King of Korea

Hello, dear W212 friends.

I got a 2011 E350 last week. (Odometer: around 84,200 miles)
From this Sunday, the car has developed such symptoms.
1. The chipping noise came out when I turned the steering wheel to the right side. (Passenger side)
2. Occasionally, when I start the car, the chirping noise comes up (Passenger side)
3. While riding on the bumpy road, a chirping noise came up.
4. The chirping noise was gone when I stopped at the traffic light.

Why is this happening?

bmwpowere36m3

Not enough information.... does it ONLY chirp when turning the wheel to the right? Initial suspects include: HVAC blower, accessory belt drive system and/or suspension ball joint. The HVAC blower is unrelated to turning the wheel, but its a common enough problem (dry/worn motor bushings).

CaliBenzDriver

t'is the season for cherry tree blossoms and bird chirping, right?

If this noise comes from the engine area, check the steering pump for low oil level, the serpentine belt and tensioner for integrity.

Don't ignore this too long if related to steering. I lost my steering assistance 30Yrs ago and still recall the experience very vividly ... inspect soon!

King of Korea

Hello, friend! When I turn the wheel to the right side, the chirping noise is getting worse. The dealer service center assumes that it might be due to the worn hub bearing. Since my car is drivable, I decided to wait for a week. (All the mechanics, including corner garages, are full house now.) Thank you for your input.

CaliBenzDriver

so you're saying a bad front wheel bearing. Is this a standard RWD or a 4Matic car ?

King of Korea

No, not a 4 matic, but standard RWD.

CaliBenzDriver

Your dealer will have you back on the road in no time.

If it's just a mild case of noisy bearings, you may drive on it for a long while until repair.

While at the service desk, ask the dealer to check bearings freeplay on the opposite side and bent rims for wobbling, unless one was replaced recently.

Senecat

Easy to test. Spray water (spray bottle, doesn't take much, no need to make a mess) on the belt while the engine is running. Turn the wheel too or whatever. Or just replace the belt, guide pulley and tensioner because I'm right.

King of Korea

Thanks, CaliBenzDriver I will tell the dealer center to look at the part you mentioned.

Zavato

You have a bad blower motor- chirping sound from the right passenger side is the classic tell tale, and your milage is spot on for that. And yes, turning right exacerbates the chirp. New OEM motor is available from FCP for $145 (made by Behr). Installation instructions readily available on Youtube. If you don't already have one, you will need a T25 Torx driver. The working angles are awkward, but it's a doable DIY job. Or pay the dealer in excess of $500.

Want to test it to make sure? Turn your HVAC system completely off. Any chirp?

King of Korea

Hello, Zavato. I tried to turn off my HVAC system. However, the chirping noise comes up again. I brought my W212 to the dealer where I bought the car. The dealer fixed the issue and said, "It's a bracket issue." The problem is... the chirping noise comes back again! I was about to bring my car to the dealer to diagnose the issue. As you suggested, I will the manager to check the blow motor condition.

Navrozashvele

If you get to that motor clean it and lubricate with few drops of oil. Replacing it is not needed. Removing motor isn't hard

S. Madman

How do you lubricate it?

Navrozashvele

I don't really know exact words in English but will try my best to explain. I lubricated at two places:
1) remove two t25 screws and remove that plastic cover and dropped few drops of oil at marked location

I am not entirely sure if any oil got inside, I let it sit for minute or two and cleaned off what didn't get in.
2) Clean dust between motor and white fan and used wet bent q-tip to let some oil get inside motor(do this motor side down so that gravity will do the job) by lubricating small rod inside that holds fan and motor together. Do this few times all around rod to cover all angles.


I used my motor oil to lubricate it and I believe I did pretty bad job of lubricating it but somehow it still worked and saved me money from replacing the damn motor lol. I did this a week ago and that awful noise is gone so far.

S. Madman

I will probably look at fan bearing oil, as it should last a bit longer.

Senecat

If the motor's shot the motor's shot. Replace it.

King of Korea

[ UPDATE ] Hello, Zvato! As you said, I had a bad blower motor! You are awesome. Your diagnosis was indeed right

DubVBenz

Mine has been doing this periodically for the last year or so. Only 49K miles, but the car is now 7.5 years old (2015 mfr in late 2014), so that aligns as well. I only hear it when I don't have music on, which is rare.