back tomorrow. So I'll be able better to gauge the fix to my tensioner.
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Old Feb 6, 2016 | 03:53 PM
  #36  
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Mercedes c250 2013
Originally Posted by michail71
I think I should get my car back tomorrow. So I'll be able better to gauge the fix to my tensioner.


Great, if it is possible for you can you record a clip from inside the car while you drive so that I can listen to sounds and compare them. A low speed uphill or a signal halt and go might be helpful


Another thing do you have staggered wheels? Mine runs at 225/45 R17 in the front and 245/40 R17 in the rear. I doubt if I can get a tire rotation on these!
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Old Feb 6, 2016 | 06:47 PM
  #37  
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Yes, I have staggered wheels.

Sadly I still don't have my car back yet. Even though I have a nice W205 to drive around I miss my car. The W205 drives nice, is queit and they fixed the stupid laggy throttle response. But the designers took a step in the ugly direction.
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Old Feb 9, 2016 | 03:45 PM
  #38  
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I have the car back finally!!

Yes, there is a whine still present in the car but it is nothing like what I had prior. It makes the car much more pleasant overall. I've also been in a W205 C300 for a while which is a very quiet car.

I had the upper guide pulley (000-202-16-19) replaced.
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Old Feb 10, 2016 | 03:37 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by michail71
I have the car back finally!!

Yes, there is a whine still present in the car but it is nothing like what I had prior. It makes the car much more pleasant overall. I've also been in a W205 C300 for a while which is a very quiet car.

I had the upper guide pulley (000-202-16-19) replaced.


Great to hear that. I will let you enjoy the comfort of your car and whenever you are good just upload that sound clip which I had requested.


-> Inside the car -> low revs or halt to speed. I would like to hear what it sounds like when you strain the car to bring it up to speed.
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Old Mar 2, 2016 | 10:30 AM
  #40  
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Sorry I haven't gotten a clip up yet. The car is still in and out of the shop.

I heard a car with a loud whine pulling up along side me. Same kind of sound but much louder. Sure enough it was a C250.

While my whining has been reduced it's still rather annoying. For the first couple days I was happy it was quieter but then it started getting to me a little. It's kind of startling to think Mercedes has made one of the worst sounding engines in recent production.

It's mostly low speed driving where it's bad. If you can gun the car from a stop to 40+ MPH it's not that noticeable. But drive 25 MPH though a neighborhood and it sounds like you're driving a tank as the whine overpowers the engine, exhaust, road and wind sounds.
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Old Mar 18, 2016 | 12:48 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by michail71
Sorry I haven't gotten a clip up yet. The car is still in and out of the shop.

I heard a car with a loud whine pulling up along side me. Same kind of sound but much louder. Sure enough it was a C250.

While my whining has been reduced it's still rather annoying. For the first couple days I was happy it was quieter but then it started getting to me a little. It's kind of startling to think Mercedes has made one of the worst sounding engines in recent production.

It's mostly low speed driving where it's bad. If you can gun the car from a stop to 40+ MPH it's not that noticeable. But drive 25 MPH though a neighborhood and it sounds like you're driving a tank as the whine overpowers the engine, exhaust, road and wind sounds.

Totally agree to the last statement you have made. I have been a cruise driver even at low speeds with less gas but this one makes me uncomfortable while doing that. It whistles loud, and the grunt sound it makes while acceleration whenever required. My first post stated the same, when it moves it should move like a Mercedes not like a Mustang. I have driven a rented 2015 Mustang and the grunts and whistles were there and I some how liked it but with my c250 I didn't expect that at all no wonders the time I drove it post purchase I wasn't so icky on the sounds.
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Old Mar 18, 2016 | 01:29 PM
  #42  
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I guess driving through a neighborhood is something we typically don't do on a test drive. I's gun it a few times and drive around the dealership.

I have to wonder if there isn't something that can be done about it. I still think the issue is somewhere in the serpentine system. I may try getting a mechanic's stethoscope to investigate a little more.

You can drive the cheapest econo cars on the market and they will be rather quiet under these conditions.
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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 12:35 AM
  #43  
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W204 2013 C250 Coupe
Hi everyone,
sorry to revive this thread again, I'm just wondering whether anyone has experienced a rattle similar to mine. my cars been experiencing a loud rattle at low rpms for a while now (two YouTube links attached below). usually after 20-30 mins of driving, the car makes a loud rattle at around 1250 rpm when maintaining the revs there or coming down the revs.
the longer the distance I travel the louder the rattle becomes and going either uphill or downhill exaggerates/increases the sound.
regardless of whether I'm driving or have the car parked in N or P, the car makes a rattle at about 1250rpm. ive attached the videos below from both inside the car and from the engine bay - also linked my thread and another one

any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...e-problem.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...w204-c250.html

Inside the car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OptN...e=emb_imp_woyt

from engine bay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIks...e=emb_imp_woyt
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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 01:39 AM
  #44  
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When I open the engine bay YouTube, it has a time stamp 4 months ago. Am I picking up the right video?
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Old Feb 3, 2023 | 10:45 AM
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W204 2013 C250 Coupe
Originally Posted by Odd Piggy
When I open the engine bay YouTube, it has a time stamp 4 months ago. Am I picking up the right video?
yes, thats correct. Thought I might explore other thread that may have potentially had the same issue to find a possible solution!
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