Burmeister Speaker Rattle/Buzzing - Video Recorded
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
335d xDrive, C63S on order
2015 C300 here with interior lighting package, open pore black wood, and Burmester system. Coming from a 2013 C-coupe that I wish I had kept. Took it to the dealer two days ago for this issue. All four speakers in the doors have this problem. I can't even hold a conversation with my phone hooked up to bluetooth, it's so bad. LOVING the E Class loaner with Harmon Kardon they put me in. Would have cost me the same as I spent on my fully-loaded C Class. Do I kick myself for this now, or later?
The tech from the service dept. at my dealership (MB of Beverly Hills) sat in the car with me and confirmed that he could hear the noise, but his comment was that he felt it was coming from everywhere, not just the doors. I tried explaining to him and the service associate that it's plastered all over the internet, people having the exact same issue, and everything you guys have all been through. They both told me that Mercedes "doesn't read forums." The service associate straight up laughed at me when I told her to check this forum. They both said they've never seen this issue before. I also contacted Mercedes directly and they told me they could not diagnose the problem and to take it to the dealer. They didn't confirm whether it was a known issue. So, as a FYI, anybody posting here but not informing their dealer and the manufacturer of this issue is wasting their time. WE ALL NEED TO CONTACT MERCEDES if we want this fixed.
Service tech tried telling me he wasn't sure if he would be able to fix it. I told him I had no issue going the lemon law route with it, if I had to. That got a look.
Has anybody actually had this issue resolved yet? Looks like all of the talk is still about what it COULD be... buttons, speaker housing, trim pieces, lights... Sounds to me like they just need to replace the whole door! lol
Looking forward to that new 4 series I'll be getting once I get my refund
The tech from the service dept. at my dealership (MB of Beverly Hills) sat in the car with me and confirmed that he could hear the noise, but his comment was that he felt it was coming from everywhere, not just the doors. I tried explaining to him and the service associate that it's plastered all over the internet, people having the exact same issue, and everything you guys have all been through. They both told me that Mercedes "doesn't read forums." The service associate straight up laughed at me when I told her to check this forum. They both said they've never seen this issue before. I also contacted Mercedes directly and they told me they could not diagnose the problem and to take it to the dealer. They didn't confirm whether it was a known issue. So, as a FYI, anybody posting here but not informing their dealer and the manufacturer of this issue is wasting their time. WE ALL NEED TO CONTACT MERCEDES if we want this fixed.
Service tech tried telling me he wasn't sure if he would be able to fix it. I told him I had no issue going the lemon law route with it, if I had to. That got a look.
Has anybody actually had this issue resolved yet? Looks like all of the talk is still about what it COULD be... buttons, speaker housing, trim pieces, lights... Sounds to me like they just need to replace the whole door! lol
Looking forward to that new 4 series I'll be getting once I get my refund
This is what it sounds like.
I suspect I have my work cut out. Legally id have a right to a refund however they appear to be taking the no fault found approach to try and block this.
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
2015 C300
Mines a little different as its a noise from the doors when the car is being driven with the stereo off. However still think it comes from around that area. I've asked for a refund and I'm getting told they cannot hear it when out with me in the car despite it being clear as day to me.
This is what it sounds like.
C63S Door Noise
I suspect I have my work cut out. Legally id have a right to a refund however they appear to be taking the no fault found approach to try and block this.
This is what it sounds like.
C63S Door Noise
I suspect I have my work cut out. Legally id have a right to a refund however they appear to be taking the no fault found approach to try and block this.
