zibby43

Here’s a video:


Tonight I noticed a weird noise, like a baseball card in bicycle spokes, coming from my center console area, just to the right of the COMAND screen. It happens at part-throttle between 30-35 mph and is most prominent closer to the upper limit of that range. Sounds like it’s more cabin-based, but it’s not from any of the trim pieces.

Not present at speeds above or below. I could recreate consistently until the car warmed up and the transmission temperature went above 120. Then it became more difficult.

1,700 miles. First time I’ve heard it.

The fact that is speed-dependent and it started to diminish as temperatures warmed up makes me want to eliminate the climate control or any other electronics, and suspect something that is either speed or temperature-dependent.

Something rubbing on something and being transmitted through the climate control vents?

W205C43PFL

The sound... sounds like this video I came across at one point...
Here was the thread where they posted the video
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post7909506
They said it might be the turbo wastegate
anyways, whole different car compared to our C43 so it might not be....

zibby43

Sounds very, very similar.

Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it my friend. Hope your car is doing well.

I’ve been enjoying mine trouble-free for the past few months. Knew it was too good to last lol.

W205C43PFL

Thanks Zibby! Nothing wrong with enjoying a car that is trouble-free man especially after going through all that with the previous one. Hope it is a minor issue this time and it gets rectified easily. As for my car, I haven't have time to deal with it, that being said, it didn't get worse and have new problems. So that is good right, xD? My warranty also expired which is fine because the new car warranty was useless to me, my dealership couldn't fix most of the issues, and like yours on your previous car, they break more than they fix. Like ruining your steering wheel for example and try to cover it up and blame it on you. I hate bringing it in for that reason plus being told they can't duplicate the issues so it is a good thing it expired lol. Still my daily driver and enjoy it every drive when the issues aren't as apparent.

zibby43

That’s good to know that there are no new problems!

lol getting the issue to be replicated at the dealer is such a pain. I can’t count how many times I’ve been able to make an issue appear on command, only for it to suddenly get shy when I had a technician ride with me.

My video above is pretty crappy, but you can still hear the problem. But, even if I had Spielberg film the issue and showed it to the dealership, they’d still want to see it in person lol.

stockbmw

My car does that all the time. Worse is at fan speed set to 1. So I usually cruise around with fan set to 2 or 3 to drown the bicycle card noise.

If you got a cla or gla loaners, they are so much louder.

If you do fix it, let me know.
​​​​​​

W205C43PFL

Hmmm interesting, maybe my car will have it too and probably normal, maybe I didn't pay attention enough cuz I never heard of it before. Let me check on my next drive.
Good news then Zibby, it may be normal.

stockbmw

DONT DO IT! Your car is perfect with all the value addons defects. Don't go finding more!

W205C43PFL

Ya unfortunately that is how the dealership works, they need to experience it in person.
As for your experience, mine is pretty much the same thing as well, go there with a problem left getting nothing fixed because the problem magically vanished (and stayed that way for the duration of it staying at the dealership anyways)

W205C43PFL

Your advice is good xD
Plus my warranty expired, they will charge a diagnostic fee just to tell me there is nothing wrong anyways. I will take your advice and "put on" a noise cancellation device that specifically filters that sound so I don't hear it lol.
I will take your advice.

W205C43PFL

Anyways, hope it really is normal or if it is not normal it gets fixed easily for both of you

stockbmw

I can't find the thread from c300 forum but basically it was the direct injectors noise that's travelling throughout the air vents. I remember reading that the guy got it fixed by the dealer by installing more of those shiny silver foil barrier on the firewall. I recall the guy saying noise went away after that.

W205C43PFL

I see I see thanks for the insight and now you mention it, it sure does remind me of the sound of the injectors when I am under the hood.

zibby43

Many thanks for the info. Another instance of this forum proving to be invaluable as a resource!

Is yours intermittent as well, in that it is dependent upon speed range? It's strange that I had never heard it in the first 1,700 miles. But parts and things wear in.

After my first C43 was a lemon, and then the starter battery crapping out on this new one, followed by a mice invasion in my engine bay (nothing but slight cosmetic damage to the bay that was fully corrected by detailer), I'm a little bit more sensitive than I'd normally be to new noises and developments.

Fingers crossed lol. I have faith in stockbmw. And the noise he described is exactly what I'm hearing - like a baseball card flipping through bike spokes.

I hope you *don't* have it, but if you do, feel free to report haha.

W205C43PFL

I believe that you are in a much better built car compared to your previous one nonetheless, you most likely won't have as many problems you had.

zibby43

So far, that definitely seems to be the case, although the old car set the bar pretty low haha!

Only have this car for 16 more months (if I choose a pull-ahead), then it’s history.

zibby43

As an update, after a day of letting the car sit, I drove the car today and I couldn’t hear that prominent card-in-spokes noise.

I drove along the same roads, and repeatedly tried triggering the noise using the same means as before, and everything seemed normal.

One thing I did notice was the COMAND screen area making an occasional noise that you’d hear when an external HD was revving up (like a singular click). Maybe 1x every 2 minutes I’d hear it. Don’t know if it’s always been there or I noticed it because I was driving around with the radio down.

Also tried the different fan settings (I normally keep it on auto) while stationary and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

W205C43PFL

I see... hoping you enjoy the car for the 16 remaining months instead of having problems. For the pull-ahead is it a 4 month pull?

zibby43

Thank you! Appreciate it. The feedback here helped me to just wait and see for a few days. Drove it again today with my fiancee in the passenger seat so she could listen as well, and no noise again today either. This is despite it being quite a big warmer and the AC having to work harder. Very relieved, to say the least.

These cars are so complex now, who knows what it was on Sunday. I think you're right on the pull ahead - 3 or 4 months. However, I think I've had a 6-month offer before where the dealer may have been eating a few of the payments to get me into another lease.

W205C43PFL

As the C-Class goes full 4 cylinder, they might really want some 8 cylinder and 6 cylinder used inventory after 16 months.

zibby43

Very interesting point. I know dealers were inquiring about low-mileage cars (like mine) during the pandemic with the chip shortage + factory shutdowns.

I can't believe I'm only at 1,800 miles. Crazy low mileage lol. Was unseasonably warm here today (mid 80s) and with the AC cranking, no noise for a 3rd straight trip. Still curious as to what happened the day I recorded the noise, but I'll gladly let it remain a mystery so long as it doesn't return.

jhpmbusa

you only drove 1800 miles within 17 - 20 months?? probably makes sense to buy the car afterwards, no?

zibby43

If someone wanted to buy it for the payoff amount tomorrow, I’d do it for that exact amount and not a dollar over.

jhpmbusa

used car values are very high right now due to chip shortage. if you really wanted to sell, i recommend you look into it. obviously your next car would be an issue as well.

////AMG_C43

Mine sounded exactly that way after I replaced my interior cabin filter. The filter is very flexible and I apparently pushed it up high enough to slightly interfere with the fan. Removed and gently reinserted, and now all is well.