'21 GLE63s Emotion Start - Synthetic Noise Bug
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W205 C450
'21 GLE63s Emotion Start - Synthetic Noise Bug
Just crossed the one year ownership mark on my GLE63s - overall have loved it, but have a few minor things trying to iso out...
One in particular concerns Emotion Start - from time to time when using, it will trigger some sort of synthetic audible drone inside the car that does not go away. it turns on and off as the engine turns on and off, such as if auto-start is on, and even if i just power off the car and restart. Only way I've found to clear it is to physically shut off the car, wait a few minutes exit the vehicle, and start normally.
Of course, i can replicate via video but not at dealer.
Any ideas how to help get it closed out at my next service with specific notes for the techs?
One in particular concerns Emotion Start - from time to time when using, it will trigger some sort of synthetic audible drone inside the car that does not go away. it turns on and off as the engine turns on and off, such as if auto-start is on, and even if i just power off the car and restart. Only way I've found to clear it is to physically shut off the car, wait a few minutes exit the vehicle, and start normally.
Of course, i can replicate via video but not at dealer.
Any ideas how to help get it closed out at my next service with specific notes for the techs?
Last edited by spoonelli; Feb 20, 2024 at 04:26 PM.
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W205 C450
here's a compare of the separate, but possibly related issue where the exhaust noise completely goes away - not perfectly scientific but this compare of two different baseline noises around 2500RPM should hit it home. generally same engine temp, same engine modes with PE turned on. You can hear in the first vid there is literally no exhaust noise.
Leaving the car, coming back 20 mins later, then using emotion start "brought it back".
Leaving the car, coming back 20 mins later, then using emotion start "brought it back".
Last edited by spoonelli; Mar 15, 2024 at 12:42 PM. Reason: second vid needed to UL
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Joined: Jan 2021
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From: Calgary, AB
2021 GLE63S
I've had some occasional odd sounds after using the emotion start; specifically an odd drone that doesn't go away. I watched your videos and it is similar but not exactly the same as what you're noticing.
For me, it seemed like the exhaust valves to change the exhaust flow (as part of the emotion start) would, on occasion, not function correctly on say 5-10% of start attempts. The fix for me was to reattempt an emotion start, which ostensibly got the valving to function correctly -- waiting a few minutes was not as helpful for me as it has been for you.
Hope this helps!
For me, it seemed like the exhaust valves to change the exhaust flow (as part of the emotion start) would, on occasion, not function correctly on say 5-10% of start attempts. The fix for me was to reattempt an emotion start, which ostensibly got the valving to function correctly -- waiting a few minutes was not as helpful for me as it has been for you.
Hope this helps!
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From: North Wales, PA
2021 GLE63s Coupe
OMG this happed to me today as well and I was freaking out as I just bought my preowned certified 2021 GLE63s Coupe. I pulled over, shut the car down and restarted the car and noise was still there. Eventually it went away when I restarted the car 10 mins later. Did you find the cause or a fix? It sounds like a drone noise from the inside but I can’t tell when I’m outside of the car.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
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W205 C450
OMG this happed to me today as well and I was freaking out as I just bought my preowned certified 2021 GLE63s Coupe. I pulled over, shut the car down and restarted the car and noise was still there. Eventually it went away when I restarted the car 10 mins later. Did you find the cause or a fix? It sounds like a drone noise from the inside but I can’t tell when I’m outside of the car.
Are you MB CPO? if so I'd see what you can do to help get the dealer to work through this issue...maybe you are our missing link to finally nailing down a fix! Please keep us posted.
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 39
Likes: 11
From: North Wales, PA
2021 GLE63s Coupe
Thanks for finding this thread! I'm still having this issue. I still think it has to do with a bug in how the emotion start is communicating w/ MBUX (especially since the "cure" is the same time-based restart) but I don't have any real-time diagnostic tools to check logs on when it happens.
Are you MB CPO? if so I'd see what you can do to help get the dealer to work through this issue...maybe you are our missing link to finally nailing down a fix! Please keep us posted.
Are you MB CPO? if so I'd see what you can do to help get the dealer to work through this issue...maybe you are our missing link to finally nailing down a fix! Please keep us posted.
1. Exhaust Resonance / Valve Timing (Normal in AMG Emotion Start)
- When you do an emotion start, the exhaust flaps open fully and the engine revs higher at start-up.
- The Burmester system's microphones may be reacting to low-frequency engine sounds, which can cause a "booming" or "droning" sensation in the cabin.
- This is usually normal, especially if the drone disappears after a few seconds.
2. Cabin Pressure Fluctuation (Minor HVAC/Seal Interaction)
- During cold starts, the HVAC system may momentarily push or pull air quickly, which combined with tight cabin seals, can create a strange low-pitched pressure drone.
- This is more noticeable in tightly-sealed luxury SUVs like the GLE.
3. Active Exhaust Malfunction (Less Common)
- If the exhaust valves don't open or close properly, the system might leave the pipes resonating strangely.
- This can create a sustained droning that’s louder than normal — and should be looked at if it persists or worsens.
4. Engine Mount or Transmission Mount Issue (If It Vibrates)
- If the drone is accompanied by vibration, it might be a mount issue that causes the engine’s natural vibrations to enter the cabin acoustically.
- More common as the car ages or in cold weather starts.
5. ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) Conflict
- Rarely, the Burmester microphones + software may "fight" the sound of the emotion start, creating weird internal frequencies or feedback.
- Especially noticeable if you’ve just opened the door or activated the system quickly.
Last edited by Manyu; Jul 14, 2025 at 09:36 AM.
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Thread Starter
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W205 C450
CPO - certified pre-owned. If you purchased CPO from Mercedes you can leverage your warranty that to help diagnose. Usually the techs give me a "cannot reliably replicate issue" response when i bring it in/
3 and 5 could potentially be culprits here, or it's just some system handshake issue. One of the other interesting replication steps is do an emotion start, drive for a few minutes, then restart car (with or without an emotion start) and see if you get the drone or no engine noise in the cabin. My thought on the "wait 10 minutes" might be the difference between a standby power state and a deep sleep/off state in some of the car systems, but it's just a theory.
I've not found any service bulletin or similar addressing the issue.
3 and 5 could potentially be culprits here, or it's just some system handshake issue. One of the other interesting replication steps is do an emotion start, drive for a few minutes, then restart car (with or without an emotion start) and see if you get the drone or no engine noise in the cabin. My thought on the "wait 10 minutes" might be the difference between a standby power state and a deep sleep/off state in some of the car systems, but it's just a theory.
I've not found any service bulletin or similar addressing the issue.
Last edited by spoonelli; Jul 14, 2025 at 09:58 AM.
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