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
335d xDrive, C63S on order
I wondered if they would start to resort to that. Think it's possible to have a third-party sound engineer or mechanic be your "ears" in a legal setting? Seems like it would only be fair. Having the manufacturer write off on being at fault for something sounds like a conflict of interest to me.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 337
Likes: 7
From: North San Diego, CA
2015 C300
i have a rattle coming directly from the passenger side power seat adjustment cluster. if you press your finger against any piece in the cluster the rattle goes away.
i also have all 4 speaker grills buzzing and a rattle coming from the dashboard right around the gauge cluster. sometimes i like driving with no music so this can get very annoying
i also have all 4 speaker grills buzzing and a rattle coming from the dashboard right around the gauge cluster. sometimes i like driving with no music so this can get very annoying
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
335d xDrive, C63S on order
i have a rattle coming directly from the passenger side power seat adjustment cluster. if you press your finger against any piece in the cluster the rattle goes away.
i also have all 4 speaker grills buzzing and a rattle coming from the dashboard right around the gauge cluster. sometimes i like driving with no music so this can get very annoying
i also have all 4 speaker grills buzzing and a rattle coming from the dashboard right around the gauge cluster. sometimes i like driving with no music so this can get very annoying
The centre dash for C63 owners can be the struts and they need extra grease however not sure if that's a C63 only issue / fix.
I also like to drive without music sometimes. The exhaust note on the C63 is music to my ears itself however these problems ruin it.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 337
Likes: 7
From: North San Diego, CA
2015 C300
I had the seat adjustment switches changed on my car and they are much more firm now but it made no difference to the noise. However pushing on them would stop the noise.
The centre dash for C63 owners can be the struts and they need extra grease however not sure if that's a C63 only issue / fix.
I also like to drive without music sometimes. The exhaust note on the C63 is music to my ears itself however these problems ruin it.
The centre dash for C63 owners can be the struts and they need extra grease however not sure if that's a C63 only issue / fix.
I also like to drive without music sometimes. The exhaust note on the C63 is music to my ears itself however these problems ruin it.
i wish i had a good engine/exhaust note to drive with, i just kind of like the silence...except now the silence is shattered by the buzzes and rattles
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
335d xDrive, C63S on order
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 337
Likes: 7
From: North San Diego, CA
2015 C300
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Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
Likes: 1
335d xDrive, C63S on order
UK roads aren't known for being good though. Heavily under invested and maintained
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2015
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From: Manchester, UK
BMW e89 Z4 sDrive 35i & MB S205 C200 AMG Premium Plus
It's all subjective, I find my s205 incredibly quiet... By comparison my BMW e89 is like a roaring lion at motorway speeds due to road noise.
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
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335d xDrive, C63S on order
I've driven a W205 C200 and that was very quiet with hardly any road noise. The W205 C63 has a ton of road noise and nothing like the lower models. It's not subjective, it's just a loud car and not just from the engine.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 337
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From: North San Diego, CA
2015 C300
i'd like to think our road noise is similar, i have the 19's with run flats, it's fairly noisy but a vault compared to my wife's jetta
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
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335d xDrive, C63S on order
So as an update after my local dealer refused to accept there was anything wrong with the car, it went to another dealer (Same dealership company however). They knew what the fix was before we'd even went out in the car. Anyway we went out in the car and they picked up on the noise straight away, no claims that there is nothing wrong with the car.
The fix then... The problem is the ambient light strips in the door of which there is no an official fix from Mercedes. What they need to do is break all the clips off which hold the strip in place and glue it in place. The speakers can cause these to vibrate / flex but I guess in the C63 the exhaust, road noise or such can cause this to happen even with the speakers off.
Apparently I'm told new cars don't have the clips and the strips are glued in place already.
I'm still refused a refund as now the car does have a fault however because they claim they can fix it I have no choice but to accept a repair. I believe legally in the UK this isn't the case and I can have a full refund if I wish. The fight continues
C63 road noise is way beyond the C200 loaner that I had, that thing was tomb quiet compared to the C63.
The fix then... The problem is the ambient light strips in the door of which there is no an official fix from Mercedes. What they need to do is break all the clips off which hold the strip in place and glue it in place. The speakers can cause these to vibrate / flex but I guess in the C63 the exhaust, road noise or such can cause this to happen even with the speakers off.
Apparently I'm told new cars don't have the clips and the strips are glued in place already.
I'm still refused a refund as now the car does have a fault however because they claim they can fix it I have no choice but to accept a repair. I believe legally in the UK this isn't the case and I can have a full refund if I wish. The fight continues
C63 road noise is way beyond the C200 loaner that I had, that thing was tomb quiet compared to the C63.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 28
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C400 2015
Hmmm
I've seen 2016 owners also complain about it. The plot thickens.
