Oslo

Same to you, ol’ chap. I have recovered, and now I’m looking forward to traditional Norwegian Christmas meal like Lutefisk (dried codfish prepared in a potash lye) and Norwegian aquavit

cdiken

Reminding you its time to pay the piper

Fastbuck

LOL Very good!

Brav

this is exactly waht ive heard. heard it once from outside and it was much louder. comes from rear.

SAguirre

I don't know who has diagnosed this for you, but I would be skeptical of what they said: "It has been diagnosed as the "purge valve" from the pneumatic locks".

I have not actually researched this, but the way that the W211's locks work is very different from what pneumatic locks do when they operate. I would be willing to bet that these are totally eclectically actuated. The first reason is that they are too fast to be pneumatic and then other is that my driver's door lock is bouncing up and down when it is cold out and cannot unlock the car. There is no way a pneumatic lock would pulsate this fast! Also, it is easier to get the global or selected door unlock feature if it is electric actuators. Having all the pneumatic valves to change these settings is a bit too mechanically intense and would be more expensive to mass produce (also my opinion).

So this noise must be a purge valve, but not from the locks. So far, I have not heard it in my car. But I would not go to the dealer blaming the pneumatic locks, since they might think that you really don't know fiddly. I have personally had 4 cars with pneumatic locks and my 1986 Audi has them W211 don't (this is what I think only).

Steve

Fastbuck

The W211 locks are pneumatic. Glojo, if I remember correctly, had a similar problem which turned out to be a "kinked" air pipe somewhere in the rear seat area. Remember he has a S211.

SAguirre

Good morning to you Fastbuck!

I then have to say that these are the fastest pneumatic locks that I have ever seen. I also don't think that my lock problem could be a kinked air line (if there are pneumatic).

The car was looked at by the head mechanic at my dealer and they ordered an new actuator (on backorder of course). The dealer said that this bouncing up and down of the lock plunger is typical of the W163 MLs, but not too many have had problems with the W211 yet. Well, If I park my car outside or if my garage gets below freezing (it sometimes happens), the door lock bounces really fast up and down and does not have the strength to unlock the door. I either have to use the key (who uses them anymore?) or open the back door to open the front door from the inside.

Anyway, I find it hard to believe (but possible) that pneumatic locks could move THAT FAST!!! (When they are acting up). I will be glad to post what the mechanic says once this very annoying problem is fixed (but I will post it on the correct thread).

Thanks,

Steve

Fastbuck

See this old thread

Barry45RPM

I know thw 210's had pneumatic locks, one only had to watch their feeble up & down motion. I would be quite surprised to find out that the 211's have pneumatic locking. They snap up & down quickly & firmly, not at all like their feeble predecessors. Electrical relays snap those locks open & closed instantly. A modern central locking system is no place for plumbing. Perhaps when MB created central locking, that was the state of the art, but its not so any longer.

I too have that ocaisional 3 second whistle from the back seat area & chalk it up to the "Defiant MB experience".

BudC

Mercedes invented the central locking system and (IMHO) did it right the first time with a vacuum motor and vacuum operated locks. I suppose they've dropped this approach because it costs more than the ones that everybody else uses. It was virtually silent, never locked you in the car like some of the electric systems did and was bullet proof.

It wasn't a *quaint* system. It was pretty sophisticated and expensive.

If the W210 worked poorly, it's probably due to the continued cost cutting Mercedes have been up to since the early 90's.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the system in my new E320 will give up the ghost well before it lasts as long as the one in our 1984 190D.

SAguirre

Barry, I guess we both have had enough experience with the old pneumatic locks to remember how they were. We also seem to be of the same opinion about them being too fast to be the old pneumatic kind. I will find this out for sure when I go to the dealer next.

My 1986 Audi has the pneumatic locks (ALL ORIGINAL AFTER 19 years and 262,000 + miles). The only time they stopped working is when the wires in the driver's door broke from years of use. I rewired the door and they all came back to life! You put the order in to unlock the doors and trunk and after a while it fulfills it. My 1988 190E 2.3 16's locks were very good, but slow. My 1991 300E's locks were also very reliable. Faster then either my Audi or my 190E, but much slower than this W211. However, the hunchback S class that I loved (1998 S500) always had problems with the trunk closer. The pump had to always be reset.

I have never heard this noise. However, I have the rear seat fold option. Has anyone who has this trunk access option heard this noise? Just curious.

Steve

Gill500

I had the exact same sound start happenning about a week after my car was delivered. It would make the "bagpipe" sound from what seems like the rear seat most of the time after the car had been parked for 10-20 mins. It always happened when I would wash the car.

Anyway, when I took the car in for service, I figured i'd tell them about the noise and they would just say they couldn't duplicate it. They had a tech come up to the service drive as the service advisor was writing me up so I could tell the tech exactly what was happening. Luckily, just as he was coming to the car it started making that noise.

They realized they needed to replace the PSE pump. They said the car was self leveling but this pump was just making an excessive high pitched noise. Usually it is considerably more faint and sounds normal, just a simple humming sound.

ThemisN

Not sure what it is, but I have heard this from my car on 2 separate occassions. Only after I shut the car off, but at 2 completely random times. It comes from the right (when facing the car) of the engine compartment. For me to get it to stop, i started teh car again, shut it off, and locked the car, and it disappeared.

