Dave Miz

hi guys. I have a 2011 e350 sport with 20 in wheels. love the car.

and I also have this weird rattling sound when I go over bumps or in my buildings garage or on rough roads.

driving me *** bat**** already.

I took it to the local benz dealer, it's under warranty still.... (extended).... they fixed some stabilizer said it was seized... but the noise is still there!

they said it was fine.

are they mental?

took it to the wheel place where I got the wheels, they checked it all.... and nothing.

Drove with the tech and of course, the car made no noises. :-(

lol.

Not sure WTF to do at this point. car drives great but that noise is so damn annoying!!!

Anyone have a suggestion?

I'm going to go to ANOTHER mercedes dealership and drive with the tech in the car so he can hear the noise.

Mud

Check underhood for any wiring, weatherstrip etc that may be loose and flapping around. You can also check the undercar plastic belly pans to ensure they are fastened securely. They can sometimes get a rock on them that bounces around. Look at plastic wheelwell covers too. While you're there check brake line and abs wiring fasteners and disc brake dust shields too.

I've tracked stuff down before by using a rubber mallet and tapping around on solid frame or body parts (underneath not the exterior panels lol). Sometimes the owner is more motivated to spend the time to chase this stuff than a shop since its costing them $$.

Dave Miz

Mud

Dang that would make me nuts too.
I don't think it's suspension related because the suspension wasn't really doing much. Sounds like something against the body or underhood. On the plus side I think with some judicious mallet taps you'll track it down. Assuming wheel lugs are tight and the new wheels are hubcentric?
Good luck I know you will be successful.

Dave Miz

Arrie

Dave Miz

SteveE400

If my car was that rattle-free, I'd kiss its tires! Of course, if I take out my hearing aids (which enhance high-pitched sounds), mine is quiet, too.

From the frequency (time between clicks, not pitch) of your noise, I'd suspect sway-bar hardware. Could be the links themselves, or could be just the bolts that go through the Heim-joints at the top and bottom of each link into the sub-frame or control arm. I had a noise like that in my car and from listening to when it hit, and correlating that with what the suspension was navigating at the time, I called it right on target. I told the dealer that the bolt on the left end of the sway bar was not tight. It was - the one at the left lower control arm. They had failed to torque it properly after replacing a defective strut. Right after that, I switched dealers. I'm no expert, so why is it that I can diagnose a noise and the guys who do it every day can't?

Dave Miz

rgb

Did you ever figure out what this was? I have the exact same noise and no one can figure it out.

Yarik Marar

I guarantee that when you turn off the A/C the noise will go away. I have the same problem only when A/C is ON.

Yarik Marar

i have the same issue, sounds like wind howling, then i realized i only hear it when A/c is ON.

dbldpr

Had similar sound on a different car and found that bolts on strut was loose and each time car went over a bump it rattled. tightened down and rattle went away.

Tom in Austin

Bolt that fastens the stabilizer link to the strut is really hard to fully tighten (just try one!) ... very common source of front end noise.

Jamaal D

Hi,

I experienced the same on my 2011 E350 4matic. I’ll spare the frustration and details of all that I’ve experienced thus far. Bottom line, it’s most likely the brake pad retainers(clips) are worn. This causes the brake pads to not stay locked into the calipers, which in turn, causes them to rattle when you hit small bumps at low speeds.

I hope this helps.

ChrisHimself

I still have no idea what it is, I've replaced the airmatic struts, end links, checked every bushing for play, secured every liner and tray, and I have the exact same issue on only the drivers side. Worse, we're a shop and I have in the air and do these checks almost monthly.

Tom in Austin

My C-class had a lot of noises from the stabilizer bar links ... kept having to tighten the nuts and I doubt I ever achieved the required torque in that tight location.

Jamaal D

Hi Chris,

I’m not sure if you read my comment, but it’s most likely loose brake pads that’s causing the rattling noise. On the back of the brake pads there are clips/retainers that keep the brake pads inside the calipers when they’re not being pressed up against the rotor. Whenever the brake pads are not being applied (not against the rotor) and you go over a bump at low speed they rattle, because the retainers on the back of the pads are worn and they don’t stay inside the caliper.

Try driving on a surface that is a bit rough to produce the noise consistently; while doing so, press the brake and you’ll notice that the noise goes away when you apply the brake.

I’m going through the exact same thing. The first time took the brake pads and calipers completely off and evaluated them. That’s when I noticed the retainers were worn. I bent them back so that they would stay and it solve the problem. However, the rattle came back, so now I’m replacing the brake pads. This was after replacing multiple parts and a lot of money and time. I’ll link a video to confirm.


I’ll link a video to confirm.

Eparks12

Did you ever find out what the noise was? I think I have the same noise.

HueManGod

I may have to investigate this for my car, bc it started happening after I got my brakes replaced. If anyone else has had this issue or resolved this sound please help.