What do do?
05-01-2006, 05:28 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
What do do?
Had my CLS500 for nearly one year now and wondered if any of you have had or are having similar problems............
1. I believe the car has been in 4 times and they still can't fix it. From cold and only for the first 10 minutes or so I hear a grinding or ratling noise from underneath the car and you hear it at it's worst when one is travelling slowly and then take the foot off the accelerator and one clearly hears a loud knocking noise. The last time I took it in, they simply said it was a carbon buildup and I should take it out for a burn up occassionally!!! Quite frankly I felt this was an unprofessional statement and they really have no idea what is causing this rattling noise as on two occassions previously they said it was the Riders? which they replaced and they also confered another time and told me that it was suggested my Head Office that I was not using premium fuel. I only use Chevron top grade premium or Shell V1 premium so I think that I am being given the run-around and would really like to get this condition fixed but I just can't keep going in every 2 months and they say it's ok, only to find the problem appear again 4 weeks later. I really feel that there is something untoward here?? Or could a change in gas from another supplier help.........(surely this has nothing to do with it?)
2. I have heard mentioned here on several occassions that the first 13000 mile service is basically a very expensive oil change. Is this true?
Appreciate all comments.................
1. I believe the car has been in 4 times and they still can't fix it. From cold and only for the first 10 minutes or so I hear a grinding or ratling noise from underneath the car and you hear it at it's worst when one is travelling slowly and then take the foot off the accelerator and one clearly hears a loud knocking noise. The last time I took it in, they simply said it was a carbon buildup and I should take it out for a burn up occassionally!!! Quite frankly I felt this was an unprofessional statement and they really have no idea what is causing this rattling noise as on two occassions previously they said it was the Riders? which they replaced and they also confered another time and told me that it was suggested my Head Office that I was not using premium fuel. I only use Chevron top grade premium or Shell V1 premium so I think that I am being given the run-around and would really like to get this condition fixed but I just can't keep going in every 2 months and they say it's ok, only to find the problem appear again 4 weeks later. I really feel that there is something untoward here?? Or could a change in gas from another supplier help.........(surely this has nothing to do with it?)
2. I have heard mentioned here on several occassions that the first 13000 mile service is basically a very expensive oil change. Is this true?
Appreciate all comments.................
05-01-2006, 09:05 PM
#2
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04 SL 500, 09 R350, 09 E63, 2010 Prius
Hi branmin,
I have an SL500, 2004 model. I have had a rattle in there since about the 6 months mark. The dealer had no clue... they pulled my seats out, said it was a loose screw... 3 times and I gave up. The noise sounded like a metal wire rattling, and only when the car is cold...
When I pulled my car to my tuner guy for major upgrades to lights and brakes, and muffler... asked him to take a look. He thoroughly checked it out and pulled apart the undercarriage of the car. The problem it turns out is a bracket next to the exhaust that kinda holds the wire for the hand brake. With a cold start, the exhaust is smaller and the metal wire vibrates against the bracket. With the exhaust heating up, the metal expands and pushes the bracket against the wire, holding it tighter and eliminating the vibration. He greased it up and insulated the braket to keet the metal from rattling against one another. And voila! the annoying rattle is gone. Takes a thorough mechanic to look for it but mine did. You might suggest that to your mechanic. I am not sure how much similar the CLS bottom is to the SL but worth a look. Good luck!
I have an SL500, 2004 model. I have had a rattle in there since about the 6 months mark. The dealer had no clue... they pulled my seats out, said it was a loose screw... 3 times and I gave up. The noise sounded like a metal wire rattling, and only when the car is cold...
When I pulled my car to my tuner guy for major upgrades to lights and brakes, and muffler... asked him to take a look. He thoroughly checked it out and pulled apart the undercarriage of the car. The problem it turns out is a bracket next to the exhaust that kinda holds the wire for the hand brake. With a cold start, the exhaust is smaller and the metal wire vibrates against the bracket. With the exhaust heating up, the metal expands and pushes the bracket against the wire, holding it tighter and eliminating the vibration. He greased it up and insulated the braket to keet the metal from rattling against one another. And voila! the annoying rattle is gone. Takes a thorough mechanic to look for it but mine did. You might suggest that to your mechanic. I am not sure how much similar the CLS bottom is to the SL but worth a look. Good luck!
05-02-2006, 09:06 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
Very interesting answer and I will certainly look into this and thx for explaining this. 
05-02-2006, 09:48 PM
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04 SL 500, 09 R350, 09 E63, 2010 Prius
you are welcome, good luck! Wonder if anyone else had similar experience? Somebody on this board had mentioned similar problems many months ago, before my mechanic figured out what it was! Hope they read this too! 
