2007 S65 AMG. The one everyone tells you not to buy. Some questions.
Ended up with a 2007 S65 AMG. Auction special. Salvaged (cosmetics only). My dealer friend dared me to buy it, so I did. Car came from out of state.
Either the previous owner or the repair shop stole tons of parts of this thing... One coil pack, wheels, both front door control modules, night vision camera, engine cover, distronic radar sensor, parktronic front sensors, charcoal/evap canister, floor mats, oh and the key!.. Yeah, some shmuck helped himself to all those items.. Most likely an insurance fraudster. Calculated to approx $3-4k worth of stolen crap.
Long story short, I purchased all those said items mentioned above other than the night vision camera. Got a key programmed, and she fired right up! Engine was smooth running on 6 cylinders. New coil pack goes in and voila! Since it was missing the bumper and one headlight, I did a 2012+ facelift.
Surprisingly, after a VMI report it seemed to be rather well maintained. It drives good. Runs good. Makes some weird noises though.
The car obviously needs at least one motor mount. Engine rocks back and forth when looking at it while it's in "D" and giving it brake torque.
So my main questions is.. What would cause a gear whine/humming/howling sound while cruising and staying lightly on the accelerator? Sound goes away when taking foot off throttle. Does not make the sound on idle, only while vehicle is moving. Also, RPM have no effect on the sound. Just a constant noise when on throttle. Very linear and mostly goes away upon deceleration.
I'm located in Phoenix AZ, any indy mechanic suggestions for an inspection?
Last edited by 221S65; Apr 2, 2023 at 04:08 AM.
You have described the classical diagnosis of humming axle (differential). Possibly a propshaft. The noise you report occurs when torque is applied into the drivetrain.
Because of age, I would throw parts at it including propshaft + mount and rear axle (differential).
Propshaft is straightforward, if "straightforward" is possible for an MB. Best route for the rear axle is a rebuilt unit.
I like the MB dealer in Tucson if you run out of options or patience in Phoenix. Don't know if they resurrect projects like this one.
Engine mounts are a little ornery to do but with a hoist are a DIY job for a well equipped guy. Expect to be doing engine mounts annually to every other year.









