Interior rattles, noises and/or creaking sounds?
 

Thought I would open a thread discussion on various noise troubleshooting and solutions.

I am getting a popping sound from either the rear deck or the pano roof when my car dips either going thru pot holes or speed bumps and what not. I also get a bit of creaking from behind the steering wheel area. Anybody experience this? If yes, what did the dealer do to fix it? I will be bringing my car to the dealership, just wanted to be well informed just in case they can't troubleshoot it.
Thanks fellas!

That sucks. Hopefully that creaking isn't trouble.

No rattles for me right now. I hate them, and with all the emphasis M-B put in expressing the solid build quality of the 212, I'd be upset if I had to deal with it.

well the pano roof has many things of which its made up of no?

perhaps something is loose in there

I've had my car for 9 months now...

Pano roof rattle free.

Rear deck seem to crackle under thermal expansion/contraction.

I have an annoying rattle from driver dash cowl when hitting even small but sharp road seams/cracks.

Other than that the car is rock solid.

Thanks fellas for the affirmation that this car is solid for a lot of you guys. Nothing ruins a driving experience more than creaks and rattles. I am not the one for turning up the music to drown the rattles or what not. I bought a luxury car so I can be spoiled and coddled to and from my travels that day and loud music just doesn't coddle me...lol. I am pretty sure my dealer will be able to fix it as it is not hard at all to duplicate it. Happens every time I hit a dip a certain way.

I have a constant annoying rattle coming from the driver dashboard.

Creak
 

I am just over a year and ~ 17,000 miles.

I recently started to get a creaking noise from the front driver's side of the car when I go over speed bumps or other low speed bumps. Not sure if it is from the wheel well or somewhere in the engine compartment. I think it may be a similar creaking when I push down on the hood over the wheel well and the hood creaks.

Since I really like the interior/exterior of this car and I plan to keep this car at least 5 years, I decided to just soundproof this car. I ordered Fatmat rattle trap and my sound guy will install it when it comes in. $600 all told and done and its the whole car which includes the engine hood, wheel wells, dashboard, roof(not much since its pano roof), doors, floor, rear deck and the trunk. Hope it solves the rattles. Here is the link for fatmat just in case anyone else is interested. I find this to be better than Dynamat and at half the cost.

http://www.amazon.com/Rattle-Trap-Fa...6649576&sr=8-1

interesting
 

:crazy:
this is a cool idea.....there was a thread some time back about the felt-ish
wheel wells already.......is that true? did you find that to not be enough? just wondering because this kind of sounds like a cool idea to me, what about drawbacks? any down side to this that might affect ones decision making process? thanx man

another thing: is this a step that very loud stereo people take to reduce vibrations?

I didn't even check the wheel wells but since the car is going to be gutted to install the fatmat, might as well do the wheel wells. I have done this to other cars and it does help a lot with road noise. One draw back to this is that you hear wind noise more and it can drive some people nuts. I find that having the pano roof, you hear wind noise more but I am willing to live with this more than rattles.

I have never encountered down side with the fatmat per se nor have I heard horror stories about it. It is made specifically for automotive use like dynamat is but half the price. Some people were buying an identical product to dynamat called Peel & Seal but fraction of the price at Lowes and Home Depot but there were stories of their cars smelling like ashphalt because Peel & Seal is meant to go under roofing tiles. Not a single issue with Fatmat though.

Try it out you will not regret it. If you do get it, you can get the 50 ft roll and it will be enough for the E350. I got 100ft because I want to do a double application one on top of the other to really get a "vault" like feeling.

yeah....
 

haha! TO THE VAULT! that's what you could pronounce on the way to your car, LOL......
this does sound appealing like I mentioned......I will begin looking more into it, the place that I'm planning on getting tinted I'm sure knows about this technique.....
interesting in regards to the wind......I could see how that would be a nuisance, perhaps adjusting the radios volume, hehe...
I think I would also like that vault feeling upon closing the door...
that reminds me of those older luxury models with the chrome insets
on the door latch area.....those are really nice......I don't know if I'm being articulate enough.....lol...........couldn't find a good jpeg of an example...:smash:

I have one. It's the left glovebox door holder inside glove box. Anyone know if these can be popped off or not or does entire glove box need to be removed?

I had a couple noises on my E. Had a clunk from the L/F at like parking lot speeds(ended up being the hood stops needed lubricating). 2 rattles from the instrument cluster area(had to felt left wood trim of cluster) and cluster was just touching the instrument cluster surround on the freeway or rough roads(felted the cluster surround). Now car is quite and solid. The new E is awesome.

I recently noticed that something on the rear deck (maybe the sunshade) rattles like crazy when the music is played loud. I realize the sub (which really isn't all that powerful) kicks in, but the rattling is getting to me

I greased my hood stops with some ball bearing grease it did get rid of creaking noise from the front of the car while going over speed bumps or going up a drive curb.

Good advice and easy diy fix.

Any solution? I get an occasional rattle I thought was from the roofliner but now suspect it has to do with the rear sunshade. The rattle typically goes away after I raise and lower the sunshade.

creaky rear "shelf", rattle from beneath Comand screen area near air vents, another type of rattle in the cupholder area, cant pinpoint exactly where its coming from. Not impressed with the interior quality of the W212.

I have also started getting the right front rattle at slow speed over some bumps. My car is due for service B and hopefully they can fix it then.

Good and bad news for me. I was able to pinpoint the rattle to the headrests. When I would raise the headrests to their maximum height the rattle wasn't as frequent and happened only on very bad roads and dips. Took it to the dealer and they padded the interior of the seats as best they could while not compromising the SRS. They did a great job as there is zero play in the headrests and zero rattle in the car as of now.

Bad news is that they tightened the instrument cluster to see if that would alleviate the creaking but it actually made it worse. Before the center stack would only creak on uneven roads. Now the creaking happens on both uneven and even road surfaces. My car was chirping away on the highway today so I called the dealership and will take it in on Friday and give them a second chance. If they can't then I am trying another dealership and if that fails, MBUSA will hear from me and have them fly out a service rep to look at the car.

Hope this helps for others. Oh, and I am actually impressed with the build quality in this car. They have used high quality materials throughout the cabin just from the feel of it. People who knock the material quality should sit inside a BMW 535i/550i or a Lexus GS350 or even a LS460. You'll be surprised how well built this car is. My dad has a white Lexus LS460 and I have a white E350. When parked side to side and had company over a couple of the guys mentioned how much richer my white paint looked compared to the Lexus. Quality is sometimes in the little things a mfg gets right.

Knock on wood, my interior is silent right now. I feel for you guys with the noises, and hopefully it gets fixed. People usually will assume an entire interior is of poor build if there is a rattle/creek coming from somewhere.... Which is understandable, as it's frustrating, and shouldn't occur at all, especially in a Premium Car, however, a lot of time it is one little area making all kinds of fuss.... And once that area is alleviated, everything goes back to nice.

About the Lexus, I was moving around my Mom's ES last night, and man, NO comparison to the build in the Benz.

I drove my W212 today, and it feels like an iron bull. Just so strong and perfect in the ride. It really becomes apparent after you drive other cars.

And you mentioned the LS, even the LS's interior is cheap/flimsy/chintzy to me in many ways. The build quality and materials in the E > the LS to me, by a longshot.

Creak
 

After 11 months, only noise I have noticed is a very rare creak from the sunroof when it is closed. Occurs when going over bumps such as where a driveway and street have a sizable dip between them and car enters at an angle. Lke I said it occurs rarely so not concerned yet, but will probably mention it when I go in for A service.

Rear shade rattle, steering column creak
 

[quote=kingofire;4288963]Thought I would open a thread discussion on various noise troubleshooting and solutions.

2010 E350, 3,000 miles. Exactly the same noises for me-rear shade rattles at normal speeds and bumps, and getting a creak behind the steering wheel when turning for parking. Sounds like the column inside. Car going in for service this week. Has anyone been able to get it resolved?

The W212 has the worst build quality of any German car that I've owned including a few Audi A6's BMW 3 and 5 series, MB and Porsche. It has 4-5 different rattles and noise problems in different parts of the car. Dash, rear, headliner. The dealer was absolutely worthless...the car spent over 40 hours alone at the dealer for rattle and noise issues.

Vault like, build qualiity....not my car. I must have had one of the rare W212s built in Detroit.

[QUOTE=prestno;4532939]My dealer took off the guides for the rear shade mechanism, looked it over and put it back in place. Not sure if they made any changes, but the rattle is gone for several months now.

Wow that's too bad, not a pep out mine but the roads are generally ok in NorCal.

Knocking on wood again, even with the rough roads and Pano, I'm not getting any rattles, except for the mentioned occasional "squeek" from somewhere behind the wheel/inside the dash, which is a problem that isn't a technical rattle I believe (it's gonna be fun trying to get the Dealer to diagnose this.... Maybe impossible).

Sucks to hear that anyone is having rattle problems. It easily ruins the experience of driving/owning a car, and is difficult to get fixed on some occasions, at least without being extremely diligent with a Dealer, and being able to diagnose it/have it happen while in their presence.

Had same problem, was the hood hitting the bumpers it rests on. Put anything soft over the bumpers and the problem will be gone

Same issue here, fixed it with applying 3M tape on the hood where it hits the bumpers...

I ended up putting some lub on the hood bumpers. That fixed it. I asked the dealer to lub them as well. Problem gone.

My W212 only has 6k miles and the front suspension already making very annoying squeaking noise when going over speed bump or getting into and out of the driveway. Sometimes I hear popping noise and notice chassis flexing noise on the drive side door when going over speed bump. There is also constant rattling noise near the rear sunshade. I have driven older Audi, MB and Range Rover and the W212 is by far the worst car I have ever owned.

Anyone has similar issue and have the dealer fix all the problems?

my dad's W212 has a rattling noise coming from the passenger seatbelt buckle, will take it to the stealer for fixing soon

I've had both of these issues!

1. popping / cracking sound coming from roof pano. I had this almost happen in the first 3 months. Was like this for 7 months before i finally took it in. Dealer fixed it, they told me they "cleaned it". But i think it was grommets popping out of place and they probably just removed the gromets! A quick short cut fix. Whatever they did, it worked great. No cracking / popping anymore.

2. the creaking is the center vent. took that in too, they have TSB on this, they just add some felt chalk on the back of the vent. Fixed it for a few months, now it's creaking again. will take back again to fix, but hopefully this time it'll be more permanent.

Hope that helps.

I had similar squeaking noise from the front of the car when going over speed bumps and getting into driveway/garage. I fixed it by putting some 3M tape over the hood stoppers by the wheels arches. Squeaking gone. It worked great. Good look.

I have the same problem, i purchased my E350 5months ago and its been in 5 times and always comes out with the rattling being worse? when i purchase the vehicle iv been getting this rattling sound from day 1 its appearing to be coming from the middle console/ dash.... am i entitled to a refund? or a exchange?