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 163
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335d xDrive, C63S on order
No not yet as I'm trying to get a refund rather than give them another chance to fix it. They've already had 7 attempts at this, each time telling me the vehicle is fixed. This would be the 8th attempt and I've just had enough by this point.
Should I give them the chance then they've got to pick the car up and transport it to a dealer in Norwich which is around a 2 hour drive away from me. This is because the dealer in Peterborough which is just 5 minutes from my house won't work on the car because it has no fault according to them.
The whole service is just awful and cannot see that I'll ever buy another Mercedes... ever. I can accept goods have issues sometimes. However they've had a reasonable amount of attempts to fix it and failed plus they then break UK consumer law by refusing to refund the car.
Do you know what they did to your light strips? Did they break the clips off and glue into place? If so then clearly this fix doesn't fill me with confidence and I don't feel overly happy with having to break and glue parts in a new car either.
Last edited by FastLaneJB; Nov 25, 2015 at 05:01 PM.
Senior Member
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Posts: 317
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C8, FF, C63S, 911 C4S, GTI, E350, Boxster S, 355, Esprit S4, Vantage, S5, Z4, M3, Miata, A4, 325is
Center speaker rattle
I just wanted to post, that even the AMG's are having the same issue (obviously). I started a thread in the AMG forum and decided to search in the W205 for a larger audience. Glad I did. Here was the thread I started:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-c...ml#post6630227
I just want to make a point that by using a "tone generator", you may look like "you are looking for a problem" vs. showing the dealer an actual "real life" problem. I mean, really, who the hell plays a tone generator in their car? Seriously, no offense meant to anyone who was trying to help. I just want to make sure we are taken seriously and not passed on as, again, no offense, "geeks trying to be heard".
To potentially have the dealer give us a better response, try giving the dealer an actual song or other audio file that you listen to and point the dealer to the time on the song. This is exactly what I will be doing once I get the time and mental strength to go to the dealer; I hate going to the dealer as much as anyone else. I was playing Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and the bass on that song rattles the center speaker like crazy. It goes away when I put my hand on it. Other jazzy music with good bass does the same thing.
To the OP, is there anyway that you can correct the spelling of "Burmester" in the topic name? I just want the people from Burmester to be able to search on this thread and it may not come up if they search on it. We need to all band together as they seriously need to fix this. To me, it appears like a mounting issue. Burmester (via Mercedes) should be on the hook for this.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-c...ml#post6630227
I just want to make a point that by using a "tone generator", you may look like "you are looking for a problem" vs. showing the dealer an actual "real life" problem. I mean, really, who the hell plays a tone generator in their car? Seriously, no offense meant to anyone who was trying to help. I just want to make sure we are taken seriously and not passed on as, again, no offense, "geeks trying to be heard".
To potentially have the dealer give us a better response, try giving the dealer an actual song or other audio file that you listen to and point the dealer to the time on the song. This is exactly what I will be doing once I get the time and mental strength to go to the dealer; I hate going to the dealer as much as anyone else. I was playing Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and the bass on that song rattles the center speaker like crazy. It goes away when I put my hand on it. Other jazzy music with good bass does the same thing.
To the OP, is there anyway that you can correct the spelling of "Burmester" in the topic name? I just want the people from Burmester to be able to search on this thread and it may not come up if they search on it. We need to all band together as they seriously need to fix this. To me, it appears like a mounting issue. Burmester (via Mercedes) should be on the hook for this.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 28
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C400 2015
Tone generator helps accurately reproduce the issue and avoid any copyright flagging issues youtube would throw up.
What we need is to create a database of users with case #'s (or whatever MB corporate uses) so that we can accurately show just how many of us are affected by it.
What we need is to create a database of users with case #'s (or whatever MB corporate uses) so that we can accurately show just how many of us are affected by it.
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Miami, FL
'13 Infiniti G37
@theclutch, I took mine to the dealer played him 3 songs I knew made this issue come out, he heard it every single time. They took the car and played their audio testing CD and had no issues supposedly, even tho he heard it when I was there. Next time I go back I will use it and even make them get theirs so I can hear what they use. He tried telling me I had the radio up to loud. I am very disappointed in MB for the customer service or lack thereof.