Not sure what it is, but let me know how it goes. I might bring it up when I bring it in for the 10k mile service in another 6 months or whenever.

BudC

Are you sure this isn't just the SBC brake pump running? It's located on the US passenger side of the engine near the front. It will usually run just after you've pulled into the garage and shut the engine off or when you first open the door in the morning. It also runs while you are driving and using the brakes but you won't notice it.

glojo

Morning everyone,
Fastbuck has kindly pointed out my previous message on my individual proplem.

I can only describe our noise as similar to an emegency vehicle warning device (two tone horns). It only used to sound for a few seconds and only after the engine was switched off. This made it quite difficult to locate.

Luckily we had a very experienced Mercedes-Benz techician work on our vehicle when it decided to make the strange noise. He went straight to the rear of our vehicle, opened the tailgate and the noise stopped!! (It only sounds for a very few seconds) Luckily the next time the engine was switched off the noise reproduced itself.

This time the technician removed the nearside rear panel and found a 'kinked' air pipe. The kink was removed and sadly the noise was never heard again. (I enjoyed hearing my wife describe the noise)

Please note that my vehicle is RIGHT HAND-DRIVE and also an estate. I accept that Steve is not convinced that the central locking is pnuematic and respect his opinion. Therefore, I will tactfully say that our vehicle does have this air operated system and that is the only one that I can categorically state has air operated central locking.

When locking and unlocking an E-class 211, they will all sound like they have eaten a 'suspect' curry. This is the SBC braking system either activating, or shutting down. This noise though is quite mild compared to what I have described.

Sorry for raising doubts over how the central locking system operates.

Happy New Year to you all,
John

marcos

Don't know about your car John but my locks are definately not pnuematic, I've had them changes on the drivers and passengers door and was given one of the old locks to inspect, definately electrical mate.

glojo

Hi Marcos,
Thankfully I cannot comment about individual models. I am on about the piping that goes to the actual locks. I suppose the locks themselves might be slightly different.

There is some sort of actuator in the rear nearside panel and this allegedly operates the central locking? (Not the locks themselves)

It would most certainly be strange if there are different systems for similar models???

Weird,
but changing the subject slightly, have you received your 'mods' yet?

Happpy New Year,
John

marcos

Happy New Year John

No I cancelled the order as I'm deciding about getting a new car next year.

I have no idea what as yet and I might even keep mine for a while longer but I'm currently undecided.
Any help as to what to buy is as always appreciated.,

Marcos

glojo

Hi Marcos,
Trouble with cars is we all have different tastes. I looked at the Audi A6, but was turned off solely by the design of the front 'grille'.

BMW's have in my personal opinion made a terrible mistake in the design stakes, but the big diesel engine certainly sounds the business. Like yourself however I enjoy reading other peoples opinions.

I am going to be tactful and ask your opinion about the new CLS? I vowed to keep our 211, but I am getting slightly curious about the 'R' class (perhaps something worth considering)?

Regards,
John

marcos

Both these cars are in my shortlist, or longlist at the moment, Audi too but probably not any current BMW's, don't get the styling and no one seems to be buying the new 5 so can't just be our tastes. Even considered Volvo's but at 33 I feel I'm too young. I'm actually considering a new C-Class but fully loaded, to be honest I have no idea and I know if I go for something less powerfull I will miss the performance so I'm limited on engine spec.

MauraCB

I have also encountered this noise in the driverside rear of my 2005 E320 wagon. It happens when the car is off and usually when my daughter's door is open for a few minutes as she takes her time climbing out of her car seat. It sounds like a loud horn, the dealer couldn't replicate it and told me it was the brakes (that is definitely a different, quieter sound).

To add a twist, now ever since driving in the snow the car makes the noise when I lock the car. Before only the lights would flash now I also get the horn noise.

So, it seems from this thread my choices are 1) problem with pneumatics locks or 2) self leveling problem

Any other possibilities?

BudC

I've owned Mercedes for more than 20 years and currently have a 2004 E320. I agree with others that the W211's do NOT have vacuum locks. I still have my '91 300E which has vacuum locks and there is no comparison in the way the two locking systems sound or operate.

I'd have to say they are electric if for no other reason than every single thing on my new E320 has been cost reduced over the 300E and an electric system is cheaper to produce than the old vacuum system.

It sure appears as though the problem is with the air suspension.

glojo

I believe your symptoms do indeed sound very similar to those that we suffered.

Unfortunately 'The boss' is out at the moment so I cannot confirm what I am about to say.

I believe we only ever experienced this sound when locking or unlocking the vehicle, or a very short time after.

It has been agreed that the 211 has an electronic locking system and I was given incorrect advice, but all for the right reasons.

The estate car has a pnuematic pump that allegedly works the rear head restraints, and if you have them the dynamic seats, the cause of your noise is probaby related to piping from this pump.

Always check the easiest places first and this is the pipes leaving the pump. Take the left hand rear panel off the vehicle (US drivers side). You will then find a black insulation panel. (In the UK we need a security screw driver to remove the screws) Take this panel off and you should find the pump. Check the pipes for any slight kinks. If there is no trace of any it will be a job for the dealer, because it gets complicated and your vehicle is covered by a warranty.

Good luck, and ask the 'pipers' if they can play 'Scotland the Brave'

Regards,
John

A late sunny afternoon in Torquay