Fixed my rattle this way.

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...2-i-fixed.html

iv tried that, it dint work for me, its booked in again tommorrow, i spoke to main customer service and they assured me the car will be fixed with in 4 days.

Had this with my 06 e3504matic. Was the shade itself which the dealers refused to replace. They just kept added felt to the back and hoping I would go away. I did I sold the car. I knew mine was the shade because it went away when I had the shade up.

On my (new since my last post in this Thread) 2011 E, the rattles are on and off. Sometimes it's silent, then sometimes random rattles/vibrations, etc, pop up. I don't see how they wouldn't since THE SUSPENSION IS SO HARSH OVER ROUGH ROADS THAT EVEN THE TIGHTEST INTERIOR BUILD WOULD START RATTLING/SQUEAKING AFTER SOME TIME, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.

Recently everything was good, and now some sounds from the rear are popping up again. I can't stand even the slightest vibration/rattle/squeak sound, makes me want to drive the car off a cliff (without me in it).

same problem plus
 

Have the same problem, but also if car is parked in sunlight for few hours on a hot day, very noisy when I open it. Scary-sounds like it is going to break. Earlier poster said dealer should lube it when go in for service. Going for B and it's on my list of problems. 5th car with a sunroof and never had this situation before nor had one needing lubrication.

I think the newer, environmentally safe, plastics, contract and expand much more than the softer plastics. The best way to eliminate them is to find the plastic pieces and remove them carefully and apply krytox 205 grease to the areas where the plastic-on-plastic squeaks/creaks are happening. A good example is the wood trim, it can be popped out and krytox applied (extremely thin layer is all that is needed) and reassemble. I notice the trunk area stowage (adblue for me, spare for the rest), I added a fat piece of automotive felt where the stowage panel closes, that eliminated the rough sounds over bad pavement. I also had a rattle from the mini sun visor on the passenger side. It seems there is a rubber "bushing" on my driver side, but absent from the passenger, so I stuffed the tip of a q-tip into the area and solved that one. Takes a little creative engineering sometimes, but this car is far free of squeaks/rattles than any BMW or Lexus I've owned, even my LS 430.

Hey just wanna let you guys know that there are some w212's out there with noise from the Pano-Roof. My 2010 E 350 is at the dealer now waiting on the entire Pano-Roof assembly for popping noise when the body flexes i.e driveway approach. It was mis-diag.couple weeks ago where they replaced the overhead controls. Brought it back since the noise never went away to road-test it with the foreman,the noise was present as soon as we came out the dealer. So this is where it stands for now till i pick it up.

Did you mean to write 220? The W220 never came with Pano roof actually.

I meant w212:D I do have a w220 and screen name has w220. thanks:y

Hey guys,
I was going to post a picture of this, but did not get around to it.

I have a 350 that is only 3 months old. I HATE interior noises....really bugs me. Unfortunately, a $60K mercedes has them pop up just like any other vehicle....sucks

I had a ticking noise coming from the dash. Since I have experience tracking these things down, i took the car down a crappy road and started tugging and pushing on surfaces until the sound stopped or changed. Sure enough, it was up in the gauge cluster region. At first, I though it was the far left vent assembly because the noise would stop if I pressed down on the corner of it. I took that assembly out and all looked solid. After reassembly, same story, ticking came back.

I decided that since the pressure was working, it must be something close to the vent assembly that was making the noise. I started pushing on the inner-shroud piece just above the guages...it seemed to also stop the noise.

With some gentle tugging, the ineer shroud pops right off. I could see there were two main points where the plastic guides appear to be the most likely culprits. Sure enough, I applied the soft side of a self-adheshive velcro strip, about one inch long, right next to the pins and guides. This provided soft pressure on the guide and snugged them up.

Re-assemlbed the shroud and the ticking dissapeared.

I hate this stuff, but happy I found the problem...of course, I would have torn the entire car apart to find it eventually...either that, or the car would have been sold.

^^^ I'd love to see a photo of that area you fixed.

I'm down to one "buzz-rattle," which I think is coming from the trim piece betweeen the headliner and the rear window. There is a frame at the top of the back window finished in the headliner material. If, while parked, I bang around that area, the sound is similar to what I hear when driving. Of course, the road bumps have to be just right as I don't hear this all the time. And my problem is that I can't be in the back seat and drive at the same time to truly isolate the source. It isn't bad enough for a trip to the dealer, but would prefer to eliminate the sound altogether.

I think one of my on and off buzzes is that same thing as well. I need someone to drive my car while I sit in the back and figure it out. How delightful that sounds. :rolleyes:

YES!!! and none of my trim removal tools seems to be able to remove that piece. I wish we had a "realoem" type of site like the BMW crowd has, so we could see how these puzzle pieces of fisher price plastic fit together.

Ok, I actually have a picture from the dealer that will work. It is the trim piece right below the dash and above the guages. Here is a picture that partially shows it. I have a loop around it.

Attachment 380663

That helps a lot, I will look and see if there are any mini screws that hold that pig together and possibly apply some krytox 205 to the back of it and reassemble it. Felt is probably too think for this trim piece.

No screws at all. I took it apart. There are only plastic guides and studs that interlock. BUT BE CAREFUL....if you pull it apart incorrectly or too fast, I am sure this is not a cheap piece to replace.

I'm currently in a City with really aggressive, LARGE lane-dividor reflector/bumps, and when my car goes over them, the craptastically-unsmooth-over-rough-surfaces suspension allows a LOT of vibration into the cabin. I can hear seemingly every single interior piece snapping and clicking to a symphony. Then I get onto decent roads and the car is sublime again. I'm getting tired of this Jekyll/Hyde relationship the suspension has with itself. As much as I love this car, it's starting to make me unhappy while I drive the car, as if I can't help but feel like at a meager 7400 Miles, the build quality has already been sacrificed. Which is a stark contrast from how I truly always feel when I drive this car, which is pricelessly happy and fortunate.

Rattles are the best way to ruin your relationship with a car. Problem with this cars rattles are that as soon as I get P.O'd enough to want to drive it up M-B HQ's arse and tell them to keep it, it becomes silent again.

I should just calm down and take it to a Dealer and let them fix the probably two simple plastic pieces (front and back) that are causing me so much anger. I just hate to take a car in for rattles, as aside from the major inconvenience, the only way for the techs to get to it are by extensively driving your car, getting their hands all over it, taking things apart, putting them back, etc. etc. I don't even like my beautiful Girlfriend touching various surfaces of my car (when I bust out the Microfiber to clean it as soon as she's not looking :D). Rattles are a sucky situation through and through. I'd like to trouble shoot them myself, but then that upsets me due to me thinking that for the price I'm paying, why should I have to?

I full understand what you're saying here, and when I test drive many different vehicles, I press on the plastics, listen for the plastic-to-plastic creaks, don't let the salesperson turn on any accessories. Mercedes had the least amount of this poor plastic, Audi was the second. BMW was the last, just about everything creaked, even the seat. Lexus was the best, but in time, it also suffers from the contracting plastics. I think part of the problem with the sport suspension has a lot to do with the tire/wheel packages. On the bluetec, they're 17s (although RFTs), the other vehicles are 18 and 19 inch, whereby a lot more NVH is going to be transmitted to the chassis. The shocks seem to be valved like the Koni FSDs, but those only seem harsh at the limit.

Yeah, it's definitely due to the suspensions/wheels poor absorbing characteristics. I've driven my car every mile its had, and I've bear'd witness to every little rough patch sending so many shockwaves into the chassis and interior plastics/pieces, that it's seemingly loosened them up by a mere 7400 miles. Crazy thing is, the E-Class has some of the tightest interior construction of any car I've been in. Everything is seemingly bulletproof tight, makes a substantial sound when you operate them, workmanship is exceptional, IMO. What this says is that the suspension/wheels on the Sport Package transmit SO MUCH harshness into the cars chassis, which transmits them right into those interior pieces, it actually has the capability of undoing some of that staunch workmanship.

Very unfortunate, and by far my only drastic criticism of this car, enough to make me almost overlook all its exceptional qualities even. It's an embarrassment to an E-Class whenever I drive over simple lane divider/reflectors and the chassis sounds like an earthquake hit it.

K-A, I know you are a huge fan of the styling of the E-Class sport, but I don't understand why you didn't get a luxury 2011 or even an E550 (because of airmatic) when you traded your '10 for an '11.

If your biggest criticism of the sport is the ride, then a second sport version is a weird choice for you.

I appreciate the looks of the Luxury Package, but it's just not for me. I've always loved the look of a stately and conservative Sedan with tasteful aggressive styling elements (i.e AMG or M Sport Package), as it provides a perfect balance of worlds to me (if executed properly). An E Luxury would have been my ULTIMATE work-horse second car, however as my primary "Passion Car", it was Sport aesthetic or bust.

I wonder if the BMW F10 with M Sport Package is as harsh over harsh roads as the E. The W212 is a more comfortable and smoother riding car than the equally equipped F10's, and the M Sport 5 Series has even larger (19") wheels, but the W212 falls on its face face over rough patches, so I wonder if in that very exact situation, would an F10 fall on its face worse, or would it somehow be better balanced.

The E Sport has a more than soft and luxurious ride on most roads, and even the handling is confident yet relatively floaty.... So on smooth roads, it's the ultimate balance to someone like me who wants a Luxurious ride, but not overly wobbly, i.e the Luxury Package might not be tight enough for my needs. The problem with the Sport is that it's "imbalanced". For how roll-y it can be in heavy turns, and how smooth it is over smooth surfaces, it shouldn't be so jarring over some small bumps.

It is horrendous, remember, those 19" are runflats, the slightest bump was a "bang".

Ouch! Runflats and 19's on an even sportier suspension, I can't imagine it being better. But being even WORSE makes it seem incredibly bad to me.

Have you actually driven it or are you using the obvious laws of logic to come to that conclusion though? I have to admit I've been trying to get myself to warm up the BMW lately in the case that it does fix that "shortcoming" on the E. I figure, if my car's gonna ride like crap over rough roads, it might as well handle good as well. I just can't fall in love with the F10's design. It's beautiful in its own right, but not as appealing or interesting or passionate to me as the E's design.

Yes, I drove two, one with sport (zsp) and one without, as I've had 5 BMWs before making the transition to the Bluetec (535d/530d haven't arrived here in the U.S., if ever). The funny thing is that the BMW dealership is located on one of the worst maintained roads in Sacramento, so I purposely drive down the worst parts. After the first manhole hit, the subsequent ones I could feel my teeth gnash in anticipation of the "smack". I also agree on the styling, not a fan of the "bull nose" front end, nor was I a fan of the electric steering that felt like my xbox game controller wheel. Interior fit and finish was ok, BMW still has issues with some of their interior parts peeling and creaky seats. Nav is much improved though and I do like the folding mirrors.