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Joined: May 2013
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C8, FF, C63S, 911 C4S, GTI, E350, Boxster S, 355, Esprit S4, Vantage, S5, Z4, M3, Miata, A4, 325is
@theclutch, I took mine to the dealer played him 3 songs I knew made this issue come out, he heard it every single time. They took the car and played their audio testing CD and had no issues supposedly, even tho he heard it when I was there. Next time I go back I will use it and even make them get theirs so I can hear what they use. He tried telling me I had the radio up to loud. I am very disappointed in MB for the customer service or lack thereof.
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Miami, FL
'13 Infiniti G37
Yea, I hate my dealer, I have been in there soo many times and every issue I have they have some excuse as to why its doing it and how it's my fault. I told em last time that I have never had issues with my previous cars (Infiniti, Cadillac, ect.) He said I was comparing apples to oranges, I told him MB was one bad apple then, he didn't like that response too much. I talked to MB corporate afterwards, and found out that the dealer is also wording the repair orders in a way that it always shows no issues. When she pulled the history, non of them said anything about that they verified anything when I was there just, customer states.... No fault found. Would have been better off with a Yugo.
Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 166
Likes: 35
2018 C43 Sedan
Mine is in for service again for this same issue among other things. Note the loaner I have has the standard stereo and there is no issue at all. If they come back and tell me there is no issue I am going to take it as far up the chain as I can because this car is a lemon.
As for road noise, I think it has to do mostly with tire size and the rubber. The loaner I have is DEAD quiet with 17 inch tires with Michelins. My 18 inch Pirreli Cinturado p7s are noisy as hell it is like being on a train. But then again my car has 10,000+ miles on it while the loaner has like a 1,000 miles on it.
Then I think trim level inside is a factor. The loaner I have has the standard speakers and the aluminum trim with gloss black. But the whole interior is vastly simplified compared to my burl walnut which has additional pieces of black trim around the center console. There is also more flex in the doors and steering wheel on my car. So when you hit a bump in the road there are a LOT more potential sources of noise in my car than the stripper car.
I think the more you option up the interior, the more sources of noise there are. The aluminium black gloss trim and standard speakers seem rock solid, but my burl walnut and burmester seems over engineered and poorly implemented acoustically. Plastic is just constantly shifting and creeking. But there are so many permutations of this vehicle that who can say what it causing the noise in the cabin.
Also, do not screw around with that speaker grill if you damage it it costs $500 to replace.
As for road noise, I think it has to do mostly with tire size and the rubber. The loaner I have is DEAD quiet with 17 inch tires with Michelins. My 18 inch Pirreli Cinturado p7s are noisy as hell it is like being on a train. But then again my car has 10,000+ miles on it while the loaner has like a 1,000 miles on it.
Then I think trim level inside is a factor. The loaner I have has the standard speakers and the aluminum trim with gloss black. But the whole interior is vastly simplified compared to my burl walnut which has additional pieces of black trim around the center console. There is also more flex in the doors and steering wheel on my car. So when you hit a bump in the road there are a LOT more potential sources of noise in my car than the stripper car.
I think the more you option up the interior, the more sources of noise there are. The aluminium black gloss trim and standard speakers seem rock solid, but my burl walnut and burmester seems over engineered and poorly implemented acoustically. Plastic is just constantly shifting and creeking. But there are so many permutations of this vehicle that who can say what it causing the noise in the cabin.
Also, do not screw around with that speaker grill if you damage it it costs $500 to replace.
Last edited by Snarfalus; Dec 1, 2015 at 05:10 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Tampa, FL
2019 E450 4Matic & 2018 E400 4Matic
In fact, this was taken from the MA Lemon Law.
It shall be an affirmative defense to any claim under this section:
(i) that an alleged nonconformity does not substantially impair the use, market value or safety of the vehicle;
Here is a link if you'd like to read the full MA Lemon Law:
https://www.carlemon.com/lemon/ma_law.html
