Help me find this clicking noise!!
01-26-2019 | 06:37 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 15
2016 CLA 45, 2013 GLK 350
Help me find this clicking noise!!
its mostly audible during braking. It’s a clicking sound that happens when slowing down or when the car is moving slowly off the gas. It’s faster as the car moves faster as slower as the car moves slower but audible around 3-15 mph. I can’t hear it when accelerating. Maybe the engine drowns out the noise. It’s not very loud.
The mechanic lifted the car up and accelerated. All wheels will spin but we can’t hear it outside the vehicle. It’s not coming from any of the wheels or CV joints. You can’t hear it anywhere underneath the vehicle. Only when you’re inside you can hear it. The sound is mostly pronounced at the hump on the rear seat footwell area. This is a 4matic 2013 GLK with 140,000 kms
what can be the reason??
The mechanic lifted the car up and accelerated. All wheels will spin but we can’t hear it outside the vehicle. It’s not coming from any of the wheels or CV joints. You can’t hear it anywhere underneath the vehicle. Only when you’re inside you can hear it. The sound is mostly pronounced at the hump on the rear seat footwell area. This is a 4matic 2013 GLK with 140,000 kms
what can be the reason??
Last edited by Van Ha Nguyen; 01-26-2019 at 06:40 PM.
01-26-2019 | 07:57 PM
#4
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 913
Likes: 158
From: Los Angeles & Taipei
2015 GLK350 & 2020 C300
Just speculating from your description, but tell your mechanic to look at the drive shaft (it is under the rear seat as you described). There are two guibos (or more commonly called the flex disc).. Since your car is also 4matic look at the transfer case.
01-26-2019 | 10:17 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 15
2016 CLA 45, 2013 GLK 350
we listened to the drive shaft and transfer case from underneath and put a long metal rod against the metal in the surrounding areas to see if we could hear any metal ticking sounds being transferred through the metal rod. We didn’t hear anything. All three of us tried so hard to hear it but we couldn’t. You can only hear it when inside the vehicle. It’s so weird. After I drove it out of the shop, I couldn’t hear it anymore, but once I parked it for a few hours out in 3 Fahrenheit weather, it started to make noise again after driving. Now I actually notice it being a little louder under braking. This baffles me.. it suddenly developed right after the car got its rear bumper taken off and repainted for insurance work. Could it have done anything?
01-27-2019 | 03:46 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 15
2016 CLA 45, 2013 GLK 350
So I drove on the highway for about 40 miles and the clicking noise almost went away. It was so faint afterwards. When I parked the car for a couple of hours and drove again. It was only slightly louder. Would this rule out the transfer case and guibo?
Trending Topics
01-28-2019 | 12:07 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 15
2016 CLA 45, 2013 GLK 350
Im wondering whether it would be more wise to reuse the old shaft and change both the bearing and flex disc or just buy an entire new shaft from the dealer. Is this a $3000 job?
01-28-2019 | 10:16 PM
#11
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 2,043
Likes: 236
2013 glk 350
Replacing just the bad joint should not cost more than 3-400$ us on the drive shaft, or your getting shafted . Of course mb dealers want 3000-30000, whatever they can scam you out of, be smart find a regular shop. 3000 is insanely to much
01-28-2019 | 10:25 PM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,780
Likes: 114
From: Northern NJ
GLK 350 / Porsche 993
It can be something really simple hitting an axle or something after bumber work. I would start there if the noise "suddenly" appeared in the rear of the car after work was on in the rear of the car.
We did tranny flush, took car out for test drive and this clinking noise would come and go under passenger side. Thankfully, we quickly figured it was simply a little heat shield that didn't get clipped into it's place and was dangling around. I bet it's something silly like that if it really appeared right after bumper work.
We did tranny flush, took car out for test drive and this clinking noise would come and go under passenger side. Thankfully, we quickly figured it was simply a little heat shield that didn't get clipped into it's place and was dangling around. I bet it's something silly like that if it really appeared right after bumper work.
01-29-2019 | 06:50 PM
#13
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 15
2016 CLA 45, 2013 GLK 350
I bought the whole driveshaft assembly that includes both the front and rear propeller shafts, center hanger bearing and flex discs on both ends. It was a used one with 19k miles. Paid $200 US + 50 shipping to Canada. Beats the dealer pricing of $2200+ CDN.
I figured when its on the hoist at the shop, they can tear it apart and see if anything is hitting the shaft. If not, at least I’ll have the whole assembly to swap out since I would have to pay for the service regardless of what happens. If it’s something simple, I can always resell the shaft here.
Thank you everyone for your help! It gives me some reasussurance that it’s most likely the shaft and not the transmission.
I figured when its on the hoist at the shop, they can tear it apart and see if anything is hitting the shaft. If not, at least I’ll have the whole assembly to swap out since I would have to pay for the service regardless of what happens. If it’s something simple, I can always resell the shaft here.
Thank you everyone for your help! It gives me some reasussurance that it’s most likely the shaft and not the transmission.
02-17-2019 | 09:46 AM
#14
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 15
2016 CLA 45, 2013 GLK 350
Just an update. The problem has been solved. The entire rear shaft was replaced with a used shaft that had 19k miles. It came with the flex disc and hanger bearing as well. When the old one came out, we can hear a faint click sound at the U joint when shaking it. I guess this tiny sound was enough to transfer through metal into the cabin making it sound even louder.
Parts were about $275 US and labour was $300 US
Parts were about $275 US and labour was $300 US