To a degree it depends on the setting of the adaptive suspension on the sport models. Sport and Sport + are bone jarring over rough roads, but the Comfort setting is quite pleasant - even on rough roads - somewhere between the Comfort and Sport suspensions on the E350's

LOL, wow you have the exact same opinion after driving it that I did! You just re-confirmed to me why I picked an W212 twice (yes, twice!) over one. The 19's and runflats along with the already sportier demeanor don't do it any favors on rough surfaces, but like you said about the interior, it drives me CRAZY! BMW's are notorious for fading and peeling trim in interiors, from the plastics to the steering wheels and seats, they just age poorly. Already people reporting peeling on some F10's buttons.

Well, a 300 mile drive today and not many sounds, so it seems like it's on "quiet mode" again. Hopefully it stays that way so I don't go sniffing some BMW's again. :D

That is odd as colder weather tends to bring out more creaks.

Yeah, actually most creaks do happen late at night/early morning on my car. The noises have a mind of their own. Like I said before, as soon as I'm ready to hate the car for good, the noises mostly mute themselves. I dunno. :nix:

I think I've seen some complaints on the 'fest about this. Older Ferraris had their buttons turn to some type of goo over time, and there are guys making a fortune redoing them for restoration companies. There should be NO excuse today to make something last. Even the non-zsp was pretty rough, so maybe like CEB says, get the sport, but use the comfy option ...

I think what CEB's referring to is the Airmatic controls though, which aren't available on the 350. So I'm basically stuck with "Smooth as silk on smooth roads, but wakes your a$$ up over rough roads" suspension setting. :D

I did manage to fix some "noises" from the grab handles, just applied some felt to the areas where they "knock" against their plastic frame. The rear cupholder thing in the armrest needed minor felting, not visible, and silences that thing.

If you're referring to what I think you were referring to, then it was the Dynamic Damper Control on the F10 sport model (both M-Sport and the "regular" sport) that has a couple of sport settings and a comfort setting.

The comfort setting replaces the dampers with marshmallows while the Sport+ setting bolts the wheels directly to the chassis, bypassing the dampers entirely. IIRC, the default setting is sport, which is about as harsh as the E sport suspension plus 19" wheels and runflats. A non-sport F10 on 17 inch wheels rides somewhere between the E's lux and sport suspension.

Since the day I bought this car the instrument cluster makes ton of noise when driving in the freeway, and the driver seat clicks & moves when I make a right or left turn. Took it to the dealership and they denied anything wrong (Beverly Hills)....

Take it someplace where the "average" person would buy a Mercedes and not a dealership that can kiss you off?

i know one of the managers in a local mb dealership and he told me in order for mb to sell the car a few grands less than w211, they have to cut corners here and there. materials used on dashboard and even the leathers are all less "premium" than the previous models.

That has nothing to do with rattles though. The W212 is immensely more solid and tightly screwed together than the W211.

i'm sorry but i didn't have w211 and can't really tell if it's true. if you knock on the dashboard on a w212, you can hear the sound is more "hollow" and even if the screws are all tight, any small rattling/creaking sounds coming from the front could sound little louder than before. and this is just for the dashboard/front area. who knows if mb did the same for the whole interior. well, i'm just a newbie who doesn't know much. please correct me if i'm wrong.

Some plastics in the W212 are more crude than the W211 indeed, no argument there. A lot of that "hollowness" is probably due to new "green/lighter weight" directions as well.

In terms of rattles, no question the W212 is an improvement over the W211, not to mention a quieter overall interior. The W211 wasn't known for its solidity (relative to other E's in the timeline), as nice as it is.

i got some rattling on my rear deck lid when I travel over bumps.

anyone else hearing the same thing?

Is it the rear headliner area? Seems like we're onto something as this is seemingly increasingly regular amongst these cars.

will it be the rear sunshade :confused:?

Kay, so I have a 2010 GL350 that has so many noises coming from all the seats its UNBEARABLE. The dealer likes to put felt everywhere whenever I tell them to do it, but claim they can't fix noises anymore under the extended warranty (my GL is now over 50K miles).

So, with a little research, I found out that you could purchase the SAME FELT Mercedes uses in its vehicles at the dealership parts department. I don't have a part number, but most dealers stock black felt with a sticky underside so you can attach it to contact points around the seat frame to keep noises to a minimum.

You can also buy the "Noise Dampening Service Kit" which is approx. $338. Here's a description from a PDF packet I got after paying $18 on StarTek:

The Mercedes-Benz "Noise kit" has been developed especially for Mercedes-Benz workshops and is intended to effectively eliminate creaking, squeaking and cracking noises.
The lubricants were created especially for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and offer the following advantages over conventional lubricants:
• Usage temperature from -40°C to +140°C
• Compatible with all"interior" materials
(e.g. plastics, seals, (non-ferrous) metals, leather)
• Optimal long-term lubrication
• Resistant to other environmental influences
(dirt, moisture, dust, etc.)
• Non-toxic
• Lubricants available worldwide

THE PART NUMBER IS: A 000 580 03 50

I don't really need the lubricants, so I'll just buy the sticky felt from the dealer, who's selling it at $10/yard to fix the noises. HAVE FUN FIXING THOSE ANNOYING SQUEAKS AND RATTLES!

The lubricant is Dupont's "krytox" rebranded like VW and Chevy do for their squeaks. It really is the best for plastic-on-plastic noises. You just have to take a lot of stuff apart and use it extremely sparingly.

I know this thread is long, but I wanted to share the elimination of some type of strange rattle noise in the rear of the W212 sedan. The rear roof liner has an access panel, that if you tap it, sounds like the noise I hear over rough pavement. The culprits are plastic "louvers" that slide into place to lock the panel down. This panel removed from the rear, by the rear window and they are NOT the cheapo metal-plastic locking tabs. In fact, examining the structure of the roof liner itself, it's very well engineered and high quality, compared to BMW and Audi, who will use velcro and glue. I ended up using craft felt and just wrapped as these photos and slide the panel back in place. The noise is eliminated and tapping on this panel is just a "thud" now, and not the plastic-on-plastic rattle. Hope this helps some folks.

Merry Christmas

Hi Kurgan,

That is the exact spot where I believe my "buzz/rattle" originates. Was the panel easy to remove and did you have to use any tools or special tools? It seems like an easy fix and I'd prefer not having to make a warranty visit.

It was easy, but I have a door removal kit with a plastic pry tool. It removes from the rear, near the window, just pull down gently and you'll hear the 4 attachment points release. I believe the buzz comes from the plastic pieces that slide into the roof liner.

Bingo, and good info. That rear individual piece that is a separated continuation of the headliner seems to be the culprit. When you hit it, you can hear it's kind of "loose". Sometimes when it rattles, I bang it a couple of times and the rattles stop for a bit.

I ended up applying felt to this rear panel piece as well as the child seat hook covers. I don't hear anything from the rear now; and it's been pretty cold here.

K-A

What tires do you have on the car? Is it Continental? If so, they are prone to having poor absorbing feel over ruts and bumps compared to higher quality Michelin tires. Once i switched them over on all my cars including mercedes and BMW, the cars are quieter, smoother, comfortable with better handling. Tires do wonder for the cars and is an important part of the car too. So consider that as an option to get you car to become well rounded and more tuned to your taste. The E class is definitely smoother than the 5 overall.

Baloo - it is patently incorrect to label any tire brand as being harsh riding as there are so many variables.

First, you have the type of tire. The higher the performance rating of the tire, the harsher it will be as the sidewall will be stiffer. Grand touring tires will give you the smoothest ride, while winter tires will be noisier due to the tread design.

Modern BMWs (and MB diesel E series in the US) have run flat tires. These have a very stiff sidewall as well and are generally much harsher than their non-run flat equivalents. If you switched from rft to anything else then your ride got smoother.

Once your comparing the same performance category and tire design (run flat vs non-runflat) you can discuss which tires ride smoother than others. You can bet that those "smooth riding tires" have a downside somewhere else.

Incidentally, tests generally place the Conti tires near the top.

Baloo,
I don't dispute that you have had a better experience, but just to contrast your statement, I had Michelin Pilot Sports as OEM on my Caddy CTS. They were garbage. They flat-spotted worse than any tire I have ever had, they would not keep a balance, and they were all over the road. I pulled them after a year and replaced them with Pirelli P-Zero Nero's and the car handled like a dream.

These are the same Pirelli's that came as OEM on my 2011 E-350 Sport. They are terriffic. You could not get me to use Michelins again for any price.

Interesting. What I do know is that these Conti's are noticeably superior in comfort and noise absorbing than my 2010 E350 with Pirelli P-Zero Nero's. Those things were utter CRAP in terms of keeping harshness out of the cabin.

Lately everything is really quiet in the car. I just gave up and figured that they usually somehow go away on their own.

I agree with KA actually: I really liked the conts I had on my 550 before I got the Mich's.....and to be honest, IMO, the conts DID feel better.....

I have an occasional annoying noise from my passenger seat....oh wait, that is my wife.

ditto :rolf:...

LOL, make sure she doesn't read this line otherwise she would increasing your volume up more than ever :rolf:

ust my two cents about the tire.

I just swapped my 2011 E350 for a 2010 E550. Yes, went back a year but the new car has only half of the miles I already had in mine. Very much the same design cars. Both with the sports and pano roof and P2 but what I wanted was the Distronic. I have that now with some other features, like lost of more power...

But, for the tires: My E350 had the Contis and this new one has the Pirelli P-Zero Nanos (brand new too). Both cars with the same staggered wheel setting. I cannot tell any difference between them. Both of them SUCK very bad. Extremely noisy tires both of them.

I thought he Contis were bad because the car came with them and you could think tires like that are not the best tires to chose from but if this Pirelli is the next choise then these two tire brands can go to junk yard.

sounds like everybody is having different experiences with their tires. so are there any "good" tires out there that quiet, ride and feel good :confused:?

I would like that answer too. I have directional tires (goodrich's)
had front end aligned for no reason: shop told me it was a tire problem!
Good tires anyone?

Wow. The rear headliner panel has been a hassle for me too. Thanks for that. Will fix it tomorrow!
Now I also have a really annoying one that is somewhere in the driver side b-pillar.
Dealer has had it 3x and always the same thing. "We wrapped it in felt nothing could possibly rattle now." Still a constant ticking in general region of adjustable portion of seatbelt. No pressure or pulling recreates or stops it.

Have not been brave enough to start taking it apart myself. Any ideas or pointers?

Thanks

Shawn.

:rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf::rolf:
OMG!! that's F'ing hillarious!!! :bow::bow::bow::bow:
i'm going to show my wife thsi thread! :y

I have a great suggestion!
https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...res-212-a.html

thanks, racing dad. i'll definitely consider them when the time comes.

