K-A

Noticed a creak/groan coming from my cars suspension when I relive my weight from it and get out (no, I'm not fat in the least, lol). It's the same creak I've heard from every other M-B I've owned, though I don't think my 2010 with its whopping 9K miles had it.

Anyone know what this M-B phenomenon is due to?

thekurgan

It's most likely the parking brake, disc-in-drum mechanism. When I get this, I use my parking brake to come to a stop a few times at low speed, helps to grind off the corrosion that builds up in the parking brake mechanism. Try not setting the brake, and let us know if the sound persists.

K-A

It's definitely not the brake I don't think, but I'll give it a try (I always have the parking brake on when I park). I don't know if the car creaks and suspension-squeaks when I'm driving at low speeds, but I unfortunately assume that it does. I do know that when I do hear it, and then if I try and replicate it by "bouncing" it slightly, the sound definitely comes from the wheel areas, signifying that it's probably coming from the suspension components?

That would be great if it's a parking brake issue, though.

Firestopper0383

I notice a similar suspension creak when making a very slow turn into a driveway up a slight bump, either left or right turn. I had it looked at by the service department and they could find nothing wrong. Since then, I've kept a close ear for this noise and noticed it happening when the humidity outside is very low or it hasn't rained in a while.

thekurgan

Sounds like a bushing, they can react to humidity and wet. KA's situation, however, as he leaves the vehicle, is easy to test by not setting the brake.

K-A

Yeah, it sounds like a bushing to me (on my car) considering the W211's had it and were notorious for that "sound" (amongst other M-B's, usually bushing problems).

If it is the bushing, what does that mean? The bushing's bust already? Or is the noise unrelated to the performance of the piece?

I still haven't tried the parking brake thing, gonna remember to do that.

thekurgan

There are quite a few bushings in the multi-link rear suspension, all of them are serviceable, at a cost or warranty. Common sounds can come from the bushings that mount the rear sway bar, either the end links or the frame mount. It's worth a check to see if they are tight, I don't know the recommended torque setting, but on most, 15 lb-ft. On my BMWs, they would come lose so often, I wound up changing the nuts and washers out for Nord lock units.

BenzV12

My ex car acted this way too . It was worse when it rained and wet . However, being a MB you don't expect a premature failure unless you drive your car in .....Well, quarry , melon field lol

nizzle

I had the same problem on my W211. It endup up being the ball joints on the steering knuckle (not sure is that is the right terminology for a MB). I replaced the control arms, spring arms, poked a hole and sprayed some PB blaster in the "steering knuckle" ones, and noise gone. Check ball joints for the source of the noise.

hiddenagenda

i get this same problem when after reversing, I try turning my steering. I think maybe it's just because my foot isn't all the way on the brake!!


Something to be concerned about?

LaicepsYdobon

The bushing on the sway bar of one of my cars was bad when I got the car and had to be replaced. My symptom was a groaning/creaking sound when I hit rough surfaces or when going over speed bumps. For most manufactures the rubber bushing can be popped on or off from the end of the sway bar to have them replaced. Its a cheap and easy solution but the downside is that it can wear out faster/make some noise sooner because there are two places where the bushing can wear out. MB decided to vulcanize the rubber onto the sway bar thus making it impossible to pop the bushing off the sway bar. So for me to get a new bushing I had to get an entirely new sway bar. Suddenly the $0.35 rubber piece turned into a $200+ part. Warranty covered it of course but for an out of warranty car the changing of an old, tired rubber bushing could get expensive because of the vulcanization process that fuses them together to the metal.

Check out this video, the person who shot it changes all their bushings on their front suspension including their sway bar.

LaicepsYdobon

I'm 99% sure that one of your bushings is either torn or dried out. Have the dealer check it out for you. They can put this thing called a "chasis ear" onto the car and drive it around to detect exactly where the sound is coming from and then pinpoint the exact bushing that needs to be replaced. After that being said I'm not a mechanic but I'm drawing on past experiences.