2008 s550 with 78k

started out as a slight shudder under very light acceleration. With just enough pedal input to maintain speed i would experience a shudder like riding over a small rumble strip. Only lasts about 2 seconds.

next day it started happening more. And then i noticed when i pulled into a parking spot at slow speed it felt like the front tires were tripping over themselves. Almost like a 4x4 truck with the hubs locked on pavement.

mechanic is looking at the car now for past few days and cant find anything. When he puts it on the lift he cannot replicate the sound. Says everything looks fine and might be a front diff or tranny issue.

would the trans cause the turning issue?

any help is needed while i dreadfully await the verdict. The suspense is killing me i love this car.

thanks in advance.

p.s. a few times on pavement previously if at a standstill and turned to full lock to get out of a tight spot it would feel as if the power steering cuts out for a second and shutters. Not sure if this is related but it didnt happen all the time and only under these circumstances occasionally.

 

there is another recent post - check that - likely some clues to investigate / learn about - but engine mounts fail on these and give lost of strange issues

 

I was doing something when threw that first bit up..

if idle is slow the PAS will lag behind what you need to to do
suspension arms wear if 4x4 and or ABC u get new levels of complexity
these are not normal cars you really need a garage (not a main dealer they wouldn't even know what the car is) that plays on these all the time and has for the last 15 years.... and likes to do a good job - all those criteria are almost impossible to to come by anymore.. experience on this model is what counts - might be the best motor vehicle tech on the planet - but if doesn't do these day in day out - won't help whatsoever

 

Im just reading your replies now so im going to look into the motor mounts. I didnt see any fluid indicating they were blown. From what ive read these are fluid filled mounts.

idle hasnt changed that i know of compared to when it was driving normal.

mechanic did say last night that he put chassis microphones all over the place and was picking noise up on the mic attached to the transmission. Now this could either mean the Tc, the trans, or transfer case im assuming.

car has extensive service history and everything was done at correct intervals which is a main reason for buying the car. Figured it would be as a solid of an investment as possible for this model.

i did talk to another shop who specializes in mb and they said a Tc usually throws a code.

im in the process of trying to locate a transmission shop and tow it straight from my mechanic to them and hopefully they can diagnose and either locate or rule out an issue.

On top of it all im in the process of building a garage for the car. This is how she repays me lmao

p.s. I did do the rev test to check motor mounts before i towed it to mechanic and didnt see any movement severe enough to make me think anything was messed up.

greatly appreciate your help as any little bit could help

 

early 4x4s had a transfer case bearing made of chocolate - these days I expect someone worked on a solution - back then it was bin the whole thing at around 9k - in the end became a class action recall for a free box in USA - but google has wiped all existence of any misbehavior from the planet

another regular, keeps saying trans mount is at least as big an issue as the engine mounts

 

Hello,

I have a 2005 E500 4Matic experiencing your exact same symptoms. I have chattering and shuddering at low speeds while turning only. I was told by a retired Mercedes technician of 43 years that the condition was directly related to the transfer case fluid. It seems the fluid can break down over time and not allow for the clutch disks to work as they should. A drain and refill of the transfer case I was told would correct the issue 100%.

I have an appointment July 7th to get my transfer case fluid changed for new. I’m hoping this really solves the issue as this odd chattering noise is really ruining an otherwise wonderful ride.

we’re you able to get your issue solved?

my E500 has 115k

thanks much
Kevin

 

Wrong forum - W211 4Matic used the 722.6 (and thus a totally different transfer case design) the whole run.

 

Can you show the difference in the transfer case designs? My guess is they are the same design, could be built ligttle differently but for the design I would think they are the same.

What the OP explains is the transfer case center differential locking disk shudder that comes from the stick-slip condition of the clutch that it really is. There are lots of writing of this same condition on W212 cars about 9-10 years ago that match the symptoms perfectly. Dealers have been blaming this to a bearing issue on the transfer case, but I personally think it is the problem with the locking clutch disk stick-slip condition and the fluid change will probably help like the old MB mechanic has indicated.

Center differential lock is made with using a spring-loaded clutch disk design, that provides constant locking friction force. This is why 4-Matic cars come with the same size wheel front and rear even for the Sports design cars as different radius tires would make this center differential lock clutch wear out quite fast as it would be dragging on the surfaces at all times as different size wheels would want to make axle speeds different and that difference must be allowed by the center differential.

Yes, this is a wrong forum for the old E-class but anyway...