OK I pulled the rear headliner panel. underneath were the wires and controls for the rear glass defroster etc. But funny thing was the dealership had shoved 2 pieces of pink egg crate in there to quiet the rattle I had complained about. it did NOTHING and I'm not sure why they thought it would.

Super easy fix. took me <10 minutes including figuring out exactly how to ease the piece off. I put some felt tape on all the plastic pieces that would tough others (~6 areas) dropped it back in took it for a spin....SILENCE

from there anyway. still have tiny intermittent one on the dash, near the cluster and one really intermittent but annoying one in the driver's b-pillar. i will tackle those after I track down some diagrams.


as for getting the piece off. I have a 90 degree angle plastic piece for pulling panels. I stuck it between the back glass and the piece I was removing and gently pulled down right in the center of the piece. it popped loose. I repeated at each end. then it slides off down and towards the back glass. (harder to explain than just do it.) basically pull down gently then slide toward back glass. reverse to replace.

Rattle and wind noise on a E350 Cab
 

In January we picked up our spanking new E350 cab and since day 2 we have had nothing but problems with dashboard rattles and wind noise from the drivers side. We have been back and forth from the dealer, now 4 times and the car has been in for 7 days and still it is not sorted. In matter of fact since the last time when the main seal was changed we now have wind noise on the drivers side as well. Today I went to see the DP and the service manager they agree there is a problem and have now given us another E350 cab to drive while they try and sort the problem out. I cannot believe a 50k car has these problems! I stepped out of a BMW and in all honestly I wish I never had!

Has anyone else had problems with wind noise? The dashboard rattle has now been sorted however it does come back every now and then, very annoying. like some other posters it drives me made and I am not one to put my music up so I don't hear the noise, why should I?

Il;l be interested to hear if anyone else has had this experience.

I experienced the wind noise, from the driver's side, but I applied some Krytox 205 to the door seal and it hasn't returned. The dash rattle comes and goes, I cannot figure that one out; just poor materials and agree, my BMWs had far fewer rattles and creaks.

I have a dash rattle too. Try this: When it comes back, pinch together the top and bottom of the dash just behind the top of the steering wheel. (The part of the dash that shields the IC from the sun.) In my car, the rattle will not stop if I press just the top or just the bottom - I have to pinch them together. I will let the dealer fix next time I take the car in. Meantime I might ghetto it by putting a binder clip on it (just kidding!).

THANKS! I haven't thought of that as it looked like one piece. Funny thing in this car, sounds bounce around, making it difficult to pinpoint! I know the steering paddles rattle and so does the dimmer rheostat. On the door, all the seat control buttons can rattle, but usually only in the cold.

i have a brand new bluetec with a rattle in the back of the car, sounds like the rear decklid. Anyone successfully have this fixed?

I found my rear rattle to be the panel topmost rear of the headliner.

Got a little rattle in the driver side gauges. When I press on the plastic on the screen, it goes away. Need to find a way to fix this asap.

The first cold day and a new very bad rattle starts at the rear of the car. It is coming from the rear deck where the speakers are mounted. Tapping on this flimsy deck produces very bad rattling noise.

Anybody have instructions of how to remove the deck? Would like to have a look myself as this could be very easy to fix.

The rear plastic piece is easily removed, just be careful not to break any of the tabs. You may have a wire or connector loose beneath, which may be seen from the trunk but you may have to lie upside down to view anything.

How do you easily remove the plastic part?

I'll pry mine up tomorrow morning and snap a pic, I carefully lifted from the headrest side, small snap clips hold it in.

I have a photo, it's on my phone, I've just been travelling for the holidays. I'll see if I can post it today sometime.

Thanks!

I'll be taking mine up as soon as I see the photo.

Here you go, Arrie. As you can see from just under the panel, there are plastic stubs. They click FIRMLY into place, so if yours is loose, you could be hearing the rattle. These tabs are dispersed all around the panel. I found mine was loose in the rear.


I am using a plastic door panel remover but you can also use an old credit card as well.

Thanks,

I'll try and see.

Ok,

nothing is visibly loose under the plastic piece. I need to have the deck cover that the plastic piece attaches to removed so I can get access there.

Anybody have instructions how to remove the deck cover?

I'm quite surprised to see that the W212 is still having the continued rattle problems that I had in my W212--dash, command, headliner, rear shelf, etc. I'm disappointed that MB has not addressed these quality problems.

Best of luck.

25K miles and no rattles at all. I had a really annoying rattle in my former C300 and for a time I thought it was in the dashboard, but finally tracked it down to the mirror.

I hate to doubt your ears, but you'll be the first to have NO rattles at all in a W212. I think some people are more prone to hearing them, along with a tolerance, but the W212 is loaded with cheap plastic in the dash, wood panels, and the pillars. Wait for a cold morning, don't use the radio or accessories and just listen to the symphony of rattles. I've given up on the small ones, but did address the major rattles.

Had mine for a few months, no rattle occasional pana roof noise and that's it. But then, I use the remote start and warm up the car when it's cold in the morning.

I have over 22k miles and no rattles or squeaks. I've driven the car up the east coast (twice) and the Midwest and its solid. Yes I drive without the radio sometimes and nothing. I have found noises come from crap in the glove compartment or a soda bottle in the cup holder. None from the car itself. So Nuru is not the first and only...

Guess I'm lucky, but no rattles in my car. However, the sunroof does creak when opening/closing after car has set in hot sun for a while.

My e550 is coming in on 2 years old and around 26,000 miles. I drive on the crappy NY/NJ roads and no rattles yet. I'm very impressed with the fit and finish. Still tight as a drum. Regards. Ned.

My 2010 e350 has a noise like a little motor running in the front roof console. It will continue after the car is off for awhile. I first thought it was in the area of the glove box. It is definitely coming from the ceiling. Anyone have a thought?

For those without any rattles whatsoever (still not a believer), how many have the luxury suspension?

45K miles on my 2011 Bluetec and only the slightest"rattle" sounds when going over very rough pavement....99% rattle-free. In my neck of the woods, the Department of Transportation is just as likely to pave over a boulder than remove it. We have some really crappy roads. I find my E to have superior build quality and chassis strength.

I'm waiting to ditch my runflats ... soon indeed that doesn't help. I find the chassis strong torsionally, but not longitudinally. Over straight undulations, I can hear creaks, but it is a long vehicle.

I ditched the runflats. I now use a set of Michelin X-Ice on Elbrus rims for the winter months once the snows start falling, and, I have been very pleased with the performance and wet traction of my Cooper Zeon RS3-A tires. I actually had no issues with my runflats until the tread hit about 50%. From that point on they just roared. Noisiest tires I have ever had. Ever. The Coopers are all season, and if had it to do over again, I would have gone with the Cooper RS3-S, which is the summer only version. Oh well, I am sure I will have another chance to buy tires, but, I am very happy withthis combination for the Bluetec's 17" rims.

I'm going to ditch them soon, I'm at 12k and they already make noise. I'll have to do some research, we don't get temps below 32F here. I'm hoping the rough ride is because of these things; really crazy to have them on a luxury vehicle, even with a sport suspension.

The Coopers were night and day quieter, better grip, especially on wet roads. The X-Ice are also superior, but, as would be expected, they are a bit mushy. I often get an E gasser as a loaner and have experienced the E on Continentals, Pirellis, and Michelins. I am always amazed how much quieter mine is with the Coopers. Even the X-Ice have a very nice noise profile along with amazing traction in the white stuff. There are a lot of great tires out there today, and, I am willing to bet you will enjoy any of them more than the runflats. I also added a compressor and slime kit. This is similar to what MB provides with non runflat Bluetecs that are available outside the US market.

Added the Coopers to my list. Thanks, ImInPA for the details. I believe the runflats are damaging the ride quality; I just figured a suspension like the E has, the 17" runflat wouldn't harm the ride quality, but it seems to have, and may have created some rattles as a result. Tirerack.com is my next stop.

I looked up the coopers and I can't use them since I have the staggered AMG 18" wheels. They have the front tire size, but they don't make the required rear tire size.
Sport: 245/40R18 front, 265/35R18 rear, all season

2012 with PanoRoof here. Had a speaker rattle and the dealer replaced the speaker and its been fine ever since.

Have 17,000 on my RunFlats right now and starting to get louder noticeably. Was hoping to make 30k but not so sure at this point.

Sounds like you're in better shape rattle-wise than I :)

Here's my list so far:

1. Nav unit rattle (fixed with felt under the front facia
2. Door rattle (various, seat knobs rattle at times)
3. Rear roof rattle (fixed with felt)
4. Cupholder sliding thing (paritlaly fixed by removing the cupholders themselves)
5. C Pillar rattle (still persists)
6. A pillar rattle (fixed, found both attachment bolts very lose, loctite used)
7. Left side dash rattle (fixed, the brightness knob was the source, used 3M anti-squeal tape surrounding the inside of the dash, invisible)
8. Rattle/squeal over some bumps (fixed, used 3M anti squeal tape on the contact surfaces of the hood stops
9. Other minor rattles, mainly caused by the tires I'm not starting to believe, although my neighbor's E550 and the E350 I had as a loaner didn't make as many noises.

The dealer had a chance at all of these, but failed to find or reproduce them (typical). The door rattle I will address after this rain storm. It creaks where the two plastic pieces meet (after the wood trim)

Wow so you diagnosed and fixed most of these yourself? You must have a great understanding of how these cars are put together. I used to take the door panels etc. off 80s benz's to fix things but hesitant about messing up our newish cars...

I had the rear roof rattle, mainly when going over bumps with the right rear of the vehicle. I used the fix that thekurgan posted sometime ago to so my service advisor. He and the service manager inspected that panel, and found it was slightly warped. They replaced tha panel, and the rattle was fixed. Thanks to thekurgan for the helpful post.

Otherwise, my car is acceptably quiet now, with the two exceptions being and occasional "buzz/rattle" from the left side of the dash/IC pod junction. A little finger pressure there stops the buzz and will report that during my next service.

The other, most annoying noise comes from the tires - the Pirelli P-Zero Neros have gotten progressively louder. I'm now at 24K miles, and will replace these tires soon although the tread looks like many miles of treadlife remaining. The SA says they are indeed loud with frequent, common complaints. I've purchased 29 new cars, but have never purchased replacement tires, so any suggestions on brand/model are appreciated. I have the 18" sport/staggered setup. The SA's suggestion is Michelin, which he chose to replace his OEM tires.

They are actually not all that different. The most difficult/messy part is the butyl tape used for the insulating plastic; it can be expensive and/or difficult to find outside of the dealership. The plastic pins are the same and on the Benz, they are insulated with a soft gasket to prevent creaks in the doors (inexpensive as well). Standard plastic door removal tools work well.

