fju2112

Sounds like you've got some buyer's remorse. Center vents not working with the heat is simply the way the vehicle was designed. You should have played with the heating controls a bit before you bought it I guess Europeans have a totally different philosophy when it comes to placement of controls on the interior and how those controls function, but that goes without saying. I would just say that ANY car, after 8-10 years, which uses rubber, plastics, and foam to insulate sound or vibration, will sometimes begin to rattle a bit as the car ages. Ball joints, for example, are just thick, dense, hockey pucks, and they wear out over time. Steering wheel is also controlled in part by rubber bearings if I'm not mistaken, which may contribute to the steering wheel squeak.

I had a 2006 Honda Accord and within two months I needed a new power steering pump. 48,000 of the 2006 Civic Hybrids are going through a recall due to an electrical issue. Some older Acura TL's are now being flagged for tranny issues now that the older gen design is starting to age. This stuff happens; I can't imagine you'd buy a used car with 48,000 miles on it and expect it to be perfect. I know you'll come back and say you did not expect perfection and that it's just these few things that annoy you, but I would counter that you're in the minority in terms of people who do not expect a few rattles from time to time with older used cars - 2000 was 8 model years ago now!

Quadcammer

rattles are one thing. A steering wheel that squeeks every time you turn it is pretty ridiculous. I've had audi's and bmws that were also 10 years old that had no issues with squeeky steering.

As for the center vents, that to me is silly. No one seems to know why they did it that way either.

I guess I just expected more considering that everyone views these cars as "vault-like"

Quadcammer

also, when I popped out the rear light, I saw why it was rattling in there. The roof steps down back there, and there is no cushioning between the hard headliner and the roof. The littlest vibration through the body and it rattles. That just suprised me given how proud mb is for isolating the nvh.

fju2112

doesn't happen in my car. so it looks like you got somewhat of a lemon with rattles...which happens to Hondas, Toyotas, BMW's, Audi's, etc. Squeaky steering wheels can be fixed (even if it's costly). BMW's and Audi's have their quirks too; maybe nothing as blatantly obvious every time you drive as a squeaky steering wheel. But you have to remember: these car companies try out new technologies all the time, and those technologies ultimately trickle down to the economy models. So Benz tried something, whatever it was, with the steering wheel, and it turned out to be a bad idea. Happens a lot. I'd rather have a squeaky steering wheel than four sensors go on me at one time ($2k+), which is what happened in my brother in law's A6.

Edit: No, I'm not an Audi-hater, just pointing something out

Quadcammer

but a new steering rack will probably cost 2k, and the noise drives me nuts.

fju2112

it likely doesn't take a new steering rack to fix. I've heard everything from silicone spray to replacing the ball bearings that hold the wheel in place...

ReZzZ320

I think the only reason to change the steering rack is if ur control shaft is shot or you have a large "dead-zone" turning area

the steering rack is like the transmission. You don't literally replace the whole transmission if it goes but just the clutch plates and the flywheels

Quadcammer

I have not heard about anybody fixing this without a new rack/column.

I guess I'll have to see when I take it apart, but without the power steering its gonna be hard to hear the squeak to pinpoint it.

maybe the mechanics stethascope has to come out.

fju2112

I have. Plus, my mechanic told me it's pretty common in the w210 and that all I had to do was try some silicone spray.

I guess if it's that big a deal for you, take it to a trusted mechanic, see what he says...

anghrist

What do you expect from a car that costs north of $50 new? reliability? safety? a quiet sqeak and rattle free ride? The bottom line is that when acountants build vehicles the cost increases exponentially, though they claim to save money by compromising the engineering. When engineers build cars, the tend to be reliable, safe, quiet, and just overall better.

I tried to order a W123 chassis part at the dealership. I was told that it was discontinued.

fju2112

I didn't know accountants built cars Are you implying accountants build Mercedes but other makes are built by engineers...? Or that the conflict between R&D and Finance internally at MB is won by Finance for cost-cutting measures?

ANY car can start to rattle after tens of thousands of miles, no matter how well it's built. Just 30, 40 years ago, to get more than 75,000 miles on any car was almost unheard of. There's still a huge learning curve with automotive engineering and making parts last 10+ years. Any rubber, plastic, foam will start to break down after years of usage. As I stated above, luxury carmakers introduce technology which is later copied after companies have learned how to build it to last, on the economy brands. This explains the perception that Honda/Toyota build "more reliable" cars than Mercedes/BMW, when in fact, the technology in Accords & Camry's have been on Benz's and BMW's for years, and any technology takes time to perfect. And this comes from someone who drove nothing but Honda Accords for nearly ten years, by the way - I know that my Benz might give me a few more warning messages, but I'd still rather be driving my Mercedes!