 

722.9 4Matic cars use an integrated transfer case. While I have never owned one, this is a completely different design than the 722.6 4Matic which uses a regular, bolted on transfer case.

 

not true- the transfer case in the earlier W211s were not integrated. I’m guessing my transfer case is nearly the same as the OP. In fact the S500 & the E500 both use the same transfer case. M betting the S550 is very similar.

 

That's correct. The 722.6 (5G) did not use an integrated transfer case. Which is what I said. There were no W221s that were 4Matic with the 722.6. Only V12 W221s received the 722.6 and it was RWD only.

 

If this is a 4matic the front CV axle would be something to look at. Just had a similar issue on our GL450, and even though the CV boot looked perfect the joint was binding up when turning.

 

I am experiencing this same exact issue. "Rumble strip..." points to this being exactly the same problem as the OP. I have no dash lights/check engine lights. Just now starting down the path of DAS-less diagnostics and repair.

So far, my intuition tells me it could be:

Tranny solenoid (torque converter lockup/disengage/engage)
Plugs and/coils (code-less misfire)

I'll report back when I have a solution.

 

Have you checked the front diff and transfer case fluid? Both are easy enough to change and are often overlooked...

A quart of 75W85 for the front diff, and 2 quarts of MB 236.14 for the transfer box..

May as well do the rear diff whilst you're at it.

 

It’s unfortunate the original poster did not list any sort of solution.. for you and others. In my experience (with various brands) if the rumble is when turning both ways this has to do with the differential. When it’s only on one side, you’re looking at a wheel bearing or cv parts as the easiest to diagnose. I’ve not personally dealt with this on a 4 matic vehicle, but my thoughts would be the same.

 

I'm RWD, so no problems up front. This is definitely a torque converter lockup solenoid glitch or a misfire. It happens when asking for acceleration without downshifting during gas pedal press while cruising at a constant speed on level ground.

And yes, shame the OP didn't follow up, leaving the rest of us in the dark. That's part and parcel for forums. People either get their solution elsewhere then ditch the thread, get rid of the vehicle and never return, or presumably jump off a cliff never to be heard from again, which sucks the most for the rest of us left behind contemplating doing the same Lol

 

Senecat,- I do think your issues is more complex than a small grumble from a dodgy transfer case

I can't see why your three plate later TC clutch should have given up - its early 2008 and earlier two plate lock up clutches that can't cope

what you do have where you are is very high ambient temps that do increase likelihood of engine knock, two turbos to boost quick which could bring knock, and direct injection of a design which has since been scrapped due to the huge knock issues they have... so I wounder if its knock reining back the power just when you want it to do the opposite

manufacturers have all moved back to port injection at low engine speeds, leaving direct injection only used for high rev high power situations where the burn is so quick knock doesn't have a chance to develop

the only fly in that idea is so many claiming silly numbers when tuning this engine - but then they sell maps to nutters and not warranties for longevity....

any idea if any of these were required / applied

Mercedes-Benz TSB 2013090002

Make: Mercedes-BenzNumber: 2013090002 Title: Update Engine Control Module SoftwareDate: 11/5/2013

Mercedes-Benz TSB 2013110002

Make: Mercedes-BenzNumber: 2013110002 Title: Update Fuel System Control Module SoftwareDate: 11/22/2013

 

Too many M278's that run just fine in Florida for me to be concerned about the ECU pulling timing. The real bummer about my newly-developed issue is that the car ran fine the last 6k miles I've put on it over the last two and a half years. This just started out of nowhere. The 722.9 is pretty stout. It's a good box. So mechanically I'm sure it's fine. Electronically, however, I either have sick code or a malfunctioning/dirty/flow obstructed, etc. solenoid. That would be my best guess anyway. Car shifts perfectly and pulls just fine during an Italian tune-up procedure through all gears. Also, the problem first presented less distinctly with exactly what the OP described as a "rumble strip" sensation. In fact, that's exactly what I thought it was at first. Since then, it has worsened and is much more pronounced. It would make sense to me for a clogged solenoid or a failing solenoid to present like this. The only way to rule this out without Star is to drop the valve body and replace the valve, which doesn't look too hard. Even at only 52k mi, the car being 13 years old means coils are aged-out, so I'll throw plugs and coils in it and start there since they're due anyway. I read through the manual for this thing and don't recall seeing anything that might be useful for this issue;


Solenoids look pretty easy, so I might grab a set and replace those as well, since eventually with my ECU tune I will need to TCU tune as well.