I will say, that of all the BMWs I've had to fix rattles, squeaks and creaks. The materials used within the cabin of the Mercedes are much more durable, in the sense you can remove/attach/remove panels without the fear of them breaking apart. You can easily see where the skimping on sound insulation was though, by removing the trunk lining and tapping your fingers around. Definitely a need for some damplifier pro insulation in those areas as well as the entire inside of the C pillars. Lots of road noise transmits via the C pillars.

So, i see that there isn't a fix for the rear decklid yet?! Only rattle i have. I live in chicago too! Lol

You may be the only one, you may have to take it apart yourself or send some pics to us of the area you think is the cause.

I thought mine was the trunk lid. It sounded like it was coming from outside of the car. I thought bad shock, trunk lid, the flat panel in the trunk above the spare tire, but it seems have been the interior roof panel just above the rear window. Hoping it stays quiet and that was indeed the cause.

Yeah, this was a real *******, it's well built, but it's literally plastic tabs against sheet metal. Very easy fix with automotive felt if you do decide to fix it. I may still have a photo of the work.

Post pics please so we can fix it. I have a rattle coming from the rear and it could very well be what you talk about.

I already posted those pics in this thread you're reading :)

https://mbworld.org/forums/4975627-post79.html

Not sure if this has been listed, but ONLY squeak, rattle, noise, etc. I have is from opening/closing the sunroof after car has sat in hot sun for a while. Dealer greased it last year, but it has come back. As long as it doesn't break, I can live with it.

If it is the rubber surrounds causing the issue, Krytox is your solution, not the dealer gummi stuff (if that's what they used). It doesn't hold up to repeated water and UV. Anyone with a Corvette removable roof knows this stuff.

Does anybody know how to remove the front dome light assembly?

My car has developed a very annoying soft rattle that comes from the right side of the dome light assembly behind the roof liner. It does not come from the passenger side sun visor, it definitely comes from between the roof and the liner just passenger side of the dome light assembly.

Removing the dome light assembly would allow access to place foam or something there to stop it. There is no access thru the sun roof opening.

So, anybody with any info to remove that dome assy would be appreciated?

interior noises
 

dealer tells me my noise is coming from the aspirator. it is a little fan that helps tp dissipate odor from ac system. located in the roof light assembly. i at first thought it was a speaker, but the little grille is the vent screen for the aspirator.

it's very easy. just pry it open. but make sure you stick the tool between the black trim and the white light cover, not outside the black trim. good luck :y!

I've never had good luck with any of the three local VH MB dealers ... I get MUCH better service down the road at Berberian in Stockton, and they will pick-up and deliver me a loaner for my E350. PM me for a contact name.

Fortunately, I've only had the car in for it's 5k tire rotation and 10k oil service. They "tried" to examine the rattles during those visits; I was not optimistic they would find or try to resolve any of them. I'm good at hunting them down. C-pillar is my next attack, and ordered some damplifier pro for those areas. :y

Facia creaking and rattles
 

I have had a creaking soundfrom my CLS (W218) from new. It turned out to be temperature dependent ( anything below 10 deg C and the creaking would start from a cold start up). This is mostly from the steering column area and around the comand unit screen. It turns out that the black ash wood effect trim (or wood or aluminium finish etc). rubs against the the plastic facia trim. I have had to install small felt strips and or 1mm pieces of plastic. Four small plastic wedges between the black ash trim and the comand filler plate plus two small plastic wedges where the black ash trim meets the stering column have cured the problem. MB should be fitting strips of felt behind the black ash trim in the factory. This is so annoying on a quality care like the E Class or the CLS (built on the same production lines). You may also want to remove the facia end caps (where fuseboxes are fitted on some other models but not the E Cass or CLS). The mounting screws were also quite loose on my car).

Philip Smith
Chester
UK

Already booked my first appointment with my local MB dealer for stupid creaks, rattles and loose pieces on my E350. I heard they started "loaning" new 2013 E350s as service loaners so I have a good excuse :-).

Let's make this thread a sticky as it appears to be a common problem.
 

Here's a PDF on how to remove the center radio console on a w212. It is a "how to guide" on how to install some video electronics but you will get the idea. Pretty useful for someone to address the creaks and rattles with the wood trim.

Got two noises in this W212 E550.

1) Somewhere front/center left side of the panoramic sunroof when going over bumps. It is more a ticking noise so it sounds like somethign has play. Haven't found the source of it yet.

2) Noises in seat. Seat tilts even when push by hand. Rails are tight, almost looks like the seat frame has an issue and the second noise comes from where the back meets the bottom parts. Makes a clicking noise when coming to a stop and accelerating.

my e350 in for same seat problem.They are taking care of it. Dont know how though.

Please let me know how they fixed it or what the invoice/work order says so I can tell my local dealer here and provide some with some suggestions?

Will do.

Chris- Did service find the issue with the seat? Mine goes in tomorrow for that issue and I wonder if there are any lessons learned from your trip. Thanks

They installed some felt. Was ok for like a day. Have to go back. Let me know how it goes. Thanks!

This is what my dealer said:

The seat clicking noise has been addressed by installing a new locking bolt/washer where the adjustment gearing is for height.

Oh wow! Sounds legit. Let us know when you get it back.

Bulletin LI91.10-P-049894 - Noise or play at seat adjuster

Thanks konisgter, you're spot on. This is the LI that was listed on the invoice.

@chrisvr6: The clicking noise is gone. Am happy about that.

Only issue left is that the driver's seat is also moving back and forth a bit when braking and accelerating. Dealer says it's normal since all E class on the lot show the same behavior. Might be common but I never owned a vehicle before where the seat has play to a degree that it can be clearly felt.
If I can find a diagram I will try to investigate the possibility of inserting some felt or a washer somewhere in the seat frame.

Panorama roof noise: Found the issue. Clicking noise came from the wind deflector plastic frame which pops up when opening the roof. I installed some felt below the frame and now it's quiet.

How far back and forth is the seat moving? My seat does not move back and forth when braking or accelerating.

Hard to tell, 2 mm maybe, the motion can be felt and is accompanied by a clicking/tapping noise. I contacted MBUSA and they sent me back to the dealer for further review. My appointment is next week. Since my passenger seat is quiet and does not move I at least know not every seat does have that issue.

I personally have no interior rattles in my W212. Some clicks when it sits in the sun so some parts are temperature sensitive such as around the speedo and the a/c vents when hot but the A/C changes that fast.

Overall a very solid car!

Seems that they should be able to fix that pretty easily. I checked my seats today and no noticeable movement.

My former 2010, did not have any rattles, but the 2012, there is a rattle/creak on the rear deck. I have not figured out whether it is the deck itself or the speaker grille portion?

^This. On my palladium grey 2013 E350, whenever I went up to speeds over 60mph the center dash would make a crispy rattle noise. I found that pushing up under the central dash hard helps it for a bit, but then it returns. My current polar white 2013 E350 has no issues, though.

Got an appt coming up with my dealer for the rattle elimination operations. Wish me luck! :wavey: LOL!

OK, I went into a dealer and had their Service Shop Steward, ride in the back of the car while i drove around, and he indicates that the rattle is coming from my pano-roof. Does anyone know of any bulletins for rattling pano roofs?

No pano for me but my rear deck ratlle seems its from the panel where the 3rd brake light is at the top.

My car had a case of rear deck rattle. It was coming from the area around the third/center brake light. They took it apart twice and tried to stop it - a lot less noise now, but still a random pop/snap sound, especially if the inside temperature is changing.

Well, the second shop verified that the rattle is originating from the pano-roof. They are going to take out the headliner to pinpoint the rattle's location. who knows, I could end up with a new roof? So I got a loaner to put around in.

Ok, this is the final diagnosis for my rattles and creaks.
Noise originates from B-Pillar. They removed the headliner to make sure and then proceeded to remove the roof trim, and reinstall and tighten.
Re-tightened the sunroof frame bolts - noise gone while driving over 120 miles today.

Totally different car without that series of rattles and pops!

B pillar in rear? Do you mean the pillar between the front and rear doors (or maybe the central bar in the pano roof) or the rearmost pillar behind the rear doors?

My car seemed cured for about a week, but I am getting a random pop or crack again. As the weather gets warmer here, I fear it will get worse. I am going to suggest they inspect the same areas addressed on your car, if it keeps up.

Ooops, I did not read my paperwork closely due to joy of getting rid of that noise.

I have had the car out in 80+ degree weather sitting in the sun, no noise, no pops sofar.

I can understand that, I was thrilled for the few days when I thought the car had been cured.

Was your issue the C-pillar, then? I am still certain my noises are coming from pretty far back.

The paperwork claimed it originated from the B-pillar, wherever it was it was somewhere behind me and above the heads of passengers in the back. :nix:

That is the C-pillar area; they probably made a mistake; the B-pillar is where your seat belts are located central to the car's chassis.

Hmmm, let me think about that. The noise was in back of me and above me. My passengers thought it was above them, and one of them thought it was just above them. I dunno, it could have originated at the top of the B-pillar and resonated through the PANO roof?

Above you in the driver's seat = B pillar
Behind/up from your passengers = C pillar

The pano roof is large and sounds to reverberate throughout.

That sounds like the B-pillar area, yeah.

I am still certain my noise comes from the rear deck, certainly is coming from a ways behind me. Next time we have some warm weather (probably weeks off), I think I am just going to leave the car at the dealer and tell them to fix it right on the third time. They can replace the entire rear deck if need be.

If it is the rear deck "aka Paneling Hat Tray", then they can either replace it due to warping or they can install Felt tape as described in earlier posts.

Seems like rattles are only coming with the pano roofs ?

Actually no, it seems the major split between origin points are the rear deck/speaker grille behind the seats and the the pillars (b or c).

I am going to mention those solutions when I visit again - maybe tomorrow. They should agree pretty easily - I am the type who will come back over and over, and I am sure they have better things to do than fix my finicky issues :)

Here is what they noted last time around:

"Applied butyl rubber and sliding lube to insulate plastic cracking noises on third brake lamp contact points and retaining clips, applied lube and felt to pillars and headliner trim clips, applied butyl rubber to sunshade mounting tracks".

I am thinking the "lube" might somehow wear off over time? The car was fairly silent for the first week or so, but eventually the creaking and cracking came back.

Kind of a shame, every MB I have owned so far has been devoid of such issues. W210 had intermittent sunroof/headliner rattle, but I fixed it.

Yep, I would say due to heat via the sun exposure you are probably correct. Maybe they should opt for felt tape?

Wow, I'm sorry to hear you guys are still having problems with the W212...you would think MB would have come up with permanent solutions long ago. These cars should not have the amount of rattles they have. It seems that the only way to fix a rattle is to do it yourself.

MB and their dealer network should be embarrassed. Audi and BMW showrooms should be happy--I wonder if corporate understands that.

They apparently fixed mine with one shot at it.

