Hello everyone.

I have an issue with my 212 e350 nowadays. The car has been vibrating before and I was thinking to replace the mounts. but for the last 2 days, while I was driving the car, at certain gear and during slow acceleration, the car started to vibrate like crazy even the roof of the car made vibration noise. When the car reaches 2k rpm or rapid acceleration, it is fine, other gears also fine. The speed was usually 50mph.

I don't have any obd, but i didn't receive any faulty so far. Any suggestions? Maybe mounts? transmission, fluids?

Thank you all!

 

If you concerned about the motor mounts recommend popping the hood and put the vehicle in drive with brake on slightly rev it and see if it bounce, then put the vehicle in reverse and do the same. The key thing is make sure everything is safe first (ie. not going to hit anything, no people around the vehicle, etc.)

Other than that, as someone else mentioned just put the vehicle on the lift and visually inspect the motor mounts.

 

... previous posts plus :

• tire pressures,
• 4Matic service,
• front wheel bearings,
• unless it's engine misfirings,

 

It is not 4matic. By the way, during that vibration and noise, i also see that tachometer pointer moves up and down. If it gives any clues what the problem might be

 

ok... that sounds like its more powertrain related.
Your scanner will come in handy to see what's going on.

 

Hmmm ya recommend the Launch CReader Elite Benz other forum members been using.

 

yes, best bang for the bucks from LAUNCH.

things is doesn't draw network maps at that price.

 

Do you think it could be misfire or transmission?

Will any regular obd can read the faults? Or are they reliable when it comes to issues like this? I have a friend with obd2, i can ask for him to lend it for a day to scan.

 

The best is to scan codes for sure but if you suspect spark plugs, that is a possibility.

 

A $50 generic OBD2 scanner is better than nothing for sure. It will read your engine faults.

Whatever is acting up to get your attention is a reminder someone needs to look after maintenance + repairs.

Many items don't survive being ignored long before snowballing into bigger jobs.

Review your record for scheduled fluids :

• Engine oil 5w40 every 5kMi not 10K!!
• Tranny ATF service
• 4Matic/Differential 75w90
• MB anti-freeze coolant
• Brakes DOT4

All these scheduled items also have associated repairs.

 

I checked the car with an OBD II scanner and no faults were found. I also put the car on handbrake and try again if i could replicate the issue while standing still. I didn't hear any vibrations. I will try again on highway and see if i can record a video.

Sorry for hairy legs.

 

no worries about the legs but just to be double sure get one of those Launch discussed. There might be MB specific codes that these generic scanners can't detect.

 

I agree , some tools can't detect the MB stored codes and yes these are totally tools (pun intended here lol )
Even a bad tire can cause such vibrations at those rpms

 

Today I had a small talk with a Mercedes dealer friend, he asked their mechanic what would have been the reason. He was told right away it is tranny turbine and it is common in w212s. I didn't even know it is a common issue.

I am quite puzzled why the car didn't go into limp mode or transmission sensors didnt show any kind of warning or check engine light.

I think it is best to start from mounts, fluids to tranny check.

Anyone beg to differ?

 

Hmmm unless I am missing something but I never heard of this issue mentioned on the forums for the W212 at all.

There is common issue with the driveshaft hanger but that wasn't the W212 if I recalled correctly.

 

I have a similar issue with my 4Matic E350. It is usually around 50mph and it feels like a transmission problem. I had the transmission fluid replaced and it didn’t resolve it. I’m thinking it could be the Conductor Plate based on things I’ve read.

When I use the paddle shifts, it doesn’t vibrate.

Let me know if you figure it out.

 

How many miles do you have, it could be transmission mount too.

 

178k on a 2011 model.

 

I see, do a visual inspection of the transmission mounts, if I recalled correctly, it is very easy to get to and replace the transmission mounts on this vehicle.

 

Have you ever looked into changing the differential fluid? Something similar to what you experiencing happened to one of my cars in the past, I replaced old oem fluid with a severe gear oil and it fixed vibrations.

 

Did you find the source of the problem?

 

I dont have the maintenance history of the car, so yeah it is good idea to replace it as well

 

Based on what you described, worn engine or transmission mounts could definitely be the culprit, especially since you're noticing vibrations specifically in certain gears and during slow acceleration. Another possibility might be issues with the drivetrain components, such as the CV joints or even the torque converter, which can cause significant vibrations if they're failing. Additionally, uneven or old transmission fluid can lead to poor performance and vibrations, so that's worth checking out as well. If you have access to Xentry or a good scanner like youcanic, running a full system scan could help identify any underlying issues that aren't immediately apparent. If the scan doesn’t show anything, try to keep an eye out for any error codes and post them here. We can get a better idea of what's going on and hopefully get you back to smooth rides without the unexpected shake!

 

so the tachometer behaves exactly like this:

and here is a video of the engine on D and R

 

No, I’m looking into replacing trans and engine mounts.