 

I doubt it. I am not able to see specific job details in the CARFAX, which I have attached, virus-free, I promise.

 

Gotcha, I was still thinking this was related to turning. RE-misfire and without reading the past posts, have you tried to log misfires to remove or confirm that variable. Im also rwd on my 63. I was experiencing what I believed to be LSPI upon the same acceleration conditions that youre describing. This had mainly been rectified with heavier SP oil as well as ive had my valves cleaned when my intake was off for something else. Ive posted pictures in a fidelity warranty thread of how dirty they were. I describe the feeling as a chug chug chug as the rpms go from about 1250 to 2500 under lighter acceleration in a higher gear than id manually choose. This feeling is only noticeable at that rpm and since I almost always drive manually in s+ the feeling was only once in awhile. That condition did not produce any misfires for me in the logs. Last things that can contribute to those feelings are failed vacuum pump check valve, or failing boost solenoid.

 

when testing - have you both made sure the rear tyres are warm and at sensible pressures - THEN - reduced traction control interference by illuminating the nag long pressing the ESP button beside the instruments - and or gone in road test mode via the buttons on the wheel and the cluster stuff where you'll get No support !

charge cooler fun winds out the boost if they are empty...

missed this newer one

Campaign No. 2019040001, April 2019 SUBJECT: 221 platform Model Year 2012-2014 Update engine electronics (ME-SFI) control unit software

and any others for late cars

re battery light fun lots of late cars had ...

Service Campaign 2010100006 OCT10 – software for the battery management system may not meet specifications, dealer will update. Approximately 1446 vehicles affected.
LI46.30-P-051327 FEB11 – 221 up to VIN A389435, 216 to A027520 noises from electrohydraulic power steering pump (EHPS) during steering movements, dealer should install modified rubber mounts

MY11 216 & 221 Service Campaigns AUG11:
2011070001 - Update fuel system control-module software (approximately 78 vehicles affected)
2011070002 – Update engine control-module SCN code (25 vehicles affected)
2011070003 - Update transmission control-module software (609 vehicles affected)

Service Campaign 2012010003 JAN12 - 2010 216 & 221 instrument cluster software, communication issues may occur dealer will update

Recall 2013020002 FEB13 – X204, 204, 207, 212, 216, 221 model years 2011-2012 due to issues during molding process of supplier operating pressure & high operating temperatures may result in fuel leakage. Dealer will replace fuel filter. Approximately 5,773 vehicles affected – owners of affected vehicles will receive a letter, or you can have dealer check VMI to see if vehicle is involved.

Service Campaign 2015120001 JAN16 – 2012-2014 117,166,172,204,207,212,216,221,231,251 fuel system control unit fault memory behavior may malfunction leading to incorrectly displayed diagnosis results or the inability to delete results, dealer will update CU software. Approximately 68,535 vehicles affected.

Service Campaign 2019040001 APR19 – 2012-2014 117, 166, 172, 204, 207, 212, 216, 218, 221, 222, 231, 251, 463 ECU Malfunction Indicator Light displayed while no fault is present in the control unit, dealer will update ECU software. Approximately 210,440 vehicles are affected.

 

I haven't logged anything, don't have the equipment for that. But you sir, sparked a memory for me. I remember reading about that check valve. I think it's in the back of the head, bank 1, and it's a crappy $12 Ford part or something?

The condition I'm trying to describe feels very much like a lost vacuum condition or boost-related issue.... Thank you so much, I think we are on to something now! I was going to start with plugs and coils because it's a lot of work and expensive ($650) and I wouldn't want to do it later, so I can use this problem as an excuse right now to do it. Plus I don't have a job right now and nobody is hiring me. So I'm pretty broke at the moment. I'm too old, price myself out, or companies just aren't hiring right now. The ghost jobs online is insane too. It's crazy out there right now.

 

Yep here we go:

 

Yes, I have tested with and without ESP. IT certainly feels like a fuel issue. It's just one specific condition in which this presents, however. Engine screams/runs fine any other time...

All those TSB's will have to be a dealer thing. If I can't nip this with light parts cannon fire, I'll run it into the dealer, pull up complete history and get a Xentry scan.

 

Full dealer servicing - means sometimes we even remembered to reset the service indicator...

checking and applying software updates only happens in the dreams of the idiot that wrote the new version less badly than the other three howling fxxx-ups he did previously...