And of course BMW has had its share of issues, and you can look at their forums and see the issues that continually bug their owners. So jumping for joy over a discussion like we are having on this forum would be quite ridiculous. and then there are these links for both BMW and Audi.

http://www.ibtimes.com/bmw-recall-20...a-airbag-issue.

http://news.consumerreports.org/safe...e-problem.html.

http://www.motortrend.com/used_cars/...eries/recalls/


http://www.motortrend.com/used_cars/01/audi/recalls/

Next Monday I will finally have the time to bring the car back in for another go-round of noise elimination. I am going to suggest they use felt tape everywhere possible, and inspect the assembly for any warped pieces. I had the car out Sunday, temps only around 70, but some bright sun exposure would set off the chorus of pops.

On the noise issue, my wipers are bugging me too. On normal mode, it's like they don't move fast enough, and they lurch along making annoying noise along with looking bad. If I put them on the high speed setting, they move normal. I've cleaned the windshield thoroughly including with a magic eraser, applied rain-x then scrubbed it down again and applied aquapel - the normal speed lurching happens no matter what. Either I have bad blades, or they don't move fast enough. I miss the lightning fast single blade W210 wiper.

your plan for the dealer visit sounds good. Mine is still silent so I think the dealership got it right this time. I will see if that is still the case, once I retrofit the split folding seats option next month.

And another update - dropped it off early this morning. Got a call several hours later - they are keeping the car until tomorrow as they have found some rear trim clips that needed replacement, and will not be here til then. Might be a good sign.

How much to retrofit this option? Parts only cost for DIY?

It's more likely they broke them :)

Depends on how much the seats and the rear shelf "Hat Panel Tray" cost. I am installing myself, so it is the cost of the parts for me and just my own labor (<1 hours for the seats, 2 hours for the Hat Panel tray).

Here are some pricing estimates based on the procing I have seen on the web.

The rear Split-folding seat package (including release handles, cables, locking mechanisms) range in price from $650 - $1000, used, shipped/delivered
If you pick-up yourself, then the pricing ranges from ~$500 - ~$700.
The panel tray ~$500 new, ~$200 used

Sounds like felt tape and clips for you! I hope that solves it for you.

I got it back today. Th list of parts are things like "rubber buffer", "stay", "clip", "felt strip". No surprise, no change in the noise - it was making noise within a minute of the time I drove away.

Funny, the invoice lists "test drove over rough roads and frame flex conditions" - which are irrelevant to the noises that have been bugging me. The engine doesn't even have to be running for the car to make these noises, not to mention be moving. It is fine and quiet over bumps. I guess I need to make it very clear.

The broken clip idea might be true, for all I know.

A problem I have is that I work odd hours and days, and can't just come in at noon on a random day to have their quality assurance (or whatever) guy ride with me. I usually work until the time the techs leave. I was OK with the fault before, but I am pretty irritated now, on the third unsuccessful attempt.

I don't know what else can be done, other than to replace the entire rear shelf. I am going to go back tomorrow, before the techs are gone, and have someone else ride along and hear it if they desire - then firmly ask for a loaner car, and let them have the car for a couple days.

Yep, I had the Shop steward ride with me and he diagnosed the issue. I left the car for 3 days and received a loaner. Came back when it was ready and it has been working perfectly since that time. Yep leave it with them once you show them what you are talking about. GOOD LUCK!

So? What was it? Bet it was that panel that covers the 3rd brake light?

for mine, please review message #174. . Actually, it was not the Rear Shelf/Hat Panel Tray. which is what i thought it was originally.

How does one find message #174?

Back to page 7 - https://mbworld.org/forums/5649088-post174.html

I dropped it off this afternoon, and said I want it back by Friday night (I have a road trip planned for the weekend). Lead tech said he would do the work himself - I suggested they need to just replace the whole rear deck if they can't find the problem. I don't know how well that will go over.

Very base C250 loaner, which isn't as bad as I thought it would be. And guess what - it creaks too.

To be honest. All C Classes rattle, squeak and creek! I have only been inside one C that made 0 noise. It was a 04 C320 4Matic. Never a interior noise and dead quite like my E350. None of my Mercedes make interior noise except my C240 and even that is starting to become quite. I must say the w212 is well put together with the exception of some temp sensitive plastics.

So your E is quiet? I wonder what the mix is for quiet vs creaky cars, or if normal people even notice or care about these quirks. It's really irksome, as my car is pretty perfect otherwise.

I have to admit I laughed when I first heard the C creak in exactly the same manner as my car. It made me think this might just be a modern MB thing.

Yes it is very quite. Only some small creeks around the speedo cluster area when very hot. A temp sensitive plastic issue. I am sure I can fix it with black felt or something. Other then that it's fine. I can see if someone hits a massive bump of some sort you could get creeks and noise but I have not had those issues.

Every M-B I've had has creaked and groaned like a boat in terms of actual suspension, namely at low speeds. If you ever shift the car from R to D or vice versa at a stop, with the door cracked or window down, you'll hear suspension squeaks/creaks/groans right there. Getting out of the car did it on my M-B's at well (the same suspension or chassis groans). They always bothered me and literally were identical from my W220 S Class to my last W212 E Class.

As for rattles/creaks/etc. while driving, my 2010 E started getting annoying toward the end of my time with it (1 year). Ironically, my 2011 E STARTED as a rattle-trap, I even made a thread "Uh oh, I think my car may be a rattle trap" or something along those lines, but the issues seemed to subside after time, though they'd come back randomly. It was like a symphony where one rattle would go away, then another would literally pop up immediately. When that one went, the other would come back, etc.

Zero noises from my E350 at 29k miles except for tires....that noise stopped after replacing worn rears. I'm the second owner so I don't know if the first owner debugged it or not. My C320 was a constant battle with noise. Never could get the seats, pbrake, or rear suspension to stay permanently quiet.

Really? I cannot say the same. Only time I had a suspension squeaks was when it was worn down. I never had suspension noises other then that one time. I don't have ownership experience with the 211 or 220 like you do thou.

My 2008 C-Class had one creak and that was on the mirror and easy to fix once I found out where it was. Then there were no additional issues with that car.

I had the same with my 05 C240. Worste rattling, squeaking, clicking and piping interior car ever!! Now at 95,000 miles it feels solid due to constantly yanking apart the interior. Cheaply built little car.

My former 2010 E30 4MATIC Sport did not make any creaks or rattles, very quiet car.

Yeah I dunno what it was. Literally the exact same creaking/squeaking noise coming from the same suspension or chassis area on all of them. I hated it as it made it sound like an old Cadillac or something when I'd be parking or getting in/out. And no, I'm nowhere in the vicinity of overweight, lol.

I've had an odd noise or two from the dash or A-pillar area when very hot too - but always a one time only thing. I can live with that. The relatively constant click or pop from the rear is a different story.

I've had several MBs, no odd suspension noises or rattles in them. W210 did have the typical sunroof rattle, but I cured it by pulling down the headliner and inserting thin cloth. W126 leather would kind of squeak sometimes, but it was old. Fintail will make a little noise in hot dry weather too, but it is a million years old and unrestored, so it has a right.

I talked to the advisor today - they are apparently going to replace the rear shade (?) - we will see what this does. Should be back by tomorrow evening, I have a bit of driving planned for the weekend, for a good test.

I have snaps and creaks in my AMG, but have never noticed a peep in my E:nix:thing is pretty solid, must be because it's a 550:)(I kid)

LOL!, must be the torque of that big V8, while it is catapulting you down the highway:D

They all rattle/creak, by the very nature of the materials used and how they are fastened. Anyone who says their car is rattle free needs hearing examined or they just aren't sensitive to the small sounds. Drive with the windows up, no fan, no radio, in the dead of winter and you'll hear a veritable symphony of rattle/creak sounds.

haha, but they're both V8's....:D

Actually no, not all cars creak and rattle. I have driven most, if not all, of my cars in the manner you have presented here. Without the radio on, with windows up, air off, engine on, besides the normally expected noises of the road and the suspension doing its job, early in the morning and no audible noises. Did this test on my 2010 and I got no squeaks, creaks, and rattles. Same test on my 2012 after the fix, and that is also a very quiet car.

Yeah, but since the AMG is actually a time machine, camouflaged as a car, it goes through different dimensions while accelerating, of course due those stresses you are going to have time-related metal and plastic transition noises!

why don't you keep your solid machine and i'll take good care of your snaps and creaks :rolf:.

Not buyin' it.

Those diesels are just plain noisy:zoom:

I remain hopeful that my car will be as quiet as Nuru's, but if the current repair doesn't fix it, I am going to chalk it up to a design or materials flaw/quirk and try to tune it out. This is visit number 4.

I get the car back in the morning and plan to drive a bit this weekend, so we'll see.

Good Luck and I hope they finally got it.

Good luck with the next visit.

Thanks. Got it back this morning, drove around for about 4 hours. I would say it is about 98% noise free now - there is still an occasional small noise (and I am VERY picky), but I can easily deal with that.

From the invoice (in case anyone in the future needs help):

PTSS Case. See previous repair attempts. Inspected vehicle with customer again. Do hear intermittent creaking noises from rear shelf area during periods of sunny warm weather. Removed all rear shelf trim and roller blind components. Inspected all as both assembled and individual parts. Found noises occurring at the 3rd brake light assembly,roller blind, speaker grill, and rear trim panel. Replaced all mentioned parts, and addressed noises during assembly. Utilized several different methods of insulation, bonding, mass dampening, lubrication, and modifications, to eliminate noise sources. A significant reduction in noise was gained by trimming both shelf panels, as to loosen the fit of the plastic grilles. Opened and closed PTSS case.

Ok, thanks for the update. I hope this is the solution for you.

Out in the sun for a couple hours today, all is well. I am optimistic it will be better now. Car was very enjoyable for a little drive, funny how one little thing can make everything better.

So sell it? :D

October the lease ends.

Got my first rattle today. Was taking my son to camp this morning and the whole 3 mile trip the plastic surround on the driver side door window was rattling like crazy. Car has 1100 miles on it and is only 6 weeks old. If I lightly hold my finger against the plastic surround, the noise goes away, as soon as I let go, it comes back. since its right next to my ear, its very annoying. I tried to make sure all the trim was tight, nothing appeared to be out of place. On the trip home after dropping my son off, the same noise.
going to give it a few days before contacting the dealer about it. The car has already spent the 3 out of the first 6 weeks of ownership at the dealer for repairs. I'd hate to be without it again.

wow this is the monster thread!

Wow, a wagon with a rattle. I was thinking they were like tanks when it comes to rattles and squeaks.

So before I went to pickup my son at camp today, I pushed all the plastic trim around the window a bit. and on the way to camp, no rattles, on the way back still no rattles. we'll see how it does tomorrow morning when its colder.

hopefully that does the trick and solvs the issue.

