Strange motor-like noise
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 318
Likes: 12
2014 S550, 2011 E350 Cabriolet, Asgard Mothership
Strange motor-like noise
Hi all. I have a 2014 S550 I purchased new. In the last 6 months or so, I have been hearing an intermittent sound like a motor than I can hear while moving and while sitting at a stop. I have tried to eliminate possibilities such as turn off climate control, turn off MBC in case it was those motors. The car is not moving up or down so it is not the lift system. I have asked the dealer to check it a few times but they always say they cannot hear it. I know I am not imagining it as my wife hears it too. My next step is to bring it to the dealer and take the service manager for a ride to point it out.
I added the part that I occasionally hear it at a stop since it is not tire noise.
Has anyone else heard a similar noise?
It does not appear to be affecting anything as my gas mileage is consistent (when I was thinking AC compressor that was an option). I was also thinking it could be the tensioners for a seat belt but that does not appear to be it as the noise does not appear to be coming from inside the cabin. I do not hear it any louder with the windows open so this one has me puzzled.
Also since I do have the recurrent issue with steering column noise, this noise happens when I am not turning. Besides, I am familiar with the steering boot noise as I had it fixed once when it was still under warranty (but not it is not so I can live with that one) until I can get it re-lubed).
Regards,
Tom
I added the part that I occasionally hear it at a stop since it is not tire noise.
Has anyone else heard a similar noise?
It does not appear to be affecting anything as my gas mileage is consistent (when I was thinking AC compressor that was an option). I was also thinking it could be the tensioners for a seat belt but that does not appear to be it as the noise does not appear to be coming from inside the cabin. I do not hear it any louder with the windows open so this one has me puzzled.
Also since I do have the recurrent issue with steering column noise, this noise happens when I am not turning. Besides, I am familiar with the steering boot noise as I had it fixed once when it was still under warranty (but not it is not so I can live with that one) until I can get it re-lubed).
Regards,
Tom
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Joined: Sep 2019
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From: U.S.
Current/Last 5-years:GLS;G70;Alpina B8;X7;Accord. Sold:X7,TeslaS;S560;S550,X5;530e;L.Navigator;LS460
When I had a pre-facelift, I always noticed that the pump for the suspension was working quite often, way more than it should even when you are not adjusting the suspension. Nothing was wrong with it, but I always felt the pre-facelift had a lot of noise coming from the suspension pumps, it was noisy, working on many stops. I did not notice any of the that in the facelift, and even the suspension pump when I manually raise the vehicle was really silent. That could be it for you, but I would records the noise and post it here for others to help u better.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,678
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From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
Hi all. I have a 2014 S550 I purchased new. In the last 6 months or so, I have been hearing an intermittent sound like a motor than I can hear while moving and while sitting at a stop. I have tried to eliminate possibilities such as turn off climate control, turn off MBC in case it was those motors. The car is not moving up or down so it is not the lift system. I have asked the dealer to check it a few times but they always say they cannot hear it. I know I am not imagining it as my wife hears it too. My next step is to bring it to the dealer and take the service manager for a ride to point it out.
I added the part that I occasionally hear it at a stop since it is not tire noise.
Has anyone else heard a similar noise?
It does not appear to be affecting anything as my gas mileage is consistent (when I was thinking AC compressor that was an option). I was also thinking it could be the tensioners for a seat belt but that does not appear to be it as the noise does not appear to be coming from inside the cabin. I do not hear it any louder with the windows open so this one has me puzzled.
Also since I do have the recurrent issue with steering column noise, this noise happens when I am not turning. Besides, I am familiar with the steering boot noise as I had it fixed once when it was still under warranty (but not it is not so I can live with that one) until I can get it re-lubed).
Regards,
Tom
I added the part that I occasionally hear it at a stop since it is not tire noise.
Has anyone else heard a similar noise?
It does not appear to be affecting anything as my gas mileage is consistent (when I was thinking AC compressor that was an option). I was also thinking it could be the tensioners for a seat belt but that does not appear to be it as the noise does not appear to be coming from inside the cabin. I do not hear it any louder with the windows open so this one has me puzzled.
Also since I do have the recurrent issue with steering column noise, this noise happens when I am not turning. Besides, I am familiar with the steering boot noise as I had it fixed once when it was still under warranty (but not it is not so I can live with that one) until I can get it re-lubed).
Regards,
Tom
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 713
Likes: 147
From: Aridzona
'15 S550, '10 E350 P1/P2, '02 ML320
You might try replacing the AIRMATIC pump bushings, it solved my random motor noise.
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...ml#post8901113
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...ml#post8901113
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Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 267
Likes: 65
From: Hampshire , UK
2015 S500, 2016 GL63 AMG
Just a thought, I had a weird noise about 3 years ago in my 2015 S500, being in the UK it came from the front passenger footwell area. I had tried to record it on my phone to no avail and it was intermittent as well, could not make it happen on a road test drive at the dealership and it did not seem to relate to anything specific either .
Mentioned it to a friend and he said he had a noise a couple of years previously on his CL600, he said it was the " pulsation Damper".
Roll on a couple of weeks and I had the noise again one morning ( bear in mind the car was not a daily driver ) I went straight in to my local dealer just a short trip and pulled into the parking area, saw one of the staff and said I did not want to turn the car off at all incase the noise would not come back.
The person went and got a technician to come out to me , as soon as he sat in the car and I went to move forward he heard the noise, straight away he diagnosed the Pulsation Damper , at last after several months of hearing the noise on and off !
I had a mercedes used car warranty so they sorted the issue out for me, I think it would have been in the region of £400 to £450 if it was not under warranty.
No idea if this is similar to yours but may be worth thinking about., I also tried turning air con on and off and various other things as well to no avail.
__________________
Mentioned it to a friend and he said he had a noise a couple of years previously on his CL600, he said it was the " pulsation Damper".
Roll on a couple of weeks and I had the noise again one morning ( bear in mind the car was not a daily driver ) I went straight in to my local dealer just a short trip and pulled into the parking area, saw one of the staff and said I did not want to turn the car off at all incase the noise would not come back.
The person went and got a technician to come out to me , as soon as he sat in the car and I went to move forward he heard the noise, straight away he diagnosed the Pulsation Damper , at last after several months of hearing the noise on and off !
I had a mercedes used car warranty so they sorted the issue out for me, I think it would have been in the region of £400 to £450 if it was not under warranty.
No idea if this is similar to yours but may be worth thinking about., I also tried turning air con on and off and various other things as well to no avail.
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Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 318
Likes: 12
2014 S550, 2011 E350 Cabriolet, Asgard Mothership
So the noise ended up being a hydraulic damper. I did a ride along with the shop foreman and he heard it right away. Sadly they also found a leaking left front strut so it wasn’t a cheap day for service 
My front tires wore excessively which they attributed to the damper.
Tom
My front tires wore excessively which they attributed to the damper.
Tom
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 267
Likes: 65
From: Hampshire , UK
2015 S500, 2016 GL63 AMG
They called it a hydraulic damper, I guess this is the same as we know it as a pulsation damper, great they found it for you , shame about the front strut etc but at least you got to the root of the issue.
