AATA

I've been searching this site and the web to see if someone has a similar issue and didn't find anything. I have a 2004 E500 and when going over a rough road like with pot holes or just slightly rough I get a clunking / rattling noise that sounds like it's coming from the trunk. It's lower like it's almost underneath the car or right behind the rear seat. I pulled the trunk apart looking for something and it sounded like it was coming from the black box with computers / air hoses. I'm assuming it's for the ait suspension, but not sure. I unscrewed it, put foam under it and the noise is still there. It almost sounds like a broken shock or something because it's a low clunking sound, but I just had it aligned and I had them check all the shocks. I thought it might be the jack or tire iron hitting the chassis (that's the type of sound it it) so I took everything out and it's still there.

It's really annoying, so any help would be appreciated?

Thank you!

qnzkrew21

from what i heard i might be wrong but it might be coming from the air springs in the rear i also have a e500 but i havent really paid attention to that noise. i have a totally dfferent problem which my left driver side air spring is totally flat and neds replacemnt

AATA

I had the alignment place check out the air suspenion and everything checked out and operated normal. I read somewhere else that it could be a sway bar mount. It's really hard to tell if it's inside the trunk or ouside and just resonating through the rear of the car. I probably need to ride back there while my wife drives.

KEY08

Your spare and all of the other tools, etc are secure in the trunk? Exhaust secure?

GT-ER

It's the rear air springs. With time they start clunking and the solution is to replace them at about $700 a pop. I have this noise and have lived with it for some time. I'll swap them out the day one of them blows.

AATA

Would I hear them on the freeway? It rides perfect on the freeway and no rattles or clunking. It's just while going slow. for example in my parking structure or going down a bumpy alley, driveway, etc. Once I get on the freeway or even at speed, I don't hear anything or feel anything? Big bumps don't make noise either. Just small bumps or rough roads that shake or vibrate the car.

I'll check the exhaust. I shook it last night and it seemed tight.

GT-ER

Mine are quite on the freeway as well. The noise is mostly noticeable over speedbumps.

crazypotato

I don't have air springs. I have the clunk. When my fuel tank is full, I tap the brakes while car is in D gear. It will create a big "thump thump". It doesn't do it when my fuel tank is almost empty. It has been a mystery to me for many years.

GT-ER

There is also a clunk associated with the fuel tank straps being loose. Maybe you can check that one.

golfster

I have a 212, E350 without airsprings. I have a sound from the right rear of the car, usually only when the right side encounters bumps, such as a speed bump where I can avoid with the left wheels. My sounds like a clunk mixed with a bad bed spring

crazypotato

w212 is fairly new. That is very weird. Springs usually hardly go out unless they are rusted badly.

AATA

I took it to a local Mercedes shop and they think it's the shock. Key word is "think" They want $900 to replace it. I have a hard time spending $900 not knowing if it's the problem. I'm doing brakes on the car this weekend so will look at it myself when the tire is off.

It's a very noticeable noise now and it happens so often at low speeds, it's like a clunking rattle. I'm just not sure how this would be the shock and not obvious. Are these shocks any different than a regular shock?

Thank you!

GT-ER

Aboveallmotorwerks has them for about $400.

crazypotato

I spray silicon on the sway bar bracket bushing. The noise seems to be less now. It is more acceptable for small bumps. The bushing seems to be intact tho. I really don't get it. Sigh!! MB should take a sample of the clunky cars and investigate. Seriously! It is not easy to pin point the problem!!

AATA

I've had 2 places try to figure it out my clunking. The second one put a listening device on the shocks and it's coming from around the shocks but they can't tell if it's the air spring or the shock. They wanted to replace the shock first, but it's an $800 guess. I'm probably just going to buy a shock and replace it myself and see what happens. Both shops thought it was the shock, so the odds are with me. I'll post if I finally find the problem.

GT-ER

It's the airsprings, I have the same noise and replaced my shocks and the noise is still there. I talked to an mb tech and he said it was 100% the airsprings and it's the only thing left for me to check or change. They are so expensive I'm simply living with the noise for the moment.

AATA

It really sounds like we have the same thing, but I took my car to an alignment shop that has worked on our vehicles, race cars, etc. for years and he said the air shock is just vulcanized to the plates, so he checked all the mounting and everything was fine? I'm not questioning your input, but I'm having a hard time understanding how an air bag can clunk? All the air bags I've seen are so simple?

One of the suspension arms was loose so he replaced that, but it's still there. He thought it was in the shock too, but after reading your post I don't want to throw more money away. Can you elaborate on how the air bag would clunk?

thank you!

AATA

Also, where is the cheapest place to buy air springs. thank you!

GT-ER

The air spings aren't just rubber bags pull of air...they have many parts inside to adjust firmness and what not. The moving parts inside the air springs is what clunks. The spring will look fine from the outside.

Cheapest I've seen them is in www.aboveallmotorwerks.com.

ospdk

I have the ratling noice after replace air spring