Noise surpression
 

Taking my 2012 E350 in Monday to install some sound deadening materials. My install guy has a lot of experience on this and has switched suppliers. Is installing Second Skin product. We are going to start with flooring and wheel wells. Will see how that improves muting outside sounds and may go on to door panels and other areas.
At the same time changing front grill to the Star style used on the E Coupes. I am going to keep this car a long time so don't mind this type of expense. Currently have 11,000 mi on it and for me it is a Keeper. No problems and great mpg.
Will post results in a few days.

Yep the 2012 is a great car.

@chrisvr6:
If you're still following this thread... my seat click and tilting issue came back. The washer replacement didn't last long. After escalation to MB I got a new seat frame installed. That fixed all complaints with the seat. Until today, about four weeks later, I noticed a light clicking noise again. Not sure if that means it will develop over time and become louder or stay the way it is. Certainly the new seat frame helped a lot.

My rumbling noise from the right rear wheel hasn't been eliminated. After looking through forums I understand this can be anything from a bad strut to as small as a worn bushing. Hard to find without systematically replacing parts.

Oh and the clicking noise in the sunroof wind deflector is also still alive.

Many years ago when living in Germany I drove a 190E2.6 and it was built like a tank. Having driven all kinds of brands since then and coming back to MB this year with the expectation that all those issues from the 2000s area should be resolved it is just sad.

Yup. My clicking in seat is back and the warranty has expired.

Sorry to hear. Maybe they will do something on goodwill.
I gave up. Sold the vehicle and got into a different brand.

I might have that seat clicking too.
Is it for folding seats?
Does it sound like a rattle in the rear part of headliner or rear deck?

I just notice that after having rear seat passengers it goes away.
Therefore, whenever I put someone in back seat to find rattle it dissapears.
Car is at dealer now and of course its not rattling now.

I am on a roadtrip in my car. Heading out of town on Snoqualmie Pass, which has a lot of rough pavement (for traction maybe), I had a ridiculous buzz coming from the back seat area somewhere, and a rattle coming from somewhere on the passenger side, low near the console. The rear buzz was annoying to the point where I almost pulled over to investigate. Now I am a ways east, and spent the day driving on smooth low volume state and county roads. Nary a peep out of the car all day, tight as a drum. Maybe the car was engineered for smooth roads.

The car certainly wasn't engineered for rough roads as I found it handles them extremely poorly.

Both of my E's had that rear "buzz" which was annoying enough to have me literally swinging my arms back to attack the seats like a mad parent trying to hit their kids. I'd usually pull over and start banging things around back there, which would sometimes help for a while.

My 2011 had an especially bad rear "buzz" which I attributed to either the furthest point of where the rear headliner ends (if you "bang" on it you'll see it's not tightened down back there, kind of able to "flap"), or coming from the rear headrests when the car was fumbling around rough roads. However, with more miles it seemed the rattles on my 2011 actually got better instead of worse.

I wonder if maybe testing for the car was only done on a mule with lux/elegance suspension and normal tires, so a car like mine which is "sport" with runflats won't act the same. I suspect the softer sprung cars have less noise issues.

Funny, I said that EXACT thing when my W212's rides flabbergasted me in how they handled rough roads.

I remember watching the W212 development phase very closely and I rarely if ever saw "Sport" models being tested. It seems the car during its extensive and rigorous development/testing phase was definitely dialed in more closely and tested more thoroughly as a Luxury/Elegance model indeed.

2010 E550 with some rattles that sound like come from the rear deck.

Yesterday took the trunk floor up and installed paper towel between all the tools and between plastic parts for the tire change tool kit. Also put a 1" thick cover on the spare wheel and the tool kit under the floor.

RATTLES AND ANNOYING SOUNDS 90% GONE!!!

I think majority of the noises in my car are coming from this stupid compact design spare wheel / tool kit combo.

I am pretty lucky as my W212 is pretty tight. However I do foresee some of these fixes with paper towels, cardboard and whatever other felt will come in handy. There seems to be a couple weak spots inside the W212's

I think those deck rattles may be those covers that hide the baby seat anchors. Flipped all mine up and it seems to have worked.

At 1600 miles, I have a thermal plasticky creaking when the AC comes on, or the heat (nowadays) that happens once during the whole drive... seems to come from the roofliner. Occasional creaks over larger bumps in the dash center console area -- also some creaking from drivers side belt buckle receptacle. Had a creaking in the steering column, the whole column was replaced under warranty and resolved this issue.

I have the sport suspension, no airmatic to drown out all harshness with the boaty cushion ride...

Do you have the coupe or sedan? I know the sedans all have airmatic right?

W211's were considered rattle traps by many owners as well, mine being one of them, though I don't remember mine having as harsh a suspension as either of my Sport W212's. For some reason the "eventual rattle" issue has become somewhat of an E Class tradition in modern times for M-B, though I'm not sure about the W210.

Rattles
 

So far my W212 has been very good but I am developing something in the center area near the A/C Vents and climate control area. Not sure where it is coming from. My W210 is still very solid. Some minor noise here and there but felt takes great care of that.:y

I have a 2012 w212 with left a pillar and rear deck rattles. The rear sunshade was replaced
and it didn't help. I not sure the dealership has done anything about the a pillar rattle at all. Have had car in 4 times already for this alone without success.

How long can we expect support for rattles and such vs having to play the radio louder? :wall: Just brought in my CPO and the retorqued the panoramic roof so good for now.

Pooping in panorama roof
 

Hi there...new to MB World. I have a 2010 E63 (CPO) and the popping sound in the roof is unreal. Entering a driveway at an angle, speed bump or pothole at slow speed causes 3-6 very loud popping sounds from the fixed section of the roof. Only had the car for about 6 months and the 3 MB dealers I have asked over the phone about this have never heard of it. I haven't had a chance to take the car in yet. Dealerships are about 2 hours away. Anyone had success treating this?

I had it and the dealer said they had to lube the sun roof. I personally don't think it was a lube issue as the popping sound was so loud. Kind of a sound when a steel-to-steel surfaces slide under a bolt that is not torqued correctly.

But whatever they did fixed it as I have not heard it since almost a year ago.

I really do think that rear deck rattles are the covers that conceal the baby seat anchors. I flipped all of them up just to experiment and it seems to not have the rattles any more.

I have an opposing opinion. My baby seat tether anchor point covers do not cause rattles in my car. But I just found one big source for the noise. It is the center brake light assembly that seems to be loose from the rear deck cover.

Oh wow! Going to check mine. You must live in Chicago like me. Crappy streets do not get along with this car.

We have some poor roads down south too...

I have had this rattle at all times. Also had it with the E350 I used to own and it always gets worse in cold weather. I was checking on that long speaker cover on the rear deck but everything is fine with that but then noticed how I can stop the rattle by holding my hand on that brake light assembly when lightly tapping on the deck cover with the other hand.

And it now makes perfect sense. In cold weather the plastic brake light assy shrinks more than the hole around it making it loose.

You going to wedge some felt in there?

I'm going to have my dealer look at it.

They replaced my center light cover... They had to completely disassemble the rear deck... And the rattle is still there. I give up...

Wedging some felt in between the body of the car and headliner will fix this problem. I had a 2013 with 6K miles that would do this and that's what the dealer did to fix the problem.

That 3rd Brake Light is what my elusive rattle ended up being.
The dealer expended a lot of effort to anchor all the small loose parts inside the 3rd Brake Light Assembly.
It did the trick.

Just replacing it would probably just continue the same issue as I don't think it got redesigned, to the degree of what my dealer did to fix it.

Thanks for the info. I also think the rattling sound comes from the inside of that brake light assembly and is just worse now when during colder weather the whole assembly seems to be loose.

I have a very low faint noise coming from the center radio/ nav area as well. Any ideas fellas ? Almost like radio engine noise. This is on my e550 2014

Does anyone have instructions of how to take the rear deck apart?


I'm thinking now to tackle the center brake light rattling issue myself as I doubt the dealer will do a perfect job at it. It should not be that difficult job to do it myself, or is it?

I commend you on that.
I have an AllData subsctiption.
If you PM me your email I can send you what they have on it.
I can also send you a parts blow up from the EPC.

Mine has that too.
It sounds like the harddrive seeking inside the COMMAND unit. I wish they used SSD in them. It's random too.
They car is so quiet around so we end up hearing little noise from the new technology

My car is at the shop now for this

LI91.40-P-057018 SEPT13 – 212, 176, 242, 246, 204, 117, 222 creaking noise from left or right front seat belt height adjustment mechanism, replace belt height adjuster.

i have this noise that seems to me like wire hitting metal coming from under my driver seat ..... its so farking annoying.... I have the multi contour seat... anyone experience this ?

Yes. I thought it was my fat rear making the seat creak but I tried doing the "family guy - bird dance" and that wasn't it. I'll trouble shoot that sound when they resolve my seatbelt adjuster area rattle. I'll have a pack of small cable ties ready. :naughty:




My previous 2012 had none of these rattles or creaks.

I did check under and saw this thick cable which if I moved made similar sound to the one i hear during drive so I wrapped it in thin foam until moving it did not make that sound but that noise is still there.

My door was creaking too when i rested my left arm on it but I fixed that by inserting a little rubber piece in the gap.

Let me know what you find.

If the door creaks changes with weather/temp then I'd give the rubber door seals a nice clean wipe down and apply a thin lube of silicon grease.

(this product is the offical grease for S2000 convertible owners to keep the seals fresh and prevent dry rotting.)

It worked well on my wife's old E60 530i. Old school Mercedes used to use fabric covered weather seals and modern ones are pure rubber. Any dryness will make rubber on rubber creaks.

Thanks lunarx.


PM sent.

Sorry yesterday was crazy.
Ill get this to you this afternoon, when I am back in the office.

Did you by any chance figure out the creaking from under the seat yet?

Just got back from vacation, will resume my hunting for creaks this weekend. I'll PM you if I find anything

https://mbworld.org/forums/members/i...les-11177.html


added a few medium density foam tape to get rid of rattles from under seat box and center arm rest.


https://mbworld.org/forums/members/i...-pro-41677.jpg

Not exactly an interior sound issue but occasionally when I reverse the car i hear (and felt) a fairly loud clunk, at one point i thought I drove over something (but didn't) and i think it is coming from the brakes but for sure the foot brake was not applied.

anybody have something similar happen? or an idea what it could be? car is going in for service at the end of the month (busy schedule)

This noise was driving me crazy, I applied some lube and its gone. Such a simple remedy but big satisfaction!! Saved me from removing the wood paneling and cables.....

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1399476920

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...1&d=1399476993

I am still dealing that rattle since November (@ 1000 miles)

More than 5 dealer visits and more than 30 days in total ...

1st revised bolt was applied and made the seat worst.
Brought it back and dealer finally fixed the creaking by replacing the driver seat rail.

Now if they can get the B-pillar ring/rattle away then the car will be up to standard. However the grease marks and stains from all the R&R will stay to remind me how much trouble this car cause everyone. :slap:

During any of your visits, did they look at the 3rd Brake Light?
For me and some others, that is what it was.