That said, my mother's W211 has caused her just a couple of electrical problems in two-plus years of ownership, and both Benz's I've owned have been relatively trouble free.

Which part were you trying to order? What year is the car?

ReZzZ320

man you guys should see the 124 and 126s and then compain abot the mileage on your cars, and infact some of them run perfectly. But like fuji said every car has its issues. I've seen 1-year old Honda Accords with torn-out interiors and dying exhaust. And Camrys, well there are recalls from our local dealers with regards to ECUs refusing to fire the engines and these are the 2007 models crowned by Motor Trend as their "Car of the Year"

Quadcammer

understood, but we are talking about a steering wheel. How they managed to get this to squeak/grind, I have no idea.

fju2112

I think it's more challenging to build one that does NOT squeak or grind...but I'm no engineer...

Quadcammer

Well, it comes from trying to completely isolate the driver with bushings, rubber boots, etc etc.

There are literally billions of cars that don't squeak when the wheel is turned, so it can't be that hard.

sosh

Looks like you bought a car that the previous owner paid little attention to keeping it up or maintaining. I had my 01 E32 4M from new in Oct 00 thru feb 05 and never had any of those issues. Your car could have been run pretty hard and never looked at.

ProV1

i got these issues w/ my car. easy fixes for them??


1. wiper/turn signal stalk loose
2. very squeaky driver's side window
3. sunroof busted, wont open
4. lamp defective msg, all bulbs functional
5. 2 lines of MID pixels out

slk55lvr

I have to agree with you on this point, mine makes a little noise when you turn the wheel at slow speeds and I just don't get it. This should not have happened on a Benz, and I'd say the same thing if it was a $15,000 Hyundai.

anghrist

I agree that a car should show some wear, but personally, I have a hard time comparing my w210 with my girlfriend's w123. The w210 was the first "engineered to cost" cars released by Mercedes. That's why I say it was built by accountants. "Trim this, cut that" adds up to big savings for the company; however, it means larger repair bills for the customer. Of course when you consider that the first year w123 300d cost about $22k in 1977 brand new and my 1999 E300D was $42k the difference in cost of ownership is about even when the difference in maintanance is taken into effect.

BTW the piece that I was trying to get from the dealer was the triangle clip for a 1977 w123 chassis.

Quadcammer

I don't see how its a maintenance issue. There is nothing to maintain on the steering column or rack. Of course there is the powersteering fluid flush, but the service records show that she did all the services on time. Seems like she took great care of it, given the condition of the car.

I doubt a middle aged woman with two kids drove the car hard and never had it looked at. Not to mention it had an extended warranty until the end of 2006.

sosh

It seems obvious to me that as these minor faults occurred with the previous owner that he or she ignored them and did not make any effort to keep the car in good condition other than the basics. If those faults occurred over the 7 years the previous owner had the car it would have taken a very small effort to get them corrected. That in my mind constitutes abuse or lack of maint. Now that you own this 7 year old car you seem to expect it to be like new and that too is unrealistic.If You want as close to perfection as you can get ...buy a new one.

fju2112

Neither of us are engineers, so we don't know what it entails. Wow, this bugs you that much?? Have you even tried the silicone spray solution or replacing the bearings that keep the wheel in place?

Quadcammer

Imagine driving around a parking garage and every time you turned the wheel, it squeeks.

There is no way to get grease into the column because of its designed. I have to take the steering wheel off, which requires a long 27 torx bit, which I have to get.

The point is that I shouldn't have to do this.

Quadcammer

Maybe it was either live with the squeek or replace the rack?
Thats certainly not a small effort if its not covered by the warranty.

fixing rattles is not very easy, so thats not really a minor effort either.

These rattles and the squeeky steering are common issues, so I don't think my car was abused or not maintained properly.

With that in mind, does the average owner do every bit of maintenance they should? probably not.

fju2112

And over here is my dead horse...

Known issue on BMW 5-series:

"Steering wheel creaks/groans/squeals when turned* Slip rings inside steering wheel housing worn and rubbing. Replace slip rings with part number 32 31 6 759 546. (TSB 32 03 01, 10/2001)"

Guess it's not just Benz, then...maybe all German engineers have an issue with creating steering wheels. Or maybe this just happens on cars and is something you do need to learn to live with.

I asked the following question:

"Have you even tried the silicone spray solution or replacing the bearings that keep the wheel in place?"

Well? Have you had an indie mechanic look at it, and tell you that the ONLY way to solve this is to replace the steering rack? Check it out first instead of continuing to argue the point that it's extremely expensive to fix. You said yourself, "Maybe it was either live with the squeek or replace the rack"...which tells me you haven't taken your car to a mechanic yet.