I noticed the same thing. When applying the brakes after reversing there is a clunk some times. Like something is loose and being seated into place after brakes are applied.

They have replaced the rear shelf speaker cover already as well as the rear center seat belt assembly. I guess I am too focused on the B-pillar noise that their techs heard other noises and fixed them instead. :nix:

Major props to Keyes European for knocking out the seatbelt ting/bell rattles

"REPLACED ENTIRE B PILLAR SEAT BELT ADJUSTER, SEAT BELT ASSY AND RELATED SIDE PANELS"

I think something fell into the seat and is sliding around when I turn or stop. Does anyone know how to get the seat cover off?

So, after the dealer replaced the center brake light that made the rattle a bit better I ended up doing the job myself this past weekend.


Took the rear shelf with the rear window blind out of the car. Found the power wire for the light in between the light assy and the blind assy and this tells me the dealer changed the light assy without taking the blind assy out of the car. It is absolutely impossible to miss the wire between the parts if it is out of the car. Easy to miss if it is in place.


Anyway, the rattle of the brake light comes from the two sandwiched plastic parts rattling against each other. I put some hot melt glue in the seam between the parts and no more rattle from the brake light assy.


Also found another rattle source. This is the seat belt "rollers" on both sides. Just a small bump on those and they make rattling noise. This is internal parts of the roller assys rattling so I don't think there is a fix for this unless someone knows about a TSB that address this issue and allow change of these under warranty. I'm quite sure MB has quiet seat belts on the S-Class...

I seem to have a very slight fan "puttering" sound that is located near the rear vents. If I turn off all the climate controls it is still there.


I thought it was the fan as it seems to be slower at times and even stops but it always returns.


Any ideas?

Well... 43k miles on and I was starting to notice an increase in the amount of road noise on all types of paved surfaces (RWD, 23k miles on Primacy MXV4's) but that ended after I had the tires rotated (after inspecting the tread I realized the dealership never rotated my tires during the 30k or 40k service intervals.) I have a rattling sound coming from the instrument cluster but I've narrowed that down to a hairline crack along the top of the middle of the plastic cover over the gauges. Also worth mentioning, there seems to be an issue with air penetrating the windshield and creating a whining/whistling effect; it's coming from the upper left side of the windshield.

I am thinking about having the wheel wells and trunk lined with dynamat or some other type of sound-absorbing product.

Seems I have the headliner rattle/buzz that others have mentioned. I bought my 2011 CPO and immediately took it in to have it looked at, but they couldn't reproduce the noise.

I have since deducted that the vehicle needs to be outside long enough for the roof to heat up from the sun. Then if the road is rough or I hit a bump or pothole, that produces a buzz or rattle in the headliner. Sometimes the stereo will also cause this noise.

If I tap on the headliner just behind the sunroof or at the edge next to the rear window, I can clearly hear it. Now that I know how to reproduce the sound, I plan to take it back in for service under warranty.

Any ideas what might be causing this noise?

Got 2011 350 cab and have creak from drivers side dash up near windscreen and where the comand unit meets the heater controls.

MB dealer said its normal on cabs. :nix:

Rattles?
 

Never ever arable or squeak from interior and this is at 55k miles on a 2013 e550. I do however have my drivers side exhaust pipe tip rattle on cold start up. If ou just place your hand on it it stops......was thinking about putting those quad tip AMG pieces on.

I've got three I need to track down. The passenger headrest, the driver's seatbelt height adjuster, and one I didn't catch in this thread, something in the steering column when I drive over rough roads. Since it's long out of warranty I'll have to do some poking around.

Look at the plastic trim around the gauges. On the 2011 E350 that I had and the 2010 E550 that I how drive there is a gap between the trim and dash at the top left corner of it. In certain road conditions this rattles.

Thanks to this thread, I found where the cluster rattle was coming from, but not the steering wheel one. There is also one I forgot about in the center console (the right "wing door" on it) that I think I fixed by putting some felt under the bumpers so it's a little tighter.

I have a slight creaking sound from the dash at acceleration. Dealer confirmed the noise and heard it in other E350s. I was told this is normal. This is absurd for a car that is only 2 years old and hardly driven. Certainly didn't make that noise 2 years ago when I bought it. Love the way the car drives, but question the build quality. My two jettas and sentra don't make any noises like this and are much older. Nothing the dealer is willing to do about it. If anyone else has this issue and resolved it, please reply. Any information is appreciated.

So I'm not sure if this noise is coming from outside or inside but I'm leaning more towards outside. This happens more in cold weather. This summer I was barely able to hear the noise but is still there. Every other time I accelerate from dead stop, I hear a noise like some metal part moved from the car taking off. It's a quiet and quick noise if that makes any sense. I'm going to wait til weather gets colder to replicate at dealer but I was wondering if any of you have experienced this. Sometimes I think it's one of the engine mounts or something like that but I should feel something moving and that's not the case. This noise drives me crazy every time I hear it lol Can't wait to find it and fix it!

I've experienced this. Dealer replicated the issue in a few e 350s and said it's "normal". I threw a tantrum explaining that it's not normal. I worry that it has to do with engine mounts or crank pulley. They inspected birth plus the front end and said they're fine. Will let you know if I ever find the source.

Sounds good!

Yeah I refuse to turn the music up to drown a squeak and rattle that shouldn't be there in the first place, on a $73k car.

[QUOTE=prestno;4532939][QUOTE=MagicJack;4533428]Wow, I just came across this thread and thankfully (but unfortunately) you guys are experiencing the same things as me. I have 2014 E350 w/ pano roof. I thought I was going crazy! I just got my (brand new to me) car delivered this week and have been hearing these freakin' creaking sounds from the back every time I would go over a bump or something; driving me insane--imagine the discontent over hearing this in my "new" car. At first I thought it was the rear headrests and then the rear parcel shelf and the rear sunshade (still happens whether it's raised or lowered), but now it helps to narrow it down exactly. You should have seen me, I was in the backseat like a wild man pushing and tapping and squeezing and testing every panel I could get my hands on, hoping to isolate it.

I will be taking her in to get this covered under warranty; anyone know the exact TSB on this?

Update: got her fixed today. Culprit: loose bolts on pano roof and squeaky c-pillar panel. :y

How is/was the smell? Is it harder to work with than Dynamat, as I have read?

I have the same problem. How do you fix it?
Thanks !

Had to take a friend out for a ride to figure it out, but the little cubby under the front of the pass seat was the culprit. The door was rattling in the closed position.

I keep a microfiber cloth in there, so I stuck an edge of it between the cubby door and cubby opening - just enough to make the closing a bit tighter. Mission accomplished.

Good luck! :zoom:

I have squeaking noises over bad roads or speed bumps. I'm the third owner and I'm around 155lbs. I own this vehicle for 10kMiles (7 months) currently at 52404 miles.
Floorman/Engineer test drove with me:
Part Number: A2123235800 Left front Strut. around $600
Labor is around $520+ taxes.
I said I'll get back to them. I have Multi Contour seats. Is that covered under ELW?

Thanks.

delete delete

Right behind the driver's seat towards the middle of the car, there is something like a steel ball (sounds like it anyway) rolling left and right when I make a long sweeping turn. I looked everywhere for a piece of trash or or a little ball rolling around on the floor but can't find it. it's crazy annoying. Not sure if dealer can replicate this. it seems like it's inside of the middle console or inside of the HVAC opening between the front seats.

I also have the same "rolling steel ball" noise coming from the driver side rear door area. Or perhaps around the rear deck area. Can't tell.

Is your problem related to the seat or to the chassis/mechanics?

Tutns out, there is a small problem with my seat (the floor engineer fixed it for free), and sway bar bracket for front driver side suspension is broken(replaced under warranty) then the strut is found to be broken, so the SA and manager helped me to get the price down to 400$ including parts, labor and alignment after replacing the strut.

I have the exact same issue with my e400 2016 model.
 

Is there any layman solution? By that I mean, by spending a resonable amount of $$ lets say a solution that any professional can do for about 1500$ or less.

The popping sound is covered in more than one post string in the forum. It most likely is the loose bolt or nut issue in the roof assembly in the pano roof area. Improperly tightened bolt allows metals to slide under bolt making the popping sound when you put torque on the car body.

I've noticed a subtle rattle in the shift lever. I thought it was in the dash but holding the lever deadens the noise. It doesn't happen all the time

lots of rattle and squeaky noises from dash, Mercedes build quality.

Anybody else notice a squeak over road bumps?It pisses me off like crazy. My car is fully under warranty, will MB fix?

212 Rattles
 

MHere are my insights FWIW:
in test driving several 212 4Matic Wagons, I found the drive/ride underwhelming compared to my 94 124 Estate RWD & especially vs. my current 2001 E320 4M
wagon. Now, The 18” & larger low profile tires
and aluminum wheels radiate noise through the chassis & weak engine mounts vibrate throughout the frame. Add a Panoramic Roof for even more pops & creaks. Removing a metal roof & adding 200 lbs. of glass OVER the Center of Gravity is a sure way to add snap, crackle & pop.

I had a significant rattle/creak from the rear of the cabin. Worst on rough roads around 20-30mph. At first I was convinced that it was in the rear headliner, then the rear deck. After reading this thread I suspected the center brake light and wasn’t looking forward to having to get at it.

However, the noise turned out to be the passenger side track for the rear window sunshade, I believe from its plastic-on-plastic mounting to the C-pillar. I removed the C-pillar paneling and unclipped the track. I lined the plastic on the C-pillar paneling with felt tape and added bits of felt to the pins on the track. I also felted the interface between the C-pillar panel’s pins and the panel itself. Tired to get felt on every plastic-plastic point I could. Reassembled everything and the noise is gone. Did the other side for good measure in case it would have started acting up.

I also had a higher frequency buzzing coming from the front end of the long silver trim piece on the side of the front console by the driver’s thigh. I removed that piece (which requires pulling terrifyingly hard to unclip it) and lined all the contact points with felt. Much better. I also added a little felt to the underside of the front of the cup holder and under the ashtray. I’d previously removed the silver metal plate from the top of the ashtray to make it a more useful storage spot. The latching mechanism on the cup holder rattles a little, I’m picking up some Krytox 205 and Mercedes special sliding compound spray (part 000 989 35 60) which should help the latch be quieter.

I’m nearly rattle free. I still have something behind the instrument cluster which I plan to remove and felt. I think there is some minor creaking around the vents and/or wood trim on the dash. I think the spray and Krytox will help with that and I can apply them when they’re removed to access the cluster.

My W218 has a annoying sound from the left side of the dash when I drive over 70mph and the road isnt the smoothest, it's driving me crazy. I cant pinpoint the rattle anywhere pressing the dash or panels..

Any idea what could cause this and what's the fix? (Turn up the volume to hear it on the vid)